In this episode, Sarah does some planner matchmaking and answers listeners' questions! Products mentioned: - Master-sized Leuchtturm - XL Moleskine - Nuuna weekly diary L - Simplified Dapper Desk + Simplified Daily - Stalogy notebooks - Ashley Shelly Daily Question topics: 1. When do you take your planner with you? How do you avoid disaster (ie, water bottle spills)? 2. When to conduct a monthly planning session when the month doesn't fit neatly into the week? 3. How to manage switching planners...
Oct 09, 2023•29 min•Season 4Ep. 167
Sarah was inspired by a question she received at a presentation she was giving to discuss the feeling of overwhelm, and how (at least sometimes!) planning can be helpful during those times, even when it can feel extraneous or like something we don't have time for. She also discusses what to do if the more elaborate planning systems (such as her Nested Goals Method) feel overwhelming at the start. Finally, Sarah announces the online version of Best Laid Plans Live, Planning 2024! Visit theshubox....
Oct 02, 2023•23 min•Season 4Ep. 166
In this episode, Sarah reviews two new or updated planners: 1) Archer + Olive's Dated Wellness Planner 2) Cal Newport's Time-Block Planner V2.0 She also shares her current planner -- which is a bit full circle! She also shares information on Best Laid Plans Live - Planning 2024, since registration for this live event in South Florida closes October 3rd! Visit theshubox.com/courses for more details, and make sure you are subscribed to theshubox.com/newsletter for information on the home edition o...
Sep 25, 2023•33 min•Season 4Ep. 165
In today's episode, Sarah tackles 5 listener questions and provides two pieces of listener feedback! Question topics: 1) Planners to Track/Memory-Keep in Pregnancy 2) Daily planners without a timeline 3) Teaching kids to plan 4) Planner conferences (ie, Go Wild and others) 5) Concept of "syllabus" for your planning Feedback: 1) Help for the Passion Planner user a bit embarrassed by her planner (but otherwise loves it) 2) Support for the mom with young kids undergoing multiple life transitions an...
Sep 18, 2023•24 min•Season 4Ep. 164
The teacher planning episode is here! This episode opens with clips and tips from veteran teachers who share their planning tips and favorite products. Then, Sarah speaks with Hannah Taylor, an online history teacher with a passion for helping students plan well, no matter what their educational environment (virtual, home, or in-person). Hannah discusses techniques and ideas for getting middle and high schoolers to plan well, with some thoughts on how parents can be involved -- but still promote...
Sep 11, 2023•28 min•Season 4Ep. 163
In this planning adjacent episode timed especially for Labor Day, Sarah shares her favorite work tips, from strategizing to use vacation time well to creating an effective email strategy. Also: avoid bad pens at all cost :) Episode Sponsors: Jenni Kayne: Find your forever pieces at jennikayne.com. Listeners get 15% off the first order by using code PLANS at checkout! Green Chef: Clean eating with ingredients shipped directly to your door. Go to GreenChef.com/60plans and use code 60dtt to get 60%...
Sep 04, 2023•21 min•Season 4Ep. 162
In today's episode, Sarah talks all about the Hobonichi 2024 release, including what she loves about these planners, changes for this year, and more. She then discusses several Hobonichi-inspired brands, including: Aura Estelle: https://www.auraestelle.com Wonderland 222: https://wonderland222.com Sterling Ink: https://sterling-ink.com She then discusses the next round of Best Laid Plans Academy, sharing several testimonials from the last round and explaining the structure + goals of the program...
Aug 28, 2023•27 min•Season 4Ep. 161
Sherri McConnell shares her patterns, techniques, and so much more at A Quilting Life -- and one of her passions is to help those who love quilting to find time to truly enjoy their hobby and craft! She chats with Sarah about her journey in crafting, the quilting planner she designed herself (!!)), and her suggestions for those looking to find more time to enjoy the things they love. Sherri is also a Best Laid Plans Academy member - she participated in the Spring 2023 cohort and some of her favo...
Aug 21, 2023•31 min•Season 4Ep. 160
In this episode, Sarah provides a guide to planning + thinking through Quintile 4! She touches on all aspects of planning this back-to-school season which can be jarring and a lot of moving parts for many! Consider listening to this with your notebook or laptop and pausing to start your own planning process. Note: If you are interested in more in-depth seasonal planning sessions with Sarah in the future, Best Laid Plans: Planning Your Seasons will be launching in 2024, with registration opening ...
Aug 14, 2023•21 min•Season 4Ep. 159
In this Q&A episode, Sarah provides her take on listener questions: Q1: Planning during challenging life phases Q2: Back to school planner recs for a pair of teen brothers Q3: Planner matchmaking for a WFH mother seeking a BIG planner to manage both work, home tasks + homeschooling Q4: Dangling tasks Q5: Planner recs for a listener who loves BUT is embarrassed by her planner! She also features several listener tips + follow ups from past episodes! Episode Sponsors: PrepDish: Healthy and stra...
