Best Laid Plans
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!
Episodes
June 15, 2026 • 22 mins
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 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...
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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
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June 1, 2026 • 28 mins
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 2...
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May 25, 2026 • 22 mins
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.htmlEmpty Your Inbox With Me: https://theshubox....
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May 18, 2026 • 29 mins
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!).Blo...
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May 11, 2026 • 20 mins
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...
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May 4, 2026 • 26 mins
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 ar...
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April 27, 2026 • 21 mins
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 leav...
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April 20, 2026 • 40 mins
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...
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April 13, 2026 • 23 mins
In today's ep, Sarah answers questions for the month of April! Topics include:
Why no planner reviews lately + notes on spring releases
Tips for reminding others of tasks you are attempting to delegate (with a listener tip as one possible answer!)
To-be-read list management
Struggles with planning vs execution
Resources + Links:
Simplified planners: emilyley.comHobonichi April start: https://www.1101.com/store/tech...
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April 6, 2026 • 28 mins
In today's episode, Sarah answers a question about Disney planning and then delves into her own current planner peace, with 10 tactics working really well for her in 2026!You can find images of the tracking spreads she talks about on the show notes page at theshubox.com!Interested in BLPA2.0 this summer? Course info available at theshubox.com/coursesAPRIL SPONSORS:
IXL: Best Laid Plans listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL me...
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March 30, 2026 • 24 mins
In today's episode, Sarah shares 10 tips for getting through a particularly full season of life, inspired by a very travel-heavy spring schedule coming up for her.Interested in BLPA2.0? Be sure you are getting Sarah's newsletter, out in early April with signup details. Visit theshubox.com/newsletter!
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March 23, 2026 • 35 mins
In today's episode, Sarah answers a question from Nate (who heard Sarah on Cal Newport's Deep Questions Podcast), who asked where it makes sense to START in terms of implementing all of the planning systems she talks about on this podcast (and in her book!). How does one begin to build a system - all at once, or piece by piece?Useful references mentioned:Airtight Task Management Episode: https://theshubox.com/2026/02/blp-ep-288-you...
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March 16, 2026 • 27 mins
In today's episode, Sarah plans her week on-air! Well, it's a bit of a reenactment (mostly because she needed a quiet house to record), but she goes through all the steps and there are visual aids (please see the show notes @ theshubox.com for photos!).Steps in her weekly planning process:
Looking back - reflection & review (including migration/review of any prior undone tasks, plus a look at the monthly list)
Looking ah...
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March 9, 2026 • 29 mins
Dana K. White is a decluttering expert -- NOT an organizing expert! She shares her mess-free 5-step method in today's podcast, with advice for those who struggle to get started. The 28-day plan she mentions on the episode can be found in her first book, How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind.You can find Dana at https://www.aslobcomesclean.com, her most recent organizing book is Organizing for the Rest of Us, and her chil...
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Welcome to the March Q&A episode!Topics discussed include:- Do Nested Goals work in the work setting, and if so, would you do the planning for both at the same time, or separate things out?(Episode mentioned: https://theshubox.com/2026/01/ep-285-sextiles-morning-pages-goals-lists-and-more-listener-tips-qa.html)- How to plan your planning (very meta - but seriously!) - both at larger and smaller time scales- How to plan for comm...
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February 23, 2026 • 25 mins
Jessica lives in California with her husband and is a mother of 6! In today's episode, she shares her own detailed planned peace, discussing how she keeps things organized in such a large and active household.Apps/topics mentioned: Apple's Reminders, Things (for task capture), Laurel Denise Anne layout (https://laureldenise.com/products/2026-the-anne-planner-pemberly-gardens), Essential Calendar (https://www.theessentialcalendar.co...
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February 16, 2026 • 23 mins
In the first part of this episode, Sarah shares some listener follow up to the Task Management episode from 2 weeks ago, including use of Apple Reminders voice entry feature, a simple Notes strategy, Teux Deux, and one listener's analog solution.Then, Sarah delves into her current thoughts on tracking, which have shifted a bit since her initial episode on the topic. She shares ways in which tracking various metrics has been helpful...
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February 9, 2026 • 22 mins
This can be a HARD time of year for many! In today's episode, Sarah shares her own February struggles and provides a pep talk for all of us who might be stuck in winter doldrums or feeling less excited about our 2026 goals.Books recommended: Meditations for Mortals or 4000 Weeks By Oliver BurkemanReminder: BLP Live will be Nov 5-7 2026 - be one of the first to be notified by signing up for Sarah's newsletter.
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February 2, 2026 • 22 mins
Sarah opens up with a little update on how 2026 is going so far (as we head into February!), and then dedicates the rest of today's episode to airtight task management! She talks inboxes (collecting tasks) and creating a strategy for processing all of the to-do items that tend to come our way in all sorts of forms and timelines.
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