In a digital age, I’m the person who believes that a planner is a necessity. Planners are highly underrated and underappreciated. I’ve never been able to truly catch on to the idea of an electronic calendar, for all the times my technological devices have failed me. On a normal school day, I will never be found without my planner. I’m someone who needs to see my entire week planned out, so that I can see the best times to run that errand, meet up with a friend for lunch, or have some downtime to catch up on Netflix. Whatever it may be, my planner helps me keep my busy, hectic, college student life as organized as it can possibly be.
I’m a nerd, so I actually get excited to head downtown to OfficeMax to go planner shopping. In high school the small planners worked, but in college I use an 8.5 by 11 inch one, which is laid out by the hour on each day of the week. I have seen my time management skills become more efficient by using my planner. I’ve become more productive because using a planner makes it easier to know where I need to be when, especially if there are unique or unusual additions to a routine. I am less likely to forget any commitments I’ve made that day, and more likely to be on time to where I need to be if I’m able to write them down.
With all that we’ve got going on in life, having either a hardcopy or electronic planner can come in handy in more ways than one. For example, I use my planner to see when I last had a dentist appointment, so that I make sure to schedule one for the future at the recommended time. If I need to see where I was the Tuesday before last, all I do is flip a few pages and I’m there. With a planner, I’m able to schedule out trips and vacations, making sure that I don’t accidently plan something during that time that would cause a time conflict.
Having a planner makes me feel less overwhelmed. With the style of planner I use, I recommend At-A-Glance, I’m able to write down my events for each day of each week. It may be overwhelming at first, but when I see what needs to be accomplished at what time, I’m able to compartmentalize to get things done. That being said, we all interpret and handle information differently. There are many options for staying organized; there is not correct or “right” option. Try seeing what works best for you and go from there! Make your planner your own through personalization, color, theme, design, and more! You can visit your local office supply store or order a planner online, or DIY and get crafty to make one unique to you. Use this link to start looking at some options!