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Best Laid Plans

Sarah Hart-Unger

Welcome to Best Laid Plans -- a podcast all about planning and the planning tools we love. From planning techniques and organizing philosophies to planners and notebooks, we cover it all. Host Sarah Hart-Unger is a mother of 3, physician, podcasting pro, and a lover of lists and all things paper! Listen in weekly for conversations about planning and productivity as well as product reviews and interviews with planning experts!

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S4 · E318
Today · 21 min
Why Autopilot Doesn't Work + 5 Things Sarah is Loving Now EP 318
In this episode, Sarah discusses why autopilot (or always choosing the default, easiest choices) doesn't work. She starts with the example of health, and then compares the decline of our society's physical health (particularly metabolic health) to cognitive and emotional struggles many face today in our current digital landscape. She then moves on to 5 things she is loving now -- lightening the mood considerably! Mentioned on the ep: - Cal Newport's recent episode discussing cognitive KPIs: https://www.thedeeplife.com/podcasts/episodes/how-to-build-a-cognitive-training-plan-monday-advice/ - Hobonichi launch site: https://www.1101.com/store/techo/en/magazine/2027/y27/?srsltid=AfmBOopv4kxup7kx0tbdd2yl9WyyElZXI15WfwGg9l-az5ya6klfqXkX August Sponsors: Factor Meals: Head to factormeals.com/plans50off and and use code plans50off to get 50 percent off and 1 free breakfast item per box while supplies last until 10/31/2026 IXL: Best Laid Plans listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.ixl.com/plans⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. PrepDish: Make your menu planning so much easier! Try it free for 2 weeks by visiting ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠prepdish.com/plans Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 · E317
August 24 · 20 min
Reasons to Plan Seasonally + Goal Planners (Farewell to PowerSheets + Amplify!) EP 317
In today's episode, Sarah shares some of the ways in which she benefitted from her own seasonal planning session, and then she pivots to a discussion of goal planners- what's out there, what's going away, and what can they help with. She also notes her plans to create a Nested Goals Workbook for 2027 - stay tuned! To stay the most up to date, be sure to subscribe to Sarah's newsletter at theshubox.com/newsletter Planners Mentioned: Cultivate What Matters PowerSheets (being discontinued): https://cultivatewhatmatters.com/collections/planners Amplify (being discontinued) https://www.amplifyplanner.com/ Ink + Volt https://inkandvolt.com/collections/planners/dated Commit30 https://commit30.com/products/2027-weekly-goal-planner MakseLife https://makselife.com/collections/all-planners EC Monthly https://www.erincondren.com/monthly-planner Full Focus https://fullfocusstore.com/collections/planners August Sponsors: Factor Meals: Head to factormeals.com/plans50off and and use code plans50off to get 50 percent off and 1 free breakfast item per box while supplies last until 10/31/2026 IXL: Best Laid Plans listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.ixl.com/plans⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. PrepDish: Make your menu planning so much easier! Try it free for 2 weeks by visiting ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠prepdish.com/plans Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 · E316
August 17 · 23 min
8 Back-to-School Planning Tactics and All About Quintile 4 EP 316
In today's episode, Sarah confesses to her recent planner switchup, and then shares her love for Quintile 4, her "throwback" fall favorites, and 8 planning tactics for the back to school season. MD Notebook mentioned: https://amzn.to/4wWYhyM (affiliate link) August Sponsors: Factor Meals: Head to factormeals.com/plans50off and and use code plans50off to get 50 percent off and 1 free breakfast item per box while supplies last until 10/31/2026 IXL: Best Laid Plans listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.ixl.com/plans⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. PrepDish: Make your menu planning so much easier! Try it free for 2 weeks by visiting ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠prepdish.com/plans Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 · E315
