Planning can be an overwhelming task, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are five planning tips that will help you get more done in less time using the Nourished Planner.
There’s no better time to start creating a vision of your future than now. Maybe that step alone is the missing link we’ve been skipping over altogether. But let’s be honest, between endless work meetings, the dentist appointment you have to keep rescheduling and soccer games, time is something that easily escapes us.
This year we want to put an end to schedule shaming, to over calendaring your life and start to plan a year centered around your values, your intentions, and your dreams.
Today in this post, we wanted to give you five tips that take the stress out of planning and open you up to plan the life you wish using your own Nourished Planner.
Tip #1: Reflect on the Past
Are you still googly-eyed over your google calendar? While looking, tracking and planning for the future is vital in making progress, we can’t deny the benefit of reflecting on the past. That’s the thing about written paper planners, especially the Nourished Planner, that is so different from online scheduling apps. We encourage you to keep track of goals, ideas, thoughts, and memories so you can go back over them and learn from them.
In fact, our history can have a lot of weight on where you’ll end up. Take time to sit and reflect monthly, weekly or even daily inside your Nourished Planner. We’ve opened up plenty of space to do so each month and week with enough white space to keep track of ideas and thoughts moving forward.
HOW TO REFLECT
We believe making your dreams a reality isn’t about strict rules or living up to someone else’s ideals, but it’s about you creating a realistic action plan to help achieve your goals. Each month we’ve laid out space for you to track what you should do more of and what to do less of based on what is working and what isn’t. We’ve also given you plenty of white space to jot down notes, ideas, and inspiration.
Tip #2: Meal Plan with Ease
One of the biggest hurdles to eating healthy is the time it takes to cook. If you find yourself grocery shopping every day or looking at the clock at 3:00 pm and realizing you’re going to soon be facing a hungry family and you have no idea what to cook, then you may want to try meal planning.
Meal planning is the simple act of writing out a list of what meals you will cook for the week. It takes the guesswork out of every day and helps you to be prepped and ready for the busy work week ahead, eliminating the desire to hit the drive-through – at least most of the time. Once you’ve created this simple habit to get you in the kitchen, warm home-cooked meals will still make it to the table even if life doesn’t go as planned.
HOW TO MEAL PLAN
Each week we’ve created space for you to plan what you’ll be cooking for the week ahead. Just fill in the space based on what you have in your pantry and what you’ve picked up on the store so dinner time becomes one less decision you have to make in the day.
Tip #3: Create Priorities
If you feel anxious just thinking of planning, don’t worry you’re not alone. While the world screams you should be everything to everyone, we know better. In fact, we believe that stepping back, breaking busyness and living within your values can actually allow you to be more. By more we mean, more of who you really are and do more of what you really desire.
Doesn’t that sound dreamy?
HOW TO PRIORITIZE
Each week create a task list, from work priorities to home life duties and everything in between. Then go through and prioritize them day by day. Remember you can always add to your 5 to-do list but at the end of the day make sure you keep the number realistic. There is nothing more time sucking than staring at your planner with mental paralysis because you don’t even know where to start.
Break it down into those five daily to-do’s and call anything extra a bonus. Or better yet, use the extra time to get out and live.
Tip #4: Embrace the White Space
People generally have different reactions to white space. Our type A personality may panic at the site and wonder why there isn’t more structure all while our type B personality automatically begins to doodle in celebration that there isn’t any structure. So for this tip, we’re most likely going to be helping the type A along in this process and open your eyes to a system that has maybe more structure than what you think.
It sounds like a stretch but this white space isn’t just a place for freedom of expression, although that is welcome, inside the nourished planner we wanted to leave plenty of room for you to plan, journal, document and schedule as fits your personality. We know it can be a big step, coming off an hourly planner but know you can do just that.
From tracking appointments, creating lists, jotting down ideas, taking notes, space to journal or even doodling reminders, the white space opens you up to more freedom that is allowed to change as the year progresses.
HOW TO USE THE WHITE SPACE
We like you to get a little creative, or even start with what you know. If you’re used to tracking hourly movements, then go ahead and create your own time tracker in that space. You could also use the space to take a stab at bullet journaling opening up room for multiple purposes including things like; budgeting your groceries for the week, keep a running list of errands that need to be run, ideas and notes that come to mind as the week progresses and even a space to store memories like your babies first tooth, or your own PR of the 5K you just ran.
It’s space for you, to open up, create, plan and dream. Take a stab, it might just be the best way you’ve ever planned.
Tip #5: Choose Growth
Making habits to create a healthy, simple and nourished life that you love is too often overshadowed by the busyness of everyday life. With the Nourished Planner, we want to help you break those habits down through living with intention into 12 monthly themes. Focusing on just one theme at a time to achieve just one main goal each month puts the focus and energy on creating a nourished life you love rather than feeling scattered and unorganized.
Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out. {R. Collier}
This month we’re putting our efforts into living within your values. We believe a fulfilling life starts by being intentional with the things you do, the items you own, and the people you spend time with. Throughout the year the Nourished Planner will help you establish and embrace your true values to help you live a well-nourished life of your dreams.
HOW TO USE THE CHALLENGES
Use these monthly themes as you plan your every day to keep focused on just one thing for the whole month. This allows you to make huge strides and create habits that last.
Make Planning Easier with the 2026 Nourished Planner
You can purchase your very own 2026 Nourished Planner and change the way you live. Last year’s planner sold out so quickly so don’t delay! These won’t be around all year!
To see a quick run-down of what you can expect in this year’s version of the 2026 planner, click here.
Don’t forget to check out our Batch Cooking Basics Guide, where you’ll learn the REAL secrets to successful meal prep, and it starts with just a few simple recipes.