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Do you ever feel like your life is unorganized? Are you missing important appointments or events? Is your family not all on the same page when it comes to things going on in your life? Do you wish you had one place for all the important tasks, events, and appointments? If you answered yes to any of those questions, you may need to start using a daily or weekly planner!

I am absolutely stunned when I hear that people don’t have a planner. How do they function? How do they keep up with their life? How do they not over-plan or over-book their schedule?  

It’s not that I have such a hectic schedule, but as I’ve said before, I am a list-maker. I feel like having a planner is a form of a list, just a long ongoing list. It helps me keep track of everything from bill due dates to doctor’s appointments to days we have planned with friends. It helps me keep my life organized, but more importantly, it helps me to keep my stress levels down and keep up with the most important things in my life. 

The planner and calendar are such a big aspect of our lives that my husband always texts me or calls me before he makes plans or agrees to extra days at work. He knows that everything we have going on is in that planner, and I’m the keeper of it (LOL)!

The main reason I cannot live without my planner is that it keeps my life organized, and makes sure that I do not miss anything important. Are you wondering if you need to start using a daily planner? Below are 7 benefits of using a daily planner. 

My favorite planner is The Happy Planner. It comes with super fun stickers and has many positive sayings throughout the planner. I love to deck out my planner and make it fun! You can also buy more stickers to be as creative as you want! It also has plenty of room for me to write down everything I have going on.

Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up.

A. A. Milne

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What Type of Planner Should I Use?

Digital planners are great for those of you who work better on your phones or a tablet. There are plenty of great apps you can use to organize and plan your day to day life. The calendar on your phone is also a great option to keep track of your daily schedule.

A paper planner is a great idea for those of you who (like me) like to write down everything. Pen to paper help me remember things, so that is usually my go-to! I love to write down everything I need to go for a certain day, including my daily to-do lists so that everything is in one place. 

Not sure which option is best for you? Try them both! I have done this, and I realized that I can keep up with a paper planner better than I can a planner on my phone.

Related Post: 5 Steps to Minimize and Reduce Digital Clutter

 What SHould I Write in My Planner?

A planner is where you put all of the important things that you don’t want or need to forget.

• Important events
• To keep track of appointments
• Daily Tasks
• Work schedule or obligations
• Kid’s schedule, sports, etc.
• Social life events
• To-Do lists

These are just a few examples of things that you can write in your daily planner. Honestly, the best part about writing in your planner is that you get to make it your own. You deem what is important enough to want to keep track of, and that is what needs to be written down. 

I keep track of different things throughout the year depending on what’s going on in my personal life. 

What are the Benefits of Keeping a Daily PLanner?

1. Never Miss Due Dates or Appointments

​Have you ever missed a due date for a bill for something important? Have you ever missed an appoinment and had to reschedule? A great way to try and make sure this never happens again is by using a daily planner! 

Whether it is due dates for my bills or my library books, I am never unaware of due dates! Whenever I get a new planner, I take the time to put in the due dates for all my bills and bank drafts. This way, I know when I need to pay something or when the money will be drafted out of my bank. I am never caught off guard by a payment, and I never get late fees for being behind on my payments.

When I was in college, my planner was a lifesaver so many times. At the beginning of the semester, I would always put all my due dates and test dates in my planner. This helped me to keep track of everything, with four different classes, it definitely gets overwhelming at times. 

 Whether it is important doctor’s appointments, an appointment with an important client, or a coffee date with a close friend, you will never miss one again! As soon as I make an appointment for anything I immediately write it down in my planner. I write the time and the location of where the appointment is so that I know exactly where I need to be and when. Sometimes, if I have a lot going on, I will highlight the appointments in my planner so that I do not overlook them.

2. Helps with Time Management

Sometimes it feels like there isn’t enough time in the day to get everything done. Although I feel like this more than I should, I know that there is plenty of time to get everything done, if I plan my days accordingly.

By using a daily planner, I can evaluate my time and make a plan for the day to use my time appropriately. I can schedule time to get the different tasks on my to-do list done, schedule time for appointments, events, or anything else that needs to be done that day. 

