Plan all you want… but if you don’t write it down, it likely won’t get done. Take 10 minutes today to schedule your family’s activities and to do’s for the week. For me, it looks like this:

Monday

@ 8:30am : BNI 1-to-1 Meeting
AM : [ real neat ] brainstorm session
PM : tidy, dust, & vacuum apartment

Tuesday

@ 7:00pm : Toastmasters Speaker Seminar
AM : [ real neat ] phone calls, client follow-up
PM : play date for Amanda + wash, fold, & put away laundry

Wednesday

@ 7:30am : BNI Chapter Meeting
AM : [ real neat ] blog & website updates
PM : OPEN

Thursday

AM : [ real neat ] phone calls, marketing letters
PM : play date for Amanda + [ real neat ] workshops

Friday

ALL DAY : no school for Amanda = play, play, play !!

Now, as you plan out your family’s week, don’t forget to include plenty of quality family time, plus a bit of pampering for yourself!

So, what does your family’s week look like? Do tell (in the comments below)!

Here in Georgetown, schools are closed for Spring Break this week. So, with the kids at home, this is the perfect time to be intentional about spending quality time together as a family. Need some ideas?

• Explorium Children’s Museum
• Georgetown Pavilion
• Lexington Children’s Theatre
• Kentucky Horse Park
• Living Arts & Science Center
• Newport Aquarium
• Salato Wildlife Education Center
• Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky

I am a master of procrastination. Give me something that I don’t really want to do, and I’ll find a zillion ways to avoid doing it.

Today’s fine example : contact the insurance company.

On Friday, I stopped by the pharmacy to pick up Amanda’s prescription for antibiotics (re: ear infection). The total charge was nearly $75 for the generic form of the medication!

Since we have a decent health insurance plan, I questioned the price and was told that the pharmacy has our insurance information on file, but had been instructed by the insurance company to charge a $75 copay for the prescription!

Now, we normally pay a $10 copay for the generic form of any prescribed medication, so this answer concerned me…

Anyway, long-story-short, I need to call our health insurance company today to get it all straightened out (“Git-R-Done”). Ugh!

So, what about you? What important task have you been dreading? How do you motivate yourself to finally “Git-R-Done”? I’d love to hear from you!

This week’s mission is to make a concerted effort to plan ahead!

As you very well may have noticed, there was no Monday Mission last week. I thought that I had planned ahead pretty well for my time away in Michigan and Ontario, but apparently, I didn’t!

My List :

• Set up e-mail autoresponder. Check.
• Add future blog posts to be published while away. Check.
• Pay all bills that will be due while away. Check.
• Pack suitcases. Check.
• Print out driving directions. Check.
• Arrange for overnight accomodations. Check.

So, what did I miss…??

Ha! Well, I neglected to make a plan for our post-vacation week! You know… the one where you’ve arrived home, exhausted from your travels, loathing to unpack and get back into your hum-drum daily routine…

Hence, no Monday Mission for last week, suitcases and tote bag are only mostly unpacked, still no food in the house (Amanda and I will be grocery shopping today), incomplete July newsletter taunting me from the Drafts folder, and the list goes on…

So, needless to say, my goal for this week is to PLAN AHEAD just a bit better. And, by putting my plan in writing and sharing it with you, I’ll be sure to stick to the plan (since I know you’ll hold me accountable). So, here it is…

• Today : laundry and groceries
• Tomorrow : playdates (daytime for Amanda and evening for me!)
• Wednesday : July & August newsletters (or one summer issue?)
• Thursday : dust and vaccuum
• Friday : shopping
• Saturday : update contact management database

So, what about you? Are you a natural when it comes to making plans? I’d love to hear from you! Please leave a comment below to share your favorite tips or toughest challenges when planning ahead.

This week’s mission is to get everything ready for the next day before you go to bed for the night. Do this each and every evening (even if you’re crazy tired), and you’ll be amazed at how much more relaxed your mornings will be! You know how your morning sets the tone for the rest of the day…

Need some ideas of just what you can get ready the night before?

• Re-stock the diaper bag.
• Shut down your laptop and pack it up.
• Gather items to return (i.e., library books, video rentals).
• Load the car with “the big stuff” (i.e., stroller, hockey equipment).
• Prepare the family’s sack lunches.
• Check the weather forecast.
• Choose outfits for yourself and the kids.
• Set the table for breakfast.

So, what about you? What is your evening routine? How do you prepare for the next day? I’d love to hear from you! Please leave a comment below to share your best tips for getting everything ready the night before.