In today's episode, Sarah kicks off an "organizing special topics" series with Jen Smith, cohost of the Frugal Friends podcast and author of Buy What You Love Without Going Broke, out this January. Sarah and Jen chat intentionality around spending, saving, and how to tackle both short- and long-term financial goals. Get inspired to think about budgeting in a different way by focusing on spending on what matters, not deprivation. Sarah is releasing Planning By Season! Find out more at theshubox.c...
Dec 02, 2024•36 min•Season 4Ep. 227
In this episode, Sarah shares her annual planning framework, essentially a mini-version of her BLP at Home course! Components include reflection, visioning, goal setting, specialty planning, and more. She has added one weekend option for BLP at Home: Planning 2025! If you'd like to join, visit theshubox.com/courses for more info. Episode Sponsors: Cozy Earth: Amazing sheets, pajamas, and other gifts! Visit cozyearth.com/plans for 40%+ off! Jenni Kayne: Check out their amazing gifts, from candles...
Nov 25, 2024•21 min•Season 4Ep. 226
In the past couple of weeks, there has been more discussion of becoming more intentional about your social media habits. If you'd like more encouragement to see what life is like without "the scroll", this episode has lots of it. Sarah shares her own story of quitting various forms of social media and then offers 10 compelling reasons to give yourself a break from the scroll. The scroll is endless; your life is not. Episode Sponsors: Jenni Kayne: Check out their amazing gifts, from candles to th...
Nov 18, 2024•24 min•Season 4Ep. 225
Today's episode opens with a Planner Peace segment from Sarah's friend and coworker Kathleen who uses a medium-sized At-A-Glance Weekly and Monthly (available here: https://a.co/d/5tnHJZ5). This planner may appear basic but it packs a punch in terms of features (and the paper is nice, too!). Then, Sarah provides a review of the Just Scribble Plans Vertical Weekly A5 Planner (available here for preorder: https://www.shopjustscribble.com/products/plans-vertical). It's a 2-volume set and a LOT of p...
Nov 11, 2024•25 min•Season 4Ep. 224
Today's episode is all about Q5 - the last two months of the year! Sarah shares her thoughts on why this time period feels "special", the inherent fun parts and challenges, and her approach to goal setting in this celebratory season. Info on BLP at Home: Planning 2025 is at theshubox.com/courses Episode Sponsors: Jenni Kayne: Check out their amazing gifts, from candles to their iconic sweaters . Visit jennikayne.com; listeners get 15% off your first order when you use code PLANS at checkout. Pre...
Nov 04, 2024•24 min•Season 4Ep. 223
In today's episode, Sarah reviews 3 new planner offerings you might be considering of 2025! Products reviewed/discussed: Full Focus Wellness Planner, a new version of the classic Full Focus Planner https://fullfocusstore.com/pages/wellness-planner/ Ashley Shelly's Sewn Undated Daily, a compact versatile daily layout https://ashleyshelly.com/product/daily-notebook-planner-undated/ Organize 365's intriguing rainbow planning products - tear-off pad + spiral bound https://member.organize365.com/prod...
Oct 28, 2024•30 min•Season 4Ep. 222
In today's episode, Sarah shares an extensive Planner Peace from a listener who plans "99% on paper" and then shares some Hot Tips + Q&A! Planner Peace Segment Products mentioned: - Plotter: https://plotterusa.com/leather-binders - Raymay-Davinci: https://yosekastationery.com/search?q=raymay Hot Tips: Apps mentioned: OneSec , Forest Essential Calendar: https://www.theessentialcalendar.com/BESTLAIDPLANS - use BESTLAIDPLANS for 10% off Note: Sarah is an affiliate and earns a small commission f...
Oct 21, 2024•32 min•Season 4Ep. 221
In today's episode, host Sarah interviews Sarah Jedd, who works full time as teaching faculty at UW (Faculty in Rhetoric, Politics, and Culture), and is the mother of 5 amazing kids ages 4 to 18! She's also been blogging (old school style) at harry times.com since 2006! Sarah Jedd does a lot, manages a lot, and has fun while doing it. Sarah (J) shares her planning and life management tactics, from her personal daily planning ritual to her incredibly simple-yet-effective family management techniq...
Oct 14, 2024•34 min•Season 4Ep. 220
Highlights of this episode: - Sarah opens by sharing details about BLP at Home: Planning 2025 (visit theshubox.com/courses for details) - A listener (Bridget) shares her experiences with a display showing Google calendar - her setup, impact on kids, husband, etc! - Discussion of screen time consciousness and the app Aro, which gamifies putting away your phone (into their special lockbox or otherwise) - Lots of inspiration if you are starting to think about (yes already) setting up your 2025 plan...
Oct 07, 2024•32 min•Season 4Ep. 219
It's (almost) a new month, and today's episode is all about THE MONTH! Sarah shares her love for the 12 natural outpoints in our year and discusses ways she loves to mark the start of a new month. She shares her monthly goal setting tactics, and how the month slots into the Nested Goals framework. She also advocates for planning in FUN on a monthly level and reveals her own very practical monthly rituals. Jenni Kayne:Gorgeous apparel and home pieces. Visit jennikayne.com; listeners get 15% off y...
