Rod and Staff Books & More

Page size: 5.5" x 8.5"

Using a Daily Planner

A homemaker's life consists of innumerable details. Appointments, church activities, school schedules, and homemaking in general, repeatedly call for our time and attention. A planner and a pencil assists you in shaping these details into a written plan while freeing your mind at the same time. And as you see these items eliminated one by one, you will enjoy the satisfying feeling of accomplishment.

We measure time by years, months, weeks, and days. Likewise, we can categorize events, projects, and normal daily duties in the same orderly way. Yearly calendars give a quick overview. Monthly calendars show at a glance what is taking place. Weekly/Daily calendars are more detailed to help keep you focused.

A planner can help you schedule your time more efficiently, which gives you freedom to enjoy life in a relaxed, productive way. It is a place to write upcoming church/school/social events, household jobs, children activities and more. When schedules and events are written down, you can be more realistic in planning your day. While paper and pencil are essential instruments in scheduling, it is the eraser that keeps things flexible.

This daily planner is divided into the following seven sections (with thumb tabs for quick reference):

• Yearly Calendar
• Monthly Calendar
• Weekly Planning
• Tasks list
• Projects and Events
• Information
• Shopping Lists

Yearly Calendar

This is for jotting down upcoming events, or making note of a special happening. If you wish to remember the one-year anniversary of death of your friend's husband, just post it on the appropriate space of the following year. If passports expire in October of 2013, make a note for future reference.

Monthly Calendar

Make an entry of all the upcoming events such as church meetings, weddings, school activities, appointments, reunions, holidays, etc. on the monthly calendar. This can help you see at a glance what will be happening over the next several months. This becomes helpful for weekly scheduling.

Weekly Planning

Under the heading "Tasks for this week" are spaces to jot down things that need to be done such as phone calls, appointments, scrapbook sheets, balancing the checkbook, etc. It's beneficial to take time to sketch out the weekly tasks in advance. If you need to schedule a dentist appointment, write it down. If laundry is the biggest event on Monday, write it down. Laundry is a big project and depending on the ages of your children or the size of your family, it may be the only thing you get done. It is an accomplishment worth marking out! Look for short slots of time to do small projects. It only takes a few minutes to schedule a dentist appointment or to send a card. If it is written down on Monday's list, you will be more apt to grab those precious few minutes when the opportunity arises. If you need to take a suit to the dry cleaners, jot it down. That way you likely won't forget it if you need to go to town. If cleaning is consistently done on Friday, then consistently write it down. As bore as that may seem, it is still a big accomplishment.

Plan the basic menu for the main meal each day. This can be done before the week arrives or it can be decided on a daily basis. Create a system that works well for you and your family. Deciding on the type of meal for each day will lessen the choices. Example: casserole on Monday, soup on Tuesday, meat and potatoes on Wednesday.... When Monday comes, just decided what type of casserole to make.

To make the current weekly layout easy to find, clip the top corner of the page on the dotted line. Write with a pencil so you can erase and rearrange as you juggle daily tasks with the unpredicted issues that present themselves. Written tasks are to serve as a guide so you can plan what is reasonable and comfortable. Freely modifying your schedule is not a sign of weakness, rather it is a mark of strength. This approach will help you make wise choices that are best for you, your husband, and your children.

Tasks List

The pages in this section are untitled. This gives you the freedom to create monthly, bi-monthly or seasonal lists.

If you do a lot of gardening and preserving, title the page, "summer projects." Then make a list of things you need/want to freeze or preserve. As each food project is completed, you can enjoy the pleasure of crossing it off the list. Or if in the month of January you wish to sew, title the page, "January task," then make a list of the individual garments. Other jobs can be added: order seeds, update the baby book, and so forth.

To formulate weekly tasks, transfer information from this section to the weekly pages. Check the month-at-a-glance calendar for upcoming events so you will be able to comfortably arrange the week's activities.

Projects and Events

The projects and events section are for occasions that need more space for writing. If you are planning a baby shower or a family gathering you will be able to keep that information in your planner and have it handy for a quick reference. Again these are untitled for flexibility.

Information

The information section is for phone number and addresses needed temporarily. If you are ordering a recipe book, jot the number down so if it requires more than one phone call, it will save you the time of looking up the phone number again. This is a good place to write addresses for a card shower or the information for the eye specialist.

Shopping List

The shopping lists may be used as comprehensive shopping lists or as a central location to write the items you need for upcoming events, projects or menus. A running shopping list enables you to make the best of a trip to town, whether it is planned or unexpected. The lists are perforated for your convenience.

My Planner, My Friend

Consult you planner often. At first it may feel like a new shoe, stiff at the beginning, but the more it is used, the more you will like it. It will help you to wisely schedule what is good for you and your family, always taking in to consideration your health, ability, and stage of life. It will be a friend that helps you remember and you will be rewarded with a feeling of satisfaction when even the simplest of jobs have been completed.