I don't know what I would do without my planner. It is my life. Lol jk. Actually not kidding.... because it literally contains my life in it!
This year I began using the Day Designer by Whitney English and I love it! I've never felt more organized and I have a few tips and tricks I use to balance a busy schedule. Watch the video to see how the Day Designer works, and all my tips are written below! Enjoy!
MY PLANNING TIPS:
1. Make It A Habit to Refer To Your Planner Every Day
When I wake up in the first thing I do is glance at my planner to make sure I know what the day ahead of me looks like and to make sure I'm not forgetting somewhere I need to be. I like to flip through my planner and read the daily quote as I'm having my breakfast or coffee. Also, I look at my planner every night before I go to bed and roughly plan out my schedule and "to do" list. for the next day.
2. Be Detailed But Not TOO Detailed
You want your schedule to be detailed enough to keep you on track, but not so detailed that you get overwhelmed!
3. Should I Use Pen or Pencil?
Well, I think it depends. I like how pen is more formal, so important things that I'm pretty certain won't change, I write in pen. For things that are less formal (i.e.- daily to do lists, reminders, un-confirmed appointments) I write in pencil.
4. Color Coding
Color coding can be a great way for you to quickly visualize and sort through your schedule. For example, on my "month at a glance" page, I highlight my work hours in pink and highlight golf tournaments in green. It helps keep those important times from getting lost in a page of black ink or pencil!
5. Use Key Words and Abbreviations
You already have a busy schedule, you don't want to waste more time writing our long names, formal sentences, and unnecessarily lengthy words. If you're close with a friend, write their nickname!
For example:
Don't write: Coffee with Katherine at Starbucks at 4:00 P.M.
Do Write: Coffee w/ Kat @ 4pm
6. Check/Cross Off Things as They Get Completed
This isn't necessary, but checking things off you're list does make you feel accomplished!
7. Leave Yourself Inspirational Quotes & Notes!
The Day Designer has a daily quote at the top of every page, but I even like to jot down any cool quote I see so I can have it in a place I'll see. On my note pages of my planner I like to write Bible verses, quotes, and sayings that inspire me.
And that's it! Those are my top planning tips and tricks using my Day Designer! I hope you all found this post helpful, and hopefully these tips can help you get more organized and feel less stressed!
SHOP THE DAY DESIGNER:
Beautiful planner!
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