Best Laid Plans

In this episode, Sarah does a deep dive into planning larger chunks of the year, whether are quarters or quintiles. She details the feelings and rituals that generally occur in each Quintile, as well as the use of breaking up the year in this way. This episode is sponsored by interactive online yoga studio Stillness + Movement. You can learn more and sign up for class by going to StillnessAndMovement.com and take your first class for free when you use the code BLP. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this Deep Dive episodes, Sarah shares details about her morning routine and how she goes about daily planning. She also muses on the idea of essentially crowding out bad or mindless habits by intentionally spending time on things you want to, including through the use of effective routines. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode was inspired by a listener who wanted to hear about ideas for getting started with planning from scratch. While it is hard to be prescriptive about what any one person should use, there are definitely a number of fundamental things to think through as you create your planning and productivity toolkit: calendaring, task and goals management, routines, and finally the aethestics of it all! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode takes a deep dive into one of Sarah's favorite planning techniques: the Weekly Review. There are so many great ways to do a weekly review process, and one size definitely does not fit all! Listen to discover the many elements you can mix and match to create a perfect jumping-off point for each new week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the season finale of BLP, Sarah put out a call to Instagram for questions for an "Ask Me Anything" format episode. Join in to hear Sarah's answers to every question (and next time be sure to submit your own!). BLP will be on hiatus for July, but look out for some re-emergence of "greatest hits" episodes from the archives! Also in the meantime, you can find Sarah at theshubox.com as well as @shubox_plans on Instagram. Happy Summer! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Sarah discusses the merit of performing a mid-year goals check in. She recommends setting aside some time and going carefully through all of the goals you identified at the beginning of the year. And then - the audit can begin! There is no one right way to do a check in, but most will find the process eye-opening and beneficial. Then, Sarah delves into a walk through her own mid-year goals (in Family, Blog/Pod, Work, and Personal) as an example. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Sarah provides a planner matchmaking service for Laura Vanderkam! Laura is a time management expert who also happens to be Sarah's good friend and podcast cohost on Best of Both Worlds. For years, she's used a plain spiral notebook to hold all of her lists and notes. Can Sarah find some more enticing options? Listen to find out! All items mentioned are linked in the show notes which you can find at https://theshubox.com/best-laid-plans-podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is all about planning your summer, with an in-depth discussion of the various things Sarah has spent time dreaming about for Summer 2021. Topics include childcare/camp, personal projects, summer reading & entertainment, travel, retreat or planning, and a minimalist summer bucket list. Quick note: Best Laid Plans will be taking a SUMMER BREAK for the month of July, but will be back chock full of back-to-school energy in August. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So many listeners recommended Elise Cripe a guest, and Sarah was thrilled to chat with her about her beautiful, professional, and functional planner: the Get to Work Book! This planner has goal-setting functionality, weekly spreads, and made a unique choice when it comes to holidays - there are none included! Check out PrepDish.com/plans for your first 2 weeks of meal planning & preparation guides, FREE. If you try it, let me know! I’d love to hear about it! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Sarah provides an honest and candid review and walk-through the Simplified Daily Planner by Emily Ley. The Simplified line of planners contains both a daily and weekly option, and all feature beautiful colors and thoughtful design elemnets. Sarah shares her favorite aspects and some of the (few) things she might change if she could! This episode is brought to you by PrepDish! PrepDish is offering Best Laid Plans listeners two weeks free. Go to PrepDish.com/plans for this great offer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's another all Q&A episode, featuring your submitted write-in and audio questions! Question 1 opens with a question on "manly" planners for a 25 year old who has just received a promotion. Q2 is from a soon-to-be medicine resident wondering if she will still have use for her Hobonichi. Q3 is all about the aesthetics of planner pages -- does Sarah have use for terms like "pre-planning" "messy planning" and "post-planning"? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode features author Greg McKeown, known for his work Essentialism and now introducing some powerful new ideas in his latest release Effortless. In the conversation, Sarah and Greg take a deeper dive into the why around planning and what questions we should all be asking ourselves as we plan, especially: "What is truly essential" and "How can I make this easier?". Greg shares some of his favorite planning methods and the conversation also delves into the value of reflection and gratitude journaling. