If you use a planner, you probably make lists all the time. To do lists, to buy lists...lists are an organized and efficient way to plan.
A planner basically exists because of lists. If you just needed to write down appointments, you could simply use a calendar.
But where do you put those lists?
I think it depends on the type of list. Today, I'm going to give you a breakdown of every list currently in my planner and let you know why it is placed where it is in my planner.
For a review of the sections in my planner, read this!
Lists for the Dashboard
I mostly reserve my dashboard for blank notepaper. There's nothing like needing to write something down and not having paper.
But two lists do go in my dashboard section.
First, I have my daily tasks/goals list.
Every day, I have certain things that make my life better. Taking my meds, laundry, working out - that sort of thing. Since I look at it all day long daily, I put that list first.
Second, I have my running grocery list.
Since I add groceries to the list as I run out of things, it makes sense to put it right in the front of the planner. When I am cooking spaghetti, I only have seconds to make a note to buy more oregano.
Lists for the Projects Section
My projects section include lists that are active (or currently in use), but not used every single week or updated all the time.
Examples:
*Blog Ideas
*Tasks (that are maybe/someday tasks)
*Packing Lists (for upcoming summer vacation)
Lists for the Calendar
The lists that I place in my calendar pages are pictured above. These lists are moved from week-to-week or day-to-day (depending if you are a weekly page or daily page person).
I use a daily to-do list (to the far left of the above picture).
In between the daily pages, I have staggered context task lists, including:
*Tasks (not day specific, but must be done soon)
*Errands
*Phone/Computer
*Weekly (must be done this week and placed on top of the staggered lists)
On my page divider, I do a different kind of list. I think of these as recurring lists because they are for things that are continually being updated and need to stay on my radar.
These might be the best lists that I create. They categorize information that is otherwise difficult to place.
These recurring lists include:
*Due Dates
*Prescriptions to Fill
*Shopping (non-grocery)
*Gifts to Buy
*Waiting On or Pending (for things owed to me or that I owe to others)
These might be the best lists that I create. They categorize information that is otherwise difficult to place.
These recurring lists include:
*Due Dates
*Prescriptions to Fill
*Shopping (non-grocery)
*Gifts to Buy
*Waiting On or Pending (for things owed to me or that I owe to others)
Lists for the Future Pages
I have two types of future pages:
*Recurring
*Upcoming Appointments/Tasks
The recurring pages are for lists of birthdays, tasks, or other important dates that happen every year. When I add each month's planner pages to my planner, I copy recurring dates to my monthly calendar.
A list of upcoming dates goes after the recurring pages, including a list for each upcoming month.
Lists for the Notes/ABC Files
In my file section, I keep a few non-active but important lists:
*Current Meds
*Planner Measurements
*Sizes and Item Numbers (for clothes or the air filter and other things I buy more than once)
*Work Contact Numbers
If you think of a list that you use that isn't on my list, let us know in the comments!
As a part of my employment, I have to have a variety of licenses and memberships in societies or organizations. I keep a list in table format that includes the item, when it was last renewed or membership dues were paid, how much the renewal or dues cost me and when it expires. This has been such a time saver and makes it easy to budget for a particular item each year - they all renew in different months and in different time intervals. We also keep something similar for the house for warranties, passports, drivers licenses, insurances, etc. so that there is no more looking through multiple folders or files to get information. Appliances also have a repair list - purchase date, warranty info, repair dates and what the repair was, etc. That list has helped us to decide what we needed to do each time an appliance had to be repaired multiple times for the same thing. I also keep a list of every place I have ever lived, the dates, landlord contact info, and the phone number I had. This came in handy when my identity was stolen and I had to verifty information to the agent from the credit reporting agency to prove it was me.
ReplyDeleteLately I have been using a write and wipe board on the fridge for a running grocery list and I keep an updated picture of it on my phone. Seems to keep me sane. I do have an Amazon list running in my planner. things I need to order like flea meds for the animals, printer ink, etc.
ReplyDeleteThat Amazon list sounds like a good idea. I have an insert in my travelers notebook where I keep a collection of running lists. This includes things to do at work, songs and videos I want to download, home organizing projects and ideas, and books to read.
ReplyDeleteI keep multiple lists in my planner, too, and they are pretty similar to yours. My morning and evening routines & weekend routines are on a bookmark that marks my daily spot. One lis that I started was a list of potential meals for our family, color coded by type. I did this so each kid could pick a meal to prepare once a week (when living in the US.) Now I have other lists like things that are coming on a container, expiration dates for passports & visas. I tend to keep some lists in my project section- upcoming things for homeschool, things that need to be done at some point but aren't time sensitive.
ReplyDeleteI have an A-Z planner that houses quite a few lists that are not in my personal planner.
ReplyDeletehttp://myfilofaxblogat.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/brown-personal-hamilton.html
I really enjoyed reading your post and seeing how people really use their planners.
Happy Planning.