Charlotte Plain - Happy Planning: How to plan for a healthier happier you

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First published by Ebury Press in 2021

Copyright Princess Planning Ltd 2021

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ISBN: 978-1-473-58091-6

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In loving memory of Dad, who always believed in me, who taught me to be myself and to find the positives in every situation. This book is dedicated to you for providing me with the happiest childhood memories that I will treasure forever.

A goal without a plan is just a wish

Antoine de Saint Exupry

Hi, Im Charlotte mum of three, dog-mum of two, wife to one, owner of Princess Planning and your new planning fairy godmother. And I am a woman on a mission I want to let you in on my planning secrets. Thats not so that youll spend your life chained to yet another must-do list, but so that you can free up your time to do the things you love. For me, that means movie nights in with my kids, catch-ups with friends over tea and cake, and long baths with a glass of wine.

Planning your life can be anything from setting a monthly financial budget, compiling a weekly shopping list or arranging school holiday entertainment in advance, to a daily to-do or have-done list. In this book you will find the tools you need to take the pressure off your day-to-day through simple steps to help you get ahead. Forward thinking can be tough; it can be easy to fall into being reactive, manically responding to everyday crises with everything being a surprise. (Oh hey, did you book the kids in for half-term sports camp? Er no. Did you remember to send Dad a birthday card? Whoops! Has the dog had his worm medication? Cue head-to-fist.) We all have so much to deal with that getting ahead of the mania (rather than being swept up in it) can seem like a pipedream. But when the pressure is on organising childcare, functioning at work, navigating finances, resolving family disputes simple things like budgeting and meal planning can keep the ship afloat. It may seem daunting to implement such a system but its easy, I promise, and Ill show you how.

Im not saying planning will make everything perfect, but it will alleviate stress and help your budget, too. Thinking ahead about meals, life admin and upcoming events will instil a sense of control and boost confidence. You might initially think it frivolous or a hassle to allot a few minutes each day to planning, but youll soon become hooked, because in the long run it will save you time.

For me, fitting in planning means getting up a little earlier in the morning when the house is quiet. Everyones life follows a different rhythm, so Ill show you how to allocate some planning time each day that can be slotted in in various ways for you, that might mean taking out your notebook on the train to work or making a list before bed each night. I find it wonderfully rewarding when I can tick off a few things from the to-do list it gives me such a good feeling, and it better equips me for the inevitable challenges of the next day.

This book is broken up into three sections, so that you can plan for every day through keeping a food diary or devising a timetable to juggle work and family life; for special occasions like a birthday party or a wedding; and for bigger life events like moving house or finding a new job. Each section features my favourite tips for planning ahead as well as lots of practical ideas for making life run more smoothly (with an injection of fun too!). Im going to hold your hand at every step and offer realistic tricks for those inevitable its all gone to pot moments!

Talking of going to pot, I wrote most of this book before the events of 2020 really took hold. With most of the normal out of the window, I found that planning to keep on top of everything was so important for my physical and emotional wellbeing. Lists, trackers and my planning toolkit really kept me sane and healthy through lockdown so I hope youll find everything in this book even more relevant to keeping yourself happy.

I also want to get you thinking about your current habits and how they might be holding you back a bit, so at various points I will invite you to scribble down some thoughts, which means youll need to have a pen and notebook at the ready (though if this isnt your bag, just skip these). You can read the book from start to finish or dip in and out of the chapters that speak to you, and by the end youll be saying I can do this. I will do this! despite everything that life is throwing at you.

It might surprise you, but Im not a naturally organised person, however, Ive taught myself the art of planning and forward thinking thats right, organisation can be learned! So even if youve got an Olympic medal in procrastination with a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants character, fear not. Youve got this.

After many years as a stay-at-home mum the time came for me to return to work. I didnt know what the future would hold for me job-wise, but I started wondering if maybe I could turn my passion into my job. When I got married to Mr Princess Planning (aka Nick) a few years ago, I planned every aspect of the wedding, while at the same time lost several stone in the run-up to the big day. In order to do both, while also running a busy household, I needed to get organised. I started writing out my food plan for the week ahead, and I kept a daily diary, jotting down everything I was eating. It sounds so simple and obvious but just seeing the list really helped me keep on track and focus on my goal. Similarly, I wrote down thoughts, reminders and to-do lists for the wedding scraps of paper became my life! All this forward planning, though, was what led to an amazing wedding day and a much trimmer me!