What is a daily planner?

Planners come in a multitude of formats. They allow you to plan different aspects of your life respectively, such as with the help of work planners, financial planners, or health and fitness planners.

Planners also come in different time formats, allowing you to plan and get an overview of your time over the course of a year, a month, a week, or one day at a time.

A daily planner allows you to plan, break down and organise your time and tasks at hand on a daily basis. With a page or section allocated to each day in your planner, you have the space and ability to be more detail-oriented and plan your schedule an hour at a time, and to power through your day with manageable to-do lists.

What does a daily planner do?

Starting a daily planner, where you can break your day down by the hour and into daily to-do-lists can allow you to be more efficient and productive. Looking at longer to-do-lists or looking at tasks you have to complete over a week or month can be daunting and stir some anxiety.

A daily planner keeps you calm, organized, and allows you tackle one day at a time. Planning the coming day the night before requires a short 10 minutes, making it efficient and hassle-free.

Using a daily planner also allows you to keep track of tasks or a schedule that is prone to change and shifting around. You can review your days in more detail, to slot in impromptu dinner plans, urgent meetings, or a trip to the grocery store wherever you think is practical.

How do you use a daily planner?

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If you are planning to get your hands on a daily planner and you are not sure how to maximise it, here are 3 simple tips you can follow to make planning all the more efficient.

Plan beforehand

Before the end of your day, spend a quick 10 minutes to look over the tasks you had on hand for the day. In this review, tick-off completed tasks and re-allocate uncompleted tasks to the next day. Ticking off-completed tasks will give you a sense of accomplishment, and being able to re-allocate uncompleted tasks practically will put your mind at ease. Daily planning also gives you a head-start for the coming day, and allows you to go to bed knowing exactly what you have coming.

Colour-code

Colour-code plans and tasks on your daily schedule using different colours for family, work, leisure, commitments or priority level. Differentiating as such will help you organize quicker and give you a sense of how your day is going to play out. If you foresee a plan or task shifting around, use a sticky note instead!

Spruce it up!

Don’t be afraid to decorate and spruce up your daily planner with more colour. Use sticky notes, highlighters, and markers to your fancy. Record daily affirmations along with your schedule and daily tasks for motivation. Personalise and customise your daily planner to your liking.

Is a daily planner worth it?

A daily planner gives you the flexibility to set a comfortable pace for yourself. Instead of overwhelming yourself with your schedule and tasks over the week or the month, you have the ability to organize, prioritize and allocate your responsibilities on a daily calendar. Using a daily planner guides you in more streamlined and focused manner, allowing you to plan a practical schedule and complete tasks efficiently.

Finding the right fit in a planner might require some trial and error. While weekly or monthly planners allow you to have a long-term, general overview of your upcoming commitments and errands, daily planners give you the chance to plan and go about your days in a more detailed, organized manner. Set 10 minutes aside everyday to plan the next, and power through the day with efficient time management and productively!