How (and Why) to Plan During Down Times
While some people get excited about changing leaves, cooler weather, and pumpkin spice, at this time of year, planner aficionados get excited about planner launches. These past few weeks, I have been reviewing planners and anticipating all the new products hitting the shelves (like last week’s review of the Happy Planner Recovery Collection).
But, as I’ve been reading various social media posts and comments, I’ve noticed that many planner lovers are wondering what the point of it all is. In other words, with 2020 leaving so much shut down and so many plans set aside, why bother planning for 2021?
A YouTuber I regularly tune in to watch, Kelli Plans It All (check her out- she reviews some really unique planners!), was featuring her September month-in-review of her planners when she encouraged her viewers to keep planning, even in these uncertain times. I felt like I needed to hear that encouragement.
I have also struggled with planning during this down time and feel almost traumatized by these past few months. 2020 left us with so many derailed plans and goals that it seems difficult to think about how to plan for the next year.
In my own life, this meant cancelled vacations, postponed family gatherings, and a completely new way of living. My kids are with me all the time, and I no longer make plans to hang out with friends or meet in person with my clients. We cannot even go to church, as it’s still shut down.
But, when I step back and think about how 2020 has been, I feel like I have been here before– just not with everyone in the world doing this with me.
When you think about it, there are life seasons that have us putting things on hold and changing (or postponing) our plans. Whether it is having a child, losing a job, caring for ourselves or a sick loved one, or figuring out what to do after retirement, these are life’s time outs.
2020 has been a time out. And, I will be honest with you, I don’t know whether 2021 will be an extension of this time out.
What I do know is that planning and setting goals has worked for me, even when I’ve been in some dry seasons. So, I am going to push forward and get my planners ready for 2021.
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Appreciating the Ebb as Much as the Flow
The reason why I feel I can keep moving forward, even when the road ahead seems murky, is that I work a job where flexibility is key. Seriously, being a lawyer means being flexible.
Working as an attorney, I have learned that there’s an ebb and flow to the work. Cases will keep us so busy, we will have to work overtime and weekends to keep up. The next thing we know, the case could be resolved and we are in a sort of holding pattern until the next case heats up.
As a young lawyer, I learned to work the cases hard when they were active. But, when the down times came, that would be my cue to take a break, catch up on long-term projects, and get in some of the required education classes we have to take each year.
As an intern supervisor, this is how I train my students. When they are busy with projects, I encourage them to focus on working their cases until the deadline. When the deadline passes and no new projects are in the pipeline, that is when I encourage them to go observe court, network, and check on their long-term assignments.
It’s during the in-between times that we are sometimes able to get things done and grow in ways we cannot when we are in the thick of a busy time. Learning to take advantage of the down times can lead to better professional outcomes.
The same can be said for planning in our personal lives. We just have to think about ways we can use that extra time during the pause.
Why Keep Planning When the Future Seems Shaky?
I get it. What we do in the law may not work for everyone. And, I totally understand that for many people, 2020 has been more than just a pause or brief down time.
But, I truly believe that planning is a sign of hope and faith. When we get a planner and use it to think beyond today, we are telling ourselves and the universe that we believe tomorrow has something good in store for us.
True, we may not know what 2021 may have for us. But, I also know that this is the case for any year. No one knows the future, so our decision to plan for it is a leap of faith in any year.
By the way, this is why I use a Goal Setting Planner, and I’m excited that the day after this article goes live, Cultivate What Matters is launching its 2021 goal-setting planner! You can check out all the new products here after 10AM ET.
Ways to Use a Planner During Life’s Down Times
You may not need as many planners as you might have used in the past. Or perhaps, you will want to scale back on the type of planner you get (perhaps a weekly is a better bet for a less busy schedule than a daily). Regardless, I think there are plenty of ways you can use a planner even during the down times.
- Routines– Down times provide extra space in our lives to reevaluate our routines and habits. Perhaps you’ve always wanted to start a morning routine- less busy times are perfect for trying out different practices to start your day. You can also try to implement a before bed routine in the same way. Our planners are a great way to help establish routines as we can write down the order in which we want to do certain activities each day, as a means of helping remember them. If we want to change things up, it helps to visually write them down in whatever order we want to try them. For more on daily routines, check out this prior post.
- Habits– Periods of down times are also a great time to rethink your habits and see which are working for you and which you may wish to replace. Routines and habits are not the same thing. For our purposes, a routine is a set of habits that we intentionally do the same way each day. Habits, on the other hand, are single activities that you do almost unconsciously. There can be good and bad habits, depending on the circumstances. I wrote extensively about habits in this prior post. If you’ve ever read “The Power of Habit,” (see below) you know that there is no way to stop doing something that has become a habit. Instead, you need to replace it with another habit. A planner is a great way to see how you are engaging in habits during the and help you figure out ways to replace them. For example, are you eating mindlessly in the afternoon? Noting the time of day and the things that take place around that time (or the triggers) can help you rearrange your day so that you use the trigger to do something more beneficial.
