The Most Flexible and Easiest Planner: My Index Card Planner → A More Beautiful Life Collective

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In this episode, we are talking about the BEST planner to use if you are looking for something flexible, adaptable, and user-friendly. The Index Card Planner has become my planner of choice. This planner not only adapts to your life circumstances but also helps you cultivate life-giving habits every day.

S2E23 – How to Delight in God: Your Bible Study at Home Guide – A More Beautiful Life Collective Podcast

In this episode, we are talking about the basics of how to start a quiet time routine at home. Your Bible Study at Home can be a vibrant life-giving time. By including worship, prayer, and Bible reading, this can become your favorite time of day. You'll learn how to do this and more in this episode. Read more at the blog post: https://amorebeautifullifecollective.com/how-to-delight-in-god-your-bible-study-at-home-guide/ Get our Bible Study at Home Guide here: https://a-more-beautiful-life-collective.kit.com/99505f5a83 Get our FREE Color the Bible tracker here: https://amorebeautifullifecollective.com/product/free-color-the-bible-reading-tracker/ Visit our Shop to get a copy of any of the resources mentioned in this episode: I’m your host, Cayce Fletcher, and you can learn a little bit more about me here. While you’re here, would you consider leaving a comment, rating, or review? You can find our podcast, A More Beautiful Life Collective Podcast, wherever you listen to podcasts. Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, or watch on YouTube. Subscribe to the blog for access to our latest content and some freebies. Want to support A More Beautiful Life Collective in the creation of podcasts, posts, and other resources? You can make a one-time, monthly, or yearly donation here. I love creating and sharing resources with you. You can find all of our resources at A More Beautiful Life Collective Shop. Keep creating a life you love, and cultivating your heart for God.

Hey everyone, and welcome to Season 2 Episode 22. Today, we are continuing our mini-series on planning and goal setting as we ring in the New Year. We are combining the two topics we talked about in the last two episodes today by talking about a specific kind of planner that will help you set goals and reach them through the use of habits.

At the end of S2E20, I talked about the index card planner which is a fairly unique planner that I haven’t seen many people talk about yet. This post will explain the ins and outs of this planner and why you should use it. I’ve found that the index card planner is the perfect planner for my life as a homeschooling, stay-at-home mom because it is so flexible and easy to use. You can get a kickstart bundle from the shop here to get started using this planner today!

Preparation is Key to Reaching Your Goals

I hope that you have started your year off strong. January can be a tricky time of year. The holidays are fun and exhausting, and we often head into the New Year ready to get back into routines. We take down the decorations, declutter, put away all the holiday stuff, and head back to school and work. We can feel excited or we can feel let down by the upcoming year.

I’m recording this early to get ready for the baby to come at the end of December. One of the things that I’ve been working on in preparation for baby is the getting all of my responsibilities taken care of. I’ve made meal plans, posted podcasts (like this one), and coordinated care for my older two kids. There’s still a lot more preparation to come – meal prepping, folding clothes, gathering supplies.

When a new baby comes into the home, we know that a little preparation goes a long way. Yes, most modern parents go overboard, spending hours and hours on a nursery their child won’t use until they’re 6 months old. At the same time, the little bit of cleaning, gathering, and preparing we do in the days and months leading up to delivery helps to make the time after so much smoother.

Birth is definitely a unique experience that you truly don’t understand unless you welcome a baby into the world. The way your life changes after you hold that little bundle of joy just can’t be overstated. At the same time, we have so many things in our lives that are like birth.

I’ve heard book launches are similar, along with other major life changes like weddings and moves. You plan and prepare – gathering supplies and doing little things in preparation for the big day. All of a sudden it’s here! The rubber meets the road, and you are just along for the ride. You coast after those days on the preparation that you’ve done before.

I bring all this up because (1) an upcoming birth is on my mind and I am currently trying to get together my to-do list to make those newborn days a little easier. I also am thinking about this birth through the lens of a New Year. The due date is on Dec. 29th, so this very well could be a New Year’s baby. And, that is very special to welcome new life at the dawn of a New Year.