August 10 · 20 min
August Q&A: Digital Task Management, Uncluttered Phone Screens, Planner Perfectionism + More! EP 315
In today's episode, Sarah addresses listener questions sent for the month of August! Topics include: - Her current work schedule - Digital task management adventures thus far, plus a listener rec for Tick Tick - Sarah's current uncluttered phone setup - Addressing planner perfectionism - Annual vs Academic calendars - Planner news mentioned: Aura Estelle Magnet Planner: https://www.auraestelle.com/collections/2027-magnet-release Hobonichi launch site: https://www.1101.com/store/techo/en/magazine/2027/y27/?srsltid=AfmBOooovhvxPNwqs3QaGJ1sPfcv7mMp2W1A3OfaywUsenfnzUgUjzLi August Sponsors: Factor Meals: Head to factormeals.com/plans50off and and use code plans50off to get 50 percent off and 1 free breakfast item per box while supplies last until 10/31/2026 IXL: Best Laid Plans listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.ixl.com/plans⁠⁠⁠⁠. PrepDish: Make your menu planning so much easier! Try it free for 2 weeks by visiting ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠prepdish.com/plans Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 · E314
August 3 · 21 min
Reading + Focus Training Plans EP 314
In today's episode, Sarah opens with a planner peace vignette from Olga, who describes her various methods for planning in fun! Then, she discusses the topic of reading and focus, with emphasis on ideas around improving one's focus over time with intentional time spent building the skill and endurance around paying attention. Mentioned: Atlantic article (gift link): Substack with the 'training plan for reading' concept: https://naomialderman.substack.com/p/lets-do-a-couch-to-5k-for-reading Also mentioned: Hemlock & Oak tariff news- https://www.hemlockandoak.com/blogs/theweeklyspread/where-we-stand-50-tariffs-on-us-orders-starting-august-19th?srsltid=AfmBOoomppnNJfzC4vjTsrYdNz5Eg0RobWbH1lYg3jaCBuUz4vFcMGMT Hobonichi launch- https://www.1101.com/store/techo/en/?srsltid=AfmBOorTU25X3TOOOAPmMywniMoK8OBswJXGVs56jrgUjk9TRpkYWpgm BLPA2.0: theshubox.com/courses August Sponsors: Factor Meals: Head to factormeals.com/plans50off and and use code plans50off to get 50 percent off and 1 free breakfast item per box while supplies last until 10/31/2026 IXL: Best Laid Plans listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ⁠⁠⁠https://www.ixl.com/plans⁠⁠⁠. PrepDish: Make your menu planning so much easier! Try it free for 2 weeks by visiting ⁠⁠⁠⁠prepdish.com/plans Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 · E313
July 27 · 31 min
Goals in Real Life: Mid-Year Chat with a Friend EP 313
In today's episode, Sarah does a midyear goal setting chat with her friend Kae! They answer a series of questions together to troubleshoot and check in with how the year is going so far, providing encouragement and ideas along the way. You can use this episode as a template of sorts to conduct your own friend or partner check-in, at the end of a month, season, or year! Find more from Kae at gratefulkae.com (and check out the Google Tasks Widget she recommends!) Additional note: BLPA2.0 registration is OPEN for fall! Visit theshubox.com/courses for details! Our Sponsors IXL: Best Laid Plans listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ⁠⁠⁠https://www.ixl.com/plans⁠⁠⁠. PrepDish: Make your menu planning so much easier! Try it free for 2 weeks by visiting ⁠⁠⁠⁠prepdish.com/plans Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 · E312
July 20 · 23 min
The Case for Planning Fun EP 312
Some people feel like planning in fun takes away . . . well, some of the fun! Sarah counters some of the common arguments for planning in fun, and offers suggestions for adding fun to every time frame, from yearly to daily! July Sponsors IXL: Best Laid Plans listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ⁠⁠https://www.ixl.com/plans⁠⁠. PrepDish: Make your menu planning so much easier! Try it free for 2 weeks by visiting ⁠⁠⁠prepdish.com/plans Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 · E311
July 13 · 20 min
July Q&A: Seasonal Slumps, Editing Your "To Read" List, Planning in New Motherhood, and More EP 311
https://theshubox.com/best-laid-plans-podcast
S4 · E310
July 6 · 17 min
When Your Best Laid Plans Fall Through . . . EP 310