Sep 30, 2024•25 min•Season 4Ep. 218
In today's episode, Sarah shares some listener tips + answers questions that came in through email or text (305-697-7189)! Topics include: - Fun tip for using stickers/etc acquired on vacation - Unique Quintiles use case from Emily (http://pfforphds.com/podcast/) - Discussion of annual planning recommendations (note - for those that want a guided annual planning experience, BLP at Home: Planning 2025 will open for registration in October) - Recs for a family calendar system (note - if you love u...
Sep 23, 2024•27 min•Season 4Ep. 217
In today's episode, Kendra Adachi joins Sarah to chat about all things planning-adjacent including her new book, The Plan! Kendra is a NYT Bestselling author and podcaster at the Lazy Genius, and she brings her compassion and unique perspective to planning, goal setting, and time management in her latest book, The Plan. Sarah and Kendra discuss goals, compassionate planning, planning challenges women face, planning along with hormonal swings, and so much more. Preorder The Plan wherever books ar...
Sep 16, 2024•46 min•Season 4Ep. 216
It's a Mixed Bag Ep! In part 1, Sarah shares a Planner Peace segment from Meredith that covers multiple facets of planning - personal, family, goal setting, and life! Products mentioned are Laurel Denise, Cultivate What Matters PowerSheets, a Family Teams wall calendar, and a Hemlock & Oak Daily. Family Teams: https://shop.familyteams.com/products/family-plan-calendar Laurel Denise: Hemlock & Oak: Part 2: Planner News! Sarah discusses some new trends in planning, including planner minima...
Sep 09, 2024•22 min•Season 4Ep. 215
In today's episode, Sarah explores the concept of intentionality. She discussed examples and ways we can unknowingly live without much intention and then suggests strategies (large and small) to promote more intentional living. Things to think about: - Career autopilot/drift - Responding to others' expectations - Saying yes to everything - Failing to set boundaries - Consuming media that is served to you via algorithms - Setting intentions for the day - Regularly re-evaluating routines and habit...
Sep 02, 2024•26 min•Season 4Ep. 214
It's August's Q&A episode! Join Sarah as she tackles listener questions and comments. Topics include: - an inbox zero success story - approaching nebulous//large projects such as book writing - what does it mean to "work faster" compared to others - thoughts on the Organize 365 Sunday Basket system (Sarah has one!) - teaching planning and organizing to school-aged kids - mindfulness! How do you stay present in the moment if you're always planning the next thing? Request - if you enjoy the sh...
Aug 26, 2024•29 min•Season 4Ep. 213
It's a Mixed Bag ep! Topics covered: 1- PTO Spreadsheet - inspired by my friend Kae (gratefulkae.com) 2- Vacation Postmortem! Consider doing a post-trip analysis with a partner. Can also extend to other home areas (summer, a school year, a holiday season, etc!) 3- Two upcoming books I’m excited about - Kendra Adachi’s The Plan and Oliver Burkeman’s Meditations for Mortals: Four Weeks to Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts. 4- Hobonichi Release! Their preview is at https://www....
Aug 19, 2024•27 min•Season 4Ep. 212
Today's episode features a discussion of all things related to Quintile 4, the season after summer! Sarah features some back to school discussion, but there she also addresses some non-school-related shifts in the season as well as future planning to think about. Then, she dives into a listener query about sticking to plans -- how do you stick to your plan, and how do you avoid being reactive when tasks are coming at you throughout the day? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/ad...
Aug 12, 2024•24 min•Season 4Ep. 211
In today's episode, Sarah interviews Jodi Wellman on her work on mortality and how the concept of death / our finite lives can inspire living a life with vitality, meaning, and -- for lack of a better term, more "aliveness." Jodi holds a Masters in Applied Positive Psychology and spent years exploring and applying these tough topics to help others with her work on Four Thousand Mondays and her recent book, You Only Die Once. Sarah and Jodi discuss memento mori, the darker side of habits and rout...
Aug 05, 2024•43 min•Season 4Ep. 210
In today's episode, Sarah discusses her flagship planning course, Best Laid Plans Academy, as she prepares the launch the fourth round (the first in 2024!). She discusses takeaways from prior rounds, why this material works in a course format, and shares the course topics and logistics. To learn more, visit theshubox.com/courses; signup information will be available first to newsletter subscribers on August 1! Newsletter: theshubox.com/newsletter Episode Sponsors: Prose Beauty: Truly customized ...
Jul 29, 2024•24 min•Season 4Ep. 209
In today's episode, Sarah answers questions sent in the last month! First, she opens with two Planner Peace submissions. Then, she answers questions on task management on paper, email management (how long does it REALLY take to clear an inbox?), handling major schedule changes in an already complicated life, and notetaking. Keep your questions coming! Submit yours at sarah.hart.unger@gmail.com! Be on the lookout for information on Best Laid Plans Academy Fall 2024, coming next week. Newsletter: ...
