We recently had the joy of helping Haylee find her perfect planner, and it was such a fun session! Haylee had been enjoying her Laurel Denise planner, The Nancy layout, until her schedule shifted from “work like crazy” to life as a stay-at-home mom with consulting work.

She shared what’s working and what’s not, and we discovered a few big challenges she was facing:

- Time Blindness → knowing what needs to be done but struggling to estimate how long it will take

- Routines → her routine isn’t always the same, and she needs tasks in time order; otherwise, they just don’t happen

- Keeping Track of Chores → forgetting what to clean or how to clean it, then getting distracted, leaving tasks half-done.

"It's crippling. There's always that looming though of, 'It has to be done by this time.'" 

After looking closely at what works and what doesn’t, we landed on a planner setup that gives her the space, tools, and flexibility to plan confidently without feeling overwhelmed; and dare we say it, a dash of joy!

Our Planner Pick for Haylee

The Anne (Large) → but why did we choose this one? Read on to see how it solves Haylee’s challenges!

Accessories:

- Sticky Notes No. 2 (Colorful)

- Half Hour & Hourly Washi

- Tidy Up Insert Pack

Shop Haylee’s Collection Here

Problem 1: Time Blindness - Why Tasks Feel Overwhelming

Haylee struggles with time blindness, which means she knows she needs to do something but can’t quite picture how long it will take. It’s that feeling when a meeting is coming up, tasks are piling up, and somehow four hours just… disappears. (Oh, the despair!)

What’s not working: The traditional way of making to-do lists feels overwhelming—and honestly, a little boring. When tasks just sit there in a long list, it’s hard to know where to start or how much time anything will actually take.

Our solution: We turned time tracking into a game (because fun = motivation!). Using sticky notes, Haylee writes down three things:

1. Task: The task to be done
2. Time: How long it actually takes to complete
3. Frequency: How often it needs to be done

She keeps these tasks (or game pieces, to make it fun!) safely in the back of her planner in a “task bank.” As she pulls tasks from her bank to complete them, frequent tasks move into her current month and then move forward to the next month after they're completed, while less frequent tasks go back to her bank so she can reference them again later.

This playful, visual system helps her see how long things really take while keeping planning flexible, creative, and low-pressure.

Problem 2: Routine — Seeing Time at a Glance & Getting Tasks Done

Haylee wanted a clear picture of her day so she can plan effectively, including chores and meal planning.

What’s not working: She needs a way to time-block her day in chronological order, and when things are written out of sequence or change, it throws her off and makes it harder to get started.

"If I write in order per day, this is my success."

Our solution: Time blocking with erasable pens or markers, so she can see her day at a glance and move things around without stress if plans change.

Pro Tip: To make getting tasks done more enjoyable, we suggested:

- Doing small “car tasks” while waiting in the school pick-up line

- Listening to favorite music or an audiobook while completing tasks

- Using a body double for accountability

Shop our favorite erasable pens on Amazon here

Problem 3: Organizing Cleaning & Chores — Finding a System That Sticks

Haylee wanted a way to keep an organized list of cleaning and chores without cluttering her planner.

What’s not working: Remembering what chores need to be done is tricky, and forgetting the sequence in which to do them makes it even harder (and let’s be honest, a little defeating).

Our solution: The Tidy Up Booster Pack creates a “parking lot” for her to list out and categorize chores, from quick daily resets to those deep-clean tasks that happen less often. This helps her remember what needs to be done, when it needs to be done, and keeps her main planning space uncluttered, flexible, and stress-free.

Our Planner Pick: Why The Anne Works for Haylee

After looking at all of Haylee’s challenges and solutions, The Anne (in large size) was the perfect fit:

- Plenty of space for time blocking and finding those pockets of time to complete tasks

- Month + Week layout for daily, weekly, and monthly planning for events, appointments, and chores

- Supports inserts for additional pages that help make planning easier (like our Tidy Up Pack)

This setup gives Haylee a planner system that adapts to her ADHD, time blindness, and need for flexibility, while still being fun and easy to use.

Shop The Anne Layout

Could This Planner Setup Work for You, Too?

If you relate to Haylee’s time blindness or ADHD planning challenges, watch the full recorded live session here.

Ready to explore the tools we suggested? Check out Haylee’s planner and accessories collection here.