Nothing To Plan? Here Are Some Ideas!

When people talk about their planner, or carry it around with them all the time, you might wonder what’s so important that they need to have a planner at all? Well, yes, some people live busier lives than others, or they might have appointment heavy schedules that they need to keep track of. In my opinion, planning is a way of life. It’s a way of keeping the information in your head organized (by writing it down) so that you can focus on important tasks in the moment. If you are a seasoned planner, and are looking for further inspiration, look no further! If you are new to planning, and want some ideas to start, then read on!

IDEA #1: Appointments

This seems to be the main thing that would be in a planner, right? You might have a job where you meet with clients and you need to keep track of times, so you might want to write it down on an hourly schedule. You might have your own business, and you might meet with people for a variety of things, so a weekly planner works great. Or, if you are a stay at home parent, and want to keep track of doctors appointments, school functions, etc., you might also want to write down all of the important dates.

IDEA #2: Tracking/Routines

Believe it or not, some people dedicate an entire planner (or section of their planner) to routines, and tracking habits, moods, etc… The sky is the limit here. You might want to start a new habit or routine, and the best way to maintain (and keep track) is by writing down when you do it every day (or scheduling time in your day to do it). Routines are great for anyone - it gives more structure to your day and allows you to become more productive. The more times you do something, the easier it becomes and eventually, you’ll remember what needs to be done on your own, and you become super quick at doing it. (Hence, saving time, energy and possibly even money).

IDEA #3: Goals

Creating goals is hard, but to do it properly, you should write it down. Once you break that goal down into the smaller tasks and steps and habits that will help you to accomplish it, you can start tracking them in your tracker/routine section! Having a place for goals is necessary so you can start taking action on getting that much closer to your dreams. Having this information in one spot allows you to keep it safe, instead of looking for that random sticky note you might have left on your work desk. Once you cross off an accomplishment, it gives you a sense of completion and validation that you can achieve things when you put your mind to it.

IDEA #4: Lists

If you keep your grocery list in your planner, you won’t be wondering how or when your toddler managed to take it off the fridge. Seriously, keep a running grocery or task list in your planner, and your brain will thank you. It’s helpful to have a spot to jot things down as you go; it’s a constant brain dump. Then, when it’s time to go pick up your groceries, or do the next task on the list, it’s there in front of you. Again, this is open to any type of list you can imagine. (Projects, grocery list, books to be read, books read, tv. shows to watch, dreams, goals, things to buy, etc…)

IDEA #5: Meal Planning

Any number of people might want to plan out their meals, not just stay at home parents. It is proven to save you money, instead of randomly buying takeout or wandering through the grocery store, buying whatever looks good in the moment because you are hungry. (Note: Don’t shop when you’re hungry)! It’s nice to have a solid plan on food during the course of the week or month - it also relieves the pressure/stress/anxiety of having to figure out what your next meal is going to be, because you’ve already determined that. This is good, especially if you cook for other people. Keep a copy in your planner and on the fridge so your family knows what to expect for the upcoming week.

IDEA #6: Finances/Budget

If you have your budget on you (or in your planner), it’s super easy to keep track of bill payments and expenses at all times. If you are worried about having financial information in a planner which you take out of the house, keep it in a separate planner that stays on your desk. You might also be the treasurer at your job, or in charge of finances, so again, keep the information secure in your planner. (This is why some people choose to have a work planner and a personal planner). You can keep track of your weekly or monthly budget (depending on when you get paid), expenses, sinking funds and cash envelopes (if you use cash). You can even carry cash envelopes in your planner with you as you go, and have it function as a wallet at the same time. You can use envelopes to hold receipts to track later if you want to as well.

IDEA #7: School/Studying

If you’re in school, a planner is a great way to keep track of assignments, dates, study sessions and papers. (Trust me, I wish I had a Franklin Planner when I was in university)! Then again, I might have spent more time making my planner look pretty than studying for school! If you have children, you might want to keep track of their upcoming assignments and tests, or even school functions. If your child needs tutoring, you can keep the tutors contact information in this section along with the dates they’ll be working with your child. If you have young children, you can write down their spelling words, and reading and writing goals throughout the school year.

IDEA #8: Project Planning

This ties into goals, but you could have a separate area to brainstorm ideas for certain projects that you want to tackle. You can use note paper to write down lists of things you need to buy for your project, or a timeline of when you need to finish it by. There might be lists for things to do before, during and after the project is completed, and contact information for people that might be helping with the project. It’s great to have a project section in your planner, especially if your work is mostly project work (i.e contractors).

IDEA #9: Health/Medical Information

Besides for the obvious dentist and doctor appointments (these could go into your schedule), you can keep track of self-care, and mental and physical health. You might be caring for an elderly parent or a sick child. You will need to write down medical and doctor information, when to take prescriptions, etc… Mental health may include therapist appointments, set journaling times for example. Physical may include times to get in movement, whether that’s simply walking or dancing, or going to a gym. You might want to keep track of your supplements and vitamins, and other medication. A lot of people forget to take care of themselves, so scheduling time for self-care is important too. These are things like dentist appointments, bubble baths, “Me” - time, mani/pedi appointments, hair appointments, getting together with friends. Different types of journaling can be seen as self care - planning, bullet journaling, healing journeys, self-improvement courses, and seminars. Don’t forget to schedule in reading too! The list can go on and on!

Thank you for taking the time to read today’s blog. I hope this list gave you some ideas and inspiration on how (and what) you can plan for! Here’s to planning! May it make you a more organized and productive person!

Cheers!

Sandra