In this episode, Sarah gives a run down of her favorite pens, markers, highlighters, and more! Specific items listed below + visit theshubox.com for links! Best Laid Plans LIVE Retreat - Nov 2-4! Look for registration details at theshubox.com/blpa Email me: sarah.hart.unger@gmail.com / Text: (305) 697-7189 Episode Sponsors: Green Chef: Meal kits with organic, healthy, and delicious ingredients! Go to greenchef.com/plans60 and use code plans60 to get 60% off plus free shipping! Backblaze: Backbla...
Mar 13, 2023•22 min•Season 4Ep. 137
Today's episode is a mixed bag! Sarah opens with a planner peace submission sent in by Liz which combines the Planner Pad with an accessory goals notebook and Voodoopad -- a wiki-creation tool. Then, Sarah discusses her current planner wanderlust and daily layout. She also reviews what is working -- and what is not -- in 2023 so far. Finally, a listener in fellowship training writes in looking for planner recs. Episode Sponsors: Green Chef: Meal kits with organic, healthy, and delicious ingredie...
Mar 06, 2023•24 min•Season 4Ep. 136
Planning doesn't have to be about dry work-related goals - it can add another fun dimension to almost anything in life, including passions + hobbies. After sharing a Notion-centric planner peace from listener Coree (details below), Sarah delves into how she plans around 3 of her current passions: running, reading, and . . . planning! Planner Peace submission from Coree Brown Swan -- Lecturer in Politics and author of Working Moms Make it Work at http://workingmomsmakeitwork.substack.com Episode ...
Feb 27, 2023•23 min•Season 4Ep. 135
In this Q&A episode, after sharing a multi-level Planner Peace segment from listener Emilie, Sarah addresses multiple questions and topics from listeners, including: Passwords + longer term lists - where to store? Planning during pregnancy - from first tri fatigue to what to prioritize How to ease into planning when the annual goals list becomes overwhelming 2 pro tips (a fun use for blank pages + blotting paper) Planning gender divide Resources: BLPA info: https://theshubox.com/blpa Email: ...
Feb 20, 2023•28 min•Season 4Ep. 134
Aashna Shah is a dancer, published author, and advocate for those with learning disabilities. She's also Miss Florida Teen and notes that her favorite tool for success is her planner! She and Sarah talk about all things planning, including how she learned to plan (from her sister!), her favorite planning tools, the way she thinks about big goals, and advice she would give to parents who want to encourage their children to plan. She is wise and inspirational well beyond her 17 years! Where to fin...
Feb 13, 2023•23 min•Season 4Ep. 133
In this episode, Sarah opens with a more detailed description of how she is using her EC Monthly Planner as an Annual Goal Setting tool. Then, she delves into how she manages (or doesn't!) stress during busy call weeks, including whether or not she stick to her regular rituals and daily habits. Finally, she provides a more detailed description of Best Laid Plans Academy - her course designed to help you craft your own planning and life management systems to bring you more joy, reduce reactivity,...
Feb 06, 2023•23 min•Season 4Ep. 132
First, Sarah opens with some follow up from the last Q&A episode, where a listener asked for help organizing meeting notes. Suggestions include scanning and uploading to OneNote, or just doubling down on color coding and separate binders/notebooks! Then she gets into two reviews: Haroo Planner - a $30 fabric-covered option with minimalist design, gridlines, and a unique horizontal layout Roterunner Purpose Planner - Just under $30, a 6-month undated option that is packed with features for go...
Jan 30, 2023•33 min•Season 4Ep. 131
In this shorter episode, Sarah -- currently dealing with her own viral illness -- share some tips on planning ahead for illnesses that will inevitably occur! Pre-stock your favorite over the counter medications or supplements, create a resilient schedule, and feel NO GUILT about letting yourself rest when you are sick! Episode Sponsors: Financial Gym: Personal training for your finances. Visit financialgym.com/plans for more info and use code plans to get 20% off your first year of membership! P...
Jan 23, 2023•10 min•Season 4Ep. 130
Sarah shares a minor update on her 2023 planner stack, and then opens today's Q&A episode with a Planner Peace submission from a successful scientist that is packed with ideas and tips about goal-setting, handling meetings, and more. Then, the Q&A address the following topics: How to prevent handwritten notes from becoming a disorganized mess How to keep momentum going with an irregular (and highly challenging) schedule? Erasable pen suggestions (and call for listener help!) GTD and trac...
Jan 16, 2023•26 min•Season 4Ep. 129
Welcome to the first interview episode of 2023! In today's episode, Sarah interviews Ryder Carroll, best-selling author, digital product designer, TEDx speaker, and inventor of the Bullet Journal method. Ryder shares the story of how the Bullet Journal came to be and discusses hybrid analog digital approaches, evolution of his system over time, favorite products, and more. Episode Sponsors: Green Chef: The #1 meal kit for eating well. Go to greenchef.com/plans60 and use code plans60 to get 60% o...
