7 Ideas for Non-Traditional Planners

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7 ideas for non-traditional planners

 

Many times a traditional planner or organizer does not meet your needs. It is too hard to add information, too cumbersome to carry with you, and too hard to pull up information. Thank you to my friends and colleagues on social media who have shared a multitude of non-traditional ways to keep on top of information, routines, and dates.

 

  • After serious reflection (I’m a traditional planner girl), the best non-traditional management system I have are my dogs. Milo and Wilson tell me what time to wake up, when to feed them when to go outside, when to vacuum, and when to go to bed.

 

  • We sit down and go over “what’s coming up” and then put it on a weekly dry-erase board for my son with ADHD. We write any activities, appts, quizzes/tests/project due dates, practices/games, etc on there every Sunday for the upcoming week. We have a bulletin board where we pin any notices, permission slips, etc that might need to be returned somewhere on a given date. He’s going into 8th grade and this has really helped him stay on track and be more independent during the week with his responsibilities. We also use the Cozi app as a family and that not only helps us with reminders but allows all of us to see what other family members have going on that may affect our own schedules or our combined family schedule. My daughter also has ADHD but she prefers a traditional paper planner for her personal use (as do I). She is also a huge Post-it note user! Lol, She even wrote about it in part of her college application essay.

 

  • Alexa. I can say “add whatever to whatever list” from anywhere in the house while thinking about it. If I had to stop and manually add it I would forget what I was doing when the idea popped in my head to add whatever to the list.

 

  • When my three kids were little, I made a big board that had “this week” and “next week” columns. It was wet erase and magnetic. Each child had a different color pen and it gave a two-week snapshot. (The normal agenda kept all dates to be written on board)

 

  • My husband and I use small index cards to remind us of various things plus one in the kitchen for grocery needs.

 

  • My husband and I use “Any List” app on our phone for our grocery shopping list. I can add something and it shows up on both of our phones, etc. We started this because sometimes we would each stop at the grocery to pick something up and end up with duplicates. I haven’t tried it yet, but evidently, you can “send your list” to Kroger, H‑E‑B, Walmart, etc. for online shopping. We even have a “Galveston” list for groceries, etc. we need there. It is a fabulous app!

 

  • My world is 90% digital when it comes to planning, lists, and notes……except when it comes to groceries and meals. It’s all here, on the refrigerator. This is where my kids can see it too. They know what dinner will be (and who is cooking it! They’re 15 and 18 and make dinner sometimes!). They can add their grocery and personal care needs to our lists anytime (one for everyday groceries, one for the big box store where we stock up). They know what to do, they know the system. They even know what we get at the regular grocery store and what we prefer to buy at Costco. They help me compare prices at our 2 stores to find the best (ever-changing) prices on our favorite items, I’ve taught them this practice since they were very young. We keep most of our recipes digital and I text specific recipes to whatever kid is making that specific meal so they have that information at their fingertips. We work as a team to meal plan weekly.

 

While these are not your traditional planner or organizer, you can definitely see how effective these are! There are so many ways to track your tasks and keep up with dates.

6 Strategies to Help You Build Routines That You May Not Have Used Before

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6 strategies to build routines

 

Creating and maintaining routines can be crucial for stability and productivity. Non-traditional methods to establish and sustain routines involve approaches that might be less structured but highly effective. Variety builds interest and sustains the habit as a result.  Building routines in a non-traditional way involves creating structures and processes that are innovative, flexible, and tailored to individual needs.

 

Use Environmental Cues

Create cues in your environment to trigger specific actions. For instance, leaving your workout clothes by the bed can prompt you to exercise in the morning. Placing a book on your pillow can signal that it’s time to read before sleep. Pick one habit you want to continue or begin and place a visual cue at the spot where this routine occurs.

 

Incorporate Variety Within Structure

While routines provide structure, they don’t have to be as repetitive and boring as you might think. Incorporate variety by rotating tasks or adding an element of choice within the routine. This prevents boredom and keeps things fresh while maintaining consistency. You can use this strategy with healthy eating, by eating an apple one day and a pear the next. Both have positive health values and give you options for healthy eating. Slight variations prompt you to keep the structure with interest.

 

Gamification of Systems

Utilize elements of games or challenges to structure routines. Introduce points, rewards, or levels within the system to motivate and engage users. This can make tasks more enjoyable and incentivize productivity.  Create a point system and assign points for achieving certain milestones. For instance, you might award yourself points for each mile or kilometer completed, with bonus points for consistency (e.g., extra points for walking every day in a week). You define the levels and rewards linked to the action. Your rewards might look like this.

    • Level 1 (50 points): Reward yourself with a relaxing bath or your favorite treat.
    • Level 2 (100 points): Purchase a new workout outfit or equipment.
    • Level 3 (200 points): Plan a fun outing or a weekend adventure.

Use a tracking system such as an app, a physical chart, or a spreadsheet to log and see your points and progression. Make it visible and easily accessible so you can easily log data and see progress.

