How I’m Planning Out My Day In Quarantine

MAJOR UPDATE: when I was writing this post, the wheels were already in motion to bring you THE SKINNY CONFIDENTIAL HOT MINUTE PLANNER. As you know from my love of planners & notebooks, creating this planner for the community (& myself) was a no brainer. It’s filled with all the prompts mentioned above to help you run your day, instead of the day running you. Complete with fun stickers & a note from me, this planner is just SO fucking efficient. Take a look inside here. 

This planner has truly elevated my life. Having all the prompts laid out makes me so mindful about every single part of my day. Like I said: the music & podcast you’re going to listen to, the people you’re going to send good vibes to, all of it matters. And it makes a difference, let me tell you. Anyway, let’s get into how it all started…

Today I want to share with you guys a new addition to my quarantine routine. Obviously it’s so weird to be in quarantine without a set routine like most of us were used to. Recently on a solo podcast I broke down a ‘one sheet’ plan ( or list ) that’s really been helping me.

You may have also seen me share it on Instagram Stories & TikTok, but as always, I want to share things that I feel are really valuable on the blog too. So here we are to break it all down.

So, I started doing this when quarantine started & all you need is a pen ( if you want to know about the best pen in the world, scope this post ) & a notebook. You could get your notebook from anywhere- what up Rite-aid- but I love ban.do notebooks & planners.  

Anyway, this new ‘one sheet’ plan really sets the tone of the day & just helps things run smoothly. Here’s how to do it:

How to Plan Your Day in Quarantine:

♡ Write the date at the top.

♡ List out your podcast, book, workout & music for the day. For example, one day mine looked like this:

PODCAST: Robert Greene
BOOK: Tools of Titans
WORKOUT: P.Volve & walk
MUSIC: TSC Felling Jazzy Spotify Playlist

♡ Then write down some things you’re grateful for. I like to do 3-4 things & they can be anything, get super specific.

♡ Then there’s a ‘must get done’ list. These are different from your general to-do list. These are non-negotiables that need to happen that day.

♡ Write down how you want to feel. One day I wrote productive, funny & focused.

♡ Next, write down 3 people you’re sending thoughts & happiness to. It can be anyone.

♡ Lastly, your to-do list. Personally, I like to write down 6 things in order of importance. Whatever doesn’t get done is moved to my to-do list the following the day. 

The last one is also known as The Ivy Lee Method, which we’ve talked about before. It’s one of my favorite productivity hacks & really makes all the difference.

Why I love The Ivy Lee Method:

♡ It’s simple, so it actually works. All you need is paper & a pen.

♡ Makes you prioritize. 6 is the magic number here. Don’t overwhelm yourself with 20 tasks- only write down 6.

♡ Takes the guesswork out of ‘starting.’ How much time do you waste ‘thinking’ about what you should do first? When you have a prioritized list, it’s clearly laid out in front of you.

♡ It makes you SINGLE-TASK. You guys know I’m all about multitasking, but focussing energy on one thing at a time is also hugely important.

♡ It can encourage a healthier work-life balance. As an entrepreneur this can be really tricky so anything that helps is welcome to be honest.

To sum it up, this productivity hack helps with concentration, productivity, keeps you organized, & allows your brain to marinate on what you’ve done.

Hope those quarantine planning tips bring you value. If you want to see more of a visual, be sure to check out my TikTok where you can see exactly how I lay it out. & for even more of a breakdown you can check out my podcast on the whole thing. Highly recommend doing this, it makes a big difference.

Before we go, I just want to tell you guys about ban.do planners & notebooks. There’s just something so nostalgic about them.

Like doesn’t it remind you of 8th grade? All ready for the fresh new school year. You had just shopped the BACK TO SCHOOL SALE at Staples & you were super proud because you scored the last hot pink, SPIRAL BOUND 2001-ish planner. Maybe you even carried it in your boring, black JanSport ( it didn’t matter that it was boring though because you had one of those pens that can write on backpack material….& if you were anything like me you had all your friends sign your backpack just to keep the backpack FESTIVE!). The point was your planner was PERFECT & FRESH, ready to showcase homework assignments, school dance dates, & Stussy doodles. AHHHH I LOVED A NEW PLANNER. Still do.

Same goes for notebooks. These ones are the perfect size, they have a big spiral which is KEY. Being able to take your notebook & lay it flat, or flip one side over is ideal. They’re so perfect for this new quarantine planning, the morning pages, or just for lists.

Anyway, let me know below if you guys try this. What have you been doing to set the tone of your day in quarantine?

x, lauryn

+ how to start organize the shit out of your home in quarantine.

++ specifics on how to thrive in quarantine.

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