It’s Showtime! Wait, it’s Plan Time!
Elaine Dizon is a Filipinx life and mindset coach, writer, mother of 2, and a recognized AT&T Business Cultural Champion. She supports working moms with their next courageous conversation by churning chatter into courage through a process of pause and reflection.
Planning. It isn’t always easy, but there is great satisfaction in doing what you say you will do. Over the last few years, I’ve discovered a few practices and tools that supported me along the way. As we gear up for the fall season, I thought I would these things with you this month.
I love office supplies. I’ve tried many forms of pens, pencils, and markers. Don’t get me started on notebooks – grids, dots, lined, blank, and any combination of pages – as well as all the different sizes pocket size, small, medium, large, desktop – I’ve tried those too. The key here is to find the gear that motivates you TO PLAN and that will keep you using the tools and looking at the tools.
Contemplate those qualities as you uncover your favorite writing instruments with the following questions:
How does the grip feel?
Does the ink flow well?
Can you hold onto this pen for at least 15 minutes of writing?
Does color inspire you? Are you a thin or thick edged marker kind of person?
When you hit a certain flow in the learning or planning process, nothing is more disruptive than a janky pen. This is an art! This is an exercise not to be taken lightly. When you find the right pen, make a note of it and obtain one or two more so you have a reserve. There is something relaxing and comforting to a writing instrument that is dependable. At a certain point, this writing instrument will be a companion in documenting what you are up to in life and in your dreams.
I am currently a fan of the following items because they keep you writing and creative throughout the process.
In the Gel Pens space, Staples Tru Red Gel Pens in Black and in Various Colors has a steady flow of ink to paper and the paper consistency doesn’t matter. The ink flows and soaks into thin, medium, and sketch book quality papers quite easily. I typically write subject matter in black and then use colors to call out key learnings in RED, light bulb moments in BLUE, and follow up moments in GREEN. The best part is that these pens are retractable – which means no lost pen covers!
In the Ballpoint space, Zebra Ball Point Pens in Various Colors has been dependable this year. Ballpoint can get a little sticky from time to time, so finding something that works with a comfortable barrel is important. The Z Group where your finger rests is helpful as you hurriedly take notes on conference calls or courses. I’ve rocked through at least five ballpoint pens in a month that included over 70 hours of training. Lots of notes, low counts of hand cramps, and surprisingly, most of it legible.
I remember reading you retain 10% of what you write, so I write like mad and have been called a notorious notetaker because I will use any piece of paper to make a note. From the smallest Post It to the 8.5 x 11 $7 Sketchbook from Michaels, I am writing thoughts, points, tasks, principles, feedback, and school reminders in anything I can grab quickly and they all land on my desk. As the days go by, I find myself in a quagmire of data points, words, and office supplies and there’s an internal warning bell around day 7 through 10 that says, “Elaine, you need a plan.” Since one of my Life’s Intentions is being a masterful storyteller, there is something beautiful in creating a plan – an attainable plan that will lead towards some outcomes and results that I would like to see for myself and for my family. With the information at hand, it’s time to draft a plan.
I enjoy visuals in paper and digital form. Meeting makers that land in digital calendars are great because they offer some tactical navigation to my day. For day to day calendar appointments and things to remember on paper, I use the At A Glance Four Person Daily Planner. Every year, I establish consistent columns. For Example, Mommy, Kid #1, Kid #2, Family for one year and then the next year it can change to Mommy, Family, Content Planner, Coursework. Every day the line up is consistent from left to right and I could see across timeframes how each area is running alongside one another. Conflicts are easy to spot and I can work to address them as soon as I see them. Another tool that has been helpful is an annual whiteboard calendar. I usually hang this calendar in a visible area so everyone can see what the year looks like – from school start/stop dates, vacations, paid days off, milestone dates, and holidays – this is a great way to see the year together as a family and see how much there is to look forward to and how to maximize the time in between these dates for smaller and sweet touchpoints – like game nights, bike rides, day trips, and family hikes.
My pile of post its, scraps of papers, and notes whittle down as I move these pieces of information into the daily planner or annual planner. When I discover that some of these notes need transcription into a Google or Word doc or permanently written down for future reference, I schedule it somewhere in the daily planner. I categorize these notes to – coursework, journals, transcription, or reference – and update it in the proper journal, notebook, or document interface.
With all these tools, making sure I show up to create and work the plan takes a planning mindset. I spend at least one hour over the work week to write and illustrate a story about what is planned for the week as follows:
On Sundays, I spend at least 20 minutes looking out two weeks ahead in my digital calendars, piles of paper and record things for the next two weeks in my planner and then on the annual calendar. I use colors, stickers, happy faces, and plan rewards along the way. I usually play the Coffee Beats playlist from Spotify during this timeframe.
Every morning, I spend at least 5 minutes scanning through my day. Any cancellations, pushed appointments, or blocks of time I can repurpose or assign myself tasks, I plug it in. I’ve been bolder in scheduling walks around the block or rest breaks too. This is where those rewards can show up.
Every Thursday, I spend at least 10 minutes looking back at the week and seeing if I am on track or if I missed anything, if I did, there’s still a couple of days to work it out before the end of the work week. I also take joy in looking forward to what the weekend plan is – and yes, celebrating Friday Eve commences every Thursday morning.
I do love it when a plan comes together. I love the process of planning even more. Showing up to see what’s ahead, scheduling playful activities around must dos, and seeing how and where my energy of time appears, there is something intensely gratifying about action and rest. And when the plan doesn’t come together, there’s growth and opportunity too. Was the plan too ambitious? Is there a need for more buffers between meetings and tasks? And the best part, you can trial it for the next week or two and see how it goes. The plan is never perfect – the plan is a practice.
If you’ve been craving some time to plan your time, I invite you to do a discovery session with me. Discovery sessions are free and we spend 45 minutes looking at your vision. Whether it’s a plan for right now or a plan towards a goal, I can support you in clarifying what’s next.
Time is precious. Make sure you are using it and not oozing it.
Be well, be safe, and be loved. Your Coach Mom,
Elaine
