Hi, friend! I’ve been wanting to share my updated digital planner since before the new year started as I’ve gotten more traffic on my previous digital planner video and blog post. With my updated digital planner, I combine loop-scheduling with time-blocking which I shall explain now.
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I prefer to plan digitally because I don’t like to carry a lot of things and I never forget my phone so I’m never without my calendar and planner. All I use to create my digital planner, is the memo app that was already installed on my phone. In your phone, it may simply be called a notepad. Here are my daily schedules.
And, the icons below my daily schedules break down the different categories of tasks I would like to accomplish within my time blocks and loop schedules. Some icons you don’t see here are my prayer and goal icons as those are larger categories on their own lists. I will be going over digital goal planning in my next Organizing Session Saturday post.
The first thing I did, to create this digital planner, was note the tasks I need to do at specific times, like bring my daughter to school and pick her up, for example. Then, I list out all the things I need to and would like to accomplish throughout the day. I then place those tasks in time blocks between the hours I would like to accomplish these tasks.
Starting with my weekday schedule, at the top of my list, I note appointments and events so that I am mindful of how my schedule will differ that day. I know what appointments and events are scheduled because they are on my calendar as soon as I book appointments or receive invites.
Each of the symbols has a coordinating list I draw my tasks from. For any personal tasks I need to complete online, I try to do those before I dive into work. Then, when I do dive into work, I tackle my top priorities which are decided the night before. These are a doozy, so I will skip down to the loop tasks.
I learned about loop scheduling from Jamerril Stewart who uses this technique for homeschooling. Let’s quickly use a laundry loop schedule to illustrate how it works. Obviously, when doing laundry, you need to accomplish 1. washing the laundry, 2. drying the laundry, 3. folding the laundry, and 4. putting the laundry away. You accomplish these tasks in this order and then loop back around to the top of the list when you get to the last step.
For me, I use loop scheduling for work tasks and other categories I will show you next. When making YouTube videos, there is a ton to remember and a certain order to do it all in so that everything flows smoothly. So, I complete these tasks in order, checking them off as I go so that I know exactly where I left off when I need to stop and accomplish other tasks. Then, I pick right back up onto the next task on the list. This saves so much time shuffling around trying to figure out where I need to pick up and this also keeps me from forgetting key things like grabbing a picture for my thumbnail and what not.
Going back to my schedule, I have listed on there “organizing task” which I have listed and broken down below for areas around the house I’d like to tackle or reassess. And, back to the schedule again, I have “cleaning task” which again is based on a loop schedule. I can decide to clean for a certain amount of time, rather than completing specific tasks. Then, when times up, I can simply mark what I completed, that day, on my list and know exactly where to pick up, the next day. This ensures all the cleaning gets done over a week or two but keeps me from getting carried away so that I don’t get caught up in cleaning and neglect other tasks.
Going back to the schedule again (these organizing and cleaning tasks can also be included in filming for my channel, by the way), my lists for the film, camera, and computer icons are actually noted in lists on another tab which I will not go into detail about at this time. But, each list breaks down video ideas that have been prioritized along with the tasks I need to do in order to create those videos.
Then, I prepare dinner and pick up where I left off on work tasks. Next, it’s dinner and family time. I have a list here for family time. I already created a budget for my daughter, but we need to do an updated one for college. Seriously, I can’t believe my daughter is an adult now and ready to go away to college. And, these are other tasks we would like to accomplish before she goes. I’m asking self-defense class owners if I can film, so we will see if I can make a video on that.
Then, I complete a few more tasks, pick up on work tasks again, if time permits, and then I begin my evening routine. My favorite thing is updating my budget which only takes a few minutes. By the way, I finally figured out how to render my screen recording for my debt payoff video, and how to upload it so that it is clear when uploaded to YouTube. So, I should finally have that up by Thursday. Thanks so much for your patience with me! Okay, back to my evening routine … then, I review my goals. And, again, I will be sharing digital goal-setting techniques next Saturday. Another one of my favorite tasks is planning for the next day. I delete the completed tasks and add on needed tasks. If I’m not feeling well, I rearrange some tasks so I can ease the pressure and make things a little more tangible. I have not been good about doing nightly treatments. Let me know in the comments what skin or hair treatments you do regularly or if you’re just as bad as me.
For the weekends, I have appointments and events noted at the top of the list again. On Saturday, I have my deep-cleaning tasks broken down below along with home project tasks broken down below, as well.
For Sunday, I have my meal plan list noted below. This is a simplified version for quick reference which I use in conjunction with my meal-planning system which I will eventually share with you in the future.
So, that’s my updated digital planning system which now includes loop scheduling within time blocks! By the way, if you are still not sold on creating a digital planner using time blocks, I’m sure you have seen it already, but just in case, Brittany Vasseur just did a video on time blocks in a printed and color-coded version. She also uses her phone to set reminders when transitioning between time blocks. If you are sold on creating a digital planner, I show you how I utilize my phone calendar in conjunction with my digital planner in my previous digital planner blog post here.
I also have linked for you, here, my 5-day finance organizing challenge that you can start and complete before my debt payoff post this coming Thursday. I will be showing you the fastest way to pay off debt and how to pay the least in finance charges. So, be sure to grab my FREE finance organizing challenge here so that you can be all set for my debt payoff post.
Are you a digital or paper planner? Share in the comments below! Feel free to share your own favorite planning tips below so that we can continue to build our awesome community here and build each other up to have a more organized life. If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel and click the notification bell so you never miss another organizing video.
Happy Organizing!
Author of “How to Organize Any Space in 7 Simplified Steps“