Welcome to Best Laid Plans -- a podcast all about planning and the planning tools we love. From planning techniques and organizing philosophies to planners and notebooks, we cover it all. Host Sarah Hart-Unger is a mother of 3, physician, podcasting pro, and a lover of lists and all things paper! Listen in weekly for conversations about planning and productivity as well as product reviews and interviews with planning experts!
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Welcome to Best Laid Plans -- a podcast all about planning and the planning tools we love. From planning techniques and organizing philosophies to planners and notebooks, we cover it all. Host Sarah Hart-Unger is a mother of 3, physician, podcasting pro, and a lover of lists and all things paper! Listen in weekly for conversations about planning and productivity as well as product reviews and interviews with planning experts!
Sarah was inspired by a fellow podcaster (Laura McClellan on The Productive Woman) to share her own 10 rules for life!
Some are planning-related, and others are more global. She also shares some upcoming topics + her surprise and gratitude related to a recent newspaper shout-out!
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Oct 31 2022
19mins
It's a mixed-bag episode! Sarah opens with a Planner Peace submission from Amanda who shares what she loves about some brands never covered before on BLP: the Legend Planner + Living Well Planner.
Then Sarah discusses some release news from Erin Condren + MakseLife, answers a listener question about handling shared tentative future events, shares a super fun idea (PlannerBase?), and finally reveals her current notebook obsession.
Finally, she delves a bit into her current feelings around her work/life transition and how she needs to continue working on not forgetting the NOW in favor of some magical eventual future!
Keep the Planner Peace submissions coming - for more detailed show notes and all contact info, visit theshubox.com!
Episode Sponsor:
Organize 365: To learn more about Lisa Woodruff’s work and her amazing offerings, check out organize365.com, or go to organize365.com/minicourse for a free 7 days minicourse on getting yourself organized!
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Oct 24 2022
25mins
In this episode, Sarah opens by sharing an audio Planner Peace Submission from Hannah, who shares her daily/weekly/monthly and quintile planning rituals!
Then, Sarah goes into her own meal planning habits over the years and then welcomes guest Nakita Attard Vassallo - a mother and professional meal planning strategist in Malta.
Learn more about Nakita's strategies at themamamanual.com
Episode Sponsors:
Organize 365: To learn more about Lisa Woodruff’s work and her amazing offerings, check out organize365.com, or go to organize365.com/minicourse for a free 7 days minicourse on getting yourself organized!
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Oct 17 2022
30mins
Today's episode opens with a discussion of some planner news from Erin Condren and Cultivate What Matters. Then, she delves into an expanded Planner Peace segment from a listener who has adapted many BLP techniques into her own comprehensive system, complete with (impressively!) organized family meetings!
Then Sarah answers listener questions about Hemlock & Oak and Hobonichi and provides a requested list of blog + podcast recs. Finally, she shares a listener travel victory - a win for Apple Notes!
Episode Sponsor:
PrepDish: Healthy and efficient weekly meal plans! Go to PrepDish.com/plans to activate your trial!
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Oct 10 2022
30mins
Sarah opens with a listener sharing about her blinged-out and colorful Hobonichi (pix available at show notes on theshubox.com). She then gives a shout out to Routine and Things with Ashley Brown, who is releasing her first planner this October!
Then, Sarah dives into Getting Things Done! She chats about when she first came across it, and then goes into detail about the 5 steps -- capture, clarify, organize, reflect, and engage. She shares where she follows the method and where she has changed things to fit her needs.
Mentons & Links:
Routine & Things Planner: https://routineandthings.com/products/routine-and-things-planner
David Allen & Co: https://gettingthingsdone.com/
David Allen's GTD podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/getting-things-done/id999098861
Getting Things Done by David Allen (2015 ed is the most recent)
Making it All Work by David Allen (2008)
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Oct 03 2022
27mins
In this fun episode, after sharing a digital planning tip from listener Sonali, Sarah chats with Kristen Meinzer, a podcaster, culture critic, author, and more!
They chat about aspects of planning that are incredibly important but that might not instantly come to mind, from planning for death (promise, it's more uplifting than it sounds!) to planning memorable dates and strategic media consumption.
You can find all of Kristen's work (and there is A LOT of it!) by starting at https://www.kristenmeinzer.com
Books mentioned
Getting Things Done by David Allen
The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning by Margareta Magnusson
The Art of Dying Well: A Practical Guide to a Good End of Life by Katy Butler
Podcast Sponsors:
Gusto: Gusto is offering our listeners three months free at gusto.com/sarah. Get easy payroll, benefits, HR, and a happier team.
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Sep 26 2022
35mins
Sarah opens with a review of Nolki notebook, journals, planners, and washi, and then shares updates on Hobonichi, Cultivate What Matters, and more. Then, author and podcaster Kate Hanley joins Sarah in the kickoff to "Planner Profiles" -- a series about how different people plan! Kate shares her challenges and current practices.
