The biggest tool in my WAHM tool belt is my “Mom’s Plan of the Day” Sheet. For a long time I struggled with finding the perfect way for me to organize and separate both my mom/house manager duties and my work tasks. Now, I not only keep myself on task, but I have successfully reduced that frazzled feeling you get when you feel like you just can’t possibly juggle another thing!
Read on to learn how I use my Mom’s Plan of the Day. I’ve included an example of one of my typical days as well as everything you need to make your very own custom Plan of the Day sheet. It’s time to get your day organized!
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Click below to download your goodies (see notes at bottom for customizing hints):
- Mom’s POD blank.pdf - A blank version of the POD I currently use
- Mom’s POD example.pdf – A pdf example of one of my typical days
- Mom’s POD AI.ai – A blank and customizable Adobe Illustrator POD sheet
- Mom’s Digital POD.numbers – A blank and customizable Numbers POD sheet for you Fabulous Mac people
- Mom’s Digital POD.xls - A blank and customizable excel POD sheet for you Microsoft Office folks.
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On my desk, next to my keyboard sits my brain in paper form. I take a few minutes every evening and sit down with my “Mom Notebook”. On the very first page I have my Mom’s Plan of the Day for the current day. Each evening I sit down and take a couple of minutes to fill out my POD for the next day. If it is Sunday or near the end of the month I will fill out my POW (Plan of the week) or POM (Plan of the Month) for the upcoming week or month. More on those essentials in another post.
All during the day I have my POD out, usually in the binder with the front cover folded back. As I go through the day I add to it, check things off and make notes for later. Then at the end of the day I use it to help make the next day’s sheet.
I have to give props to Tsh, over at simplemom.net. She has a wonderful set of tools like these for at-home-moms, or anyone really. What she helped me realize is that I’m not going to find the perfect planner out there. If you really want to find what works best for you, you have to make it custom for yourself.
After testing out several pre-made day planners, what I found I needed most was a simple separation of Mom and Work. What I came up with is simply a divided to do list, a rough schedule and a few extras. Here are my planner parts and how I use them…
- Today’s Goals: From the specific to the broad, just a little direction. These might reappear on your to do list or on your schedule, or not. I’ve written everything from “Just get through it,” to “Stop and smell the baby shampoo.”
- Inspiration and Motivation: What are you looking forward to today? What are you working for? Just a reminder of why you work so hard 24/7.
- Don’t Forget: These are just little things I do everyday that sometimes need a little reinforcing.
- Dinner Plans: Of all the questions I get asked “What’s for dinner” is the one I most dread. Now you have an answer.
- Today’s List: This is the meat of my POD. I have this separated into two Lists, Mom/Home and Work/Art. I usually don’t get everything finished on my lists, but it keeps me on track and it sure feels good to check things off.
- Schedule: This is a rough schedule. I have parts of our usual weekday routine already printed on it. When we deviate, I cross out. Late mornings, afternoons and early evenings are open, and I plan out our activities and outings for the day during these times when no one is napping, etc.
- Daily Doodle: This is my fun little corner. I usually do a doodle while on the phone or waiting for something to upload, now I have a place to keep them. I also write funny things my daughter has said or make notes for the next day.
- The Back: how many times have you jotted down a note only to lose it? I use the blank back of my current POD for any notes, usually work related. The back of yesterday’s POD is covered with the dimensions of 40 some odd pieces of art for T-shirts I had to resize over the weekend.
If you have a job kind of like mine, and you work kind of like me and your brain runs a little like mine, then this might work great for you! But, you probably have your own POD needs and quirks. For example on the Simple Mom’s “Daily Docket” she has a space for a scripture of the day and a place to mark how much water she drank. You might want to have a place for a food diary, a feeding or nursing schedule a quote of the day or even a preschool or homeschool activity outline. Whatever you need to keep track or or get accomplished that day goes on the POD. So let it be written (or printed out,) so let it be done!
In addition to the POD I also use a POW and a POM. All stylishly coordinated, of course. I hope to have explanations and templates of the last two up in the next week or so. I also have a few other tools in my Mom Notebook, such as my time sheet and my Baby Grows sheet that I will also make available soon.
So, I hope I’ve inspired you to try your hand at organizing your brain on paper. Or you can even organize on your computer with the spreadsheet versions of the POD.
Best of luck, and please let me know how it goes, how you’ve customized your POD and any tips you may have. WAHMs are usually our own managers, timekeepers, bookkeepers and even bosses. You CAN juggle it all, if you keep your day organized. Now go make that POD!
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Notes for Customizing the downloadable templates:
Don’t like my pink color scheme? Have an aversion to the word “plan”? Need way more boxes than I laid out? Then you need to customize! Here are some tips for each format.
Adobe Illustrator POD template: This is the version I use. I love Illustrator and I use it everyday. There are no limits to how you can make your POD look with this template. That said, I have found that Adobe Illustrator intimidates quite a few people. So I made up a spreadsheet version for those of you out there who aren’t fluent in Adobe. But, all you should need to customize this page is a basic knowledge, so If you’ve got the program, give it a try! Start off by changing the titles and headers. Move the boxes around to fit your needs, and don’t forget to pick out your favorite colors. I have mine offset to the right just a touch so that I can punch holes.
Excel and Numbers: If you don’t know what a Numbers file is, then you need the Excel version of this spreadsheet POD template. This one is a little harder to customize more than the titles, color and headers, but that may be all you need to get started. Or, if you are an excel whiz, then have at it! You can also use this template to fill in your POM on your computer each evening. I prefer the pencil, but that is because so much of my work is on a computer. It feels good to have a pen in my hand, even if my handwriting is deteriorating each day!
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I love this! Was looking for a sample schedule as I tend to be pretty chaotic at home. Need some structure for my kiddos! Thanks for posting, very cute charicatures too.
I’m saving your blog to my favorites and will probably order your book as well. God knows we need some quality, unwind sleepy times books!
-Your new buddy,
Erin
Hi Erin! Best of luck battling the chaos! Let us know if a daily schedule helped.
As a Mama of 4 with a blooming home business this is just the thing I need to keep me organized. A heartfelt THANK YOU!