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**How to stay motivated with goals that require time the most?**

We’ve talked about our schedules and a cyclical calendar before on the podcast. In the workplace, our goals can sometimes be (but not always) linear. We feel like we are moving from point A to point B like we are making progress. Our lives at home and in ministry are often not that way. We do things repeatedly. We take one step forward, and two steps back. Our success is measured not by reaching some kind of tangible goal, like a sales number at the end of a quarter. Instead, it’s measured by consistent daily action.

Our habits are what cultivate excellence in our lives.

On the blog, we’ve talked extensively about habits – how to make them, keep them, and revise them. In the last episode, we also talked about ways to structure our goals so that we are working towards making those habits. Often to reach our goals, we just need to do a better job of executing our habits. Which means we have to consistently do them over a significant period of time.

The question then becomes how do we do this? How do we make sure that we are following through on our habits so that we are reaching our goals? Especially when we can easily lose motivation.

A few of the major areas in my life that I am setting goals for are my budget, household management, and meal planning routines. None of these things are one-day projects I can check off my to-do list. If I treated anyone of these tasks like a project, I would ultimately fail at reaching my goal because I would lose motivation, get distracted, and wind up back at square one.

I have to treat all of these areas of life as a daily commitment to making progress over time. But, how can I keep the momentum going? (1) By using the best-of-habit research to make habits that stick and (2) by incorporating triggers throughout your day that aid in the execution of this habit.

You can get my goal-setting framework workbook to help you set goals for your life and brainstorm habits to reach those goals. There’s a link for a FREE copy in the show notes.

Planning for Success This New Year

A little preparation goes a long way toward creating a life that we love and want to live. Just like mopping the floors, organizing the baby’s clothes, and stocking the freezer can help me to have a smoother transition after the baby arrives, a little preparation for your year can help you to have a better likelihood of doing what you set out to do this year.

Importantly, your preparation should translate into habits. It has to be something that results in daily action. It’s not enough to sit down and map out your theme of the year. (Though that is definitely a good starting point!) You also need to figure out how you will incorporate your goal into your daily routine.

Visit A More Beautiful Life Collective Shop for bible studies, planners, and other resources.

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The Perfect Planner to Help You Do Just This: The Index Card Planner

I’ve been using a planner that helps me do exactly what we’ve been talking about today. It’s called the index card planner, and I mentioned it in our episode on the best planners for moms.

The idea behind an index card planner is just an index card-sized ‘deck’ of papers. Each paper has a specific purpose – some are calendar cards, some are daily tasks, some are monthly check-ins, and so on.

As you set up your card deck, you can organize the cards however you want. This means you are designing your routines intentionally just by organizing your planner. Then, each day, you go through a certain routine with your card deck, completing the next task on the next card.

Here’s why you should use an index card planner:

It’s cyclical. We all know there are certain tasks we have to complete every day, like reading our Bibles, unloading the dishwasher, cooking dinner, and so on. But, it can be hard to be consistent in those daily tasks. An index card planner acknowledges the cyclical nature of these tasks – that you will have certain things that repeat on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis without you having to write those things down every day.
It cultivates routines. An index card planner helps you to stick to a routine by breaking down your routine into tasks. In a card deck, you’ll have cards for daily, weekly, monthly, seasonal, and yearly routines. You can organize these routine cards however you want. Just the act of organizing helps you to build better routines because you are being intentional about when you will complete each task. Then, each day as you go to the card deck, you just do the next task you see. I’ve folded many a load of laundry because of these cards that I would have otherwise put off for later.
It adapts to what life throws at you. I always hated it when I put time and effort into writing out dates in a planner only to have all those plans change. Or when I worked and worked to get my planner set up, only to have months go by without actually using it. Then, it just seemed like all those blank pages were judging me and my failure to be consistent. The index card planner can adapt to what life throws at you. All the cards can be reprinted and replaced. If you don’t use it for a few months, you just pick it up on the next day. The card deck itself can be reused indefinitely; you would only need new calendar cards for the upcoming year.

