My planner is by far, the most popular post on One Mama’s Daily Drama. If you’re new to planners or you just need some tips on how to make the most of it, here are my best tips for using your planner… whether you’re using mine or any planner.
These ideas will work with just about any planner, but if you want to use the one I do, you can get it here: 2017 printable planner.
Using your planner
A planner is only helpful is you use it, right? Here are a few tips that help me make the most of my planner:
1. Write down everything.
This sounds obvious, but how many things to do you each day that are not on your to-do list? For me, too many. And then I don’t get to the things I actually need to get done.
When I add important tasks to my schedule, I block off the amount of time those tasks will take. If there is time left, I add the other things I want to do or really should get done.
Add new things you think of during the day to either a running to-do list for the week or to your list for tomorrow.
2. Highlight the months.
If you printed the whole year, it can be hard to find the monthly calendar pages. You could use tabbed dividers to separate them. I simply folded washi tape over the edges of the months so they stand out.
3. Mark your place.
You can use a simple binder clip or some pretty DiY tassel paperclips to mark your current spot in the planner so you can find it easily.
4. Set aside time for planning.
I set aside time every week to plan what I need to do the next week. That includes my meal plan and shopping list, any appointments, and my to-do list. When you’re planning ahead, you can do tasks before they need to be done.
For example: If I’m cooking chicken on Thursday, I know I need to move it from the freezer to the refrigerator on Wednesday. If I have a project due Friday, I set aside time each day to work on it so I’m not scrambling at the last minute.
5. Keep running lists.
Some days my brain just feels too full. I use my planner to keep track of things I need to think about later. Some people call this a “brain dump” because you’re dumping all the stuff that’s filling up your brain on paper.
Some of the lists I make are:
- books I want to read
- stuff I need to buy {besides groceries}
- projects to do around the house
- vacation ideas
- long-term project ideas
Final thoughts…
Ultimately, building a routine and good habits takes time. If you aren’t a naturally organized person or you are new to using a planner to keep track of everything, it will take you a while to get used to doing it.
Work on it a little every day and don’t get discouraged if you don’t get everything on your daily or weekly to-do list done every time. Even after years of using a planner, I still sometimes mark something off of my list and rewrite it again on the next day or week.
By implementing these five simple ideas, you can get a jump start on being more organized and making the most of using your planner from day one.
Thanks for sharing such an awesome organizational tool.
You’re welcome! I don’t know what I would do without my planner. It’s really the key to being organized.