How to Use A Planner to the Fullest (With Added Tips for ADHD)
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Imagine this. You buy a planner every year. You start using it, and it is great, but then something changes. Maybe you get busy, forget to write something down, and give up on the planner. Whatever it is, it has probably happened to me. I give up on my planners. But not anymore.Â
For over a year, I have been using a planner consistently, and I think I know why!
To learn my tips, tricks, and recommendations, keep on reading. Because I know what it feels like to buy a planner year after year, only to give up because it feels like a waste.Â
I promise you, by the end of this post, you will know exactly how to use your planner to keep your whole life organized and never feel behind again.Â
This post is all about how to use a planner.
Choose the Right Planner for Your Life
You might think that having a planner in general is more important than choosing the right planner for you, but you would be wrong. Depending on how big or small you write, how you think, how detailed you want to be, and how far in advance you’d like to plan, there is a planner made for you.
I had a weekly planner, but I realized I couldn’t fit everything I wanted to write in it. So I switched to a daily planner. But you might not need to write out individual steps of tasks as I do. You may just want to write down the macro tasks you need to do, and you will complete all the requirements beforehand to get the task done.
There are also digital planners. While there are great digital planners, I do not use one. I will leave the digital version of the planner I use down below because I love the paper planner.
I think with the rise of newer and newer technologies, I try to move more and more analog.
If you have big handwriting, make sure you get a planner with large lines or an unlined one.
If you like to plan more than a few months in advance, in case you forget something, get a year-long planner.
If you want to pick up the planner at different times of the year when you need it, get an undated planner.
If you have small handwriting, don’t get a super bulky planner, so you can save some space and not feel overwhelmed by trying to fill it out completely. A Hobonichi might be a great choice for you!
If you want one place to keep all your important information, get a planner with note pages or extra organizational pages.
If you like to make a to-do list all the time, find a planner with to-do lists for each month or one that has a to-do list for each day.
Honestly, if you can’t decide on a planner, get one that is medium-sized and has medium detail. Try to find the 6-month version to try it out first. You might find that a monthly planner with a few extra pages is all you need. You might realize you love the medium planner and stick to it. Or you might want to be even more detailed and get the daily planner.
Here’s a great planner for people who want to try out a super Type A planner. I have never been Type A, but after I started using this brand, I have seen a huge difference in my life.
I’m leaving the undated one linked so you can use it at any time. I love The Dailee’s year-long daily planner. It has amazing extra pages which keep you super organized. You don’t even realize my love affair with this planner. It includes my garden plans, cleaning schedule, birthdays, gift organizer, and goals.
If you want to save a little bit of money, here is the digital version:
I am sure these digital planners are amazing because Sophia Lee and her team have done such a great job. I trust them wholeheartedly.
Section 2: Set Up Your Planner for Success
Setting up your planner is almost as important as choosing one that fits you. Here is my step-by-step organization guide to setting your planner up for productivity.
- Start by filling in your loved one’s birthdays on the monthly and weekly pages of your planner. This might be a good time to sit down with your mom, favorite aunt, or sibling to get your family’s birthdays. Or find a close friend to help you find all of your friends’ birthdays.
2. Then go through and add any big events for the year. Any weddings, vacations, PTO days, days you’ll be off work, etc.
3. Now add deadlines, where applicable. When do you need to sign up for classes, finish a project, do your taxes, deep clean a space in your home, etc.? Then choose days when you like to work on those things. Give yourself adequate time. At the very least, break each task into a few days or weeks so you’re reminded of what you need to get done!
For example, on February 25th, I gather all my tax documents together. Then, in March, I start working on filing.
4. Set quarterly goals. What do you want to get done in the first 3 months of the year, the second 3 months, etc.? Write them down at the top of each monthly layout.
Write all of Q1 goals at the top of January, February, and March’s monthly layouts. All of Q2 goals at the top of April, May, and June, and so on and so forth.
Then get slightly more granular and set reminders for specific days to complete tasks that will help you reach those goals. Small things that can be completed in under 30 minutes.
Then go a little more macro and set big reminders of your goals on weekend pages. Find a few weekends during that quarter when you will be completely free, and give yourself one big task for each weekend.
If your goals are more about consistency, consider using a habit tracker or the one provided in your planner.
5. Fill in any appointments. If you have any lunch plans, doctor’s appointments, hair appointments, etc. Fill all those in. Make sure you move anything that overlaps.
6. Finally, give yourself free days. I like to give myself one day a month to spend at least 5 hours without any tech. I can read, draw, and play a card game, but I cannot listen to music, scroll on TikTok, or listen to a podcast. It shouldn’t feel super productive. It should feel like the time you get to be alone and spend time with yourself.
7. (Optional) Go through and color-code everything you’ve done with highlighters. Choose 6 different highlighters and make sure to include a key.
Honestly. The Dailee’s planners kinda walk you through everything to do. They have everything you need to be super organized. I highly recommend their planners. I cannot rave about them enough.
Create a Daily Routine With Your Planner
When you first get to work, at the breakfast table, or while you’re waiting for your lecture to start, spend a few minutes setting up your planner for the day or the next day.
I am a teacher, so when I have a few free minutes, I plan how much time I will spend grading, when I will work on my to-do list, and when I have class.
My best suggestion is time blocking, but not in the way you’re thinking. Don’t give yourself time for individual tasks. Give yourself time to work on your to-do list. Every day, I move things over that I didn’t finish the previous day (or relocate them to a better day) and think through that day and the next to figure out what I need to get done. I add all of those things to my list.
Every once in a while, take a few minutes to reflect on what worked and what didn’t. Ask yourself how you can fix it for the next day or for the future.
Don’t be too detailed to make it overwhelming; keep it simple at first. Now I am super detailed because that is what has made me the most productive. I like to know every detail of what it takes to get a project or task done. I like to write down that I need to check my email, write on my whiteboard, and fill up my water bottle.
I know this seems crazy, but it has honestly changed my life. As someone with ADHD, knowing I can take 30 minutes every few weeks to plan out the big parts of life has set my mind at ease. It has taken so many decisions out of my day-to-day routine. I know I can just follow the list and it will be okay.
If you’re really struggling to write a list and stick to it. Try out this visual timer. This is an affiliate link, but I am obsessed. I have a huge one in my classroom, and my students love it as well. It is so nice to look over and see how much time you have left to finish your task. You don’t have to read the numbers; you can just see the color fade, indicating that time is passing.
Here’s the one I use in my classroom:
And here is the one I use at home:
Set a timer for things you don’t want to do. Don’t set a timer for things you love. You’d think it would have the opposite effect of neutralizing the timer, but honestly, it makes it worse.
When I set my timer for one hour and try to get as much stuff as possible done from my list, I am more productive than you could ever imagine. I know that there is a set end time and that when the timer is over I can stop. It has changed the game for me. Of course, you can also do this with your phone, but it feels more concrete using a physical timer.
Maximize Your Planner With Fun Extras
Now, of course, you can add stickers, quotes, and doodles that keep your planner fun and exciting. I found it overwhelming and stressful to keep up with.
Instead, I try to fill it up with fun things to do. I add things like “make a batch of cookies” on a random Tuesday in the middle of the month. Or “spend 30 minutes on skincare” on a Friday of a long week. Add little things that bring you joy.
Here is a list of things you can add:
-
Have a picnic
- Make a new recipe
- Buy a new candle
- Watch XYZ movie
- Go to the movies
- Have a game night with friends
- Get a fun drink
- Text an old friend
How to Stick With a Planner: Make It a Habit
Keep your planner with you at all times. Keep it wherever you spend the most time at home. Have it available to reference or to write down something you don’t want to forget.
Keep your planner visible and accessible. Watch videos of how other people use their planners. Make it satisfying to use.
Notice how much more productive you are when you use it consistently. Try to fill it even on slow weeks. But give yourself grace to have blank space. Just add one thing every day. Reference it at least once a week to remind you of the things you need to do.
Add your meals to it so you’re forced to use it to see what you have planned.
When you add fun things to it, you give yourself permission to have fun because you set out to do it beforehand. It also makes the planner more exciting.
Conclusion
To recap, with the right planner, proper setup, and a daily routine, you will find success. You don’t need to be perfect; you just need to try to be consistent.
If you miss a day or two, no problem. Don’t get caught up in filling up every page. It isn’t necessary! You just need to use it as much as possible.
Make it part of your routine to take out your planner and open it up to the day. Keep it out wherever you spend the majority of your time, probably at your desk or workspace, and add things as you think of them. Don’t worry about forgetting something, because you will remember and take notes as you go through your day. You’ll start to think farther into the future, and then you’ll be able to worry only about today.
Grab your planner and try out these tips today! I promise it’ll change your life.
Let me know how you use your planner! What do you look for in the perfect planner for you? What planners do you use?
Have a great day!