By blocking out the time on your planner for each of the things you need to do means that you won’t be overbooked, and there should be plenty of time to accomplish everything you need to do!

Related Post: Simple Life: De-Cluttering Your Home, Mind, and Life

3. Keep Up With Other People’s Lives

So this one might sound strange, but it’s something I love to do. When my friends and family tell me about things they have going on, I like to write it down. If I don’t write it down, I  may forget about it because we all have a lot going on in our lives. Is someone having surgery? I write it down. Is someone going out of town? I write it down.

This way, I can call them and tell them that I hope everything goes well or to have fun! Sometimes a little thing like remembering what someone told you can brighten their day. 

I like to keep up with things going on the people’s lives around me and this is the best way to do it. 

For every minute spent organizing, an hour is earned.

Benjamin Franklin

4. Keep Up With Other Important Dates & Events & Everything in Between

There is usually always something going on! Activities, birthdays, and more.

I love to search social media for events and fun things going on in my hometown and surrounding areas. I will write in my planner the festivities that I want to go to. I write down their dates and times so that I don’t forget!

Birthdays are also another important date to keep up with your planner. Facebook is great at reminding us whose birthday is today, but how many of us pay attention to that? (I know I don’t). I put the birthdays in my planner that are important to me so that I never forget to wish a friend or family member a happy birthday! I also go through the school planners when they come out and add important dates to my planner. 

If you don’t want to write this in the daily section of your planner, the monthly section is perfect for writing birthdays and events. I don’t always like to take up space in my daily section for an event that I may not get to attend. 

Most planners have a section for contacts, notes, to-do lists, and more. I love this! I can keep EVERYTHING in one place! I don’t have to keep all my bajillion different lists together because they’re already together in my planner. My planner even has a little pocket to keep loose pieces of paper in for all the other lists I make throughout the day (I’m telling you- I make a lot! Lol). It’s a great feeling to be able to have everything I need in one place. 

5. Helps With Being More Productive

Whether you need to be more productive at home, at work, or both, a planner can help you meet that goal. We all want to be more productive in our professional life to be able to work more efficiently, meet goals, and not fall behind on our work duties. Many of us feel the same way about our productivity at home. 

To be more productive at home, block out time for chores that you need to get done. Make sure to block out time and write down the chores you need to get done and the errands that you need to run. Writing things down like your errands, laundry day, time for meal planning, and cleaning the house will make sure that you don’t forget and that you have the time to do them.

Productive people have a plan, and they make sure they utilize their time wisely.

6. There Are Health Benefits

Are there really health benefits to using a daily planner? The answer is, absolutely! Using a planner can health tremendously with your mental health. You will spend less time worrying about remembering all the things you have going on in your life because they will all be written in one place.

Using a daily planner will allow you to pencil in time for your physical health by making time for going to the gym, taking the dog for a walk (vitamin D!), or doing an at-home workout. You can also plan for doctor’s appointments, dentist appointments, and other needed yearly check-ups. Don’t forget to schedule self-care activities as well! 

What I love most about using a daily planner is that is creates less stress for me. I’m able to open my planner and know what’s going on for the day, week, or month. If you have a busy schedule, this will definitely make your life a little less stressful. 

7. Can Help YOu Reach Your Goals and Feel Accomplished

We all have short-term and long-term goals. We have personal goals and goals we set for ourselves at work and other parts of our lives as well. By using a planner, you can achieve these goals quicker! 

You can use free time in your planner to block time to work towards your goals! 

You will also feel accomplished by being more productive with your time and having better time management skills. 

Using a planner will allow you to notice that you are getting the things done that you need to and making progress towards your important goals. 

Related Post: 91 Lists to Make to Get Organized When You Are Overwhelmed

Having a planner can also help you see the big picture. You can see days, weeks, and months in advance. You can tell what will be going on in your life and this calms me. I can tell that I am going to have some free days, free time, and free weekends, so when I am busy, I know that my life will be slowing down soon. 

I hope you will start keeping a planner from now on! They are amazing and will help you keep your life organized and keep your stress level down.

Do you have a favorite planner that you love to use? I would love to know about it. I love to check out new planners to see if there is something better out there for me!

Until next time,

Catherine