How to use a daily planner in a fun and efficient way.

Hey Sleuths!

So I did a bit of investigative research and asked 32 people around me if they use a daily planner and how do they use it? 

These are the results: *Clears throat for effect*

24 said that they do use a planner but of those 24 only 19 stick to using a planner 'cos the other 5 felt like writing down plans was a tedious chore. 

"Hmmm, interesting," I pondered. 

While the number 32 is a drop in the ocean compared to millions and millions of people who do use a planner and some who use it but in a redundant way, my investigation still reflected people's thoughts on using a notebook to jot down tasks. 

This simply means that there are people who don't use a planner (shocking I know) and some who do but find it mundane. 

All of this now brings me back to me and what I think of using a planner.

If you look at me now, I’m sitting at my desk with my right arm raised. (Well…that’s after I typed the sentence out.)

You may frown at my confusing, somewhat ludicrous gesture but that won’t be for long. As I’m about to answer your question…

The reason my arm is raised is because I asked myself…“Jade, please put up your right hand if you CANNOT live without a daily planner…”

And there you have it. This is true BTW. I simply cannot imagine life without my planner, the one thing that keeps me sane when there’s a million things around me that needs to get done. 

This is the daily planner I use.

I’m sure there’s tons of you out there that are in the same boat - working mums, stay-at-home mums, bossbabes, employees, students, entrepreneurs, creators etc that are dependant on the planner. Or maybe you haven't realized the full potential and magic of having a planner for a smoother and productive day / week / month…year.

Let’s face it, this is a fast-paced world we are living in! We have 24 hours in day and if you subtract the average amount of sleep a person gets, which is 6 or 7 hours you are left with 17 and 18 hours of being awake.

17 and 18 are a lot of hours sleuths! But for many people these hours go by in a flash what with showers, taking care of kids, making breakfast, lunch and supper, checking emails, networking online, exercising, working, checking social media, working, more social media, even more working, driving home, cleaning, and finally maybe half an hour to relax…on social media.

Before you know it, it’s time to sleep. With so much going on in the world and so much to do, it’s very easy to get distracted and have your brain muddled.

Image Via Giphy.com

 I’ve heard loads of people, myself included, who are constantly asking, “What did I have to do today?” Or the famous, “What was I supposed to get?” or “Which child was I supposed to pick up from school again?”

Then there’s the common but oh such a classic, “Oh damn! I forgot to do that today! I must remember to do it tomorrow!” (And then tomorrow comes and you say the same thing.)

So unless you are someone who spends all of your day watching re-runs of Friends you are going to NEED a planner!

A planner is a great way to be efficient, organise your thoughts and get all your tasks done. It’s also a tremendous help for those who are goal – orientated as it can keep you focused and on track of each day you progress.

(And that’s what we want, anything that can aid us in achieving our desires.)

Unfortunately, plenty of people look at a planner in a negative light but it doesn’t have to be so.

There are fun ways to use your planner and I’m about to show you how.

The first thing you will write in your planner is:

All of your tasks that you need to do for the next day.

Depending on time and energy consumption of each task, try and limit them to a list of 1 – 5 per day as you don’t want to overwhelm and stress yourself!

Now the reason for writing down your tasks (as opposed to memorising them or even keeping it on a digital notepad app which works too but I prefer the old fashioned hand written method) is because writing and seeing your words will give you a more visual effect, hence you won’t easily forget.

BUT, I’m sure that writing down those tasks can sometimes be a damper if you’re not looking forward to doing it.

What you can do is, (and this is what I do) write down your tasks and then put something fun next to it.

For example the other day I wrote:

NEED TO VACUUM THE HOUSE AFTER WORK.

(Like seriously, who is going to look forward to that after 9 freakn' hours at the office?)

So after I stated it in my to do list, I put a small piece of positive advise on. Like:

NEED TO VACUUM THE HOUSE AFTER WORK. (But I will put on my earphones and listen to Little Mix playlist while doing the chore!)

In that way, I didn't feel so sluggish about vacuuming because I knew I'de get a chance to listen to my favourite girl band. Yay!

This is also something you can do to help complete your less enjoyable duties.

Or you could write encouraging notes next to your task.

Example – This is what I jotted down the other day:

WRITE, EDIT, SHOPPING, EXERCISE, EDIT.  And then I cheered myself on by stating: ‘Gal, you got this!’

Sometimes I will even write 'It’s going to be a day to SLAY!' 

It might sound cheesy but those little words of optimism and affirmations can really brighten up a dreary to do list and make you want to fulfil your tasks.

You can write anything you want to but try and keep it to a single sentence or two. You can even write down  your favourite quotes for your mood of each day. (Who doesn't love quotes?!)

Other times I like to write something quirky or funny with the intent of making me smile. Like if I have to clean the kitchen the next day then I will state on my planner:

CLEAN KITCHEN AFTER WORK - 'I’m going to do it better than Monica Gellar!' (Which, if you’re a Friends fan you’ll get what I'm saying.)

These are all little hints and tips that has worked beautifully for me and that you can follow for yourself in order to have a more effective and playful way of organising your planner.

Oh, and there’s one more thing I want to mention!

Even if I’m feeling down I will ink it…but in a positive light.

Example: ‘I’m not feeling well so screw the world, I will rest, but soon I'll be ready to take over again!’

In this way your daily planner not only becomes a task page, but it also plays a role in being your “diary”. 
If you reference back on the days, you will see the things you genuinely felt, the mood you were in, the progress you made etc.

Also note that a planner should be used to state the fun things you are going to do too. (It can’t be all work and no play.)

Even if those “fun” things are just watching your favourite series from 6 – 7pm or reading or having a glass of wine while knitting, write it down. It will be good to know your planner is filled with work schedules as well as down time. That way you can monitor if your life is balanced or if most days are spent over-working or over-playing.

Now my advise to you is, you should make notes in your planner around bedtime because by then you will know what you need to do for the next day and also you can sleep peacefully knowing that all your thoughts and goals are organised and listed and ready to be performed.

Also when you write your planner out near bedtime, you can glance through what you’ve achieved for the day and if you’ve done your best then that’s good enough!

You can also keep track of your finances on your planner and on the front blank pages you can list your goals and aims for the year. Or if you’re starting a business, jot down a small business plan. Followed by a good motivating quote.

This way you can always open up your planner and be reminded of the amazing path that you are on.

So there you have it. I hope you enjoyed this read and found it useful!

Are you someone who utilises a planner? Comment below and let me know YES and how do you use it or NO and why don’t you use it?

Happy planning everyone!


Katy smiled and sipped on her hot chocolate again. She knew exactly what her next step was going to be...