Jan 09, 2023•35 min•Season 4Ep. 128
Welcome to 2023!! In this episode, Sarah shares 5 tips for a successful and fun start to the new year, and then shares her own personal goals list for the new year. Interested in BLP Academy? Learn more + join the waitlist here: https://theshubox.com/blpa Episode Sponsors: Green Chef: The #1 Meal Kit for Eating Well. Go to GreenChef.com/plans135 and use code plans135 to get $135 off across five boxes—and your first box ships free!” Financial Gym: Personal training for your finances. Visit financ...
Jan 02, 2023•24 min•Season 4Ep. 127
In this Q&A episode -- the last of 2022, Sarah tackles questions from listeners and shares 2 listener tips! Topics include: 1) Goal setting in a year with a new baby 2) Planner move-In rituals 3) Ideas for blank calendar spreads + trackers in the Hobonichi planners 4) Fitness planner recs 5) Keeping track of tasks/to do items captured on the fly in multiple locations Tips include: 1) Year Compass for a free goal-setting resource (https://yearcompass.com) 2) An app to share mental load duties...
Dec 26, 2022•29 min•Season 4Ep. 126
In today's episode, Oliver Burkeman joins Sarah to discuss his popular and fascinating book, 4000 Weeks: Time Management for Mortals. Sarah delves into how Oliver plans, how he went from self-help critic to personal development authors, and how to reconcile the tension between knowing life is finite (and accepting the inevitability that one cannot do everything!) and still wanting to set goals and do a lot, or even cram in as much as possible in the time we have left. Oliver Burkeman's website: ...
Dec 19, 2022•44 min•Season 4Ep. 125
In today's episode, Sarah opens with a listener who had a very minimal but effective planning style, and then she shares all of the physical products (planners + notebooks) she intends on using in 2023! These include: Hobonichi Cousin A5 English (glitter leather cover) Hobnoichi 5 Year Journal (2021-25) Erin Condren Monthly Notebook Hobonichi Weeks Stalogy A5 journal Kokuyo Sooofa Soft Ring Notebook Little Inklings Always Fully Booked Reading Journal Share yours by leaving a comment, sending an ...
Dec 12, 2022•27 min•Season 4Ep. 124
Today's episode opens with a detailed planned peace segment from Andrea, a busy physician who has embraced bullet journaling + has also discovered an easy and functional way to keep her email organized. Then, Sarah delves into four mini-reviews: Sterling Ink Common Planner (2 books, B6) Laurel Denise 2023 Horizontal Weekly Full Focus binder and inserts Proaction Planner, spiral bound 2023 version BLP now has a cell number (and no, it won't go directly to SHU's phone). You can send your pictures ...
Dec 05, 2022•30 min•Season 4Ep. 123
In this episodes, Sarah shares a Planner Peace submission from Cheryl, who has found peace (and joy!) with a Planner Pad and Full Focus combo, plus lots of stickers and homemade cloth covers. Then, she discusses some daily planning sticky notes suggestions inspired by her episode with Josh. A listener writes in about cleaning up an email backlog AND a beautiful journal for her baby twins - who are now 2. Finally, Sarah shares details about her DIY goal planner for 2023. Episode Sponsors: Financi...
Nov 28, 2022•23 min•Season 4Ep. 122
Sarah welcomes Laura back onto Best Laid Plans for this fun episode about her planning techniques. Laura recently released a book called Tranquility By Tuesday, which includes a set of 9 rules to help readers enjoy their 'regular' days even more. 3 of the rules are very planning adjacent, so they are discussed in detail on this episode! The rules are: Plan on Fridays Batch the Little Things Create a Backup Slot To learn about the other 6, go to lauravanderkam.com! You can also find her on Best o...
Nov 21, 2022•28 min•Season 4Ep. 121
Allison Sizemore is a coach and head of Couture Fitness Coaching -- and she's also a long-time BLP listener who is passionate about planning! Sarah and Allison share the ways they plan in fitness, down to details about Allison's monthly excel sheets to track workouts + nutrition! Find more from Allison at https://www.couturefitnesscoaching.com or @couture_fitness_coaching on Instagram. Link to BLP Academy signups: http://blpa.mykajabi.com or visit the BLP Academy page on theshubox.com! Episode S...
Nov 14, 2022•30 min•Season 4Ep. 120
Sarah opens with a Planner Peace submission from listener Ursula who has kept things simple and effective with a weekly planner + a notebook! Then, Sarah's husband Joshua Unger joins in for a conversation live from one of their mini planning retreats! They talk about different planning styles and Josh shares his Planner Stack (yes he has one!). At the conclusion of the episode, Sarah introduces the very first Best Laid Plan course! This is a chance to work alongside Sarah to build your most effe...
Nov 07, 2022•25 min•Season 4Ep. 119
Sarah was inspired by a fellow podcaster (Laura McClellan on The Productive Woman) to share her own 10 rules for life! Some are planning-related, and others are more global. She also shares some upcoming topics + her surprise and gratitude related to a recent newspaper shout-out! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 31, 2022•20 min•Season 4Ep. 118
It's a mixed-bag episode! Sarah opens with a Planner Peace submission from Amanda who shares what she loves about some brands never covered before on BLP: the Legend Planner + Living Well Planner. Then Sarah discusses some release news from Erin Condren + MakseLife, answers a listener question about handling shared tentative future events, shares a super fun idea (PlannerBase?), and finally reveals her current notebook obsession. Finally, she delves a bit into her current feelings around her wor...
