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6 Tips To Effectively Use A Planner and Boost Productivity In 2023.
Planners are great ways to keep yourself organized and in order to effectively use a planner, you’ll need to keep in mind a bunch of things that will help you do the same.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner or using planners for some time now, it’s important to make the most out of it.
Let’s first discuss the benefits of using a planner-
- It keeps you organized and on track.
- Prevent overwhelm.
- Saves you time
- You can plan ahead and work accordingly.
- You start taking your tasks more seriously as they are written down.
- Your brain starts focusing on what’s important and much more.
Digital vs paper planners- which one is right for you?
Now there are two options for you to choose from. You can either keep paper planners or digital ones. It depends on what works best for you.
If I talk about myself, I tend to use a lot of screen time and try to reduce it as much as I possibly can, so for me, paper planners work best! I just print them out and write them myself.
PS: If you struggle with concentration and can’t focus on one thing, I would suggest you first go for paper planners, as you will be able to write them yourself, and it starts feeling more real.
Here are some examples of planners you may want to use going forward-
- 1) Daily planners
- 2) Weekly planner
- 3) Monthly planner
- 4) Yearly planner
- 5) Grocery planner
- 6) Meal planner
- 7) Water intake planner
- 8) Workout planner (there’s so much more).
Planner vs. NoteBook: If you are confused between a planner and a notebook, it depends on what you want to keep a record of and how often. For example, if you want to plan ahead (weekly, monthly, yearly, setting goals, etc.) and keep track of things (habits, income, water, meals, etc.), then a planner/tracker would be the right option for you.
However, if you want to write a journal and daily to-do list, then a plain simple notebook would be your preference as you can write as you want.
How to effectively use a planner and boost productivity
1) Choose the right planner for you
Choosing the right planner is important, but if you think you’ve already bought something that is not working well for you, it’s not the end of the world.
Although most planners are similar to each other, if you have any specific requirements, you will need to spend some time finding the right one for you.
I typically love planners that have the functionality of writing daily, weekly, and monthly tasks and important reminders, and as I complete the tasks, I also check them off. I try to do it at night and simultaneously write my next day’s plan.
2) Check it once a day
The next way to boost your productivity through a planner is by checking it at least once a day or as needed. If you often aren’t sure where to start your day and what to do first (it actually happens when you work from home) then checking them before starting your work will help you know what to do and where to start.
3) Use color-coding
Planners give you so much functionality on the same page to keep them all in one place. However, if you think you need more clarity, you can use color coding to mark your most important tasks so you won’t forget them.
For example: If you have an important meeting or an appointment, you can mark this so you won’t forget about the important tasks.
4) Time blocking
This is another helpful way to effectively use your planner more. If you are someone who just spends the whole time doing just one task, then this method called time blocking can work out for you.
When you write your to-do list, you can also mention the time duration, and once the time is up, you will need to switch to the next task, so it will ensure you won’t spend the whole day on just one task.
If you think you’ll probably forget to switch when the time is up, you can also set the alarm in your phone to remind you.
5) Let it motivate you.
Planners are there to help you stay organized so you can get work done and stay productive at the same time.
Using planners is so much fun, especially if you’re using them for the first time.
If you think something is not working out for you, there’s no need to feel bad about it; tweak a few things here and there, try out other planners, and let it motivate you.
6) Be creative and have fun
Last but not least, I have to mention this step, especially when discussing using a planner effectively.
We, humans, are visual creators, and if you don’t like what you see, chances are you won’t get the motivation to put those words into action.
When you’re planning ahead (let’s say you plan your week on Sunday), you can get your creative self out and make it a bit special so you won’t feel ‘ugh’ when you look at your planner throughout the week.
Don’t worry, you can add tasks as you need to whenever you want to, but it’s good to plan in advance.
PS: You don’t want to spend hours planning, even on Sundays. Just 30 mins are enough.
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