Weekly Planners for Entrepreneurs: Especially Those Thriving with Chronic Illnesses

La'OrgaNista
Mar 1, 2020
5 min read

Updated: Mar 15, 2020

Are you an entrepreneur that has chronic illnesses and struggle with living a "balanced' life because you simply don't know when you will feel good enough to complete your task?

Does your day look like this?

Well, Let's put an end to those days immediately! Believe me I have been there, but not anymore! I found a system that worked for me and I'll show you what I do to live a more "balanced" life in 4 easy steps. This planning system is not just for people with chronic illnesses, but it is targeted to entrepreneurs, as our day goes a little different than the 9-5ers. Let's jump right in and get started.

Step 1: Define Your Responsibilities

First you must take a look at your life and make a list of all the people and task that you are responsible for. This part of your calendar will change according to the changes in your life. I was a full time, single mom. Now I'm an "empty-nester" so my responsibilities have significantly decreased. I have found breaking these task down into categories to be very easy to maintain and helpful.

Step 2: Categories & Duties

Duties

In this section, you will breakdown the responsibilities or task of each category. Use the responsibility list from Step 1 as your guide when deciding what to list in these categories.

As you complete this section, take a few mins to evaluate your list and see what responsibilities REALLY belong to you and which task can create opportunities for you to set some boundaries in your life. Hmmmmm!!!??? Hadn't really thought about that one, I bet?

One of the leading causes of personal stress comes from us over-obligation ourselves. I personally have done that numerous times in my life and paid for it dearly! I'll tell you more about that another day.

When you struggle with chronic illnesses, whether it is mental or physical, the triggers are the same...STRESS!

This section also gives you a chance to analyze your life. Look carefully at what you have written down. Are you really responsible for every person and task on your list? Are there some people or task that could be put back on the plate of that owner?

Learning to advocate and set boundaries are the leading tools that I personally use; thanks to DBT & anger management courses, and it has worked wonders for me!

*Tip: Don't make this task to hard. As it goes in marketing 101, K.I.S.S. it! (Keep, it, Simple & Short). One of the main barriers that block a lot of people from becoming successful at completing any task; is the fact, as humans we tend to make everything to complicated. That ends today, right here and right now!

Step 3: Fill in Your Personalize Calendar

After gathering all this data and evaluating your life just a bit, you are now ready to move forward with taking control of your life back!

Fill in the task and adjust these as often as you need to accommodate your comfort level or around your family's schedule. Here is what mine looks like.

Yours may not be as detailed as mine, don't worry. Not everyone's will look the same. This is the routine that works for me and it took years to get this down, believe me when I tell you! Do what is best and comfortable for you, that's all that matters. If you still need help developing your daily or weekly routine, just let me know and I can provide a 1 on 1 coaching session to help you OrgaNize your calendar. Sign up for a free consultation here

Step 4: Set Reminders & Be Consistent

Now that you've done all this hard work to set up your new daily system, you actually have to use it! Studies have shown that it takes 21-30 days to break or Create any Habit. So being consistent and following your own plan is the only way to create this as a new habit.

Here are a few steps that I use to OrgaNize & get started creating any new habit.

1. Change your mindset!

Associate this change to as a Positive Enhancement & Experiences that will change your life for the better.

2. Set Reminders!

I like to use the Alarm feature on my cell phone/ tablet and also reminders on my Google Calendar.

3. Get HELP!

I love using Accountability Partners for things like this. I personally started using Meet-Ups and Support Groups to find other people who have similar interest in the topics that I like. You can find some great people there that will be more than to happy to help you achieve your goals.

4. Put the Calendar Where you Can SEE IT Often!

I personal am a visual learner. I have a serious passion for Scrapbooking and Vision Boards, so it helps me to print my work and put things where I can easy see them and in a common area of my house where I will be guaranteed to see the item.

Along with posting things around my house, I use this handy dandy tool (daily calendar book) that combines my flare for scrapbooking, vision boarding & a calendar, called a Happy Planner! It is the best since cake was invented! (I love cake, so it's better to me than saying sliced bread,lol!)

So there you have it ladies & gentlemen, that's how you get it done the OrgaNista way!

I have created an simple and easy to use E-Guide to assist you with this project. Stop on by La'OrgaNista's OrgaNization Shop and get your copy today. The editable word document is available in my shop as well.