The Grounded Life Series, Part 1
I read something recently about a woman finding her old Franklin Covey planner, and whew, it hit me right between the “I used to be so organized” and the “why did I text this reminder to myself three weeks ago?” 😂
Because I get it. I am a handwriting person. A journal person. A planner person. A give-me-a-good-pen-and-a-clean-page-and-I-can-probably-figure-out-my-life person.
And yet somehow, over the years, I have also become a:
👉 “Put it in my phone.”
👉 “Text it to myself.”
👉 “Save that screenshot.”
👉 “Stick this note card here.”
👉 “Add it to the calendar.”
👉 “Wait…which calendar?”
person.
I feel that is quite accurate, for me. 😂 And I don’t think I’m alone.
Somewhere Along the Way, “Organized” Got Complicated
Technology has given us some amazing tools.
I love that my calendar can remind me where I need to be.
I love that I can jot down an idea before I forget it.
I love being able to search for something instead of flipping through twenty pages hoping I wrote it down somewhere.
But somewhere along the way, I think many of us went from having tools that helped us organize our lives…to having our lives scattered among the tools.
A calendar over here. Notes over there. A list in another app. An email flagged for later. A screenshot we are absolutely convinced we will remember to look at again. And, in my case, probably a random index card sitting on the kitchen counter.
The information technically exists.
But my brain still has to remember where I put it. And that doesn’t exactly scream “peaceful and grounded,” does it?
Maybe the Problem Isn’t That We’re Bad at Organization
This is something I’ve been thinking about lately.
What if some of us aren’t actually disorganized? What if we simply have too many places where our lives are living?
Because there is a difference.
If an appointment is in one place, a goal is somewhere else, an idea is buried in your phone, your grocery list is on the counter, and the thing you absolutely cannot forget is currently residing in your brain…your brain is doing a whole lot of background work.
And most of us already have enough going on in there.
❗️Family.
❗️Work.
❗️Caregiving.
❗️Relationships.
❗️Health.
❗️Appointments.
❗️Home.
Things we want to do. Things we need to do. Things we are trying desperately not to forget.
And the ever-present question: “What did I walk into this room for?” 😂
It takes a village, friends. Sometimes the village apparently needs a clipboard.
I Miss Having a Home Base
When I think about the planners and notebooks I loved years ago, I don’t think the magic was really the paper.
It was that I had a place where I could sit down and see my life.
One place. A home base.
I could look at the week ahead.
Write down what mattered. Make a list. Move something to another day. Add a note in the margin.
Think.
And maybe most importantly…I could decide what deserved my attention before the rest of the world started deciding for me. That feels different than opening my phone and immediately seeing seventeen notifications before I even remember why I picked it up.
🌿 Gentle Reminder: Being organized isn’t about fitting more into your life. Sometimes it’s about creating enough space to notice what actually belongs there.
Writing Things Down Does Something to Me
There is something about handwriting that slows my brain just enough. Not in a frustrating way. In a good way. A settling way.
When I write something down, I interact with it differently. I think about it. I prioritize it. Sometimes I even realize I don’t need to do it at all. Imagine that. 😂
Writing gives me a tiny pause between the thought and the action. And that little pause matters.
Especially when life is moving fast. Especially when you have spent years caring for other people. Especially when you are carrying responsibilities nobody else can fully see.
Sometimes we don’t need another productivity hack. Sometimes we need somewhere to put all the pieces down for a minute.
Self-Care Isn’t Always Bubble Baths
You knew I was going to bring this back to self-care, didn’t you? 😉 Because I think this counts.
Creating fewer places for your brain to search? Self-care.
Writing things down so you don’t have to mentally hold them all day? Self-care.
Sitting quietly for ten minutes and looking at the week ahead? Self-care.
Choosing your priorities instead of letting the loudest thing choose them for you? Definitely self-care.
None of this is glamorous. It probably won’t make a particularly exciting Instagram reel.
But it can make life feel a little steadier. And sometimes steady is exactly what we need.
I Don’t Think I Need a Perfect System
This may be the biggest realization of all. I don’t need the perfect planner. I don’t need the perfect app. I don’t need a beautifully color-coded system that would make a productivity influencer weep with joy.
I need something I will actually use.
Something that helps me see what matters. Something that gives my thoughts somewhere to land. Something that feels like a home base instead of another responsibility.
Because the goal isn’t to manage every second of our lives perfectly. The goal is to feel like we are actually in our lives.
Not forever chasing them.
A Little Grounded-Life Check-In
Take a look at where you currently keep the pieces of your life.
- Your calendar.
- Your lists
- Your ideas
- Your goals
- Your reminders
- Your notes
- Your “don’t forget this” things
Are they mostly together? Or are you currently running your life from six apps, three notebooks, a pile of screenshots and a text thread to yourself?
No judgment. I see you. 😂
Maybe you don’t need a whole new system. Maybe you just need to choose one place to be your home base.
One place where you can sit down and think. One place where your brain gets to stop holding everything. One place that helps you feel a little more grounded.
You are exactly where you need to be. We’re just making a little more room to hear yourself think.
Sometimes it’s about creating enough space to notice what actually belongs there.
💛 Care Point: This week, try asking yourself: Where does my life live right now?
And then choose one place to become your home base.
Paper. Digital. A notebook. A planner.
Whatever works for your brain.
There are no bonus points for doing it the fanciest way.
Only for finding a way that helps you feel a little more like yourself.
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