Hi Everyone! Today I want to discuss 5 reasons why you may not be fully utilizing your planner & give you a peak into my own planner so you can get some helpful hints to be more produvctive! ( All products mentioned will be linked at the bottom of this post for you) Let’s get right into it!
ONE. You are too hung up on what everyone else is using. Get a planner YOU will actually use. Whether it be ringbound, spiral bound, disc bound, book bound, strings, minimalistic, colorful, digital, etc… there are so many different styles, sizes & looks of planners out there, and there is always something that is going to be new & trendy. Many people like the look of whatever is popular so they try to make it work for themselves by doing exactly what others are. It’s great (& of course fun) to try out new methods as something might work for you too, but if there is something you know already works for you, just stick with it so you are more inclined to get things done. If you are new to using a planner, it could take some trial and error before you find your perfect fit, but there is definitely something out there for everyone.
TWO. You are trying to use someone else’s planning system without tailoring it to suit you. Create your own planning system. A planning system is basically your method of planning. How your brain processes things and breaks them down to create your daily tasks to work towards getting things done. There are so many great planner flips showing what everyone’s planning systems are which can be very helpful if you are new to using a planner or just want to hear some helpful hints, but you will only be productive by following what actually works for you. For instance, I personally need an inbox / brain dump, current section, monthly, homeschool, projects, notes, work, & reference sections in my EDC planner. Everything else I track I keep in digital notebooks as they are not things I need to access everyday. I only keep what is relevant to my life currently in my EDC planner so I am utilizing it fully & not just carrying around papers filled with things I never need to look at. There is an entire system I have developed for myself over the years out of my own natural planning habits & inspiration I have seen and tailored it to fit my needs that has led me to creating my planning system a very specific way. Take notice of how your planning habits are and create a system perfect for you based around that.
THREE. Look at your planner every single day. The only way to use your planner is to actually open it up. I have seen others who like the idea of using a planner but will go days or weeks without opening it. Then they wonder why they never completed tasks, worked on projects, or forgot they had appointments. Also, the act of crossing things off on your to do lists is actually motivating. Whether you check it off, cross it off or highlight it when it is done, completing a task makes you feel like you accomplished something, no matter how small, and motivates you to continue that act creating a ripple affect to being more productive.
FOUR. Do a brain dump every single day. There are so many ideas, reminders, tasks, dates, etc swimming around our heads. Life is crazy and busy and we can easily forget things so we need to get it out and written down. Everyday keep your planner open near you while you are at home or at your desk and anytime any thought comes to mind, jot it down in your planner. Do not worry about your handwriting or how this looks, just get it out of your head on to paper so you can act on the thought later. In my planner, I have an inbox as my first section. I just have a few PPC categorized task inserts in there with 3 categories I write in: task, migrate, research. When ANYTHING pops into my brain I know I need to remember or do, I jot it down on my inbox sheet. I then decide if this is a simple task, if it is something I need to migrate to a different section in my planner or filing system, or if it is something I need to research or take several steps doing. This helps to already start to categorize my thoughts so I can further break them down to complete them. I think a brain dump is one of the most effective planning tools you can utilize.. you can even use a basic notebook and jot them down daily.
FIVE. Don’t get caught up in making your planner “perfect looking”. I get it, looking at someone else’s planner who takes the time to write everything neat, decorate their pages & use lots of decorative stickers looks beautiful. But guess what, most of them focus so much on the look that they end up not actually utilizing their planners fully for what they intended in the first place. Adding these elements to your planner are of course okay! You do you. But if you notice that you aren’t using your planner because you are afraid you will “mess it up” if you didn’t write perfectly or add the perfect decor to your page, then try not using your deco and let yourself just scribble down your thoughts & see if you end up using it more. Don’t let your planner or inserts go to waste. Remember in the movie Home Alone Lost In New York when Kevin told the woman in the park about his roller skates he never wore so he didn’t ruin them, then the day he wanted to wear them & they no longer fit him? This is sort of like that. You can always use your deco to scrapbook or memory plan & use your everyday planner to GTD. Plus, you can still use some pretty elements like a vision board & decorative vellum to make your planner unique without distracting you from the functionality of your inserts / planning pages. After all, a planner is a tool. It is a tool for us to use to stay organized, complete our tasks and get our stuff done so we stay productive and reach our goals.
I hope you found this article informative & has helped you to become more productive with the help of your own planner! You can watch my latest planner flip through on YouTube to get further tips & tricks! Be sure to subscribe below to get my latest blog updates:)
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