Do you love planners but find it hard to use? Maybe you can’t find a structured routine to use it every day, or it just isn’t working proactively for you. Then this post will help you with some tips to make the most use of your planner. I am going to show you 8 ways how you can plan successfully and efficiently in 2016.
More tips on using your planner can be found in this post here about How to Master Your To Do List & Plan Effectively
8 Ways to Plan Successfully:
- Find a planner that works with you and your life style. These days there are so many different kinds of planners.
- Think of what you need to plan every day
- Think about using multiple planners for different areas of your life
- Personalize your own with an Erin Condren, Plum Paper Planner, or a Personal-Planner. You can see my reviews for each of these in the reviews page of my blog here.
- Try a cute functional one like a Bando, Day Designer, Sugar Paper, or Bloom Paper Planners
- or create your own sections with printables using a Filofax, Kikki-K or other ringed binders.
- Test out different layouts for planning
- Do you like to plan monthly, weekly, hourly, or daily, or maybe a mix of all of it? I have tons of free printable inserts that you can print and test out for a few days and see which one you like to plan in most.
- Use the monthly section as your storyboard. Write down goals you have, bills, appointments. birthdays and more.
- Then use your weekly as a check in. Check your monthly, write it down in your weekly to make sure nothing gets forgotten.
- Write everything in your planner!
- If an idea pops into your head, write it down. If you have an appointment scheduled write it down in the appropriate date in your planner.
- Write down birthdays, events and everything in that planner!
- Take your planner everywhere with you. Have it open on your desk all the time. Remember if it’s “out of sight, it’s out of mind”
- Check in on your planner whenever you can, as much as possible.
- Remember, your planner isn’t like a phone, it will not let you know when an appt. is coming up so you have to keep checking in on it.
- Have a section in your planner for an on going to do list for things you want to get done but don’t have a time limit.
- then set 3 top priorities you must do every day.
- Have a lists section
- categorize your lists depending on your life.
- Lists for things you need to buy, your wish list, kids activities, family activities, ideas for your blog, ideas for stickers, projects, party planning, anything really!
- categorize your lists depending on your life.
- Make it a part of your day. Plan to plan.
- “Failing to plan is planning to fail”
- Set aside 15 minutes a week to play with your planner. Personally I like to plan my week every Sunday. & then every night I plan for the following day.
- This way I can go to sleep without having any nagging doubts in my head as I go to sleep; I know exactly what needs to get done tomorrow.
- Remember to have fun!
- If you have fun with your planner you will most likely continue using it
- Decorate it with stickers and washi tape
- Take pictures and share it on social media sites
- Use cute paper clips to make it stand out and to hold your place for the month or week.
- If you have fun with your planner you will most likely continue using it
I hope these tips helps you to have your greatest year yet! 2016 will be great, you just have to plan for it!
Great pointers. Not sure if I’m going mad but has your blog had a little revamp? It’s looking lovely anyways 😉
X
Thank you!