Using a planner is a great way to get your life organized. Think about it. You have deadlines, appointments, meetings (probably virtual during this pandemic), tasks to do, and notes that you need to remember. It’s a lot to balance.
There are so many ways to go about using a planner. There are paper planners, there are online planners, there are apps, and you can even use a scrap piece of paper. There are pros and cons to both, but the important thing is to make sure that you are planning ahead.
After years and years of trial and experimentation, I can tell you this: there is no perfect planner. I’ve searched and I’ve tried dozens. In my experience, one major reason why people don’t use planners is because it doesn’t exactly fit their needs. That’s the reason why there are so many planners out there in the market. They come in all different shapes and sizes with various features. There are simple ones and ones that are really complex. They’re made for different people with different needs and different styles.
Paper Planners
I have a special place in my heart for paper planners. They are physical and tangible tools that help us organize your appointments, tasks, and other notes. I’ve used all sorts of paper planners over the years, and I really can’t say which one’s the best. There were many benefits of each planner, but each one also had some drawbacks. For a while, my favorite type of paper planner was a bullet journal. I know there are bullet journals you can buy, but I’m specifically talking about the “bullet journal system” where you can turn any notebook into your own planner, make it how you see fit, and adjust it to your wants and needs. Paper planners have evolved over time. There are even stickers that you can buy to add style and features to your planner; it almost looks like a fancy scrapbook. They will continue to evolve.
Digital Planners
Later on in adulthood, I started using digital planners. It seemed like the natural evolution since everything was becoming more digital anyway. At first, I tried using iCalendar, which was nice, but wasn’t great at organizing my tasks and responsibilities for the day. Then later on I tried various apps. Some were calendars (Outlook, Google Calendar, iCal), and task managers (Trello, Things, Omnifocus). They’re great at letting you list your tasks and assigning due dates. The issue I had was that since my tasks were hidden away in my computer or on some information cloud, I would easily forget about them.
Planning
Regardless of whichever planner you use, as long as you’re planning ahead, that’s what matters. Planners, digital or paper, are tools for you to prepare for the future. They’re just one thing that you use to get the job done. The rest of it comes from you putting in the time and effort.