Oct 24, 2022•25 min•Season 4Ep. 117
In this episode, Sarah opens by sharing an audio Planner Peace Submission from Hannah, who shares her daily/weekly/monthly and quintile planning rituals! Then, Sarah goes into her own meal planning habits over the years and then welcomes guest Nakita Attard Vassallo - a mother and professional meal planning strategist in Malta. Learn more about Nakita's strategies at themamamanual.com Episode Sponsors: Organize 365: To learn more about Lisa Woodruff’s work and her amazing offerings, check out or...
Oct 17, 2022•31 min•Season 4Ep. 116
Today's episode opens with a discussion of some planner news from Erin Condren and Cultivate What Matters. Then, she delves into an expanded Planner Peace segment from a listener who has adapted many BLP techniques into her own comprehensive system, complete with (impressively!) organized family meetings! Then Sarah answers listener questions about Hemlock & Oak and Hobonichi and provides a requested list of blog + podcast recs. Finally, she shares a listener travel victory - a win for Apple...
Oct 10, 2022•30 min•Season 1Ep. 115
Sarah opens with a listener sharing about her blinged-out and colorful Hobonichi (pix available at show notes on theshubox.com). She then gives a shout out to Routine and Things with Ashley Brown, who is releasing her first planner this October! Then, Sarah dives into Getting Things Done! She chats about when she first came across it, and then goes into detail about the 5 steps -- capture, clarify, organize, reflect, and engage. She shares where she follows the method and where she has changed t...
Oct 03, 2022•28 min•Season 4Ep. 114
In this fun episode, after sharing a digital planning tip from listener Sonali, Sarah chats with Kristen Meinzer, a podcaster, culture critic, author, and more! They chat about aspects of planning that are incredibly important but that might not instantly come to mind, from planning for death (promise, it's more uplifting than it sounds!) to planning memorable dates and strategic media consumption. You can find all of Kristen's work (and there is A LOT of it!) by starting at https://www.kristenm...
Sep 26, 2022•36 min•Season 4Ep. 113
Sarah opens with a review of Nolki notebook, journals, planners, and washi, and then shares updates on Hobonichi, Cultivate What Matters, and more. Then, author and podcaster Kate Hanley joins Sarah in the kickoff to "Planner Profiles" -- a series about how different people plan! Kate shares her challenges and current practices. Kate's podcast is How to Be a Better Person, and it comes out daily! Final note: congrats to Rushmore Beekeepers (the group whose music is featured on this podcast!) for...
Sep 19, 2022•35 min•Season 4Ep. 112
In this Q&A episode, Sarah tackles 5 listener questions! Topics include: 1) Planning sustainable and enjoyable holiday seasons 2) Tips for tracking (and not forgetting to track) 3) Planner matchup request: daily pages with gridlines + colorful tabs? 4) A system to keep special memories + achievements long term 5) Planner matchup request: planner for a middle schooler Episode Sponsors: PrepDish: Healthy and delicious meal planning made easy! Check out PrepDish.com/plans for your first 2 weeks...
Sep 12, 2022•27 min•Season 4Ep. 111
Inspired by a podcast episode of similar title (Cal Newport's Deep Questions Ep #211), Sarah decides to offer a 10,000 foot view of how she organizes . . . pretty much everything! This episode is more about principles than tools (though of course those get a mention as well!). Sarah talks through her various horizons of planning, from daily to yearly, and her methods for keeping inputs under control. Episode Sponsors: Gusto: Gusto is offering our listeners three months free at gusto.com/sarah. G...
Sep 05, 2022•26 min•Season 4Ep. 110
It's Hobonichi season, and Sarah is excited! She opens with a Planner Peace submission from Hobonichi user, and then goes into a detailed exploration of the current Hobonichi offerings, from planners to covers and more. Learn about the ordering process, the website (it's in English!) and their new offerings for 2023, as well as what Sarah is thinking of ordering herself. Episode Sponsors: Yipes: Face & hand wipes for kids! Go to yipes.com/PLANS for 20% off. Growing up is messy. Yipes! wipes ...
Aug 29, 2022•26 min•Season 4Ep. 109
In this episode, Sarah opens with a discussion of back to school energy, with a shout out to the Hobonichi 2023 releases + the new Full Focus designs. Then, she shares some listener tips related to reading journals and book tracking. In the Q&A, she answers questions in themes: 2 related to scrolling habits, 2 planner matchmaking requests, and 1 on Apple Notes. As always, detailed links/notes up can be found at theshubox.com! Episode Sponsors: Yipes: Face & hand wipes for kids! Go to yip...
Aug 22, 2022•28 min•Season 4Ep. 108