Aug 07, 2023•31 min•Season 4Ep. 158
Today's episode is a little bit of a departure from the regular format - Sarah shares an interview Lisa Woodruff did with her for the Organize 365 Back to School Blitz! She discusses some of her favorite basic tips for planning (quintiles, retreats, routines + more) and they delve into some planning basics for the back to school season - coming sooner than we think :) You can find Lisa (and sign up for her free Back to School Blitz!) at organize365.com. Episode Sponsors: VIVAIA: Comfortable, sty...
Jul 31, 2023•43 min•Season 4Ep. 153
In part 1 of today's episode, Sarah presents 3 mini-reviews -- clearing out her to-be-reviewed stash! 1) Rad & Happy undated weekly planner 2) Passion Planner academic weekly + erasable pens 3) Performance Lab's Focus Planner (Australia) Visit the show notes on theshubox.com if you are interested in winning one of these planners - just leave a comment in the show notes! In part 2, Sarah discusses daily rituals and how they help establish self-efficacy. She then inventories her own list of cu...
Jul 24, 2023•27 min•Season 4Ep. 156
In today's episode, Sarah discusses the planning-adjacent topic of organizing and curating our spaces and stuff. She shares her history with organizing (being organized + clearing clutter has not always been a personal strength!) and prior influences, from Marie Kondo to Lisa Woodruff. Finally, she discusses her current challenges and plans to gradually work on further organizing and decluttering her home and spaces. Episode Sponsors: Green Chef: The #1 Meal Kit for Eating Well. Go to greenchef....
Jul 17, 2023•21 min•Season 4Ep. 155
In this Q&A, Sarah answers questions about: 1) Becoming more comfortable with setting longer term (monthly, seasonal, yearly) goals Interested in setting your 2024 yearly goals with Sarah in FL? Visit: https://theshubox.com/courses 2) Paper sizes, weights, and pen types! (Paper Planner 101!) Reference: https://goldspot.com/blogs/magazine/notebook-sizes-compared-and-explained 3) Planner matchmaking: "I am about to start medical school in July. I am a non traditional student so I will have a p...
Jul 10, 2023•24 min•Season 4Ep. 154
In today's episode, Sarah interviews Stacy Mellem, a devoted Franklin-Covey user for over 30 years! Stacy shares how she's made the system work for her over the years, and why she believes planning is still important in retirement (or what she refers to as her "jubilacion" (the Spanish word for retirement, which really does sound better!). Franklin-Covey Planners: https://store.franklinplanner.com (this podcast is not affiliated, just including as reference!) Episode Sponsors: Green Chef: The #1...
Jul 03, 2023•35 min•Season 4Ep. 153
Sarah discusses her prior hesitancy around planners with rings and discs, and then delves into her current unexpected love for the Inkwell Press Disc Bound Planner with 2023-24 inserts, as well as the advantages that come with a planner where everything is movable! Products mentioned: Cover - hard cardboard or vegan leather Weekly inserts (vertical or horizontal layouts) - 140 lb paper, bright white, colorful but professional/muted color palette Daily inserts Blank inserts Poly monthly dividers ...
Jun 26, 2023•26 min•Season 4Ep. 151
In today's episode, Sarah revisits her own summer planning and discusses how she shifted her goals to reflect current priorities and time pressure. She reminds listeners that sometimes planning can mean downshifting in one area to focus on another, and that while we can do a lot - we cannot focus on every area at once. Then, a mini-review of the Mark's Log Diary from JetPens. This book is super cute and has some unique features, but those with large handwriting may want to avoid! JetPens Chat GP...
Jun 19, 2023•25 min•Season 4Ep. 151
Life update episode! Sarah shares what is going well this year, and things that have been more challenging -- plus an update on which of her 2023 planners are still in use at the almost-6-month mark! Episode Sponsors: Earth Breeze: Liquidless earth-friendly detergent sheets! Right now, listeners can subscribe to Earth Breeze and save 40%! Go to earthbreeze.com/plans to get started Jenni Kayne: Classic, cool, and comfortable - truly luxurious pieces that last! Find your forever pieces at jennikay...
Jun 12, 2023•26 min•Season 4Ep. 150
It's a June Q&A episode! Questions: 1- Small portable planner to track migraine-related details? 2- Ways to deal with photos + memory keeping (esp with a newborn)? 3- Planner/collection system to deal with family's increasingly complex medical needs? (Mentioned: https://www.jetpens.com/Lihit-Lab-Bloomin-Pocket-Folder-A4-8-Pockets-Pure-Blue/pd/33404; Organize 365 Warrior Mama Binder) 4- Recs for kids' planners for school (if the school doesn't hand one out) 5- Dealing with planning paradox of...
Jun 05, 2023•24 min•Season 4Ep. 149
This episode is all about the ways we might think about planning and curating our summers, from travel to reading lists to work projects to media and more. In addition, Sarah announces the launch of her Digital Detox Mini-Course! This is a 4 week course designed to help you change your screen time habits. If you are fighting digital distractions and spending more time on screens than you want to, this course is for you. Find out more and register for the Digital Detox Mini-Course at http://thesh...
