Life can get hectic, and this week is one of those times where everything is happening at once! Between preparing for a road trip to NorCal, attending a wedding, managing my business, and staying on top of personal health, I needed a solid plan to keep it all together. In this post, I’m sharing how I plan my week and the exact process to stay organized, productive, and calm—even with a packed schedule.
Table of Contents
My Weekly Planning Tools
For my planning, I use a hybrid system:
1. A5 Filofax with Cloth & Paper Inserts
I absolutely love this setup! It’s functional, stylish, and keeps everything organized. The vertical weekly layout makes time-blocking and prioritizing a breeze.
📌 Shop My A5 Filofax on Amazon
📌 Cloth & Paper Inserts – Use code WENDAFALL10 for 10% off
2. Upbase Digital Management Tool
This is my go-to for detailed project management and on-the-go task tracking. It’s simple, effective, and a great alternative to subscription tools.
Step 1: Start with the Monthly Overview
The first thing I do is refer to my monthly calendar. This gives me a bird’s-eye view of everything happening that week, including key events like dropping off my dog Shadow, a wedding, and travel times.
From here, I transfer all major tasks and appointments into my weekly planner. This step helps me ensure that nothing falls through the cracks.
Step 2: Reverse Engineer Tasks & Add Details to Each Task
Once the main events are in, I start breaking them down into actionable steps.
For example:
• Shadow’s Drop-Off: Pack his food, crate, and toys.
• Wedding: Pull out cash for a gift, and plan outfits for the entire family.
• Visiting Friends: Wrap gifts for their twins.
This step ensures I’m prepared and not scrambling at the last minute.
Step 3: Start Blocking Off Time (The Big Rocks)
The “big rocks” are the non-negotiable events and tasks that anchor your week. These are the most important things that absolutely must happen.
Here’s how I handle my big rocks:
• Block out events like the road trip, wedding, and drop-offs.
• Set clear time frames for when you’ll be unavailable (e.g., 8-hour drive on Thursday, wedding from 4 PM onward on Saturday).
Why this works:
By placing your big rocks first, you ensure that the most critical parts of your week are accounted for before anything else. This gives you a framework to fit in smaller tasks later.
Step 4: Plan My Weekly Priorities (The Pebbles)
After the big rocks are in place, I add the “pebbles.” These are the medium-sized priorities or tasks that are important but not tied to a specific time.
For example, my priorities this week were:
• Batching content for social media and my blog.
• Packing and prepping for the trip.
• Working on Chapter 2 of my handbook project.
How to plan your pebbles:
1. Identify 2-3 key priorities for the week.
2. Assign these tasks to specific days based on your availability.
3. Leave some flexibility in case things shift.
Why this works:
Pebbles are the tasks that support your big rocks and move your goals forward. By focusing on these, you stay productive without feeling overwhelmed.
Step 5: Plan the Little Things (The Sand)
The “sand” represents the small tasks that fill in the gaps. These could be errands, quick chores, or minor tasks that don’t take much time but still need to get done.
Here’s how I handle my sand:
• Errands: Wrapping gifts, getting snacks for the trip, packing.
• Household chores: Laundry, cleaning, meal prepping.
• Quick tasks: Scheduling posts, responding to emails, editing videos.
How to plan your sand:
1. Look at the free time between your big rocks and pebbles.
2. Fit these smaller tasks into those time slots.
3. Avoid overloading your schedule with too much sand—it’s easy to get bogged down in busywork.
Why this works:
Sand ensures the little things don’t fall through the cracks, but it doesn’t take over your week. By prioritizing big rocks and pebbles first, you avoid spending all your energy on low-impact tasks.
Step 6: Plan Personal Goals & Self Care
Even during busy weeks, I make time for personal goals like workouts and healthy eating.
Here’s my plan for this week:
• Workouts: Legs on Monday, arms on Tuesday, abs on Wednesday.
• Meals: Pasta on Monday, banh mi sandwiches on Tuesday, wings on Wednesday.
By writing these down, I ensure I stay on track and avoid unhealthy habits, even when life gets hectic.
I also make sure to prioritize self-care. This keeps me balanced and prevents burnout.
For self-care this week, I planned:
• Taking a walk or reading during my kids’ tennis practice.
• Listening to audiobooks during the road trip.
• Scheduling stretch breaks to stay refreshed while traveling.
Step 7: Review My Week
Finally, I review my plan to make sure everything is in place. I check for gaps, adjust if needed, and decorate my planner with stickers for added motivation.
Cloth & Paper’s transparent and icon stickers are perfect for marking important events like the wedding or batching content.
📌 Shop Cloth & Paper Stickers – Use code WENDAFALL10 for 10% off
Decorating and Final Touches
Finally, I make my planner visually appealing with stickers and color coding:
• Pink for personal tasks.
• Blue for health and workouts.
• Purple for weekly priorities.
Cloth & Paper’s transparent stickers are my go-to for highlighting events and tasks. I also use icon stickers for specific activities like Instagram content or video creation.
📌 Shop Cloth & Paper Stickers – Use code WENDAFALL10 for 10% off
Why This Routine Works
Breaking down my week into big rocks, pebbles, and sand helps me stay calm, focused, and organized. By tackling the most important things first, then layering in medium and small tasks, I can balance a full schedule without feeling overwhelmed.
If you want to see this process in action, check out my latest YouTube video where I walk through my weekly planning routine!
📌 Links to My Planning Tools:
✨ Cloth & Paper Inserts – Use code WENDAFALL10 for 10% off
✨ Upbase Digital Management Tool
What’s your favorite way to stay organized during a busy week? Share your tips in the comments—I’d love to hear them!
Happy planning,
Wenda 💛