It’s cost-effective. Planners today can easily run 50, 60, or even 70 dollars. With the cost of everything else rising, it’s hard to justify spending that much money on something. The index card planner can easily be made at home. (Or you can save yourself the time and effort and get our affordable version for just $4.99!) As I mentioned before, the card deck itself can be reused again and again. The only thing you need to do is set up new calendars and date cards for each year.
It’s user-friendly. The index card planner requires minimal setup each week. When you first start using your planner, you’ll have to cut out the cards and then organize them how you like them. There is some trial and error involved in that process. Once you’ve got your card deck how you like it, there is very minimal effort required each week. You just flip to the next card on the deck, and you’re off! This can be a lifesaver compared to the undated planners or bullet journals which require you to set up your planner each week. I also like how the planner contains the calendar in it without me writing it. It makes it much more open and go.
It is infinitely customizable. Because of the nature of the planner, the sky is the limit for the type of cards you include. I print extra blank index cards to keep track of projects, vacations, longer to-do lists, and more. If you can write it on a sheet of paper, you can add it to your planner. The best part is that it doesn’t ‘mess up’ your planner to change the order of cards, replace them, or just remove them completely. You get to make it work for you!

How does the index card planner work?

Now that you know why this is the most flexible and easiest planner to use. How do you use it?

Step 1. Gather together your card deck.

Figure out if you would like to make it from scratch, or purchase a digital version to print at home. You can get our index card planner kickstart bundle at the shop. The planner should have cards for the following things:

Monthly Calendar Cards – These cards have space to note important events, vacations, holidays, etc.
Daily Date Cards. I use these cards as a gratitude log and mini-memory book.
Routine Cards. These cards include any tasks that you would like included in your daily, weekly, monthly, seasonal, or yearly routines.

You can also have cards for these areas as well:

Meal Planning and Recipes
Daily Workouts
Monthly, Quarterly, and Yearly Reviews
The 12-Week Year System
Project and Action Lists

I have index card sets in the shop for everything that I’ve mentioned. But, if you have another need, you can definitely add it to your card deck. I’ve been thinking about adding my Bible Reading Plan for next year to the card deck, and I’m always brainstorming other ways to make it more effective.

Step 2. Organize the Card Deck.

In the beginning, it can feel slightly overwhelming to cut and organize all the cards. My recommendation is to (1) don’t freak out by all the paper, (2) cut and organize one type of card at a time, and (3) remember you will revise and edit your card deck as you make it customized to you.

First, you need to figure out where you are going to store your card deck if you are not currently using it. I use a small plastic tub that is the perfect size for my card deck, a pen, and a stack of sticky notes. You can also use a clear plastic bag like this one if you are taking your cards on the go. Keep the deck up high so little hands can’t get into them and throw them on the floor. Also, be diligent about putting the card deck back into its container so that none of the cards get lost.

Remember, part of the beauty of the index card planner is that it’s easily customizable, and this is because you can easily shuffle, add to, or remove cards as needed. You don’t want to clip them all together in a binder ring. You just have to change your mindset to match the flexibility of the card deck, and it will work for you!

Then, you have to organize the deck. I would take a step-by-step approach.

Start with your monthly cards: Print, cut, and write any important dates.
Then, print and cut your date cards and place them behind the current month.
Next, do your daily cards and organize them based on your morning routines, work and afternoon schedule, and evening routines. Place them in front of today’s date.
Then, you can print and cut the other weekly, monthly, seasonal, and yearly routine cards and place them under the corresponding To Be Filed card. I will organize these during your next weekly review.
Finally, I would print or make any additional cards you would like to include and put them at the back of your card deck. You can incorporate these into daily routines as you see fit.
And, ta-dah! Your card deck is organized and ready to use!

Step 3. How to use the Card Deck: Setting Up Daily Routines

My index card planner is set up in the following order:

Monthly Calendar Cards
Vision Statement, Action Lists for the week, Meal Plan for this week, and my 12 Week Year habit tracker
Morning Routines
Homeschool Routines (I do use a larger homeschool planner to write the actual work done and for record-keeping purposes.)
Weekly Routines
Work Routines
Evening Routines
Outdoor Time Tracker
Date Card with Memory Log

I start each day by reviewing the calendar, meal plan, and upcoming tasks. I keep a sticky notepad with my planner to help keep track of anything that I might need to add to it and keep track of important to-do’s. Sometimes, I’ll also write my top 3 tasks on the sticky note as an added reminder.