Kate's podcast is How to Be a Better Person, and it comes out daily!
Final note: congrats to Rushmore Beekeepers (the group whose music is featured on this podcast!) for their new album release! Album info:
'What Lives and What Grows'
https://rushmorebeekeepers.com/links/
Podcast Sponsors:
Organize 365: To learn more about Lisa Woodruff’s work and her amazing offerings, check out organize365.com, or go to organize365.com/minicourse for a free 7 days minicourse on getting yourself organized!
Gusto: Gusto is offering our listeners three months free at gusto.com/sarah. Get easy payroll, benefits, HR, and a happier team.
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Sep 19 2022
34mins
In this Q&A episode, Sarah tackles 5 listener questions!
Topics include:
1) Planning sustainable and enjoyable holiday seasons
2) Tips for tracking (and not forgetting to track)
3) Planner matchup request: daily pages with gridlines + colorful tabs?
4) A system to keep special memories + achievements long term
5) Planner matchup request: planner for a middle schooler
Episode Sponsors:
PrepDish: Healthy and delicious meal planning made easy! Check out PrepDish.com/plans for your first 2 weeks, FREE.
Gusto: Gusto is offering our listeners three months free at gusto.com/sarah. Get easy payroll, benefits, HR, and a happier team.
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Sep 12 2022
27mins
Inspired by a podcast episode of similar title (Cal Newport's Deep Questions Ep #211), Sarah decides to offer a 10,000 foot view of how she organizes . . . pretty much everything!
This episode is more about principles than tools (though of course those get a mention as well!). Sarah talks through her various horizons of planning, from daily to yearly, and her methods for keeping inputs under control.
Episode Sponsors:
Gusto: Gusto is offering our listeners three months free at gusto.com/sarah. Get easy payroll, benefits, HR, and a happier team.
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Sep 05 2022
26mins
It's Hobonichi season, and Sarah is excited! She opens with a Planner Peace submission from Hobonichi user, and then goes into a detailed exploration of the current Hobonichi offerings, from planners to covers and more.
Learn about the ordering process, the website (it's in English!) and their new offerings for 2023, as well as what Sarah is thinking of ordering herself.
Episode Sponsors:
Yipes: Face & hand wipes for kids! Go to yipes.com/PLANS for 20% off. Growing up is messy. Yipes! wipes to the rescue.
Gusto: Gusto is offering our listeners three months free at gusto.com/sarah. Get easy payroll, benefits, HR, and a happier team.
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Aug 29 2022
25mins
In this episode, Sarah opens with a discussion of back to school energy, with a shout out to the Hobonichi 2023 releases + the new Full Focus designs. Then, she shares some listener tips related to reading journals and book tracking.
In the Q&A, she answers questions in themes: 2 related to scrolling habits, 2 planner matchmaking requests, and 1 on Apple Notes.
As always, detailed links/notes up can be found at theshubox.com!
Episode Sponsors:
Yipes: Face & hand wipes for kids! Go to yipes.com/PLANS for 20% off. Growing up is messy. Yipes! wipes to the rescue.
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Aug 22 2022
28mins
In today's episode, Kelly Nolan joins Sarah to talk all things digital planning and calendar management. Kelly is a lawyer, previously working as a litigator. She became passionate about helping women manage their time and thrive in busy jobs, and now teaches time management for her main career. She loves helping women to truly understand where time is going and helping them integrate work and life though her digital calendar management techniques. She and Sarah have a great discussion on common challenges women with big careers face.
Find Kelly and learn more about the Bright Method at http://kellynolan.com, or connect with her on Instagram @_kellynolan_
Episode Sponsors:
Organize 365: To learn more about Lisa Woodruff’s work and her amazing offerings, check out organize365.com, or go to organize365.com/minicourse for a free 7 days minicourse on getting yourself organized!
Yipes: Face & hand wipes for kids! Go to yipes.com/PLANS for 20% off. Growing up is messy. Yipes! wipes to the rescue.
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Aug 15 2022
34mins
This episode is dedicated to all things reading! In the first half, Sarah discusses her reading habits through the years, including a few habits she has embraced recently to help her read more.
Then, she provides mini-reviews of 4 reading journals: My Reading Life: A Book Journal by Ann Bogel, Bibliophile Reader's Journal by Jane Mount, My Reading Adventures: A Book Journal for Kids by Ann Bogel, and The Cultivated Reading Journal from Cultivate What Matters.
Episode Sponsors:
PrepDish: Check out PrepDish.com/plans for your first 2 weeks, FREE.
Yipes: Face & hand wipes for kids! Go to yipes.com/PLANS for 20% off. Growing up is messy. Yipes! wipes to the rescue.
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Aug 08 2022
35mins
Today's episode is a deep dive into the world of a planner founder and company leader! Michelle Askin cofounded Bloom when she was just 20 years old (!), and 12 years later their products are widely available, addressing planning needs for many different stages of life.