Very personal episode today! Sarah shares her own recent experiences dealing with a recent disappointment -- zero regrets about making the plans, but definitely some sadness about them not coming to fruition. July Sponsors IXL: Best Laid Plans listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at https://www.ixl.com/plans. PrepDish: Make your menu planning so much easier! Try it free for 2 weeks by visiting ⁠prepdish.com/plans Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 · E309
June 29 · 25 min
Climbing Out of a Hard Phase with Lisa Woodruff EP 309
Lisa Woodruff is the founder of Organize 365 and author of multiple books, most recently Escaping Quicksand. Sarah always loves her ideas about planning and time, and in today's episode they chat overcoming overwhelm, but through the lens of planning. You can find more from Lisa at organize365.com in addition to @organize365 on Instagram. Resources Mentioned from Lisa: How I divide my year into thirds episode 143 https://organize365.com/podcast/my-three-new-years/ The 10 filters I use to plan my week episode 704 https://organize365.com/podcast/704-the-10-filters-i-use-to-plan-my-week/ The 15-minute pivot from reactive to proactive planning https://organize365.com/pivot/ Escaping Quicksand https://organize365.com/escapingquicksand/ June Sponsors: IXL: Best Laid Plans listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at https://www.ixl.com/plans. Green Chef: Healthy and convenient meal kits and more! Visit greenchef.com/50bestlaid and use code 50bestlaid to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for 2 months. PrepDish: Make your menu planning so much easier! Try it free for 2 weeks by visiting prepdish.com/plans Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 · E308
June 22 · 21 min
5 Lessons from Time Tracking That Aren't What You'd Think EP 308
Sarah tracked her time for over 2 weeks (something she has struggled with in the past). What were her conclusions? Did she find 10 hours of free time that she didn't know she had? Will she continue for 10 years like her good friend and podcast cohost Laura Vanderkam? Listen to find out, and you can also visit the detailed show notes at theshubox.com! Episode Sponsors: IXL: Best Laid Plans listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ⁠https://www.ixl.com/plans⁠. Green Chef: Healthy and convenient meal kits and more! Visit ⁠greenchef.com/50bestlaid⁠ and use code 50bestlaid to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for 2 months. PrepDish: Make your menu planning so much easier! Try it free for 2 weeks by visiting ⁠prepdish.com/plans Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 · E307
June 15 · 22 min
Midyear Planner Stack Report (Techo Kaigi!) - Video Available! EP 307
Today's episode is a podcast with optional video! Sarah goes through a detailed midyear status report on her 2026 Planner Stack, sharing the analog notebooks and planners she uses regularly. Items mentioned: Midori Hibino 2026 Hobonichi 5-Year Journal Ashley Shelly Monthly (Amanda's Favorites Collab) Hobonichi Weeks Hobonichi Cousin A5 Hobonichi Day-Free A5 (monthly pages then plank) Want more video? Let Sarah know what you'd like to see visually in future episodes! Episode Sponsors: IXL: Best Laid Plans listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at https://www.ixl.com/plans. Green Chef: Healthy and convenient meal kits and more! Visit greenchef.com/50bestlaid and use code 50bestlaid to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for 2 months. PrepDish: Make your menu planning so much easier! Try it free for 2 weeks by visiting prepdish.com/plans Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 · E306
June 8 · 19 min
June Q&A: Mostly Analog Planner Peace, Small Task Overwhelm, Family Source of Truth, and More! EP 306
In today's episode, Sarah answers listener questions! Topics included are: - A wonderful planner peace submission from a recent retiree looking to keep meaning and structure in her life - A listener looking for help with "small task overwhelm" and a million open tabs - Routine tracking ideas - Family calendar source of truth + tools/ideas for getting a partner on board Sponsors: IXL: Best Laid Plans listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.ixl.com/plans⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. PrepDish: Make your menu planning so much easier! Try it free for 2 weeks by visiting ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠prepdish.com/plans⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Green Chef: Healthy and convenient meal kits and more! Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠greenchef.com/50bestlaid⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and use code 50bestlaid to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for 2 months. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 · E305
