When I started setting up my first health coaching program, the advice I heard was plan everything with sticky notes so you can move things around and organize everything. But I’ve always been a digital person instead of a pen and paper person so I looked for an alternative. I found that Trello is a great way to plan your wellness program. And for those of you that like sticky notes, Trello is the closest digital alternative.
Why should you use Trello
If you use a notepad or sticky notes to plan your wellness program, things can get really complicated. There is nothing like a digital version for making changes, adding content and keeping things organized. You can even add due dates so you know when things need to be done so you can launch on time.
Trello has a format that mimics sticky notes but adds features you’ll never get with pen and paper. And you can even use it to make all your typed content, store images and videos and then quickly move everything to your course platform.
Another advantage to using Trello is if you are like me, you work on your program in spits and spurts. Trello helps to keep everything organized so you can quickly understand where you left off and start making new contetn. You can add labels and checklists to each card so you can keep track of what you need to do.
How to use Trello
Trello consists of 3 main levels - boards, lists and cards. When planning programs I use a board for the program, a list for each module and a card for each lesson. If you need more levels, you can organize stuff so in Trello so it works for you.
Plan out modules
I like to make a list for each module in the program. Then I use the list to plan the modules. I would make a card for each lesson included in this module. If I want to include emails that go out during this module, I would add those onto this list as well.
I might also include a to do list for each module and a due date to have everything completed.
Plan out lessons
On the card for each lesson I include a lot of information. I write out the lesson text, link to pdfs, and write a script for video or audio that I’m including. I also include action items for the person doing the program.
You can see in the image below how this card could look for a lesson about vegetable preparation.
Entering into your learning platform and email system.
Since you now have everything in a digital format it’s a simple copy and paste into your learning platform and email system. If you are looking for ideas for where to host your program check out this blog post.
Perfect for beta launches and when you don’t have all the content ready
If you are creating the program content as you go then you can do this on your Trello board because it goes live in your program. Then you should be able to simply copy and paste when you have it ready. This keeps the program users and testers from seeing unfinished content.
Keep track of to dos
I mentioned earlier about keeping track of to dos for each module, but there are many areas that you will want to keep track of. And much of it will be repetitive. For example in each lesson you might want to include a video, lesson text, an action item and a handout. You can make a checklist that is copied for each lesson so you can check off what is completed.
Plan your launch
Creating the program is half the battle. You also need to launch the program. You can add a list to your Trello board with all the things you need do before you launch the program. And you can add due dates working back from your program launch date to keep you on track.
Keep track of program emails
All emails that are sent during the program can be created in Trello. This might include a welcome email, an email for each module to keep the client on track, and emails for any events scheduled during the program like group coaching calls.
Communicate with your team
If you are not the only person working on your program, then a platform like Trello can be useful for keeping your team on track with everything. If you have a VA getting your program onto the platform, creating handouts or working on marketing material then Trello is a good place to share things.
Summary
Trello is a great tool for planning your online wellness programs. The layout makes it easy to see everything at a glance and the digital aspect means it’s easy to make changes and add things like due dates.
