Anatomy of a Planner: The Weekly Spread

The internet is full of planner porn, but none of it is as lovely as a planner in action, complete with notes from the plannerd herself.

So, without further ado, I present an anatomy lesson on the makeup of my current weekly planner spread. (I had a lot of fun creating this visual on my Surface Pro 3 with OneNote).

Feel free to adjust your settings (in Chrome, go to the three horizontal lines to the far right of the http: bar > left click > go to zoom > left click on the + sign) to see the details.

The details (from upper left hand corner, clockwise):

Done/Delete/Defer 

I use little checks, Xs, and arrows to note done, delete, and defer, respectively.

Magnetic Page Marker

I clip the month, the weeks that have already passed, and the current week together for easy access.

A/B/C Columns

A represents the column in the least desirable space, near the rings, for want to do today items.

B represents the column in the middle, for today's should do items.

C represents the column on the edges, with actual dates on it, for must do items. 

TIP: If I go to the ER, I make sure somebody takes care of the C column!

Highlight Completed Tasks

Highlighting makes the undone tasks pop visually.

Non-Deadline Tasks on Sticky

After all, I want to move these easily from week to week.

List of Things Owed

The things might be owed to or from me. This sticky moves and helps me to remember if I happen to see the person.

Menu Plan for the Week

I don't use a lot of the weekend space, so I put my menu plan there.

Context Codes

Next to each task, I mark where it is to be done (phone, house, computer, or errand, in the example above).

Circled Task Repeats

I circle a task if, after I complete it, I need to reschedule it (say, for next week).

Due Dates

I write due dates, including the actual date the task is due, on the last day that I can start to task and still manage to comfortably get it done.

Circle Task Box

I use a circle instead of a box for tasks because a circle takes less time to write.

Past Tasks for Reference

Since I usually only highlight over past tasks, I can read them easily for reference in the future, should a question arise.

For more information on using a planner and getting organized, check out some of my recent and most popular posts (in the right column). Lots of these ideas are explained in more detail there.
Etcetera.