 

Visual Mind Mapping or Flowcharts

Use visual tools like mind maps or flowcharts to design systems. Visual representations make routines that are complex processes easier to understand and follow. This non-linear and creative way helps you plan, initiate, and follow through on routines. Examples of these charts are simple charts or drawings that represent glasses of water to drink throughout the day. For instance, draw eight glasses, each representing an 8 oz serving. Hang this chart on your refrigerator or place it in a visible area where you spend most of your time. Or choose a habit tracker app to help you stay on track. Your smartwatch will also help you with reminders and visuals.

 

Two-Minute Rule

Popularized by James Clear, the two-minute rule suggests starting habits with a small, two-minute version of the behavior. This approach makes the habit easy to start, which can lead to a higher probability of completing it. It’s based on the idea that getting started is often the biggest hurdle. Following the Two-Minute Rule, you would start with a much smaller and manageable version of this habit. Instead of aiming to read for an hour before bed, you commit to just “reading one page of a book.” By reducing the habit to a tiny version that can be completed within two minutes (reading one page), you’re more likely to get started. The idea is that once you start and get over that initial hump, you’re more likely to continue reading beyond that single page. Often, the hardest part is beginning, and the Two-Minute Rule helps overcome that initial resistance.

 

Continuous Improvement and Iteration

Continuous improvement builds on the success you are feeling in sustaining a routine. You are continuously iterating and refining your systems and habits. Adopt a mindset that focuses on small, incremental improvements rather than aiming for major changes all at once. You incrementally add to your routine with a small addition to that task. An example of this is after a few weeks of consistently walking for 15 minutes, you notice it’s becoming easier. To continually improve, you decide to add five more minutes to your walk. Now, you’re walking for 20 minutes daily.

 

Choosing a non-traditional strategy for routines helps you build momentum and enthusiasm for routines that have become less interesting. Each of these routine building strategies will help you create systems that work for you.

 

5 Non-Traditional Ways to Declutter Your Space

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Living with ADHD can present challenges for decluttering and organizing one’s living space. Executive function challenges with planning, initiation, distractions, difficulty in focusing, and feeling overwhelmed by the process are common experiences.  Taking a less linear, more creative approach to decluttering and organizing can add interest and create success in editing and organizing your space. Here are some strategies for ADHD-friendly ways to organize.

 

The Spark Joy method: Inspired by Marie Kondo, this method involves decluttering and organizing by category rather than by room. Decluttering focuses on keeping items that “spark joy” and encourages discarding items that create stress, anxiety, or unhappiness.  Start by gathering the items together for one category. Once you see these together, make decisions on what to keep rather than what to let go.

 

Decluttering Challenges: Decluttering challenges bring energy to the editing process. There are many versions of these Challenges. The “One-A-Day Challenge” involves getting rid of one item every day for a set period. Or try the “30-Day Minimalism Game,” where you get rid of one item on the first day, two on the second, three on the third, and so on for 30 days. There are also social media groups that set challenges and help each member with accountability. Get started with the easiest of Challenges and track your success.

 

The ‘Just-in-Case’ Box: Too many times items stay in our space “just in case.” Create a box for items in this category. Seal it and put a date on it to open it in six months or a year from now. If nothing has been retrieved, donate the box. Get started with this with the paperwork you have struggled to declutter. Out of sight can help you be less attached to the items as well, making these easier to eliminate.

 

The 20-20 Rule: This rule was made popular by the Minimalists. Consider letting go of an item you can replace in 20 minutes or for $20. The 20-20 rules frees you up from making every decision. Get started by reviewing items that have been without a home in your space.

 

Partner Up: Invite a friend or family member to help you declutter. Having someone alongside you can offer motivation, support, and accountability. This can make the process more enjoyable and efficient. If you prefer to declutter alone but still want that sense of someone being present, consider using video calls or apps that allow you to connect with a friend or professional organizer virtually. You can both work on decluttering your respective spaces while staying connected.

 

No matter which strategy you use, committing to decluttering your space frees you up emotionally and physically.

In Honor of Get Organized Month 2024

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January is Get Organized (GO) month! This annual celebration of all things organizing connects with goals and New Year’s resolutions for the coming year. Getting organized is always one of the top 3 New Year’s resolutions.

 

This year take a non-traditional route to getting organized. Throughout the month, each blog post will share not-so-typical strategies to declutter, create routines, and schedule time for what is important to you. Here are some ways to find success in your organizing at home and work.

 

Making change happen

Having an awareness that things are not working is the first step in making change happen. However, it takes commitment and accountability to move forward. Finding your “why” helps you commit to new habits and routines. Sharing your “why” and finding partners along the way help you be accountable for the new habits.

 

Working from  your strengths

Too often we learn about organizing strategies that will not work for you. Learn more about your learning modalities and work from these strengths to help you create systems that will work for you.

 

Think systems

Creating systems is one of the best ways to be organized, save time, and maximize productivity. A system is a method or process that you create to carry out repeated actions in a consistent way. Even better, systems can be automated and streamlined to maximize efficiency. A system is the best way to save your sanity.

 

Add strong self-care as support

Energy and ideas work together to create change. The more energy you have, the easier it is to modify your lifestyle. That energy comes from self-care like a good night’s rest, hydration, exercise, and time in the sunlight.

 

Enjoy this month’s blog posts as you enter a fresh new year!