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this fun conversational episode, Sarah welcomes Ashley Brown to the show. Ashley is a mother, nurse educator, podcaster, and routines expert! She has her own suite of products designed to help people (especially women) optimize their routines, and she has so much wisdom to share! She also has designed beautiful notepads and other products to help others further curate their own routines to promote a life intention and joy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you have felt the pull to switch planners 3 or 4 months into 2021 -- well, just know that you are not alone! Due to a few factors, Sarah jumped out of the (lovely!) Wonderland 222 and into a larger more colorful Erin Condren softbound weekly, with the hourly layout. She give all listeners official permission to switch if needed and explains what she enjoys about her new system (hint: the paper. EC has really amazing paper). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this Q&A episode, Sarah answers listener questions. The first asks about how to handle bits of information that you might need later-- but are unsure exactly when. Then, a listener asks about the Eisenhower matrix, and relates it specifically to her academic job which requires both teaching (urgent + important) and research (non-urgent but still important). Episode Sponsor: Visit The Literacy Teacher’s Life at www.theliteracyteacherslife.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this fun interview episode, Sarah interviews Kelsey Wharton, a mother of 3 (ages 1-8!) and fellow podcaster -- she cohosts The Girl Next Door Podcast, which happens to be one of Sarah's favorites! Kelsey has always impressed Sarah with her organization hacks and tricks, especially in the digital realm! In this episode, she shares many of her favorite digital methods as well as some key apps (Google Keep, Todoist, and more!) and rituals she uses to help keep the entire family organized. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Sarah does a deep dive into planning larger chunks of the year, whether are quarters or quintiles. She details the feelings and rituals that generally occur in each Quintile, as well as the use of breaking up the year in this way. This episode is sponsored by interactive online yoga studio Stillness + Movement. You can learn more and sign up for class by going to StillnessAndMovement.com and take your first class for free when you use the code BLP. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's episode includes a deep dive review of the Day Designer, a monthly and daily planner with beautiful patterned covers and a distinctive layout. Then, Sarah discusses her recent purchase of two Villa Beautiful crystal gel pens and a photo sticker printer! Episode Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by interactive online yoga studio Stillness + Movement. You can learn more and sign up for class by going to StillnessAndMovement.com and take your first class for free when you use the code BLP. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode features 3 listener audio questions, plus a couple of extra bonus questions at the end! Episode Sponsor Note: This episode is sponsored by interactive online yoga studio Stillness + Movement. You can learn more and sign up for class by going to StillnessAndMovement.com and take your first class for free when you use the code BLP. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Long-time listeners will know Sarah has been a long term admirer of Organize 365 founder and CEO Lisa Woodruff for quite some time. In today's episode, Sarah has Lisa share some of her greatest ideas (and there are many!) that pertain to organizing time, organizing households, and ultimately increasing productivity and the ability to live with intention. Find more of Lisa's work by checking out her book, The Paper Solution, or via her site at organize365.com! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is all about ways to organize your finances. Sarah discusses 4 essential parts of being intentional with finances, including tracking your earnings & expenses, learning about investing, following and monitoring your long-term progress, and making sure you are revisiting your financial goals (with your partner, if that applies to you!). Episode Sponsor: Real Life Style - www.real-life-style.com/bestlaidplans Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Laken is a longtime member of the online planning community known for her openness, her positive encouragement, and her gorgeous and unique handwriting! In this episode, she gives an overview of her personal planning methods and her goal setting style, plus an introduction to the community she's built to help others achieve their goals. Find her on YouTube or Instagram with the handle @PlanwithLaken and be prepared to be inspired by her colorful layouts and ideas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's a hybrid episode! In the first portion, Sarah answers listener questions on tasks vs to-dos, managing small recurrent tasks that threaten to take over our actions lists, and ways to organize multiple in-progress projects that involve a lot of reference material. Then, in the product review segment Sarah discusses the MakseLife Quarterly Goal Setting Notebook set. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Sarah takes a deep dives into the concept of planning and anticipation. This is much harder to come by in 2021, but still worth doing! Then, she discusses current planning success & failures. Episode Sponsor: Looking for a wardrobe refresh? Lani Inlander and Real Life Style is here for you! Check out the Wear Your Power e-course at www.real-life-style.com/bestlaidplans -- and mention Best Laid Plans when you sign up to upgrade your course with a free 30 minute Zoom Q&A session! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this Deep Dive episodes, Sarah shares details about her morning routine and how she goes about daily planning. She also muses on the idea of essentially crowding out bad or mindless habits by intentionally spending time on things you want to, including through the use of effective routines. