The Best Planner Organization Tip
1. Increased productivity: Plan out your task lists and busy days with ease using a planner.2. Decreased stress: Planning is a great way to reduce stress and anxiety. Once you write everything down, your mind begins to worry less and focus on the things that are most important in life.3. Gain perspective: Having a planner makes it easy to understand what all you have on your plate, and if or when it is time to decrease your responsibilities and say no.4. Increased motivation: It is easy to create and plan out your current and future goals in your planner. Pair these with some amazing rewards, track your progress, and gain motivation!5. Get more work done in less time: Utilizing a planner to prioritize your lists will make it easy to identify what is more important and when you can work on each task! Knowing where to begin and developing a routine that will keep you on track throughout you day can be difficult. Luckily for you this breaks down the most helpful tips to get your planner organized so you can start achieving the goals you want to accomplish.
Tip # 1: Determining the use of plannerBefore you even think about what planner to buy, you need to determine what the planner will be used for. Are you a student? Are you a business owner? Are you a homemaker? Or are you just generally overwhelmed? You need to specify what your planner will be used for to choose the planner that fits your needs.
Tip # 2: Choosing the right plannerAfter you figure out what your planner will be used for, finding the right planner is next. With so many different planners on the market, it can be hard to decide on one. Here are a few questions you can ask yourself:
- Are you the type of person who likes to see your week at a glance along with an area for to-do lists?
- Do you need a weekly scheduler? Do you need to plan daily?
- Do you need a lot of space to write things down or are small boxes sufficient for your assignments and tasks?
Establish a morning or evening routine so writing in your planner becomes second nature. Something as little as 10 minutes a day before you hop on your phone and check social media can work wonders. Make this just as routine as getting out of your bed and brushing your teeth.
Tip # 4: Decide on a planning systemHere is something that will make you feel better about organizing your planner. There is no “right” or “wrong” way to set up your planner! We all think and see the world in different ways. As a result, we all process tasks, deadlines and lists differently as well. Decide on a planning system that works best for you. Are you more of a bullet journaling person? Do you thrive off making to-do lists so you can scratch things off your list at the end of the day?To organize your planner, choose a system and stick with it so your process isn’t all over the place. Tip # 5: Write everything downOne of the best planner organization tips you will ever follow is to write everything down. And we mean everything! From important phone numbers to appointment times to what foods you are out of stock in your home. Write everything down so you automatically know that it will be somewhere within your planner.
Here is a list of things most people write in their own planners:
- Deadlines
- Birthdays, Anniversaries, & Holidays
- Grocery Lists
- To-do Lists
- Important Phone Numbers
- Work schedules
- Doctor’s Appointments
- Bill due dates (Taxes, mortgage, rent, credit cards)
- Car repairs
- Vacation days
- Parties
- Inspirational quotes
- Affirmations
- Goals
Tip # 6: Categorize tasks and eventsCategorizing tasks and events is the most popular planner organizational tip. There are a variety of ways to setup up categories in a planner. Here are the two most frequently used methods: • Action - Organize your planner by having a dedicated section for lists, deadlines, and or notes. You can establish sections by creating your own planner dividers or using decorated elements like stickers, washi tape, and card stock to create sections for each week. •Color - Categorizing by color is a fun way to bring life to your planner. Maybe all deadlines are in red, and bill due dates are in green. Have fun but establish a categorization system that makes sense for you and will keep you organized. Tip # 7: Try keeping only one planner (catchall planner)In addition to writing everything down, make sure that everything you are tracking, or planning is all in one planner. Be creative! There are hundreds of things you can have in your planner that can make your life so much easier!
If you find yourself still having multiple planners evaluate why that is happening. Is one planner not serving your needs? It is possible you chose a planner that is not the best fit. Or you have not customized it enough to make it more functional for your needs.
Tip # 8: Utilize worksheets and freebiesFinally, using productivity printables are a great way to easily organize your projects and tasks without emptying your wallet! Alright, these are my top 8 tips for planner organization! If you looking for some free planner printables, sign up below for our free newsletter to gain access to our free planner library. Happy planning!