Maximizing the Power of the Middle of the Planner

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When you open your planner, does it serve you? Is the information that is most important right there, in front of your eyes?

If not, change it.

The space in the middle of your daily or weekly spread is a great place to track things that need to be on your radar, but that are ongoing and not specific to that day or week.

First, get a page marker for sticking any post-it note lists. 

(I like these sticky notes in particular, as pictured above, because they are post-its, because are thin and long and fit well on a page marker. Regular-sized post-its are just too wide.)

Lists that are great for the today marker?

Work Schedule

Time Sheets

Things to Buy Soon 

Home Cleaning Schedule

Things Pending

Items Owed To or From You

Due Dates (Upcoming)

Second, cut lists (using colored paper) and hole-punch so that you have staggered task lists based on context.

If you click over to that older post above, you'll see that I changed the width of the context lists so that my actual tasks for today are on the left side of my daily spread and my notes about today have plenty of room to the right of the context lists.

Some Ideas for Contexts?

Home

Work

Computer

Errands

School

Phone

Workouts

If you prefer, this area could be used for other things, like tracking calories, workouts, or goals.

Third, consider the layout and what the middle section will hide. Avoid hiding the stuff you won't look for!

I have my daily pages set up so that I see tasks and notes about tasks.

I will ALWAYS look for my schedule, so it's okay if that is hidden occassionally.

However, the main thing I am hiding is my prep list for leaving the house. Obviously, when I get ready to leave, I will look at the list. It's a habit of mine.

Be careful if you are not yet in the habit of looking at your prep list. Wait until you are in the habit to hide it.

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Etcetera.

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