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Sarah takes a deep dive into the Layered Living Planner by HerSpace. Sarah shares her thoughts and excitement about this unique planner, and then talks a bit about goal setting planners in general. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this Q&A episode, Sarah answers questions about meal planning, tracking multiple active cases at work, planning in the post-newborn period, how she fits in podcasting with her busy work and family life, and more! Wear Your Power is an on-demand e-course that will give you a new perspective on your style and a week of outfits you love. Find out more at www.real-life-style.com/bestlaidplans and upgrade to a free additional 30-minute Zoom Q&A session by mentioning Best Laid Plans when you sign up! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this very fun guest episode, Sarah interviews Meg and Myra, the cohosts of Planners & Wine -- yes, another podcast about planners! Their podcast is a ton of fun, as they share very real and important opinions (some planner related, and some not!) and have amazing chemistry together. Sarah interviews both Meg & Myra about the mission and direction of their show, their 2021 planner stacks, how they met and got started planning together, and some long term future wishes for the new year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's a new year (AND a new quintile!), so welcome to a brand new season of Best Laid Plans! In this episode, Sarah gives an overview of all of the systems and products she plans on using in 2021 to stay organized, from the digital to the physical. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's an all Q&A episode for the end of the year! Sarah answers your questions on goal setting, creating trackers for illnesses, managing big projects, messy planner pages, planners for kids, and more! Keep the questions coming - feel free to submit via email, instagram (@shubox_plans), or even send in a voice recording! And if anyone is interested in becoming a show sponsor to spread the word about your brand or product, let Sarah know! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Still looking for a 2021 planner? In the last review-focused episode of the year, Sarah reviews the unique Spaces Planner! The Spaces is a weekly system with tons of flexibility and an unusual square footprint. Sarah leads with a discussion about matching your planner size to you planner needs -- as in, don't plan on toting a round a dictionary-sized daily! Then comes the review segment. If you are looking for a very flexible weekly planner with lovely paper and lots of notes space, Spaces may be for you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Sarah shares her end of year goal setting process, as well as some of the things that felt a little more challenging in this usual year. She discusses setting "pandemic-proof" goals, using categories, seeking accountability, getting inspiraiton from others, and choosing a word for the year. If you've created your own goals list or have chosen a word, it can be a wonderful gift to share them! Find Sarah at theshubox.com/best-laid-plans or via instagram at @shubox_plans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rachel Miller is an author, journalist, and her pieces are always creative and fun. She has written her own guide to dot journaling -- filled with artistry and inspiration and fun ideas for using your own dot grid notebook as planner and self-care tool. She shares her current planning methods, tips on how to get started, and surprises me with the planner she is using now. Listen especially if you are considering using a blank dotted notebook as your planner for 2021. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's the season of a lot of activity, even during pandemic times. Rest often gets overlooked, but it deserves discussion, contemplation and most likely even a spot in our calendars. In this short but sweet episode, Sarah discusses planned rest, unplanned rest, and the importance of giving ourselves a break sometimes. Show notes are available as always at http://theshubox.com/best-laid-plans-podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cal Newport is a computer science professor and writer about topics from technology to productivity to work culture, and he is also now the author of his newly released Time Block Planner! Cal chats with Sarah -- a long time fan -- about his productivity systems, digital/paper hybrid planning, planning weekends and personal time, and of course his new paper planner. Delve into the planner at timeblockplanner.com and find more of Cal's work at calnewport.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 2 focused on the components of current weekly review process; this episode does the same for the monthly review. The Components: 1) Review Prior Month’s Goals and any Lists - celebrate successes & decide what to do with incomplete tasks 2) Budget reconciliation (we use You Need a Budget) 3) Review any upcoming big events with partner (if applicable) See More for 4-7 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Still in planner selection mode for 2021? The Wonderland 222 Planner and Notebook is worth a look, even if you think you've already figured out your perfect system! As a die hard Hobonichi fan I did not think there'd be any question as to what I'll be using next year but . . . this one truly gives me pause, and this episode includes a full review with all of the details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're deep into planner-buying season, so today's ep is a double review feature! The first product is the compact, versatile and lovely MyWeek. MyWeek is a weekly planner with a lot of versatility and flexibility. Cultivate What Matters is a very popular brand of planners focusing on goal-setting and intentionality. The PowerSheets Goal Planner features gorgeous design, bright colors, and would be a lovely accompaniment for your weekly and monthly review sessions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's another Q&A episode! Today, Sarah addresses questions on planning through hectic work days when a lot of unpredictable tasks come up. She also answers questions about planning uncertainty in this era of the pandemic, whether to keep or toss old planners, and where she keeps her planner sidekick. She follows up with some brief planners news on new releases. