How To Plan Your Week In Just 3 Short Minutes
How would it feel to be able to plan your week in just minutes, without having to try to remember important dates coming up or fearing that you will forget something?
Today, I have a free downloadable spreadsheet that will help you do just that!
For years, I tried to find an organizing system that would fit my very crazy, busy life as a work-from-home, homeschooling mom in ministry.
I’ve tried a lot of different systems:
- I bought calendars and planners
- I made checklists
- I tried using one printed sheet in a page protector that I could wipe off each day
- I tried bullet journaling
- I tried looping
After years of trying different methods, I found myself coming back to a system that I had first developed by hand in a notebook, which eventually turned into a spreadsheet.
I have been using this Weekly Spreadsheet Planner for years, tweaking it here and there as life shifts and tasks change.
My goal was to have my entire week laid out in a spreadsheet, so I could see my whole week at a glance and cross off each task once it was done.
I also needed to be able to have mundane, daily tasks like:
- Make lunch
- Take vitamins
- Sweep the floors
Because, trust and believe, I get so busy, I forget to do these things.
Three other things were essential for me:
- I needed to have space to list literally everything I do in a day, with empty spots to jot down non-rolling tasks
- I needed space to be able to see upcoming dates, so I could plan ahead for the things that needed planning
- I needed to have a notes section to be able to jot things down that I didn’t want to forget.
What are rolling tasks?
I call tasks that I do each day or each week a “rolling task”.
For example, I make lunch every day. That is a daily rolling task.
I take one room of my house to deep clean. That is a weekly rolling task.
If I make a dentist appointment, that is a non-rolling task because it isn’t something I do daily or weekly.
It took months to tweak what I needed, but I eventually landed on perfection!
How To Plan Your Week In Just 3 Short Minutes
This is the Weekly Spreadsheet Planner I have been printing out and using every week for years now.
Yes, I could use an online tracker – and I do have one that I use as a backup in case I am away from home. But this is my tried-and-true planner and “brain”, as I call it.
Because everything is set up ahead of time, I am able to print it out, fill in any non-rolling tasks that are unique to that week, fill in my meals for the week, jot down upcoming dates, and within three minutes, my whole week is planned out and ready to go.
1. Grab the spreadsheet
You will start by clicking here or on the image below to download your own personal copy of the Weekly Spreadsheet Planner.
It is important to note that you will need to download your own copy so you can edit the spreadsheet to reflect your own personal tasks.
2. Edit the spreadsheet
You will want to take time to edit the spreadsheet to include the tasks and daily chores you would like included.
You may not want to include things like “make lunch” or “sweep the floors”.
3. Print out the Spreadsheet and write in upcoming dates, notes, meals, and non-rolling tasks
Now it is time to plan your week!
I often write down all of the dates a month in advance. This way, I know what’s coming up a month from now.
I include birthdays, holidays, ministry tasks such as Kid-min, leading worship, translation ministry, etc.
Finally, I write out our meals for the week. This way, I’m reminded to take meat out of the freezer the night before.
Where to place the Weekly Spreadsheet Planner
I prefer to have my spreadsheet on the bulletin board above my computer.
I spend a lot of time at my computer blogging, doing work for my clients, and preparing for church ministry needs.
After the week is over, I transfer last week’s spreadsheet to a binder where I keep all of my spreadsheets divided up by months.
Can I laminate the Weekly Spreadsheet Planner to use over and over?
Yes, you can certainly do it that way. I prefer to print mine out weekly and keep them as a diary of sorts.
I have these planner sheets going back several years, and while that makes me sound like a hoarder, I have found there are times when I’ve needed to go back to previous years to confirm an appointment or my husband’s work schedule.
This may not be as necessary for you as it is for me.
Another alternative, if you don’t need to keep your planner sheets as I do, is to put them in a page protector and wipe the planner off at the end of the week.
Click here or on the image below to grab a free copy of the Weekly Spreadsheet Planner and begin planning your week quickly and easily!
