Since I have been keeping this blog, people have come to think of me as a scheduling pro. Whether or not this is true, I have tried to answer all the questions posed to me, as I do think I have some insight on related topics. One question that seems to keep coming up, and sometimes it is not so much a question as a frustrated comment, is how to start keeping and how to maintain a day planner. I hear all the time that it is hard to make a habit of writing in and looking at a planner, that it becomes more of a hassle than a help, and that many people just give up after a few days or weeks.
In an attempt to redeem the scheduling tool I hold most dear to my heart, I plan on devoting the next three posts to this very subject. In this first installment we will look at a very common struggle most people have with their planners. This is mostly a problem with developing the habits needed to make a planner worth while, and they can be quite circular. When just starting to use a planner there with be nothing written in it. Because there’s nothing in the planner, most people think it is useless to reference the planner at all during the day. Because these people forget to look at their planners, they also forget to write in them. Thus there is nothing in the planner, and the cycle continues.
Before we start it is important to realize that when you first start using a planner, there will be an awkward few days or even weeks when there is nothing really written in it, nothing worth checking, nothing really to schedule. Because many people do not persist through this phase, they end up giving up on their planner too soon and before it can become useful. To overcome this very common problem, it is first important to understand that this is a temporary state. After a few weeks or even a month your planner will become an integral part of your day-to-day activities. Your planner will keep you on schedule, let you know of upcoming events, and prevent scheduling conflicts. You just need to push through the initial feeling that your planner is not helpful. Believe me, this will change.
Next, it is important to get in the habit of writing things down. If you have nothing written in your planner, it is of no real help to you. In the beginning it is helpful to just write everything down that you think is at all relevant. As time goes on, you will learn what types of things you need to incorporate and which things need not be included.
Lastly, make it a rule (with no exceptions) to look at your planner twice a day: when you get up in the morning and before bed at night. In the beginning there may not be much relevant information to look through, but as time progresses it will become important to keep track of what is getting written down. Making a point to read about upcoming events, tasks, and projects is crucial in coming to see the importance of your planner, and thus ultimately crucial to maintaining it.
This week give your new years resolution to be more organized and on top of things another try. Buy a day planner, and commit yourself to really trying to make it work. Start out by trying this week’s tips, and stay tuned for better ones to come. Click here for your two minutes of procrastination.
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