You want your planner to be functional and effective. You want your planner to give you peace of mind and do its job so you can get things done. Here are 5 quick tips that I like to use:
1. Maintain white space:
I love looking at pictures of heavily decorated planners, but I know I would never be able to find anything in them. My planner functions as my second brain and it’s important for me to ensure that it helps me keep on top of things. So, I don’t really decorate my planner too much or use stickers. I will add a touch of color when I can.
Another issue is overscheduling. Whether it’s your daily schedule or your to-do list, filling your day is overwhelming. You only have so many hours in a day and filling it with too much leads to more anxiety.
2. Keep monthly/yearly calendars to free up space:
This works best with a ring-bound or disc bound organizer. You don’t need your old to-do lists or the weeks that have gone. I usually pen in any important events I want to remember in the monthly calendar and discard older weeks.
If you’re using a bound diary or coiled diary, consider cutting the pages out or going in for a 6-month version instead.
Less bulk = more reasons to carry it around.
3. Write in follow-ups immediately:
Whether it’s a doctor’s appointment or a follow up call, write in follow ups immediately. If you don’t have your planner, put it in your phone so you can write it down as soon as you get to your planner.
4. Keep a highlighter / red pen / post it notes:
I don’t color-code my planner. I write with whatever pen I have close by – blue, black, green. So important deadlines can often get overlooked. So, I try to highlight it somehow. I just use anything that will stand out.
Circle in red, highlight it or just put on the tiny sized post-it notes. Whatever works for you.
5. Re-write your to-do list:
While this may seem counterproductive, re-writing the incomplete items on your to-do list is a good way to get things done. It forces you to tackle the item if you’re Re-writing a few days in a row, whether by actually getting it done or dropping it. It also forces you only to look at the day in particular or ahead but not at the past.
I hope these quick tips are of some help to you. Happy planning!
Looking through a frosty window... 