We’ve all had that gut-wrenching feeling before: the realization that you forgot something important. Whether you’re on the way to the airport for a trip, waking up in the middle of the night and finally remembering that one source you forgot in your bibliography, or being so caught up hanging out with your friends that you forgot you had a quiz due at 5 P.M. The latter is definitely familiar to me. I tried to figure out the answer to the long-standing issue of forgetfulness, and I think this year, I have finally found a method that works.
I began using a planner at the beginning of my freshman year of college, around a year and a half ago. Personally, I use a digital planner on my iPad, but these tips can work for any form of planner you desire.
Step 1: Start With a Reset
It may seem obvious, but if you are serious about beginning your planning journey, you have to start with a clean slate. A reset removes planner guilt and gives you permission to start again, without judgment. If you’ve tried using a traditional, on-paper planner before, and now it’s covered in unfinished to-do lists, toss it aside and use it as an excuse to buy a cute new one (some of my favorites are linked in the section below)! If you want to use your planner digitally, the same rules apply – find a new template that feels like a fresh start for you.
Starting anew will help you decide what kinds of content you want in your planner, whether that’s to-do lists, time blocking, or keeping track of assignments. Once you have your fresh planner, you can plan how you will truly use it. My advice is: don’t get ahead of yourself too early; simply get an idea of how a planner could best help you.
Step 2: Match Its Aesthetic To Yours
One of the most important things when starting to use a planner, whether it’s your first time or your seventh time, is creating a space you want to be in. Having a boring planner, though just as functional as an aesthetic one, can make you dread opening it up.
Personally, I have a theme that encapsulates my personality. I adore Snoopy, so the cover of my planner is a doodle of Snoopy on a laptop. I buy sticker packs of Snoopy online that match each kind of task. For example, I put stickers of Snoopy on a laptop for my homework assignments, and ones of him with shopping bags for errands. This helps me stay organized, and most importantly, makes me excited to open my planner and see his cute little face studying or listening to music!
Some of my absolute favorites:
For the “clean-girl”: simple + cute
For the “romantasy lover”: sweet + enchanted
For my fellow Snoopy lovers: so fun + personal
Step 3: Make Realistic Plans
One of the biggest mistakes you can make while starting to use your planner regularly is stuffing it chock-full. Planning every little detail of your day-to-day life can get super hectic, super fast. I understand wanting to be organized, but come on, no one needs “Get ready for class at 9 A.M.” written down – at that point, you are just writing down tasks only to cross them off.
I try to stick to my biggest tasks of the day. Some days, I only have one or two big things I need to complete, and other times, I have seven things to check off in one day. Only scheduling the biggest parts of my day helped me regulate my schedule and optimize the use of my planner.
Step 4: Live (Hopefully) Stress Free
After you have finished setting up your planner and creating a plan for how you will use it, the most important thing is that you actually commit to using it. Consistency is what turns a planner from a cute accessory into something that supports your day-to-day life.
My final piece of advice is to let your planner work for you. It’s a tool meant to reduce stress, rather than create it. If it gets overwhelming at any point, take a break! It’s completely alright to decide that using a planner isn’t for you, or decide to try to start fresh again.
At the end of the day, it’s important that your planner doesn’t control your life or put unnecessary pressure on you. Using a planner has absolutely helped me be much more organized and stress-free (mostly) – and that’s the goal.