What is a Weekly Planner Meeting
Our weekly planner meetings consist of my husband and I sitting down to talk through all kinds of goals and creating a to do list to reach them. Instead of just talking about them we actually write them down to stay focused. We use a white board and keep it in our dining room so that it is centralized and we keep them in mind. We are able to check them off as we go which gives a satisfaction to completing a task.
Why We Started Weekly Planner Meetings
Have you ever just been floating in your day to day life, feeling over whelmed by all the things you have to do and feeling like you weren’t accomplishing much of anything? We’ve all been there. It helps to use a planner to sort your days but when you are in a relationship it’s wonderful to be on the same page about goals and tasks. Did you know that according to TheHealthyMarriage.org the number one leading cause of divorce is not agreeing on important values and issues? Holding weekly planner meetings has definitely improved our marriage.
How We Hold Weekly Planner Meetings
My husband and I are both on a path of improving ourselves and working together. Every Sunday and Thursday or Friday we have our weekly planner meetings. Sundays are for the week ahead and Thursdays or Fridays are for the weekend. It’s a great moment for my husband and I to carve out some time and have a conversation. We include all kinds of topics. The ones below are the most common ones.
Budget
In effort to improve our all around selves, we decided to work on our finances. I have been reading and following Dave Ramsey’s suggestions in his book Complete Guide to Money but we tailor it to work with our lives. It’s been going great and it’s amazing to be on the same page financially. For the majority of couples, finances have been an argument at some point or another. The weekly planner meetings help to alleviate arguments because it gives a couple the opportunity to talk and come to a mutual agreement. The key here is to talk, be open and none judgmental. Both parties need to be able to listen and communicate any feelings openly.
Weight loss
Weight loss is another thing we’ve been working on to try to improve our lives and we do it together. We started with 7 day Juice fast which you can read about in my other blog post. Keeping track of our numbers on the white board and get to mark them down as we lose weight which is very satisfying.
Cleaning
In order to maintain an orderly household it has to be done. We have developed an afternoon cleaning routine that doesn’t get put on the board but it definitely helps keep the house tidy. I have a separate paper planner I use where I create my own to do lists. Some of the bigger cleaning goals are what we discuss during our weekly planner meetings.
Projects
There are all kinds of projects that we work on which include building furniture, updating existing furniture, and household projects. During our weekly meetings we discuss what will be focused on at the time and the goals we have for them.
Errands
We discuss what errands will need to be done for the week. This also includes the scheduling of appointments. It’s helpful to have these written down so we can get them done right away and not dread them and put them off.
Fun
You have to make time for fun! For our Thursday or Friday weekly planner meetings we usually talk about a fun place to check out. Doing this gets us out of the house and enjoying each other’s company while experiencing new things. We are more homebodies so it’s really helped to have a plan.
Additional Topics
There are additional topics we could add to our weekly planner meetings. Garden goals is one that I could see adding instead of putting it under the to do’s. Work goals could be added, especially for someone working from home. I have also started to add birthdays and holidays that are upcoming.
How its Improved Our Lives
Having weekly planner meetings has helped improve our lives greatly. The board holds us accountable because we are able to see the tasks that were completed and not finished. Due to this we stay more productive. It allows us time to communicate openly and it feels amazing to be on the same page. It has deepened our connection and brought us closer together. I highly recommend you try weekly planner meetings for your family.
If you enjoyed this post please check out my other post 5 Habits to Cut Out of Your Life.