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's episode features a brief update on screen time goals and the planning methods supporting habit change. Then comes our deep dive into the guest segment with Imani Michelle, an attorney in NYC with a passion for planning! Imani plans primarily in ring bound systems, and she gets into the beauty and flexibility that comes with using inserts. Her favorite brands include Cloth & Paper, Luxplans, and 8Lotus -- and she shares her very favorite products from each of these companies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this review episode, Sarah starts with some listener-submitted tips, and then dives deep into the Amplify Planner and a custom Papier dot grid journal. In the Q&A, a listener writes in about whether having one or many planning tools is better (spoiler answer: it depends!). As always, find more detailed show notes with pictures at theshubox.com! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's deep dive concept episode is all about tracking habits. Sarah goes into various ways people track habits in their planning systems, as well as what has worked best for her which is a simple practice of daily habit tracking. She shares her own foundation habits. Finally, there is a brief discussion of two new planners on the scene - the Amplify quarterly planner and a new rising star, Wonderland 222. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's another BLP Q&A Epsiode! In this episode, Sarah answers questions about her accessory notebook, workout and meal planning, keeping track of big projects, and how to capture small details that link to calendar events. Then comes a surprise cameo from a young Hobonichi fan . . . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This potpourri episode is filled with favorites related to planning! Sarah goes into her most influential/inspirational planning-related books as well as her top 5 favorite planning podcasts. Then, there is an overview of upcoming fall planner releases for 2021! Find Sarah on instagram @shubox_plans as well as theshubox.com! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tatiana is an inspiring young entrepreneur with amazing design sense and a giving, open spirit. She has a shop called The Stationery Muse that features beautiful stickers, planning products, and now she is launching her own planner product for entrepreneurs! She shares how she grew her business, what it is like to design a planner, and shares her own planning favorites. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to the first official product review episode! Today Sarah will be reviewing 2 very different products - the large and comprehensive ring-bound Live Rich Planner and the compact Japanese Jibun Techo Biz (B6). Find out if either of these deserves consideration for your 2021 system! As always, look for show notes with pictures on theshubox.com -- just click on the "Best Laid Plans" button and scroll down to the full show notes posts! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode was inspired by a listener who wanted to hear about ideas for getting started with planning from scratch. While it is hard to be prescriptive about what any one person should use, there are definitely a number of fundamental things to think through as you create your planning and productivity toolkit. While there is no one-size-fits-all system, this episode provides you with the framework you need to decide how to get started. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this all Q&A episode, Sarah addresses questions from listeners submitted through her blog & Instagram! Topics include: specific descriptions of planning rituals (with time estimates), how to make planning a habit, time blocking, how to stay in one planner for the year, how to keep daily pages neat when things change, coordinating planning with a partner. You can submit future questions any time via Sarah's blog (theshubox.com) or through Instagram (@shubox_plans)! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this very first guest episode, digital planning and organization master Beth Cubbage joins Sarah to discuss an array of hybrid methods, from the Rocketbook to electronic calendars. They also delve into kanban, a technique popular in the software community, and how it works well for helping kids visualize school tasks - ever so important in this new era of online school! Sarah also shares some excitement over the 2021 Hobonichi launch preview and answers 2 questions in the brand new Q&A segment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To give you an idea of my typical planning toolbox, today's episode features a planner 'walk through' of the Hobonichi Techo Cousin planner system and the accessories I love to use with it it. Discussions include using calendar pages for tracking, time blocking, and daily planning. There's also a mention of a few of my favorite (and not-so-favorite) digital tools. At the time of this episode's recording I was experimenting with a bullet journal. I enjoy that approach so more on that in the future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices