Hand’s up if you ever forget to use your planner. Sometimes? Often?
*hand up* Yup even as a dedicated planner addict and blogger, I forget to use my planner from time to time and that never ends well.
Well I am here to help you set up some simple ways to make sure that daily planning becomes a habit and how I have managed to keep is in my routine.
Home for Your Planner
Having a dedicated space that your planner returns to every night or when it is not in use is a great place to start. Getting into the routine of putting you planner in one place on a evening means that you will always know where you planner is.
However, don’t limit yourself to one home for your planner. Because you move around the world and your planner needs to move with you. So the best thing to do is to create dedicated places for when you are moving around.
Create a space in your bag for when you head out to the shops or work. Next to your spot on the sofa while you are chilling out to the latest episode of your guilty pleasure. Or anywhere you tend to stop and take notes or stop and think about your day.
If you work at a desk having your planner nearby and open will ensure that use it and refer to it. It will also ensure that you are making the most out of it helping you live your best life. And making sure that all your shit is getting done!
Make it part of your routine
You may have seen a few posts ago that I posted what my morning and evening routine and my planner is part of those routines. If you can incorporate looking at you planner into your planner it will become second nature and you won’t forget it.
Whatever your daily routine is try to associate it with using your planner. A nightly glass of wine? Look at your planner. Put baby down for nap? Look at your planner.
Couple a pleasant habit that you are already doing with a bit of dedicated planner time. This is one of the easiest ways to get you use your planner everyday. I sit down on a morning with my planner and see what I am going to get done that day.
This way I am ready for the day and know what I am going to get accomplished that day.
Set an Alarm
Sometimes you need an external push to get you into the routine of checking your planner. Yes, that means creating a pain point to make you do the things your suppose to do.
If you are having a problem with getting into the routine of checking your planner then, set a phone alarm reminder around mid morning and mid-afternoon to remind you to check your planner.
This will make you stop and look at your planner whenever that alarm goes off. Take 5-10 mins to go through your tasks and make sure that you are on track for the day.
Let it get on your nerves. Let yourself sigh or roll your eyes every time that alarm goes off. But once you have checked your planner give yourself a treat for doing the action.
I hope that these tricks help you keep on top of your planner and make sure that you are kicking your to-do lists butt!
