How do you find balance and organization in your life? A lot of people think that I blog full time but it’s only a part time gig. I work for a pediatric dentist and orthodontic company 40 hours a week, I am a full time mom, and then I blog on weekends and at night after the kids go to the bed.

I owe the majority of my success and crushing goals to my planner. Sounds a little crazy, I know, but once I started writing down every task in my planner I noticed that not only did I remember everything I needed to do but I accomplished it.

I have been a huge fan of Erin Condren for years and it’s because of the bright colors, the way the weeks are broken down, and how they have places for you to organize and crush your goals. Organization is key when it comes to planning and this planner was the first thing I purchased when I started blogging.

Now lets get into my biggest tips while using a planner and how to stay super productive.

Buy different color pens for each category. My favorite pens you can shop here.

For example: Meals are in green. Grayson and Annslee Kate’s appointment/tasks are in light green. Work is in blue. Blog tasks are in red. Work outs are in black. Meetings are in purple. Social events are in dark pink.

I place a heart when it needs to be completed and then I color in the heart when the task is done. I think this is cuter then crossing the tasks out but I know a lot of people like to do it that way.

I keep events and meetings on the monthly calendar and then I place every day todo’s and tasks in the weekly section. Don’t forget to place your monthly things in your weekly as well though.

Binder clips are also super nice to have so that you don’t have to keep searching for what day you are on. I recommend one big binder clip to help open to the month at a view, one big binder clip to open to your week at a view, and small binder clip to hold all the papers in the middle.

Stickers also help to make the planner fun and Erin Condren comes with a ton of stickers. If you want to decorate your planner for each holiday (which is super fun) you can purchase these stickers here.

Erin Condren is having an amazing sale right now for Cyber Monday- You can shop my planner here.

Some other tips on how I stay super productive while balancing my life:

• Don’t overwhelm yourself– learn the power of no. I don’t say yes to every social event and I don’t agree to every collaboration anymore. Don’t let your life control you, you have to control your life. You only have 800 weekends in your lifetime, if you are not super close to the person then don’t go to their event.
• Write it down– Make a list and check it off one by one. I know people say take one step at a time but it’s so true. When I write it down and accomplish each thing at a time I get less stressed and nervous.
• Plan out your meals for the week– Every Sunday I plan out my meals for the week and do click list- Not only does that help me stay healthy but it also saves the family time and money.
• Plan out your exercise plan for the week– Again, when I write down the area that I want to work on, let’s say leg day, I am more likely to accomplish it. I notice that if I work out in the morning I feel more productive for the rest of the day. The sweat app is my favorite because I can work out at home.
• Don’t wait to the last minute– Waiting to the last minute on anything causes stress. Be on top of it a week ahead.
• Use the one minute rule– Does it take less then one minute to complete the task you keep thinking about? Then just do it.
• Don’t binge watch T.V. or watch T.V. at all actually– I read this amazing book called What if it does work out and it talked about how if you just simply cut of T.V. watching that you could crush your goals and start a side business. That is exactly what I did when it came to blogging. Every night I sit and blog during my relax time and it actually helps our family earn a little extra income instead of watching T.V.
• Find a great support system- I couldn’t do anything without having a great team and community. It does take a village to raise a child and that’s one of the reasons we moved to middle, TN to be closer to my family. My husband also cleans up around the house and is there for the kids a lot. I couldn’t do anything I do without him.

I hope these tips helps you reach your goals. Remember that life is all about balance so whatever can help you find balance in life is the key. Erin Condren has helped me for years so I was excited to collaborate with them on this blog post.

Happy Planning,

Abraidedblonde