If you’ve landed here, then you probably are wondering who I am & what this blog is all about.

Picture this…

The solace of a quiet weekend morning before the chaos of the day ensues. The scent of your favorite candle mixed with the smell of indulgent coffee and books fills your nose. The only sounds you hear are the slow paced waking of the world around you, the scratch of pen on paper and the crinkling of pages as you turn them. You’re filling the pages with thoughts and reflections from last week and defining your intentions for the coming week.

That is what “planning” is to me. It’s a moment.

Some context: As a mom of two awesome kids, a scientist by day, and a graduate student – my life is chaotic. The daily grind is – well, a lot to navigate successfully. I spent years moving from one thing to the next, constantly deprioritizing my own needs. I thought that just checking the boxes off my task list was enough.

Anyone else get that dopamine hit from checking off tasks? I know at least one of you out there has completed a task and then written it on your task list and marked it as completed. It’s okay, you don’t have to admit it out loud.

Back to the story: I got to a place where I only felt like I did a good job if I got to the end of my task list each day. The problem with this is that the list never ends. I’d end the day drained and feeling like a failure because I couldn’t do it all. At that point, even thinking about making time for self care seemed impossible and even selfish. That last part – the selfish bit – it’s a complete load of crap and it took a lot of work to move past the mom guilt and inner mental dialogue.

After years of pouring every ounce of my energy into the many roles I play in life, I decided it was time to do something that was just for me. I really had no idea what that looked like or how to start. All that I knew was that I wanted to create a space where I could inspire others to make sure that they weren’t just blindly accepting energy “leftovers” at the end of each day. I knew that I wanted to flex my creativity and share some of the things that helped me overcome the mental health funk that I was in: my love of all things planning and book related.

So, what exactly is Function of Planning? 

If you’ve read this far, then you know that Function of Planning started as a passion project. My goal is to use this space to explore the function that planning serves in our lives. For a lot of people, planning is just keeping track of schedules and tasks. Some people like to use it for budgeting, goal setting, memory keeping, logging daily/weekly habits, etc. For other people, planning is a roadmap to improving mental wellness and implementing selfcare.

I think that it’s important to recognize that there is no “one size fits all” approach to planning. Planning is a practice that is as unique to an individual as their fingerprint – no two people have the same exact needs or styles. This is because your lives, goals and dreams are different. Your planning style and needs will evolve over time – and that’s okay. I certainly plan a lot different now than when I was in undergrad or before the birth of my children.

Planning also doesn’t need to be perfect. Don’t get discouraged if your spreads aren’t “as pretty” as some of the ones you see on social media. You’re on your own journey and creating your own style. Use creators to draw inspiration and try out a few things. Don’t get overwhelmed or bog yourself down searching for the ever elusive “planner peace“. Remember, planning is a safe space to explore and see what works for you, pivot if it doesn’t, and try again.

In this blog, I’ll be sharing strategies, tools, inspiration, tips & tricks to keep you productive while still expressing your creativity. As a life-long planner, I want to be a resource that shares my experience to help you thrive in your own lives. Remember, these are just tips. At the end of the day, you have to do what works for you and it really doesn’t need to make sense to any one else.

So now that you know a bit more about me & the story behind Function of Planning, let’s get into it! It’s time to explore planning together & the function it serves in your life!

Happy Planning!