June 1 · 28 min
Need a Summer Fresh Start? Taja Fitness Planner + The Dailee EP 305
In today's episode, Sarah reviews two planners for listeners looking for some fresh start energy this summer! First is the Taja: https://www.tajaacademic.com/product/fitness-workout-journal-for-women-men-a55-5-x-8-5-workout-log-book-planner-for-tracking-progress-and-achieving-your-wellness-goals-lavenderc-blue/ or https://amzn.to/4nRysfV (Amazon affiliate link) This A5 sized undated planner has a ton of features and space for up to 20 weeks of fitness tracking - for under $10! Then comes a review of the Dailee 2026-27 Mom Planner (though it could be for anyone in charge of family logistics). This planner is $55 and has over 500 pages (!) of content, from cleaning checklists to packing lists and more. https://the-dailee.com/products/2026-2027-mom-planner Send Sarah ideas for what to review next, and visit the show notes page at theshubox.com to view photos + enter the giveaway! Sponsors: IXL: Best Laid Plans listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.ixl.com/plans⁠⁠⁠⁠. PrepDish: Make your menu planning so much easier! Try it free for 2 weeks by visiting ⁠⁠⁠⁠prepdish.com/plans⁠⁠⁠⁠ Green Chef: Healthy and convenient meal kits and more! Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠greenchef.com/50bestlaid⁠⁠⁠⁠ and use code 50bestlaid to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for 2 months. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 · E304
May 25 · 22 min
Plan Your Summer with Me! EP 304
In today's episode, Sarah shares step-by-step how she thinks through planning her summer (including her real-life plans and goals for this summer!). You can use this episode as your own summer planning guide by pausing it and answering the question for yourself! Looking for more episodes like this? Plan the Week Together: https://theshubox.com/2026/03/ep-294-lets-plan-the-week-together.html Empty Your Inbox With Me: https://theshubox.com/2025/11/ep-278-empty-your-inbox-with-me-and-hemlock-oak-daily-weekly-monthly-planner-review.html Sponsors: IXL: Best Laid Plans listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ⁠⁠⁠https://www.ixl.com/plans⁠⁠⁠. PrepDish: Make your menu planning so much easier! Try it free for 2 weeks by visiting ⁠⁠⁠prepdish.com/plans⁠⁠⁠ Green Chef: Healthy and convenient meal kits and more! Visit ⁠⁠⁠greenchef.com/50bestlaid⁠⁠⁠ and use code 50bestlaid to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for 2 months. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 · E303
May 18 · 29 min
More Planning x Money Talk + Sarah's Current Thoughts on AI EP 303
In today's episode, Sarah shares some follow up listener comments to the prior discussion about the intersection between spending (or saving!) and planning, and then she delves into a (somewhat raw!) discussion of her feelings around AI, starting with a historical example -- her 2010s thoughts on the emerging iPhone! Feel free to share your thoughts on technology (sarah hart unger at gmail, or leave a comment in the show notes!). Blog mentioned in the first section: https://optimisticmusings.com Sponsors: IXL: Best Laid Plans listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ⁠⁠https://www.ixl.com/plans⁠⁠. PrepDish: Make your menu planning so much easier! Try it free for 2 weeks by visiting ⁠⁠prepdish.com/plans⁠⁠ Green Chef: Healthy and convenient meal kits and more! Visit ⁠⁠greenchef.com/50bestlaid⁠⁠ and use code 50bestlaid to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for 2 months. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 · E302
May 11 · 20 min
May Q&A: New Fave Pen, Does Planning Help Save Money? and More EP 302
