This month I am kicking off a monthly series called “Inspiring Women” and I am very excited about the wonderful women who will be sharing here at my little place in the Blogosphere!
My first inspiring Guest is Jenny Penton and I am so excited she is here because I love her vision for women as well as her inspiring posts!
So, because I have asked her to give us a BIG portion, Real Life Tips and lots of inspiration to take us into the New Year, let’s get started! Oh, and be sure to enter at the end to win a free ebook, which Jenny has offered for one lucky winner!
Here’s Jenny!
Hello! I’m Jenny Penton, author of the Planner Perfect, blog. I am a homeschooling mama of seven and have created the Planner Perfect, planner, to not only get women organized, but become visionaries and dreamers for their life; therefore creating a life on purpose.
I’m excited to share with you some insights on getting organized and what this Planner Perfect and its method is all about. And with the holidays already here; with a blink of an eye, it will be New Years. We need a plan!
Thank you, Dawn for asking me to share!
As women, we are always trying to stay organized. And if you’re a mother–you know exactly what I mean. Being organized and staying that way is not easy. I’ve come to know a lot of different women and how they plan. Take a look at some of these planning types:
The Task Manager Girl: Task manager girls love the tote-and-go planners. They work for a little while, but soon will find it unfulfilling. It gets boring just following just our mundane tasks in life.
The Post-it Note Lady: The post-it note lady. We can see how this isn’t effective! Sticky notes stuck everywhere to remember things we must do, only to neglect the whole woman.
Calendar Girls: There are some who live by just a calendar and fill it all up until every square of their life is full. This is stressful!
List Lovers: Lists a mile long of all and only their to-dos…and then forget where they put them.
Do any of these describe you?
Well, you’re not alone and do you know why these tools for organization never seem to work for long? Because we are created for much more than following mundane tasks and activities. Think about that for a moment…
We are meant to live for so much more!
If you are a mother, I don’t mean that our mothering is not fulfilling in its own right, because it most definitely, is; and to survive, we make lists, run by our tasks and try to be super moms as best we can. What I’m talking about is taking, not only taking our motherhood to the next level, but our lives!
We should be organized, invigorated by our personal goals and dreams, and living life to the fullest. I am a homeschooling mother of 7 children and tasks could actually swallow me whole if I allowed it and let my days pull me around (and sometimes they do if I’m not in balance with my plans). We were meant for more and if we don’t take the time to slow down and script our lives we vision…we will always be unsatisfied. This will hinder our ability to be good wives, and mothers by feeling exhausted, pulled around all day and unfulfilled.
Planner Perfect isn’t just a planner but an idea.
A fresh idea, on organizing your life! It is a tool and method that harnesses everyday basics of life, to our personal dreams and goals. Being a Planner Perfect, gal, means you are a
life planner. You are living life, using your strengths and talents, setting monthly goals for you and your family, you are being stretched, personally–which means you are being pulled out of your comfort zone by the personal goals you set for yourself, and you are not just a dreamer, but a dreamer who takes action!
I’ve taken note of 3 different things I do in my day that create amazing results! When applied, I am in a fabulous mood, have cleanliness, order, and spiritual and mental renewal.
Planner Perfect is set-up to keep me on top of my game by harnessing these pinnacle epiphanies in the days when I need them. Written statements of intent create personal growth…and I need to make these 3 disciplines, habitual…as I have the propensity for scratching my planned days to blog with my pajamas on ’till noon. Of course, I have regret once I look at the aftermath of my neglect… messy dishes scattered throughout the kitchen from children helping themselves to breakfast, blaring music booming through speakers of an upstairs bedroom, and smaller children blissfully making snow angels out of packing peanuts on my living room floor.
Where did they find these?Was pursuing my interests at the expense of chaos worth it? Hardly. No matter what keeps you off track… heed these disciplines and make them a habit because these are 3 habits all Planner Perfect women must keep!
Get up before your children. If I can get some coffee in my system before my 2-year tells me his plans for the morning, I’m starting off well. It is important for moms to have alone time and it is important to plan for it. Also, as you all know, being a mother means you need to always adjust, as things usually never go as planned. Have a plan B such as planning the time for yourself at night when children are asleep.
My initial plan is to have my devotions, look over my planner, and have some coffee in the morning before all seven children come down and hit the ground running. Get it written down, your statement of intent for the day…it’s what sets apart the truly organized and the, not-so-much…
Plan a morning routine and stick to it! Make breakfast, take out the clean dishes out of the dishwasher, and clean up breakfast dishes…don’t forget to recruit your children to help if and when they can. The kitchen is the main hub of the home, keep this room functioning at it’s best and it will keep you feeling organized. Get dressed, make beds, and whatever else you want your family to get done in the morning. Make it a team effort and write these morning routines in your planner to show you’re serious. You’re half-way there when you write it down.
Planner Perfect, harness life plans, beautifully and keeps you organized… it’s all in the details.
