You have probably seen many people mention using a planner, and for a good reason. These aren’t just calendars or a way to track your appointments; they can organize your entire life. They help you stay on track, reach your goals, keep your focus, and get things done. But you want to make sure you choose the right planner and make it work for your own needs.
Start With Choosing the Right Planner
If you want your planner to work for you, you have to start with the right one. Not all planners are created equal, so your best friend’s favorite planner might not be yours.
Here are some things to think about when deciding which planner is best for you:
- What size do you need?
- Do you want to add more pages of your own?
- Are you interested in using monthly, weekly, or daily planner pages?
- Do you need blank doodle grid or lined notes pages?
Write down what you are looking for, then start sticking to this list. It will keep you from buying the wrong planner, and invest in a planner that will work for you.
Go Beyond Filling in The Monthly Calendar
Many people start using a planner with the monthly calendar page, where you write down important dates and appointments. But if this is all you do, it is basically just an expensive calendar.You need to utilize more sections of the planner to benefit from it.
If you’d like to start with a bird’s eye view of your day-to-day, you could get a desk calendar from Walmart and call it a day. But planners provide so much more than that. So what to do next? Use the weekly pages to write goals, specific to-do lists, and objectives.
Make a List of Goals and Keep Track of Them
Your daily planner is an excellent way to write down your goals and start working toward them. Where you write your goals down will depend on the planner you are using. Some have pages before each month’s calendar page, where you can write down your goals and tasks for that month to achieve them. Others have blank pages you can use. It’s worth noting that it is common to use the monthly page as a ‘Currently’ page to track what you are currently loving, cooking, reading, working on, and the like. If you decide to use the page for this, you can create a goals page using blank printing paper!
Customize with Printables and Accessories
Lastly, remember that you can customize a lot of planners by using colored pens and highlighters, stickers, Washi tape, and so much more. Go to places like Michael and Joanns that sell planners, and you will find all the accessories you need. If you’re on a budget, remember to check out Dollar Tree! They offer an extensive crafting section now. This will allow you to customize the pages for your own needs.
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