How to actually use your planner (instead of abandoning it after the first 10 days)
In this post I’m going to share the reason why I think most people never end up using their planners as well as they could be (or give up far too quickly), and some of the ways you can overcome this + what you can do instead if you’re the same.
👉🏻 The benefits of planning are obviously undeniable.
Every person who is organised will have some form of planning system they use to keep their lives in check. What this looks like will differ from person to person, however, the key thing here is that they use a planner to stay organised.
There are several different options for a planning system: You can choose between paper, digital or a hybrid of both (which is what I use). Here are the main benefits of planning which I’ve personally found in my own life: 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻
Helps to keep me organised.
Reduces my stress and overwhelm each week.
Gives me a birds eye view of my day, week and month.
Helps immensely with future planning.
Lets me avoid clashes in my schedule.
Allows me to work on my goals with a more strategic intention around my actions, rather than just hoping the result will happen for me.
Helps my family all be on the same page.
Reduces the mental load (especially as a working mother).
Gives me the option to harness technology (as I make use of a digital planning system) and lean on the benefits of auto-reminders, shared calendars and reoccurring tasks.
There are many more subtle nuances and benefits for each person, but you get the idea.
Most people give up using their planner after the first 10 days..
I often hear this and it makes me sad because a lot of the time the problem isn’t to do with the planner itself, it’s really knowing how to go about using it in a way that supports YOU.
These are the five most common reasons or excuses I hear:
➡️ I don’t know how to use it properly….
➡️ I don’t want to “mess” it up….
➡️ I don’t end up looking at it again after the first week…
➡️ I forget to use it regularly…
➡️ I want to get it perfect the first time….
👆🏻 All of these are basically versions of saying “the way I’m using it isn’t supporting me so I’m not going to use it anymore”, and that’s not what a planner is supposed to be about.
It’s meant to help you in your life every single day and take away the mental load of having to rely on your brain to remember everything!
I’ve put together some tips below on how you can overcome this if you find you’re having some trouble sticking with using your planner too, so see how you go with them.
How you can combat the common excuses listed above 👆🏻
Set an intentional time each week to plan your life.
I know it seems like the most obvious starting point but creating a ritual around planning will trigger you to remember to do it. Keep this as a date to yourself and protect that time as you would any other important appointment. If you don’t treat it this way, you won’t do it. My favourite time to do this is Saturday mornings.
Choose a planning system that you know you’ll use.
There’s no point using a digital system if you prefer to write things down, and vice versa.
Remind yourself that your planner is a tool and should be used to support you so don’t be afraid to mess it up.
Over time you’ll get better at figuring out the best way for you and you’ll naturally get neater and quicker at putting the details in. When I first started using my planner regularly and I was afraid of messing it up, I kept telling myself: “next year’s planner is the one that will all neat and pretty. For now, I’m just going to practice using the skills to learn how to use my planner properly”. And guess what? This really helped me overcome any procrastination caused by worrying about messing up a fresh page.
Use the features and benefits that come with your planning system.
If you have digital reminders - use them!
Leave your planner in a designated spot (open) if it’s paper, and otherwise, see above - use your reminders, even if you have to set one in the beginning to check your planner!
Spend some time practising going through the motions each day to check your planner and calendar.
Even if you don’t follow your schedule or to-do list for the moment, when you work on building the neural pathways of this new habit, you’ll be much more likely to use it on a regular basis.
So HOW do I actually use my planner properly then?
I’ve spent plenty of time studying different ways to use a planner and if you’re like me and want to use it to stay super organised, here are my five steps to using your planner effectively.
Add in your big rocks first - these are your “must-do’s”. They are things like your working hours, family commitments, medical appointments, school sports and activities you genuinely can’t get out of.
Next, schedule in your priorities (exercise, family, hobbies).
Build in your self care, defended down time plus any habit tracking —> if you’re doing that.
Add your top 1-3 priorities for each day from your to-do list.
Finally - Reverse engineer your goals and add the steps into your schedule so that you are actively working towards them every week.
One final tip
Dig deep into the “Why” behind the WHY.
If you know WHY you’re spending your time the way you do, you’ll be much more intentional and choosy about where your two most precious resources go: Your time and your energy.
I hope some of those tips helped you get a better handle on your planning skills and encourage you to get started with it again!
Valli x
If you enjoyed this post, be sure to check out the rest of my blog for more helpful topics 😊.
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