If you have not read the Power of Habit, I highly recommend it! (#Ad)
- Journaling– I’m planning to write an entire post about how I’m using a planner for intentional journaling. But, if you are finding yourself with more blank space in your planner, journaling might be a good way to fill out that space. There are all kinds of journaling you can do in your planner, including written vision boards, goal-planning (see the goal and write about it in detail), gratitude journaling (see this post for more on how to keep a gratitude journal), or just writing out and processing how you’re feeling about things. Most planners have blank or lined spaces that are perfect for just this type of writing, and since the space is limited, you don’t have to feel like you need to write a novel.
- Lists and To Dos – They’re not just for groceries and errands, although it’s fine to put those in your planner as well. During down times, we can plan out so many things whether they be lists of things we’d like to do in the future or ones that we have been putting off. Here are just a few list ideas:
- Goals– long-term goals like a bucket list or short-term goals such as what you’d like to get done this year.
- Household tasks– whether it’s changing batteries at the time change, gathering documents and receipts for tax season, or getting the lawn ready for seeding, you can use the monthly or year at a glance sections of your planner for these items.
- Favorite Meals– to make meal-planning a quick task, use your planner to track the meals you’ve been eating and list them out so you have a go-to list on those weeks when you’re lacking culinary inspiration.
- Budgeting– whether you are tracking spending or have savings goals, now is a good time to list out how you’d like to manage your money, especially if money is tight due to things being shut down. Then, use your planner to write down dates when money comes in and when big bills are due.
- Entertainment– Down time may mean more time for reading books, binge-watching TV shows, or checking out some movies. Write out what you’d like to read or watch and then see if you can schedule time for these entertainment ideas.
- Post-Shutdown Game Plan– What would you like to do when things open back up? Are there any things you’ve been putting off or ideas for new experiences you’d like to have? Make a list of your post-down-time bucket list.
- Self-care– When we are really busy, our self-care is usually the first thing to get scheduled out of our days. Periods of down time allow us to put the focus back on ourselves and start thinking about ways to recharge and refresh our minds and spirits. Use your planner to schedule regular check-ins with yourself or to do something that you find fulfilling. For example, giving yourself permission to rest, stretch, or exercise. Although our current situation has left many of us unable to go out for self-care treats, we can certainly do things at home like make time for a long bath or paint our own nails.
- Learning– Another thing that gets placed on the back burner during busy seasons is taking the time to learn something new. Whether you are hoping to learn about starting a new business, thinking about trying a new hobby (I’m trying to get back into hand-lettering), taking a new SkillShare class, or would like to read books on a particular topic like anti-racism (here’s a list of important reads on the issue where you can start that I’ve been making may way through to learn more about it myself), a down time is the perfect opportunity to delve into learning something new.
- Project-Planning– During the time we were shut down, I watched some videos of directors whose movie premiers had been delayed by many months. Rather than freak out, many of them took the time to review their work and fine-tune it. We can use our down time to do the same. Perhaps you were going to start a new house project or one that involved your career. This is a great time to dig even deeper into those plans and come up with a more detailed vision of how you’d like those projects to go.
- Playing– Have room in your planner? Time to play! See if there are different handwriting fonts you want to try. Use different pens. And, by all means, break out the stickers. I have found it really relaxing and fun to use sticker kits to create themed layouts in my Happy Planner. It makes me want to look at the planner, which means I’m more likely to get things done. Those of us who dress up their planners know how great is when we have room to decorate. That’s what a down time will provide- space to add stickers, washi tape, and all those craft products that have been sitting around in drawers just waiting for us to have the time to use them!
Here is a sticker kit I just purchased and am really enjoying! (#Ad).
I hope these ideas inspire you to go ahead and get some type of planner for 2021. And, if you’re up for goal planning, consider getting the PowerSheets Goal-Setting Planner I’ve talked about all year. (Not sure about which planners might work for you? Check out my first and second posts on Decoding Planner Terms for some options).
Remember, even if life does not go back to what it was before these strange times, we know life will go on. Your planner is a great tool to hold on to that hope for what the next year can bring.
Do you plan to purchase a planner next year? What ideas do you have to make use of your planner even if things are still in a down time? Leave a comment below!
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** Images of girl waiting in the road, hand writing in planner, to do list, and self-care items found on Pixabay. Image of girl waiting by boats found on Unsplash.
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