Unlock Your Best Plans: Tips for Using the Encouraged and Inspired Planning Pages

We’re sharing tips and tricks for using the Encouraged and Inspired Planning Pages system to help you unlock your best plans and make each day intentional!

First, thank you for ordering these planning pages from the Encouraged and Inspired Stan Store.

They’ve been on my heart for many years and have helped to anchor my days, prioritize goals, gain more focus and clarity, and create a more beautiful life.

That said, it takes being purposeful any time you start something new.

So, I wanted to share how I set up my Encouraged and Inspired Planning Pages system to give you ideas on setting up your pages as well.

Here’s a look at tips and tricks for using the Encouraged and Inspired Planning Pages.

Tips for using The Encouraged and Inspired Planning Pages System…

Shopping Notes:

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Binder (I have pink in both the 1 and 3 inch)
Printer Paper
Printer (We use an HP Office Jet Pro Series)
Binder Clips (I use a clip like this on the outside of my binder to hold my pages for the week)
Pencil, Pens, or Markers (love these and the flair pens too)
Pastel Tab Dividers (months) White Tab Dividers (weeks) Pink Tab Dividers (quarters)
Marker Pouch (this holds a lot more than I thought it would, and it’s so pretty)
Three Hole Punch
Tote (this bag corrals all my essentials, but it smells like burlap, so you might need to air it out for a few days first)
Label Maker (have, love, and use all the time)

Setting Up Your Planning Pages: A Step-by-Step Guide on How I Organize My Binder…

Step One: Download and Print

Gather your supplies.

After you’ve downloaded your files from the Encouraged and Inspired Stan Store and printed them out, you’re ready to set up your binder.

Step Two: Decide the Layout of Your Planning Pages

This step is important because you can either single-file your planning pages or have one page on the left and one page on the right of your binder as you open it up and lay it flat.

I personally like to set up my binder like a yearly planner.

I use divider tabs to organize my binder by year, quarter, month, and week because I use the planning pages to run my home life, personal life, and business life.

Step 3: Set Up Your Divider Tabs and Insert Your Planning Pages

Each month, I print out and hole punch all the pages I need for my binder at the same time.

Next, I set up the monthly planning pages in this order.

Bill and Order Confirmation Sheet (left side)
Planning for…(right side)
This Month in Review…(left side)
Celebrating This Month…(right side)

Then I set up the weekly planning pages in this order.

This Week’s Action Sheet (single file)
This Week In Review (left side)
Monday (right side)
Tuesday (left side) and Wednesday (right side)
Thursday (left side) and Friday (right side)
Saturday (left side) and Sunday (right side)

We keep our monthly menu list on the refrigerator, so I don’t always use the On the Menu This Week page.

Step 4: Start Filling Out Your Encouraged and Inspired Planning Pages

On average, it takes around 20 minutes or less to print, hole punch, and file the daily planning + weekly and monthly overview pages into my binder.

Depending on the month and our schedules, it can take an additional 20-40 minutes to plan.

It takes around 5-10 minutes to fill out the daily planning pages.

I fill out the date, sleep, affirmation, grateful for, and prayer prompt as part of my morning routine during my devotional time.

I fill out the housekeeping and meal sections during the day.

And each night, I set priorities, additional tasks to complete, and appointments for the following day, as well as the daily review section, as part of my nightly routine just before I journal and read.

Additional Ways You Can Set Up Your Planning Pages Binder…

My Mom organizes her binder by the month and week because she also does the 52 Weeks to a Simplified and Organized Home Challenge, and it helps her stay on track.

I have a girlfriend who organizes hers by the month. When you look at her binder, you see tabs labeled January – December, then she places the accompanying planner pages into their designated months.

That’s one of the great things about this system: you can truly use it in a variety of different ways based on what is best for your season of life.

Extra Tips and Tricks…

Choose a specific day of the month to print, hole punch, and plan your month. I do mine on the 26^th of each month.
Choose a specific day of the week to plan each week. I usually spend Friday or Sunday afternoons filling out the This Week’s Action Sheet and This Week in Review planning pages, as well as creating our weekly grocery list.
Use a binder clip to secure your daily page on the outside of your binder. That way, you can access it easily throughout the day.
Fill out as much as you can in advance. This is especially helpful for the affirmation, prayer, menu, priorities, and appointment prompts.
Keep your binder and related supplies in a tote or basket. I keep a burlap market bag beside my bed that holds my iPad, a motivational book, a journal, markers, and my Encouraged and Inspired Planning Pages binder.
Use these planning pages to help anchor your morning and evening routines. It makes completing them so much easier since you’re already habit-stacking, especially on the weekends.
Use these pages in tandem. Every night I fill out the daily review section; I also complete the priorities and additional task list sections for the following day. That way, I can hit the ground running as soon as I wake up.
The daily pages can help with your end-of-the-month review. For example, the questions What Brought Me Joy or One Thing I’m Looking Forward to Tomorrow can help shed light on memorable moments, goals you accomplished, and celebrations you savored throughout the month. The One Thing I Could Have Done Better Today sentiment can help shed light on the Challenges You Faced and Overcame, as well as the Things You Want to Focus on Next Month section.
Consider using a hybrid digital and paper system. Using a digital calendar and habit tracker is convenient, but getting creative and putting pen to paper has been proven to help you achieve your goals.

Making Time for Your Priorities…

The Encouraged and Inspired Planning Pages are designed to support and assist you in achieving an organized and purpose-filled life so you can live each day with intention and beauty.

No matter how you choose to customize and organize your binder, make time to anchor your day in ways that bring you joy and help you feel empowered.

Here’s to living intentionally and savoring every moment!