Podcast
Best Laid Plans
Hosted by Sarah Hart-Unger · EN
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!
10episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
The Case for Planning Fun EP 312
6d ago00:23:24Tap to summarizeSome 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
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July Q&A: Seasonal Slumps, Editing Your "To Read" List, Planning in New Motherhood, and More EP 311
2w ago00:20:04Tap to summarizeIn today's episode, Sarah tackles questions sent during the month of July. Topics:- How did you help your kids through the disappointment of cancelled plans (in reference to the prior week's ep)?- Advice for planning at the start of new motherhood?- Follow up advice for the listener struggling with her "to buy" list- What to do when "New Year" momentum fizzles out in spring and summer?- How to manage your "to be read" / "to be watched" collections when they add up to wayyyyy more time than you actually have to read/watch? 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
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When Your Best Laid Plans Fall Through . . . EP 310
3w ago00:17:00Tap to summarizeVery 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
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Climbing Out of a Hard Phase with Lisa Woodruff EP 309
4w ago00:25:01Tap to summarizeLisa 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 704https://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 Quicksandhttps://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
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5 Lessons from Time Tracking That Aren't What You'd Think EP 308
Jun 2200:21:03Tap to summarizeSarah 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
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Midyear Planner Stack Report (Techo Kaigi!) - Video Available! EP 307
Jun 1500:22:59Tap to summarizeToday'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 2026Hobonichi 5-Year JournalAshley Shelly Monthly (Amanda's Favorites Collab)Hobonichi WeeksHobonichi Cousin A5Hobonichi 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
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June Q&A: Mostly Analog Planner Peace, Small Task Overwhelm, Family Source of Truth, and More! EP 306
Jun 800:19:27Tap to summarizeIn 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
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Need a Summer Fresh Start? Taja Fitness Planner + The Dailee EP 305
Jun 100:28:04Tap to summarizeIn 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-plannerSend 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
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Plan Your Summer with Me! EP 304
May 2500:22:35Tap to summarizeIn 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.htmlEmpty 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
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More Planning x Money Talk + Sarah's Current Thoughts on AI EP 303
May 1800:29:26Tap to summarizeIn 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
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