As a planner person, I think a lot about how to get more organized. I’ve mentioned before how to plan your day and today I want to cover how to organize your week!

Getting organized is bigger than time management hacks and cute planners (though I do love cute planners!). If you fail to plan your week, you can easily let the days pass and lose valuable time. Time that could be spent reading books to your kids, having a date night with your partner, or grabbing a glass of wine with a sweet friend.

I take getting organized seriously because it means more time with those I love!

So let’s talk about how I organize my week. These are the five steps that help me tackle ALL THE THINGS. I designed the Week on One Page planner to guide you through this process and provide the space to organize your week. Here are the five essential steps on how to organize your week so you have more time!

Step 1. Develop a prep day routine.
Prep day can be 30 minutes on the weekend, a full Sunday at home, or the last items on your to-do list every Friday. It doesn’t matter when or how you do the following steps, it simply matters that you do them. The point is to get yourself mentally and physically prepared for the days ahead. We often take time on Sunday to clean the house, schedule out the week and spend time getting organized as a family!

Step 2. Map out your weekly schedule.
What appointments and meetings do you have coming up in the next week? Check your kids’ school calendars. Check your partner’s calendar. Do you need to confirm gal pal get-togethers? Or schedule your workouts for the week? Write it all out in a weekly spread for a visual of what the week has in store. Mentally walking through each day before the week begins helps you visualize success.

Step 3. Write out your weekly to-dos.
This is an important step to help you work your lists throughout the week. The quadrant note space in the Week on One Page planner can help you categorize your lists based on work projects and personal to-dos. Batch tasks for efficiency. Add due dates to your schedule and work backward to determine when you need to get certain to-dos done.

Step 4. Leave white space.
Don’t over-schedule yourself. Be realistic with your schedule as well as your to-do lists. You can’t get it all done this week! Leave time for magic to happen, for fun activities or outings, or for quiet time at home to pop up. Leaving plenty of white space in your days allows for relaxation, things that spark joy, as well as those “oh shoot, I forgot” tasks.

Step 5. Check your lists and brain dump at the end of the day.
The best way to set yourself up for success the following day is to give yourself a list to start with. It also helps to clear your mind and mentally prepare to shut off your daytime or work brain and focus on your evening. No matter what your evening entails, the mental shift helps you put work, school or family stress away. I’ve mentioned before the importance of getting everything out of your head and onto paper before you go to bed. Science says it actually helps you sleep better!

Organizing your week is the best way to combat time slipping away. Here’s to not losing valuable time with those we love!

If you have other tips for organizing and planning your week, share below!