May 29, 2023•25 min•Season 4Ep. 148
In this month's guest episode, Sarah chats with Monica Packer about habit formation, perfectionism, self-compassion, and more. Monica is the host of the About Progress podcast as well as a coach and mother of 5, from ages 3 months to 11! You can find Monica's work here: https://aboutprogress.com Thanks to Jenny Eversole from Style Space (https://stylespace.com) for connecting Monica + me! Episode Sponsors: Earth Breeze: Liquidless earth-friendly detergent sheets! Right now, listeners can subscri...
May 22, 2023•31 min•Season 4Ep. 147
This episode starts with two follow ups: 1- Follow up to the listener wanting a potentially custom planner with to do/timeline on left and notes on right: Passion Planner Daily: Etsy as a great place to purchase custom sheets or pdf layouts Or, make templates yourself -- check out courses on creating printables from Lindsay Ashworth (atouchofla.com/learn) 2- Follow up on the heart to heart screen time episode (Episode is here: https://theshubox.com/2023/04/ep-143-heart-to-heart-screen-time-thoug...
May 15, 2023•35 min•Season 4Ep. 146
In today's episodes, Sarah shares tips + tricks she's learned over the years (from residency training to her current role as practicing physician) to help increase efficiency in her healthcare role. From charting to managing synchronous chat messages to communicating results, she covers several practices she has used to increase her engagement and allow for more time/focus on patients (and less on the EMR!). Please note, this are her own personal experiences and should not be construed as medica...
May 08, 2023•30 min•Season 4Ep. 145
It's a Q&A episode! 1- A listener is looking for a custom planner that has schedule on the left / space on the right. Options Mentioned: Agendio, Personal Planner, Plum Paper, and Golden Coil, plus Full Focus as a non-custom option that might meet her specifications. 2- Male listener notes that planning seems to skew female - why? Not sure, but Sarah thinks everyone can benefit from planning. Plus, he notes the value of the planning process vs the plan itself. Very wise! 3- A listener emails...
May 01, 2023•25 min•Season 4Ep. 144
Sarah brings her honest thoughts about screen time to this heart-to-heart episode. First, she shares two valuable listener perspectives: 1) Rachel in Wales, who spent a month without a smartphone and was converted permanently: http://www.rachelinwales.com/2022/10/analogue-august-month-or-14-without.html 2) Leslie, a self-described "mid/later-life" yogi who always has thoughtful perspectives on all things planning-adjacent Then, she delves into her own thoughts, from screen time as a spectrum (fr...
Apr 24, 2023•27 min•Season 4Ep. 143
In today's episode, Sarah provides a follow up to Vickie's planner conundrum, and then delves into two listener question: one on evening routines to allow for early mornings, and one on various hormonal cycles (applicable to those who menstruate) and how that might impact planning. Then, 3 product reviews are shared! 1) Midi Notebooks from Flame Tree Publishing: https://www.flametreepublishing.com/japanese-woodblocks-set-of-3-midi-notebooks-isbn-9781839644856.html 2) Karst Stone Paper Daily Plan...
Apr 17, 2023•24 min•Season 4Ep. 142
Sarah opens this episode with a request for help with planner matchmaking for her dear friend and planning co-conspirator Vickie, who is looking for: " . . . a relatively portable/lighter (ideally smaller than 5x8in), hardbound (no spiral!) planner, w monthly and week on 2 page spreads, gel pen friendly paper, not too much extra stuff -- no inspiration vibes, please." Please send your ideas for her! Outside the Box Travel Planning Tips from the Road: THINK ABOUT HOW YOU WANT TO FEEL AT THE END O...
Apr 10, 2023•20 min•Season 4Ep. 141
Today's episode opens up with a great Planner Peace submission from Millicent! Products mentioned: - Simplified Daily Planner - Day Designer Monthly - Essential Calendar (www.theessentialcalendar.com/BESTLAIDPLANS and use code BESTLAIDPLANS at checkout for 10% off!) Then, Sarah discusses 11 steps for breaking up big projects. In brief, these include: 1- Envision the End 2- Think about Timeline. 3- Think about Team (and learning from others who have been there) 4- Start mapping out the steps. Not...
Apr 03, 2023•24 min•Season 4Ep. 140
In this episode, Sarah comes on with answers to your questions in an AMA (ask me anything)-style format! Topics include: - Social media (or lack thereof) - Current morning routine - What Sarah would do with a year off from clinical work - Migraine deep dive - Best trip ever taken - with kids, and adults only? - Managing clothing the house (kids + yours) - Tracking recipes - Favorite book so far in 2023 Get in Touch: Learn about Best Laid Plans LIVE in South Florida: https://theshubox.com/blpa Em...
Mar 27, 2023•29 min•Season 4Ep. 139
Allison Baggerly of Inspired Budget joins Sarah on the show today to discuss the ways that planning can help you set up and execute on a budget that truly answers to your needs and desires, from paying off debt to enjoying a great splurge vacation. She shares both physical tools and more theoretical techniques, as well as how she handles budgeting with her partner. Find Allison: inspiredbudget.com or @inspiredbudget on IG Best Laid Plans episode on Finance: https://theshubox.com/2021/03/best-lai...
Mar 20, 2023•35 min•Season 4Ep. 138