Michelle chats about the products she's using now, Bloom's mission to give back, ways she combines digital + paper, and finally some speculation on future ideas and trends in the planning world.
Episode Sponsors:
Green Chef: Healthy, delicious, and CCOF-certified meal kits! Go to greenchef.com/plans135 use code plans135 to get $135 off across five boxes—and your first box ships free!
Yipes: Face & hand wipes for kids! Go to yipes.com/PLANS for 20% off. Growing up is messy. Yipes! wipes to the rescue.
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Aug 01 2022
30mins
Today's episode is a ReAir, in part because Sarah's voice is a bit out of commission due to COVID. She records a brief intro (and promises to be back when she sounds better), and this is followed by a replay of February's episode below, inspired by a tough week on call Sarah had. She outlines 5 things she wished she had done to make life easier on herself -- things that might apply to anyone going into a finite difficult period.
1. Evaluating which habits might temporarily not be serving you
2. Pay attention to basic body maintenance - foundation habts
3. Ask others for help
4. Don’t be afraid to say no if someone is asking for favors
5. Create an "after the storm" list
Episode Sponsor:
Gusto: Gusto is offering our listeners three months free at gusto.com/sarah. Get easy payroll, benefits, HR, and a happier team.
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Jul 25 2022
24mins
In today's episode, Sarah opens with a listener tips about daily theme dressing by color, and shares some info on The Planner Wire, an online hub (created by another planner aficionados) for all things planning related.
Then, she takes a deep dive into how she is using her current lineup, including some different uses for some of the pages in EC's Daily Duo and some more details about her low-key entries in the Hobonichi 5 year.
Episode Sponsors:
Organize 365: To learn more about Lisa Woodruff’s work and her amazing offerings, check out organize365.com, or go to organize365.com/minicourse for a free 7 days minicourse on getting yourself organized!
Gusto: Gusto is offering our listeners three months free at gusto.com/sarah. Get easy payroll, benefits, HR, and a happier team.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 18 2022
27mins
In this episode, a listener Beth opens with a fantastic Planner Peace submission, all about her transition to digital planning with Artful Agenda. Then, Sarah discusses her process for checking into goals midway through the year. She shares questions to think about as well as the specific products and tools she uses to capture her goals and lists.
Finally, she shares her own triaged goals list for mid-year!
Episode Sponsors:
PrepDish! Check out PrepDish.com/plans for your first 2 weeks, FREE.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 11 2022
28mins
In this episode, Sarah shares a few listener tips! Amanda discusses her own self-care strategy for busy times, Jen shares a cautionary tale about Frixion pens, and Xoke provides some fantastic email tips. Sarah then discusses the upcoming Cultivate What Matters reading journal, and then dives into her mini-review of The Plan by Lauren Truslow. This planner is BIG but packs a lot of punch, including some great meal planning and health tracking options as well as a lovely daily layout.
Episode Sponsors:
TopCashBack: Try TopCashback for yourself by visiting topcashback.com, creating an account with your email and password, and entering the promo code PLANS. All new customers who sign up now will get a $10 sign-up bonus when they spend their first $25 on topcashback.com after entering the promo code!
Green Chef: The number one meal kit for eating well. Go to greenchef.com/plans130 use code plans130 to get $130 off, plus free shipping! This is a great deal and excellent way to give their meals a try.
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Jul 04 2022
30mins
Today's episode is an Ask Me Anything in honor of the #100 milestone! Sarah received questions from listeners and answers more than 15 of them in this fun episode -- from pencil cases to the ways planning has changed her life.
Thank you all for listening and helping bring BLP to this fun milestone! In celebration, if you are able to leave a review or share with a friend, Sarah would be grateful!
Episode Sponsors:
TopCashBack: Try TopCashback for yourself by visiting topcashback.com, creating an account with your email and password, and entering the promo code PLANS. All new customers who sign up now will get a $10 sign-up bonus when they spend their first $25 on topcashback.com after entering the promo code!
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Jun 27 2022
35mins
Today's episode opens with a Planner Peace segment from Emelia, who created custom nursing school planners for herself AND shared her beautiful system with her classmates! Then, Sarah answers a question from Lori and suggests 3 options for larger family wall calandars. Finally, Sarah gives a list of suggestions for ways to cope in more stressful or transitional times, from creating a manifesto (try it!) to meditation, reading, and seeking therapy.
Episode Sponsors:
Organize 365: To learn more about Lisa Woodruff’s work and her amazing offerings, check out organize365.com, or go to organize365.com/minicourse for a free 7 days minicourse on getting yourself organized!
TopCashBack: Try TopCashback for yourself by visiting topcashback.com, creating an account with your email and password, and entering the promo code PLANS. All new customers who sign up now will get a $10 sign-up bonus when they spend their first $25 on topcashback.com after entering the promo code!
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Jun 20 2022
25mins