2018 Homemaker’s Friend Daily Planner

 

It’s that time of year again! It’s time to find the perfect planner to help you stay organized and be more productive in the new year! And I’m super excited to work with my sponsor, the Homemaker’s Friend, to tell you all about their amazing daily planner! Total disclosure, I was compensated for this post. But all opinions are, as always, 100% my own!

 

 

The Homemaker’s Friend

 

The Homemaker’s Friend is a Christian daily planner that has helped thousands of women simplify and organize their busy lives since 2010.

Created by Sue Hooley, this planner is the real deal.

I talk a lot about the importance of taking the time to pinpoint goals that align with your values and aspirations, and this planner provides you with the space to do just that.

I also talk about the importance of keeping everything together in one place so you aren’t always wasting time looking for things. And this planner definitely has you covered there!

And Sue’s message is simple. She encourages you to plan for what you can, yet to embrace the challenges of day-to-day life. With the help of her planner, you can easily accomplish both of these.

So let’s take a look inside and see what all it has in store for you!

 

 

What’s Inside the 2018 Homemaker’s Friend Daily Planner

 

Yearly Planning

 

The planner starts out with a space to map out the different things you want to achieve throughout the year. This space is perfect to really hash out the different ideas you have and the different things you may want to try. 

Make sure that when you’re creating goals that you’re focusing on a tangible outcome rather than something abstract.

Also, try to use numbers or figures so you can easily see when the goal’s been reached.

Once these have been checked off, it’s time to figure out which goals you should be working on right now, and which you should be working on next. To do this, think about the importance and urgency of each goal, as well as whether it’s the right thing for you right now.

(Want some extra help figuring out the best goals for you and your business? Then join the Ultimate Goal Crusher’s Workshop Series!)

Map out a rough idea of the order you want to work on them, and then we can flip to the next section of the Homemaker’s Friend!

 

Monthly Planning

 

Once you’ve decided what goals you want to work on and when, it’s time to pencil them into your calendar.

Remember, none of this is set in stone, so actually use a pencil so you can make changes as the year goes on.

But decide on the first few goals and stick to them. You can always adjust the steps you need to take to achieve the goal, but you have to commit to it to get it done.

The Homemaker’s Friend has a page here to jot down your goals (or make any notes), and then monthly calendars for the entire year.  

The next step, then, is to identify the different steps you need to take to accomplish the goal. This doesn’t have to be perfect, but try to get as many down as you can. And remember, none of us really know all the steps a project is going to take unless it’s a project we work on regularly.

And yes, each goal should be treated like its own project. Or 2 or 3 projects more likely.

So, the next thing we need to do is set up a project management system!

 

Projects

 

The next tab in the Homemaker’s Friend that I suggest using is the projects tab.

Here Sue has given us a ton of room to get down to the nitty-gritty of each project!

So break the project down into all the little steps you need to take to get it done. 

If you’re working with a team, this is a great place to figure out who’s going to do what.

And also decide the order that the tasks need to be done in, as well as a deadline for each task.

Once they all have a due date, it’s time to schedule them in to make sure they get done!

 

Weekly Planning

 

This section of the Homemaker’s Friend is designed to help you streamline your day-to-day activities.

And the layout is absolutely amazing!

Here’s what it looks like:

 

 

As you can see, the task list on the top of each page is split into 2 categories.

You could easily use the left side for your business to-do list and the right for your personal to-do list. This way you won’t have to waste space in the daily sections for the little things that you need to get done.

The daily sections can be used, then, to schedule in the different project steps that you laid out in the projects section of the planner.

You could use the left column for the task or 2 that you want to get done in the morning, and the left for the afternoon. Or you could leave the tasks in the left and leave the right for notes. There’s even a box each day for meal planning! 

The important thing to keep in mind when planning out your week is not to overbook yourself. And the amount of space provided in the Homemaker’s Friend is perfect for keeping yourself on track while not completely overwhelming yourself with a massive list that you’ll never get through!

And you don’t have to completely max out the task lists on each page here, either. That’s what the next section’s for!

 

Tasks

 

The next section in the Homemaker’s Planner is a place to keep all of your to-do lists.

One of my favorite things about the way this is set up is that it’s again split into 2 columns.

And as busy moms with our own businesses, it’s so important to be able to keep track of everything we need to do in one convenient place!

So I started writing down my business to-do list in the left column and my personal to-do list in the right column.

This makes it really easy to see what I need to get done without completely overwhelming me!

Then, I can pull the tasks that I need to get done that week onto that week’s page!

 

Info

 

The next section in the Homemaker’s Friend 2018 Daily Planner is an info section to keep important numbers and addresses.

This isn’t where I’ll keep the majority of my address book because it doesn’t make sense to me to copy the entire list every year as I set up a new planner.

But, having a section for this information is super handy to keep on hand. I personally use it for business contacts that I may need to reach out to. If I have a note on Wednesday that I need to call someone, it’s easiest if the number is in the same planner. This is also a great place to jot down an address for a new doctor or dentist so you have it handy. 

 

Shopping List

 

The last section in the Homemaker’s Friend is for your shopping list!

And this is just great!

In my signature time management course, Be the Boss of Your Time, I talk about the importance of keeping absolutely everything you need in one place. This is typically your planner!

So I love that Sue has created a place to keep your shopping list right along with everything else that you need on a day-to-day basis.

Plus, with the ability to jot down your meals every day in the weekly planning section, it’s great to be able to flip to the shopping list in the back to jot down what you need to pick up for dinner on your way home!

Trust me, it’s so much better than that post-it note that will more than likely fall out before you even make it to the store!

There are even some extra pages at the end to keep track of clothing sizes, gift ideas, as well as a master shopping list for reference!

 

Why I Love the Homemaker’s Friend 2018 Daily Planner

 

I’ve pretty much touched upon my favorite features throughout this review, but there are a few things that bear repeating.

First of all, I love that the planner allows me to strategically plan and implement my goals. This is crucial to making sure that I get the right things done for my family and my business. Again, this is something I will walk you through in the Ultimate Goal Crusher’s Workshop Series, so if you haven’t signed up for that yet, don’t miss out!

I also love the fact that all of the main sections are broken down into 2 columns so that I can keep my business and personal stuff separate. Because to be completely honest, I get so overwhelmed when it’s all together in one place! And that overwhelm makes me want to procrastinate and binge on Netflix.

Simplicity is key. And that is something that Sue nails in this planner.

She allows you the space to work on the important stuff, streamline what you need to get done, but still keep it tidy so that it all actually gets done.

So if you’re looking for a planner that will help you rock your goals in 2018, then I highly suggest the Homemaker’s Friend 2018 Daily Planner!