Each day, I just move to the next task at the top of my card deck. One important rule for the card deck is that you shouldn’t skip a task more than three days in a row. This holds you accountable to the beauty and purpose of the index card planner: That you are consistent with your daily routines.

Once I’m finished with a card, I file it back into the card deck. For my daily cards, this just means putting it in front of the next date card. Any weekly, monthly, seasonal, and yearly routines get put under the corresponding To Be Filed Card.

At the end of the day, I have my date card. These are cards that have the date at the top and then a line for each month of the year. These cards come at the end of a day (rather than the beginning) because (1) it helps to mark where your daily task cards should go and (2) it provides a moment of reflection at the end of each day. I use these cards as a tandem gratitude log and memory book as I write what I did that day. By the end of the year, you’ll have a full document of what you’ve done and how your life has grown and changed.

Step 4. How to Use The Card Deck: The Weekly Review & Adding in Other Routines and Cards to Your Card Deck

Once you’ve set up your index card planner with your daily routines, it’s time to move on to your weekly, monthly, seasonal, and yearly routines. The best way to work through these routines is to set up a Weekly Review time. Weekly Reviews are crucial in almost every planning system because they act as a check-in to refocus your routines on the goals that you’ve made. During your weekly review, I would:

Check your calendar and mark any events happening in the upcoming week
Plan your meals for this week
Check your to-do lists and create an Action List for this week
Organize your weekly, monthly, seasonal, and yearly tasks.

I like to utilize my 12-week year cards and my calendar cards to spread out my monthly, seasonal, and yearly tasks. So, when you first start organizing your other routine cards, you would just place them in front of the week or month that makes sense for you to complete that task.

Then, during the weekly review, you would organize both these monthly, seasonal, and yearly tasks and your weekly routine tasks by assigning them to the day that you want to complete them. The best way to organize your tasks is to put them in front of the date card each week that you would like to complete them.

When you go through your daily routine cards, always put those behind any of the tasks assigned for that day. That way when you go to check your card deck in the morning, you’ll remember what larger task you’ve assigned to complete that day.

This means that if I’ve assigned washing my sheets to Tuesday of that week that would be the first card I see when I check my planner on Tuesday morning. I can write it on a sticky note or just file it under the Weekly task card. This way you know in the morning what you’ve got planned for that day.

In the same way, I would place any additional events, projects, and to-do’s in front of the date that they are happening (and place any daily routine cards after it). This will help you to remember what’s going on when you check your planner that day.

For instance, I have lots of appointments right now in the last trimester of pregnancy. I have a notecard with all my appointment dates that I put in front of the date of the next appointment. I also do this for any time that I’m supposed to be in the nursery at my church and with any other special events at church.

Once you’ve completed a weekly, monthly, or yearly task, I recommend putting it under the corresponding To Be Filed card. Then, during the next weekly or monthly review you can assign those tasks accordingly. This is because you never really know what a week will hold until you get to it. You may have the best of intentions, but you realize it really won’t work during your weekly review. So it keeps you more realistic about what you are doing.

In the same vein, when you assign tasks, make sure you are realistically assigning the tasks, if you only have 30 minutes to do some cleaning around the house, don’t assign 2-3 hours worth of work. Each of the AMBL Index Cards has a time estimate in the upper right-hand corner to help you have a guide for assigning tasks.

Visit A More Beautiful Life Collective Shop for bible studies, planners, and other resources.

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The Best Part – A Planner that Works With You to Make Better Habits!

The Index Card Planner helps you to create consistent habits by reminding you of your routines. It uses the best of habit science to provide you with a trigger and reward as you practice habit stacking. It helps you to make progress on your goals by reinforcing that the best way to make progress is not by big one-off leaps and bounds. It’s by the slow, methodical movement in the direction that we have set out for ourselves.

Want to try out this method for yourself? Get a free copy of our daily routine cards here! You can also get the full Kickstarter bundle on the shop here.

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Until next time, keep creating a life you love and cultivating your heart for God.

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