July Q&A: Airtight Task Capture, Planning Time Away from Work, and More! EP 258
In today's episode, Sarah answers accumulated questions for July!
Topics include:
Laurel Denise + Full Focus is too much -- what do use instead?
Task management (2 questions on various angles of this common challenge!) and how not to lose all of those great ideas that come to you that you want to see at the right time
Discussion of the Alistair Method for the listener struggling to fit tasks into an unpredictable schedule (details on this method here: https://bulletjournal.com/blogs/bulletjournalist/projects-the-alastair-method
Ways to structure/plan out a period of lighter work (sabbatical of sorts)
As mentioned early in the episode, Sarah's Mid-Year Check In is available for viewing -- great for those looking for a mid-year boost! This 1-hour guided mid-year planning session is available for instant viewing for anyone who purchases access to Planning 2026 (Sarah's 4 hour annual planning course, held in December/January).
Visit theshubox.com/courses for details!
Episode Sponsors
IXL: Learning doesn't have to stop in the summer! Best Laid Plans
listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ixl.com/plans.
Green Chef: Make this summer your healthiest yet with Green Chef. Head to greenchef.com/50BESTLAID and use code 50BESTLAID to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shipping.
PrepDish: Healthy menu plans and prep instruction to take the mental load out of dinner! Visit PrepDish.com/plans for your first 2 weeks, FREE.
Mint: Affordable unlimited wireless! Get your new customer offer and your 3-month Unlimited wireless plan for $15 a month at mintmobile.com/BLP
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Mid-Year Check In: Tips & Sarah's Own Midyear Review EP 257
In today's episode, Sarah shares rationale and ideas for completing your own mid-year check in session, where you take stock of where things are, look at annual goals, and decide how you'd like to move forward. She provides ideas for the setting/scope of this session, and then shares her very own mid-year check in - processing her own progress on the air!
If you are interested in a guided mid-year check in video that takes you through the process step by step, Sarah is offering this as part of BLP at Home: Planning 2026 this year! You can get access to this video by preordering BLP at Home for next year (4 hour guided planning experience divided into two sessions, taking place in Dec 2025/Jan 2026).
All details will be shared via newsletter (July edition out 7/1), so visit theshubox.com/newsletter to sign up!
Episode Sponsors
IXL: Learning doesn't have to stop in the summer! Best Laid Plans
listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ixl.com/plans.
Green Chef: Make this summer your healthiest yet with Green Chef. Head to greenchef.com/50BESTLAID and use code 50BESTLAID to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shipping.
PrepDish: Healthy menu plans and prep instruction to take the mental load out of dinner! Visit PrepDish.com/plans for your first 2 weeks, FREE.
Mint: Affordable unlimited wireless! Get your new customer offer and your 3-month Unlimited wireless plan for $15 a month at mintmobile.com/BLP
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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June Q&A: Planner Swapping, Partner/Friend Planning Dilemmas, Planning with Unpredictable Time Blocks, Planners for Tweens/Teens with ADHD, and More EP 256
It's a Q&A podcast! Topics include:
- Ways to plan/manage tasks when your time is unpredictably chopped up (gig worker)?- How to move into a new planner midyear?- How to talk with a partner who feels your planning systems are over the top (and you feel like they are absolutely necessary for a functional family life)?- How to handle a close friend or relative who refuses to make firm plans?- Planner recs for a child with ADHD entering middle school
Keep your questions coming! Email sarah.hart.unger at gmail, leave a message on the show notes (theshubox.com) or reply to the newsletter!
Newsletter signups: theshubox.com/newsletter
EPISODE SPONSORS
IXL: Make an impact on your child’s learning, get IXL now. BLP listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ixl.com/plans.
Green Chef: Make this summer your healthiest yet with Green Chef. Visit greenchef.com/50BESTLAID and use code 50BESTLAID to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shipping.
Mint Mobile: Save this summer with a Mint Mobile Wireless plan! Get
your summer savings and shop premium wireless plans at mintmobile.com/BLP
PrepDish: Delicious and healthy plans to take the mental load out of planning dinner! Visit prepdish.com/plans for two weeks free!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Travel Planning: Strategic Planning + Anticipatory Fun at Every Time Horizon EP 255
Today's episode centers around strategies for travel planning, from super-long range (5-10+ years) to daily planning while on vacation! Sarah shares her favorite strategies at each time horizon to craft travel plans that reflect your values and highest priorities, while meeting your actual real-life needs (budget, kids' ages, etc!).
Mentioned:Kelsey's "The Years Are Short" sheet:https://www.risingshining.com/2022/10/the-years-are-short-family-spreadsheet.html
Cameras (idea from Sarah Jedd, prior guest who blogs at harrytimes.com):https://www.urbanoutfitters.com/shop/hybrid/camp-snap-screen-free-digital-camera
EPISODE SPONSORS
IXL: Make an impact on your child’s learning, get IXL now. BLP listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ixl.com/plans.
Green Chef: Make this summer your healthiest yet with Green Chef. Visit greenchef.com/50BESTLAID and use code 50BESTLAID to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shipping.
Mint Mobile: Save this summer with a Mint Mobile Wireless plan! Get
your summer savings and shop premium wireless plans at mintmobile.com/BLP
PrepDish: Delicious and healthy plans to take the mental load out of planning dinner! Visit prepdish.com/plans for two weeks free!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Where Planning Meets Etiquette with Lizzie Post of the Emily Post Institute EP 254
Lizzie Post is the great-great-grandaughter of famed etiquette expert Emily Post and serves as co-president at the Emily Post Institute along with her cousin Daniel Post Senning. In today's episode Sarah interviews her on all things planning AND etiquette adjacent! First, Sarah inquires about Lizzie's current favorite planning tools and rituals, and then she asks questions that get at some of the stickier parts of planning: how to manage making plans in a group, how to handle planner fatigue, how to deal with managing forms of communication, and how to get past barriers to planning social things.
Lizzie and Dan's new book is the the newly-updated Emily Post’s Business Etiquette - find out more at https://emilypost.com! She and Dan also cohost Awesome Etiquette, a podcast where they discuss all things modern day etiquette and answer listener questions.
EPISODE SPONSORS
IXL: Make an impact on your child’s learning, get IXL now. BLP listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ixl.com/plans.
Green Chef: Make this summer your healthiest yet with Green Chef. Visit greenchef.com/50BESTLAID and use code 50BESTLAID to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shipping.
Mint Mobile: Save this summer with a Mint Mobile Wireless plan! Get
your summer savings and shop premium wireless plans at mintmobile.com/BLP
PrepDish: Delicious and healthy plans to take the mental load out of planning dinner! Visit prepdish.com/plans for two weeks free!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Welcome to Best Laid Plans -- a podcast all about planning and the planning tools we love. From planning techniques and organizing philosophies to planners and notebooks, we cover it all. Host Sarah Hart-Unger is a mother of 3, physician, podcasting pro, and a lover of lists and all things paper! Listen in weekly for conversations about planning and productivity as well as product reviews and interviews with planning experts!
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