Why I’ve Loved the Capture the Chaos Planner (and How It Keeps My Life and Business Organized)
Stunning images by Arc Creative Co.
If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you know I’m a big believer in systems that simplify—not complicate—your life and business. For me, one of those game-changers has been the Capture the Chaos Planner.
I first started using it for the year of 2024, right in the thick of running multiple businesses, volunteering, raising a toddler, and navigating the mental load that comes with being a mom entrepreneur with inattentive ADHD, and navigating an extended season of loss in our family. I needed something that could hold everything: client projects, marketing ideas, grocery lists, and brain dumps… and still help me see my bigger goals clearly, as well as to have peace of mind when I needed to step away.
This planner quickly became my favorite tool for creating structure and rhythm in both my personal and professional life. It was SO much more in-depth than the typical quick planner from Home Goods, which used to be my go-to for YEARS. This is like a full on workbook for organizing all things life and business. Brittnie, the creator of this awesome tool, interviewed me on her podcast a while back and you can listen to more of my thoughts about it here.
Oh, before I forget- each planner purchase also includes a bonus planning and productivity mini course, as well as access to her Facebook community. Don’t sleep on these extra resources! Okay, let’s deep dive into the planner design itself… keep reading!
Two Styles, One Intentional planner Design
The Capture the Chaos Planner comes in two styles:
Coil-bound, featuring tabs and an open, flexible horizontal layout.
Book-bound, with sleek, lay-flat pages and narrow vertical columns for each day.
Both include thoughtful updates like a sturdy elastic band, gold details, and a flat-lay binding that makes writing effortless. The layouts are beautifully practical, with space for structure and creativity—two things I need when I’m juggling multiple roles.
Getting Started: The planner Pages That Ground You
The front section helps you ease into planning with a year-at-a-glance, holidays, and a quick-start guide for when you feel overwhelmed (which happens to all of us).
Then comes the good stuff—vision and reflection pages that prompt you to map out what you actually want your life to look like. There’s room to dream, vision board, and build routines that support your priorities, not just your to-do list.
My favorite hack here: I use these early pages each quarter as a “reset,” pairing them with my Life-First content and business systems to re-evaluate what’s working (and what isn’t).
Goal Setting, Routines, and Energy Mapping
This is where the planner shines for multi-passionate entrepreneurs. The goal-setting framework breaks things into eight clear sections, with space for steps and habit tracking.
You’ll also find:
A routine builder to map out morning and evening flows.
Energy mapping pages—a lifesaver for identifying when you do your best work.
A mood booster menu, perfect for quick mindset resets when burnout starts to creep in.
For me, these pages became less about perfection and more about pattern awareness. It’s where I first realized my creative energy peaks midweek—and that Mondays should be reserved for admin, marketing batching, weekly home chores and batch cooking while already at home anyway.
Time Management & Household Systems
This section blends life and business seamlessly. There’s a time audit and time blocking guide, seasonal life admin lists, and a cleaning tracker that actually makes routine tasks feel manageable.
One of my favorite uses? I repurpose the “parking lot” page as a place to store new content ideas or future project plans—so I can stay focused on what matters most right now.
Monthly & Weekly Layouts That Work for Real Life
Each month opens with a check-in page to help you reflect, reset, and plan for what’s ahead. There’s room to set goals, track habits, and plan events or campaigns. You then move into the month’s full spread grid view. I LOVE this section. I dump all important dates, birthdays, holidays and appointments into it. cross referencing my Apple calendar that I share with my husband. At the top of each day’s column (Sunday, Monday, Tues..), I jot down my theme days (house resets, batch cooking, blogging, batch repurposing for Pinterest pins/social media, email drafting, etc.). The extra “Notes” column has been great for jotting any special weekly focuses or project tasks that are crucial for that week.
Then come the weekly spreads:
The coil planner offers wide, flexible spaces that feel like a journal meets checklist.
The book-bound planner features narrow vertical columns—great for structured task lists or time blocking.
I use my weekly pages to outline my priorities across both life and business. On one side of the weekly “to-do” Section: all things business- content deadlines, client work, blog posts, admin. On the other: all things home and personal life- meal plans, errands, and toddler activities.
As I sit down at the end of the week to map out and plan the next week, I make sure to do the following to set myself up for ease:
Double check my shared Apple calendar and update my monthly section.
Reference that monthly section and map out all important dates, appointments, focus days and recurring calendar tasks.
Reference the prior weekly spread for any remaining “to-do’s”, moving them over to the upcoming week.
Highlighting all business and work tasks, to-do’s and known focus work blocks through the week with my favorite highlighter color (this helps me to quickly visualize when checking my planner throughout the day).
Meal planning based around our weekly commitments, plugging in any repeat meals, freezer meals for busy nights, and cycling through some of our other favorites based on like ingredients that week. This allows me to get a jump start on my grocery list, and avoid panicking last minute.
Business Planning & Marketing Toolkit
This section makes the Capture the Chaos Planner stand out from every other planner I’ve used. She has also made some incredible updates to this section for the 2026 planner and I can’t WAIT for you to discover them!
You’ll find:
Quarterly CEO checklists for finances, client check-ins, and website updates.
Repeating task trackers to simplify recurring work.
Theme days planner (hello, Marketing Mondays!).
Content and marketing pages that fit seamlessly with my Life-First Marketing framework—perfect for outlining long-form content, repurposing plans, and Pinterest strategies.
Most of my long-form content, repurposed content for social media, freebies and yearly marketing focuses that I’ve created over the past two plus years started as scribbles in this planner.
My Favorite Planner “Hacks”
Content batching meets real life: I use the content pages alongside my Airtable content hub to map out my general yearly content marketing plan (using my favorite personal framework that I’m releasing a workbook mini course for soon!).
Planner and meal planning combo: The “Go-To Meals” page is new and will help me to fill in our weekly menu even faster, without stressing.
Quarterly reset ritual: I flip to the reflection pages each quarter to pair my planner’s prompts with my Life-First business goals.
Idea parking lot: The “parking lot” section doubles as a brain dump for future blog topics and product ideas.
Keeping it visible: I make sure to keep the planner out and open to the current week’s spread. The dopamine hit that I feel with each check mark is the best, and keeping it visible in an area that I pass by frequently is the best way to keep myself accountable and focused.
Why It Works So Well for parent Entrepreneurs (and also those with ADHD Brains)
The Capture the Chaos Planner doesn’t just help you track tasks—it helps you see the bigger picture.
It’s visual enough for creative thinkers, structured enough for strategy lovers, and flexible enough for the messy middle that most of us live in.
It gives you one home for all the mental tabs you’re carrying: business projects, marketing plans, family/home logistics, and personal goals. The weekly spreads remind you to prioritize 3 to-do’s each day, allowing the rest to be a bonus. And when you can see everything clearly in one place, the chaos starts to feel a little more captured.
Grab Your 2026 Planner (and Save 15%)
If you’re ready to simplify your planning system and bring everything—life, business, and creative chaos—under one roof, I can’t recommend this planner enough.
👉 Shop the 2026 Capture the Chaos Planners
Use code ALYSHA15 for 15% off your purchase.
And stay tuned—next month, I’ll be giving away one of these planners to one lucky email list subscriber! Sign up for The Friday Mix to get the giveaway details and weekly tips for running your business with more ease and intention.