August Gratitude Day 9: Something to thank myself for

In my last gratitude post, I talked about feeling most content when, amongst other things, I’ve done a few things on a Sunday night to make myself feel “on top of it”. Doing my weekly plan every Sunday night is a fundamental part of that. It’s nice to know what’s coming up and make sure I’m prepared!

Luckily for me, today’s gratitude prompt lined up with my Sunday night planning, so I decided to share my weekly planning process.

Do one small thing that will make your life easier tomorrow.

Planner Layout

To be specific, I use a Saint Belford Curate Daily Planner. It sold out for 2026, and the 2027 versions are being released later this month. So, here’s the link to the 2026 version if you want to take a look.

With the daily planner, each week has a single “Weekly Plan” page, made up of:

• A drawing board (i.e. a dot-grid section to do whatever you want)
• This week’s priorities/mission in progress
• Personal Planner/Tracker (two columns with the days down the side; on the weekly versions of the planner, you get three columns)

How I plan my week

For each week, I use my planner to capture:

• The book I’m currently reading, with a current score out of 5, and any notes on what I think so far. In the image below, I’ve scribbled over my notes to avoid spoilers for anyone.
• My current 52-in-52 progress, with anything I have in motion or want to focus on this week.
• A list of general goals or habits I’m working on. For example, right now I’m trying to focus on self-care to get some energy back.
• My cleaning list. I have a “zone” in the house that I focus on, broken up into a task each day (in amongst the regular cleaning tasks).
• My weekly workout plan.

This is how my plan for this week looks.

I try to switch up the design every so often, with differently styled headings and colours. However, the style above is my “go-to” when I’m short on time or not feeling very creative.

I also look at my Google Calendar, and pencil in anything on the relevant days – my son’s after-school activities, birthdays, any events we have planned, etc. Then, when I sit down to plan each morning, I erase the pencil and fill out the daily plan with my washi tape, paint pens and stickers. It’s a whole ritual that I’m obsessed with now.

Why I’m grateful for it

I’ve tried planners before, and they never really stuck. I started with this planner on the 1st January 2026, and I haven’t missed a single day. It’s not only become a time capsule with photos and memories, but life just seems so much more organised.

I don’t always get these things done. In fact, I think last week I probably only got half of the cleaning tasks done. Probably only three workouts, too. But that’s seven things that I may not have done if I hadn’t planned for them.

Spending that time on a Sunday night also means I’m less likely to be surprised by anything. I’ve felt more organised with my son’s school events and appointments I’ve booked in. Each morning, I’m able to make sure I’ve got the right things packed in the right bags, or that I can get ready for the following weekend.

Every day feels a little bit easier thanks to this planner, and I am so grateful that I’ve finally found a system that works for me.

What systems do you have that you’re grateful for? Have you ever found a planner that works for you?