Confession time: I think I might be addicted to planning. My to-do lists have to-do lists. Calendars, lists, the blog schedule, my closet – all organized and color-coded.

Pretty sure sometimes my husband thinks I’m nuts, but I have to have things written out and planned in advance. Each week I create a Weekly To Do list for myself. This is broken out by my tasks that need to get done on my lunch break, and then after work. Having things designated by the time of day helps me make sure they all get done. If I know I’ll be able to knock out a blog post or empty the dishwasher on my lunch break, I schedule it so that those 20 minutes are freed up to allow me to go to bed before midnight.

Excuse the iPhone shot… I was busy working on my to-do list, and that was the quick option! 

As for as blog planning, I mentioned having things color coded… I am a very visual person, so being able to take a split-second snapshot of when I last posted a certain type of post is soooo helpful! Each repeating category of post has it’s own color, and not only is it helpful, it makes looking at the blog schedule that much more enjoyable when it’s full of bright and happy colors!

I think maybe the two-job thing and wanting to still have family time and a life are contributing to my love of  need for this. But really, it’s the thing that keeps me on track most weeks. And I’m not 100% all the time tethered to the to-do list.. some nights it just goes right out the window in favor of Blue Bell ice cream, our comfy couch, and re-runs of The Big Bang Theory with my husband. But most of the time – it’s on the to-do list, and on with the productivity!!

Am I the only one who has to plan things out and write them down? What tips, tricks, apps, etc. do y’all use to stay on track and get things done?? Go ahead and share my next addiction in the comments!