

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!
Episodes
Mentioned books

6 snips
Feb 2, 2026 • 23min
Your Guide to Airtight Task Management EP 288
Sarah shares practical tactics for collecting and processing tasks that arrive in many forms. She compares quick actions to capture-and-process strategies. Scheduling options and rituals for migrating unfinished work come up as ways to stay on top of to-dos. Mobile capture tricks and separating work inboxes get discussed to make task management more reliable.

10 snips
Jan 26, 2026 • 24min
Analog Is Trending! EP 287
A lively dive into the current analog comeback and why paper tools are regaining attention. Practical hybrid approaches for combining digital calendars with a daily notebook are explored. Stations and stationery shops are celebrating renewed interest in tangible planning. Creative hacks for seeing months at a glance and why handwriting feels more satisfying round out the conversation.

23 snips
Jan 19, 2026 • 33min
Planning Your 2026 Fitness Goals EP 286
In this engaging conversation, Meg Oleander, a personal trainer and fitness coach with over 25 years of experience, shares her expert insights on achieving fitness goals. She emphasizes the importance of personalized planning and flexible workout schedules. Meg discusses common pitfalls like over-optimizing workouts and the value of setting both outcome and process goals. They also explore the significance of finding the right trainer to match individual needs and maintaining accountability for long-term success.

26 snips
Jan 12, 2026 • 27min
Sextiles, Morning Pages, Goals Lists and More: Listener Tips & Q&A EP 285
Listeners share creative alternatives to traditional planning, like personalized new year start dates. Discover how one listener uses sextiles to harmonize with local events and rhythms. Explore unique goal-setting strategies, such as a 26-goal project inspired by the alphabet. Sarah highlights a Notion-based CRM for tracking friends and discusses the importance of morning pages. Tips for adapting goals during parenthood emphasize prioritizing small victories and self-care. Tune in for inspiration and practical advice!

32 snips
Jan 5, 2026 • 23min
Welcome to 2026! Top 10 Tips for Making The Most of Your Annual Goal Setting EP 284
Sarah kicks off 2026 with fresh goal-setting energy, emphasizing that it's okay not to tackle everything at once. She highlights the importance of reviewing goals regularly and distinguishes between process and outcome goals. Joyful goals take center stage, with a suggestion to maintain a two-to-one ratio of joy to obligation. Sharing your goals with supporters boosts accountability, and listeners are reminded they can choose their own start dates. Above all, goals should empower and serve personal growth, not shame.

9 snips
Dec 29, 2025 • 25min
Sharing 2026 Goals + A Few Q&A! EP 283
Dive into a personal journey as Sarah reveals her ambitious 2026 goals across five key areas: self, relationships, family, work, and fun. She shares her strategies for achieving personal growth through hobbies like piano and cross-stitch, commits to meaningful date nights, and tackles home decluttering with the help of a consultant. Plus, find out how she balances work projects and family visits, all while planning for exciting long-term performances. Get inspired to set your own goals!

14 snips
Dec 22, 2025 • 24min
Systems Switchups for 2026 + Sarah Dissects a Big Gnarly Goal EP 282
Dive into the intriguing world of meta-planning as Sarah explores how intentional system reviews can transform your year. She shares her innovative strategies for seasonal planning with her husband and introduces a creative friend-contact spreadsheet. Tackling her 'Big Gnarly Goal' of decluttering, Sarah emphasizes the importance of breaking down large projects and using emotional intelligence in family dynamics. With insights on digital organization and potential new screen time tracking, this episode offers a roadmap for achieving your 2026 aspirations.

4 snips
Dec 15, 2025 • 22min
December Q&A: Sarah's Morning Routine + Using the Planner You Have, Plus Listener Tips EP 281
Dive into a world of planning and productivity! Discover a handy listener tip about the See It Bigger planner for enhanced visibility. Hear about a charming shop in Doylestown, PA, that offers curated paper goods. Sarah shares her early morning routine, including coffee, journaling, and workouts, while juggling family drop-offs. Plus, get insights on maintaining planner consistency and digital options for busy lives. With a book release on the horizon, there's plenty to look forward to!

23 snips
Dec 8, 2025 • 23min
Another Innovative Planning Technique: Monthly Workflows with Ronna EP 280
Ronna Belinky, a productivity and time management expert, shares her innovative monthly planning techniques. She discusses her unique approach of combining digital tools with personal paper planners to enhance organization. Ronna reveals her nightly ritual with a five-year journal for memory-keeping and explains her annual '25 for 25' goal-setting strategy. Additionally, she talks about her engaging workshops that help others create personalized planning templates. Ronna emphasizes the importance of peer support through cozy in-person meetups for accountability.

Dec 1, 2025 • 21min
Planner Stack 2026: Audio AND Video! EP 279
Get ready for a planner enthusiast's dream! Sarah shares her favorite tools from 2025, including the Hobonichi Cousin and Moleskine Cherry Blossom for morning pages. She reveals her exciting 2026 Planner Stack, featuring new covers and a fresh five-year journal. Discover her custom Planning by Season workbook and how she captures long-range dates with Erin Condren. Plus, learn about her creative uses for Hobonichi Weeks. Tune in for great insights and visual inspiration!


