I love planners. Always have. When I finally got old enough that I didn’t need to use the school supplied one, I was in heaven – I could use the one I wanted! So I would of course find a really pretty one, and put it to use. Well, after I got out of university and stopped working, planners became less necessary. I still used them, but I rarely got one that really worked for me, and I’d abandon it after awhile. I then switched to traditional to-do lists instead, but those never really worked either. I’d load them up with tasks, and get discouraged and worn out trying to do way more than I reasonably could.
But of course, when the new year hit and I was getting ready to make some small but necessary changes, I wanted a planner to go with them. I knew a daily planner broken into hours wouldn’t work, and I knew a traditional weekly one would bother me, too. Then I found this one, and nearly did a dance in the stationary aisle at Dollarama. It’s exactly what I need: laid out month-by-month, each day is lined for easy writing, with a space for general reminders on the side. The limited space given means I won’t overdo the number of tasks I give myself each day, so I’ll be less likely to get overwhelmed, and I’ll feel more accomplished and productive.
Now, I don’t write down everything I do each day. There are tasks that are part of my daily routine, that would be silly to include, because I shouldn’t need to remind myself of them – I do one or two loads of dishes every day after my kids get up, so why would I suddenly forget, or just not do them? I’ve also switched it up a bit for completed tasks. I dislike scratching things off, I find it looks messy, so I went with highlighting finished tasks [I love highlighters!] and scratching off incomplete ones. This encourages me to finish stuff, so I can make my pages colourful and fun. I write down what needs to be done each day, either well in advance or the day before, then mark off at the end of the day what I did or didn’t do, and adjust as necessary.
A good planner is a great way to keep organized, and keep track of what’s going on and when. Whether you use an app or program, or a physical paper planner like I do, learning to use it well in a way that makes it work for you takes a huge load off your mind, because you have less to remember and you can keep better track of what’s gotten done. Here’s to a productive 2012!
