Staying organized might seem daunting, but knowing how to use a planner effectively does wonders. Some planners have multiple sections for different notes, and using all of them will keep you on top of your goals.
I love planning and always get excited about using a new planner each year. What can I say, I like getting things done. However, just owning a planner won’t make you productive. I consider myself a bit of a planning expert, so keep reading for my advice on how to use a planner effectively!
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Use every section
Most planners come with monthly, weekly, and daily sections. Use all of them! Start every month by writing everything in the month-at-a-glance section from birthdays and appointments to pay days and other important dates. This will help you visualize how busy your month will be.
Next, use the weekly and daily pages to write down specific tasks. Write down every meeting and task for the day. If you have room on your page, break your day down into timeblocks to really improve your productivity.
Use one planner for everything
Using one planner for everything will keep you organized and on track. It can be easy to forget things if you have to look in multiple planners to find what you have going on for the day. I use my planner for work and school so that I can see how both coincide with each other. It will also be easier to manage your time if you can see everything you have going on in one place.
Take it everywhere
You will never forget a task if you always have your planner with you. Keep it in your bag, purse, or backpack. This way you can always pull it out to see what you have going on or in case you need to write something down on-the-go.
Write down everything
Write down everything, even the smallest of tasks. It will make you feel much more productive. There’s also nothing worse than forgetting to do something because you forgot to write it down. It happens to the best of us. Write it down immediately to avoid it happening to you!
Write a daily to-do list
Writing a daily to-do list in your planner will help you stay on track of your daily goals. Your end goal for the day will be completing your entire list therefore encouraging your productivity.
However, don’t overwhelm yourself with too many tasks. If you know you won’t complete it today, don’t write it down. Only write down the things that need to be done immediately. Also, don’t be too hard on yourself if you don’t complete all your tasks. There is always tomorrow!
Use coloured pens
My last piece of advice is to use coloured pens to organize your tasks. I assign a colour to each thing I write down. For example, school, work, and appointments all have their own colours. Using colours makes it easier to distinguish what you have going on with a single glance at your planner. It also looks cuter than plain old black pen.
As an avid planner user, I absolutely love this post! The biggest thing is taking it everywhere – or else, it can be so easy to forget what you need to do! Thank you for sharing, Katrina <3
Great ideas!
These are all great tips! I got back into paper planning this year, and I’ve been writing everything down. It’s so satisfying to check things off that I feel like it has motivated me to be more productive. 😊
I love this post . I just started using my 2021 planner after I ditched my 2020 one . I also use colored pens . I might buy another one for budget but I think that’s all.
I have a separate budget journal and I love it!
These are some great tips! I just started using different colored pens to mean different things in my planner and it is definitely a game-changer! Thanks for giving me more ideas to use my planner more effectively. Thanks for posting this!
They really are a game changer! I’m glad it’s working for you!
Awesome post! I also love your blog’s aesthetic, you have gained a subscriber
Thank you so much! That means a lot!
I’ve recently switched to a planner with a daily view and it has been such a lifesaver. I really enjoy having a yearly overview, monthly pages, and then daily. I don’t find I have a huge need for weekly pages anymore, but they were great in college.
Nathalia | NathaliaFit – Fitness & Wellness Blog
I love this! I’ve been using the same planner for a couple of years now, mainly because it’s a great “one planner to rule them all” type of thing, but I gotta say I have never bothered filling in the “month in a glance” section. I couldn’t even tell you why! Let’s blame it on laziness, shall we? lol
In any case, this was a good reminder for me to do this, especially since it’s a new month tomorrow 🙂 Thank you, Katrina!
This are great tips to follow. I’ve been wanted to use planners but everytime I have one, I’m just not good at using it. Thanks for this. ❤️
I totally get that! Sometimes I go through stages where I don’t use it and other times where I use it religiously.
I can’t live without my planner. Colored pens cute designs make me happy. It makes a huge difference in my life when I am intentional about keeping a planner with me all the time and scheduling out my day.
Loved this tips! Will be definitely implementing them
It’s so important to make use of planners as it’s a great way to stay productive!
I still miss the assignment planner I used in college!
Planners are so amazing!
I love plannnerrrrs! But I couldn’t find the “right” one for me, so I DIY-ed it. I bought sheets and binder spring online. Question: How do you deal with “ugh my handwriting is so ugly” thoughts?
That is so smart! I find that coloured pens make your writing much nicer. Something about the colours! I also went and bought a sticker pack that came with “handwritten” words such as class, due, bills, party, appointment, etc. I like to use these sometimes when I feel like my handwriting isn’t cute.
I love having a planner! To-do lists (weekly and daily) have helped me to be productive and use my time effectively—great post; thanks for sharing.
Yes! Planners are the best.
Love this post! I love having planners and to-do lists because I feel so accomplished when I check things off! I feel like I get distracted easily too so it really helps me to stay on track.
Right! There is nothing better than checking things off a to-do list!
I love planners. Helps me organize everything.
Love love love this! I always have a planner, but this has inspired me to use it in different ways to help stay consistent!
Great tips! I think I will try using colored pens!
Colored pens are a must!