How To Use A Planner In An Effective Way In 2021
You may not believe me, but I was severely unpunctual and used to lose track of all my tasks as the day passed. So, that’s when someone advised me to use a daily planner, and from then, my life has not been the same. So, in this article, we will tell you how to use a planner to become more organized with your tasks.
Once you figure out how to use a planner, your day will be in complete control. But, many people start using planners and then lose the habit because they feel nothing is working out for them. That’s why we are here to help you. First, we will give you some tips so that you know how to use a planner effectively. So, without wasting much time, let’s get started.
How To Use A Planner Effectively?
With our tips, you will learn how to use a planner for life, and once you get the hang of it, you will love it. Here are a few steps for you to follow in this process such as;
Step 1: Plan Your Daily Tasks Ahead
Plan your daily tasks for tomorrow, the night before. Take 10 minutes of your busy schedule to plan the agenda for the coming day. It will refresh your mind, and you won’t forget the appointments or essential tasks anymore. Some people often face insomnia because they feel stressed about tomorrow’s jobs. But, once you start planning the lessons, it won’t stress you anymore.
Step 2: Plan Your Weekly Tasks Ahead
If you want to know how to use a planner, you must plan your weekly tasks. On weekends, make sure you leave some time for the jobs of the coming weekend. You can even prepare for some more significant tasks or time-consuming tasks in your planner. If over the week you have missed out on some functions, you can add them into your next week’s planning too.
Step 3: Plan Your Monthly Tasks Ahead
Well, if you are a complete beginner in the genre of daily planners, you can skip this step. However, if you have been successful in daily and weekly planning, you can also start planning your monthly schedule. You can also set constant reminders of things that won’t change, like birthdays, holidays, due dates for bills, etc.
Step 4: Put All Your Plans In A Single Planner
Just because we have advised you to plan your daily, weekly, and monthly tasks doesn’t mean you will use different personal planners for them. Instead, use one daily planner for all the jobs because that will be easier to keep track of. You can also try color-coding for personal tasks to highlight them in your schedule.
Also Read: Time Management Strategies – A brief Explanation in 2021
Step 5: Mention The Steps
Yes, many of us don’t know how to use a planner effectively because we often forget this essential step. You must write the tasks you have planned for next week or the next day in complete and concrete form. So, for example, if you have to attend a birthday party next month, don’t just write Birthday Party on your planner. Instead, write the steps that you need to follow to participate in the party.
Step 6: Keep A Check On The Planner
Once you mention the tasks in your daily planner, you must check on that to know if you are following it right. So check the planner frequently, and always keep it somewhere prominent. Don’t put a planner in your drawer because you may not remember to check it then. Instead, leave it on your desk or your bed so that you can see it all the time, and you remember to check it.
Step 7: Use A Small Sized Planner
Don’t use a planner that is as huge as your diary. Use a personal planner of small size because that’s how you learn how to use a planner for life. The more compact it will look, the easier it will be for you to carry around. You need the planner to fit in your backpack or handbag, so choose a size that deems fit. Choose a colorful planner so that when you see it, you feel like opening it.
Step 8: Don’t Think Of Filling It Up
This step may not be for everyone. But, sometimes, people stress about unnecessary blank space and think of filling them up somehow. Don’t forget it’s your planner and not your doodle diary that you will fill the pages with irrelevant stuff. So, use the planner for relevant tasks, and let it handle your punctuality from now onwards.
Frequently Asked Questions [FAQs]
Well, we have already told you how to use a planner effectively, right? But, you may have some other questions too. If that’s the case, make sure you look up this section because we have curated some good questions for you.
1: What Can I Put In My Planner Except for The Daily Tasks?
Ans: If you want to make your planner look attractive, you can add other things except for just the daily tasks. You can put inspirational quotes, bucket list items, daily affirmations, favorite scriptures, bucket list items, etc. It will motivate you to use the daily planner excitingly.
2: What Is The Best Planner App?
Ans: Many people who are not fans of paper planners use planner apps to plan their daily tasks. Some of the best planner apps for both IOS and android will be Google Calendar, Trello, Microsoft Outlook, Any. Do, etc.
3: How Can I Use My Planner Effectively?
Ans: If you have some essential or high-priority tasks, fill them in your planner and use them in a right way. Be consistent with filling the planner up. Many people fill it up when it’s new, and lose the habit when it gets old, so don’t be like that.
Conclusion
We have given you a few ideas here on how to use a planner. In my experience, I have found these steps to be quite helpful, and that’s why my suggestion will be to follow them thoroughly. However, if you feel like using a planner app, you can also follow these same steps. For further queries, please post them in the comment box.
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