Starting today and running throughout the entire month, I will be teaching you how to plan your time in order to be more intentional with your life!
Update: The series has ended which means I’ve linked all the posts right here in one location. You can read all the posts at once! Or you can save yourself some time and download the entire series in PDF format PLUS more here.
What We’ll Cover in Planning 101:
- How to Do Yearly Planning to Be More Intentional
- How to Do Quarterly Planning to Be More Intentional
- How to Do Monthly Planning to Be More Intentional
- How to Do Weekly Planning to Be More Intentional
- How to Do Daily Planning to Be More Intentional
- How to Menu Plan to Be More Intentional
- My Planning Tools
- Planning Traps You Want to Avoid
- When it All Seems Overwhelming
- Book Suggestions on Time Management
- A Grace-filled Approach to Creating a Routine
Before we get started with the how-to posts, I want to do a quick WHY-to post, and confess something to you.
Why do we want to learn how to plan effectively?
I’ve learned that until I know my “WHY” behind doing something my good intentions never become a reality.
Without my “WHY,” I don’t have a reason to plow through when the going gets tough; I can throw in the towel and not think twice about giving up.
But if I have a biblical conviction on WHY I should do something, in this case plan my time wisely, I’m more likely to stick with it. Because even though I love to plan, I don’t always do it well or even follow through with the plans I make.
3 Reasons Why We Should Plan
Planning is a biblical practice.
Isaiah 32:8 says, “But he who is noble plans noble things, and on noble things he stands.”
Proverbs 21:5 says, “The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.”
Proverbs 13:4 says, “The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.”
Do you want to be intentional with your time? Do you want to live for Him and not yourself?
Well, you need to plan diligently!
Planning is vital to helping us fulfill godly desires, which glorify God. Diligence is the key to planning for the glory of God.
Next, planning is an act of wisdom.
Ephesians 5:15-17 says, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”
In order to be wise with our time, we must first have a right understanding of our purpose and reason for being here.
If you haven’t determined your God-given mission, then I urge you to get on it right now. If you can’t answer the question, “Why did God save me?” Then, go here and get started determining your purpose.
We were created to live for the glory and pleasure of God, and we will one day give an account to God for how we use our time. This should motivate us to be intentional in the planning and ordering of our daily lives.
Finally, our goal when planning must be to please God.
Second Corinthians 5:9-10 says, “So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”
Philippians 1:9-11 says, “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ – to the glory and praise of God.”
In order to please God, we must be able to discern what is best. We cannot discern what is best unless we sit down and sort out our roles and prioritize our lives according to God’s Word.
Do you want to be effective for God? Is your life characterized by doing only good things? Are you considering your actions each day with the end in mind? Are you living each day for Him or for yourself? Do you know?
If we don’t plan our lives, someone else will do it for us. The devil loves when others plan our lives for us.
Let’s not get caught up in doing good things for the Lord, but let’s say with Paul that we want to “discern what is best” when planning how we will spend our time.
Confession Time
Now, I have a confession. I’ve not been doing a great job about planning my time wisely. Honestly, I’ve been doing a lot of really good things, but most days I’m flying by the seat of my pants.
Before I had children, I was a great planner. I was so organized, and I never missed a birthday card. But now? Sheesh! I’m doing good to get through the day.
I don’t know about you, but I’d like to at least TRY to be intentional about planning my time more effectively. I want to bring glory to God with how I use my time, and quite frankly, I’ve been leaving Him out of the equation. I’ve been living for myself instead of living for Him even though I thought I was living for Him.
That’s confusing.
Let me say it another way. Our best efforts at living for Him fall far short. Our motives are never 100% pure, and we don’t always get it right.
We don’t live intentionally to be better people. Our ultimate goal in living intentionally is to glorify God.
I want to revisit an intentional approach to planning my days because I want to do God’s will and not my own.
When we fail, we can remember that Jesus died for us and we are forgiven. We are free to pursue holiness by the grace of God. We’re free to pick right back up where we left off and try again.
I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. ~John 15:5
Like you, I need Jesus to help me. I need His grace to change me. I need Jesus to work in and through me in order to bring Him glory with my life.
I’m not doing this series from my high horse. No way! I’m doing it because I need the reminder and I need grace to change.
Together, let’s allow our lives to be pleasing to God, our Redeemer.
I hope you’ll join me this month for Planning 101: How to Be More Intentional with Your Time, and I hope you walk away with fresh ideas and new hope for being intentional every single day!
Did you know that I turned this series into an eBook (and added even more to it?)
You can now download this entire series plus more in one easy PDF download. Click here to learn more!
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I am very excited about this, and already filed with hope. Things I need help with are daily motivation and discipline to maintain and follow thru once the plan has been made… 😉
Thanks for all you do!
Thanks Leigh Ann for your thoughts, insights and humility! Yes, I do want to live intentionally and plan my time wisely. I consider myself to be a good planner but currently I am caught up in a lot of paperwork, assisting, grocery shopping, cleaning, sorting meds, etc for my aging parents. I go over every Friday to clean kitchen and restrooms, sort meds, look thru paperwork and do whatever else they might need help with. My sister does quite a bit of cooking for them and my one brother helps out with housing issues. I’m very thankful that we have a team of helpers!! I want to honor my parents for the glory of God and ask him to lead and guide me and give me strength physically, emotionally and spiritually!
Can’t wait for this series!! 😀 It sounds great!!
Jami Balmet recently posted…What I’m Using This Pregnancy & How I’m Getting Prepared
I’m excited to have found this! Looking forward to this series!
April recently posted…Business Tip! Must Do Overload!
Really looking forward to this series. I am often good about making the plans but not always great about following through. The past few months have been really rough because I’ve developed some bad habits that are really making it hard to plan anything and have affected my health and spiritual/emotional/mental well-being. I’m changing things up now, giving myself some daily goals and parameters (including going to bed much earlier!), and hoping to start some better planning habits. All that to say, I am excited to read your posts and glean from your experience and wisdom in this area! 🙂
Lisa @ This Pilgrim Life recently posted…Who Sends the Snow?
I am working with a couple of women now helping them to declutter and be intentional, but some how im not able to help myself, 4 children, two in school one home schooled and the baby….mostly I’m just tired, so glad for devine intervention. I look forward to beginning with you.
I’m very excited for this series! I have always thought of myself as a good planner, but now that I am mother to 4, I see a great need in my life for more intentional planning! As a homeschool mom with three of my children under 4 years old, it is SO easy to get pulled off task during the day, or even to start the day with not much of a plan to begin with. My desire is to love and serve my family and model truth to them…what better way than to allow the Lord to lead my time. I can’t wait to see what you have in store! 🙂
Thanks for this series Leigh, which I really need help with. It’s always been my dream to be in business full time since I was young. I have had a small business officially (collecting sales taxes) since I was 16 years old. I prayed 3 years ago and God granted me a part-time job that pays well so that I have time to work on my business. However, I have been struggling with using my time wisely in the mornings before my day job, plus taking care of a home and being intentional about spending time with my spouse. I sometimes lack the motivation to work on my business because everything feels overwhelming and I rather do something quick and easy, like whip up some muffins before going in to work. I am getting older and I feel like I am sabotaging my dreams. I need to plan my life more intentionally and I can use your help.
Hi Leigh Ann, I too need and desire this for planning my days, weeks …etc to better servce my Godly husband, 3 homeschooling girls (Patience, Grace & Hope 🙂 as well as my home business.
Planning is not my strong suit. I’m slowing growing in that though. Thank you for your ministry!!
Whitney recently posted…Super Teacher Worksheets to Save the Day
Thanks, Whitney!