In today's episode, Sarah provides a few life updates and then shares a wonderful planning tip from a listener. Then, topics discussed include: - Does planning help to save money? - How do you avoid rewriting daily lists when things don't get done? - What are some analog ways to track workouts? - Ideas for using monthly spreads of paper planners if you don't feel the need for an extra calendar - New pen in town: The Pilot Juice+ Link to task management ep mentioned: https://theshubox.com/2026/02/blp-ep-288-your-guide-to-airtight-task-management.html Sponsors: IXL: Best Laid Plans listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ⁠https://www.ixl.com/plans⁠. PrepDish: Make your menu planning so much easier! Try it free for 2 weeks by visiting ⁠prepdish.com/plans⁠ Green Chef: Healthy and convenient meal kits and more! Visit ⁠greenchef.com/50bestlaid⁠ and use code 50bestlaid to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for 2 months. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 · E301
May 4 · 26 min
The Intersection of Time Management x Planning with Laura Vanderkam EP 301
Today, author and Sarah's good friend Laura Vanderkam joins Sarah on the show to talk about ways -- planning and planning-adjacent! -- that we can manage our time so that it feels expansive and worthwhile. Sarah and Laura chat tracking (time + otherwise), tackling big project little by little, the challenge of "golden hours", and much more. Find Laura's book, Big Time: A Simple Path to Time Abundance, out this week wherever books are sold. Sponsors: IXL: Best Laid Plans listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at https://www.ixl.com/plans. PrepDish: Make your menu planning so much easier! Try it free for 2 weeks by visiting prepdish.com/plans Green Chef: Healthy and convenient meal kits and more! Visit greenchef.com/50bestlaid and use code 50bestlaid to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for 2 months. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 · E300
April 27 · 21 min
Gratitude Episode: Thank You for 300! EP 300
In today's episode, Sarah expresses gratitude to listeners for helping BLP reach the milestone of 300, and then shares two gratitude-themed lists. The first is 5 planning or planning-adjacent things (or people) she is incredibly grateful for, in terms of inspiration and ideas for the podcast they've provided over the years. The second is the top 5 things Sarah is grateful planning has done for her! Please celebrate with Sarah by leaving a review if you can! Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/best-laid-plans/id1525311647 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3GPjMOr1PxYfZCSLbS6sZ3 Keep the questions + suggestions coming - email Sarah at sarah.hart.unger at gmail! OUR SPONSORS: IXL: Best Laid Plans listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ⁠⁠⁠https://www.ixl.com/plans⁠⁠⁠ Mint Mobile: Shop affordable cell phone plans at ⁠⁠⁠mintmobile.com/BLP⁠⁠⁠ Green Chef: Healthy eating made easy. Visit ⁠⁠⁠greenchef.com/50bestlaid ⁠⁠⁠and use code 50bestlaid to get 50% your first month, then 20% off for two months. PrepDish: Healthy and strategic meal plans to fit your family's nutritional needs! Visit ⁠⁠⁠prepdish.com/plans⁠⁠⁠ for your first two weeks free! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 · E299
April 20 · 40 min
Can AI Help You Plan Your Life? A Real-Life Experiment with Emilie Schario EP 299
Emilie Schario is a mother of 3 (5 & under!) and an AI expert in the tech space, as VP of engineering at Kilo Code. She's also a BLPA alumnus who still loves to plan on paper! Emilie joins Sarah today to talk planning, productivity, and how she uses AI tools every day in her planning and life management systems. She shares her own simple (and very appealing!) use cases and ideas for how even the least tech-savvy can get started. Find more from Emilie at LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilieschario or her substack, emlie.substack.com. OUR SPONSORS: IXL: Best Laid Plans listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ⁠⁠https://www.ixl.com/plans⁠⁠ Mint Mobile: Shop affordable cell phone plans at ⁠⁠mintmobile.com/BLP⁠⁠ Green Chef: Healthy eating made easy. Visit ⁠⁠greenchef.com/50bestlaid ⁠⁠and use code 50bestlaid to get 50% your first month, then 20% off for two months. PrepDish: Healthy and strategic meal plans to fit your family's nutritional needs! Visit ⁠⁠prepdish.com/plans⁠⁠ for your first two weeks free! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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