Jul 22, 2024•36 min•Season 4Ep. 208
In today's episode, Sarah interviews Sierra Friend, creator and head of MakseLife, a major player in the planner universe today! She discusses how her line of planners came to be, what sets them apart in the market, her thoughts on goal setting, and much more! Teen planning printable discussed in the episode (free!): https://makselife.com/collections/free-printables/products/goals-for-teens-free-printable Where to find MakseLife: makselife.com Sierra on IG: @plannerfriend Episode Sponsors: Prose...
Jul 15, 2024•43 min•Season 4Ep. 207
In today's episode, Sarah talks all about one of her favorite hobbies -- reading! She discusses her own reading journey over the years and then talks about the practical side: reading routines, to-be-read list management, library holds, physical vs digital, abandoning books, and more! Finally, she shares her top 10 books (so far) in 2024! Detailed show notes including book lists can be found at theshubox.com Podcast episode mentioned on evening routine, Episode Sponsors Jenni Kayne: Find your su...
Jul 08, 2024•26 min•Season 4Ep. 206
In today's episode, Sarah shares 10 questions to help you think through the rest of 2024! Sit back, grab a notebook and your favorite pens, and plan along with her -- or do a whole day of planning and dreaming at your own DIY retreat! Either way, this episode will get you inspired for your July 1st fresh start. BOBW Midyear Check In Ep: https://lauravanderkam.com/2024/06/best-of-both-worlds-podcast-mid-year-check-in-2024/ Sponsors Jenni Kayne: Find your summer aesthetic at jennikayne.com. Get 15...
Jul 01, 2024•22 min•Season 4Ep. 205
In today's episode, Sarah shares thoughts on Time Block planning, a method suggested by Cal Newport, among others. She names pros, cons, and shares her own approach. She also discusses her recent decision to entirely eliminate Reddit scrolling from her life. Resources: Episode that inspired today's Time Block Planning Discussion is here: https://www.thedeeplife.com/podcasts/episodes/ep-305-is-time-blocking-oppressive/ Oliver Burkeman's book: 4000 Weeks Best Today with Shunta Grant episode mentio...
Jun 24, 2024•25 min•Season 4Ep. 204
In today's episode, Sarah provides a mini life update and then answers questions that have come from listeners over the past month! Topics/questions include: - Tips for working in distracting conditions - Ideas for budget planning - how does Sarah use YNAB? - What happens when when attempted morning planning sessions get derailed (by a kid, by illness, by ??) - Listener idea: having kids cook dinners on rotation through the summer! Fun AND educational. - Listener feedback: discussion of how with...
Jun 17, 2024•27 min•Season 4Ep. 203
In today's episode, Sarah shares some ideas and inspiration for your summer -- some of it a little bit outside of the typical (summer cleaning, anyone?). Topics discussed: - Sharing the load of summer planning and fun-making - Summer checklists . . . not just for kids - Summer fun ideas for less than ideal weather - Summer habit / routine changes - Summer cleaning (why is this not a thing?) - One Big Project - Think about when you will think about the next season She also answers a listener ques...
Jun 10, 2024•26 min•Season 4Ep. 202
In today's episode, Sarah shares her recent marathon journey, from goal-setting (a looooong time ago!) to the tools and routines that supported her training to the race itself. Episode Sponsors: Jenni Kayne: Find your new uniform at jennikayne.com. Get 15% off your first order when you use code plans at checkout! Earth Breeze: Effective liquidless laundry detergent! Listeners can receive 40% off Earth Breeze by visiting earthbreeze.com/plans Crunch Labs: Camp CrunchLabs is 12 weeks of awesome bu...
Jun 03, 2024•22 min•Season 4Ep. 201
In today's episode, Sarah answers questions + shares some listener tips sent during the month of May! Topics include: - Laurel Denise Planners (question from a mom/healthcare provider with a lot going on!). Link to prior mini review: https://theshubox.com/2022/12/blp-ep-123-4-2023-planner-mini-reviews.html - Travel -- packing list tips, Wanderlog app, and the resources Sarah uses most for travel planning - Advice for a listener struggling with capturing and feeling like she is missing things - T...
May 27, 2024•24 min•Season 4Ep. 200
In today's episode, Sarah shares a few Top 5s, in honor of her birthday! She opens with her top 5 reasons for planning, followed by the top 5 essential elements of a funcitonal system. Finally, she gets personal and shares her top 5 hopes + dreams for the next year of life! If you'd like to celebrate with Sarah, she would love: - a review - a tip on a product to review or awesome person to have on the show (just email sarah.hart.unger at gmail!) - if you shared this episode with a friend or in a...
May 20, 2024•25 min•Season 4Ep. 199
In today's episode, Sarah shares some unexpected recent planning pivots, and then business and production coach Jade Boyd joins her to talk all things ClickUp -- in her opinion, one digital platform that can be used to organize it all. Jade also shares her love of paper as daily planning tool, the intimidation factor with digital organizing solutions, and the value of organizing work and life in one system. More from Jade can be found at https://jadeboyd.co Show notes: Detailed show notes + more...
May 13, 2024•31 min•Season 4Ep. 198