Plan time in your day for your interests. Do you ever have that stressed out feeling in your busy days that you’ll never get to that project you’re working on? Feel that stress no more! When you plan your time slot for yourself…you know it is a saved slot just for you. Depending on where you put it in your day…you could plan to have it out at a coffee shop and arrange babysitting, you can dive in at home and have your kids watch their favorite movie (just make sure they don’t find a box of packing peanuts!), or wait until evening when they are in bed. Whatever energizes you, however you want to achieve it, you won’t be able to without a plan. Plan out in detail not just when in the day you’ll get it done, but how.
There you have it! 3 fundamental habits Planner Perfect women must keep. But remember, sometimes plans are to be broken and scratching all your plans will be just the right thing to do. Movie watching in the morning with hugs and kisses with your little ones or a special time with your teen just talking amidst a messy home trumps any plans you’ve made. Don’t be rigid with your own plans you’ve set; remember to be flexible if need be. If you are keeping to it most of the time, you will be set-up for success in your days.
For this week only, you can enter to win Planner Perfect’s eBook!
It takes you step-by-step on how to become a master at managing your home using the Planner Perfect Method, other goodies include: how to plan a party, how to be organized with your menu plans, how to plan for your Christmas and other holidays, and much, much, more! You will also learn how to create your very own life planner. This 40 page plus eBook will inspire you!
Here’s how to enter:
Leave a comment telling us why you’d like to win Planner Perfect’s eBook.
For a double entry:
Follow Planner Perfect on Google Friend Connect, Facebook, Twitter, or Subscribe by Rss. and leave a comment on Dawn’s blog letting her know you did.
That’s it!
Contest will close at Midnight Friday. Entries will be drawn at random and Dawn will announce the Planner Perfect eBook winner!
Blessings,
Jenny
www.plannerperfect.com
Jenny Penton http://www.plannerperfect.com Follow Planner Perfect on Twitter Follow Planner Perfect on Facebook http://www.plannerperfectmeals.com Follow PPM on Facebook http://www.homeschoolingbelle.com Follow HB on Facebook
Enthusiastically, Dawn 
13 responses to “Jenny Penton on Planning and Purpose + E-Book Giveaway! (Inspiring Women Series)”
i need a life
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Great post! I HAVE Planner Perfect but have fallen out of using it regularly! This post motivated me to get back to organization! 😀
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I so agree with getting up before you kids! I did this all the time and it made life easier when they were younger. I so love a morning routine also! Would love to see the book!!! Enjoy!
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So true! These are all really great ideas and not that difficult at all! I was prepared to read some detailed plan that would only add to a mom's guilt, but this was perfect!
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Thank you for this thoughtful series Dawn! Being a mother, home school teacher, and full time student myself, whilst I stare at the piles of laundry on the floor and just realized I still need to bring my neighbor to the gym and grocery store, I am in need of pefrct planning! I love you and miss you! Great ideas and mostly things that I have thought of doing, just something wins over…like my bad habit of hitting the off button on my alarm in the AM! 🙂
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Thanks for sharing this great post, I was a homeschooling Mom and i love the experience so much, stopping by from MBC and following you now!Angela & Angelicahttp://Groovybabyblog.blogspot.com
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Hi Sweet Dawn, Thank you for the comment. I do hope you will follow my posts. That is so cruel of Google to disconnect us like that. How rude of them. :-(Concerning your post — I am a calendar person. I even live from my iPhone calendar. I set alarms to remind me to do stuff each day. Sad, I know. lolBlessings and hugs!Beth
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I have wanted to get the Perfect Planner for quite some time now. I already get the perfect planner emails. I read the post today with feelings of envy, sadness and a glimmer of hope. I to would love to be a home school Mom, unfortunately stress and poor financial management has lead me to believe it was not for us. I am in a state of constant organizational struggle. I fear continued failure and that is why I have not gone ahead to order the book. the perfect planner gives me hope yet at the same time makes me nervous….. I need the Lords strength and clarity of mind to make any lasting or substantial change.
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I would love to win because I feel like I am really disorganized lately. I like to stay up late for my alone time. Every time I try to get up before the kids, they wake up with me. I have such early risers. It can be so hard to balance everything sometimes 🙂 Thanks for the great tips!Blessings,MelPlease feel free to stop by: Trailing After God
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I followed on Google and FB. My kids are grown but I'm terribly ADD and disorganized…I'm sure I could still benefit. Or it could make a great gift for my daughter-in-law who always seems overwhelmed.
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I so need to be a planner. I am just so wacky. Thanks for the chance to get organized! Marymary_reiss @ hotmail.comGFC-Mary @SweepingMeFB-Mary Reiss
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Congratulations Beth in NC! You now have a chance to catch a fresh vision (beyond the iPhone) for your purpose and planning! Thank you to all who have participated in the giveaway! You are a blessing to me! I hope you will be inspired and encouraged in this Inspiring Women Series!
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Thank you SO MUCH! I really appreciate it!Bless you!Love!Beth
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