My Planner Makes Me Work Extra and I Like It!

One advantage of a paper planner is the extra work it creates for you. 

Go ahead. Read it again. I stand by my position.

I'm all in on the extra work. 

Yes, a planner can create extra work - and that's a good thing! Let me tell you why...

Do I Recopy the Undone Task?

My 2021 Planner - Something Brand New

I'm a fairly modern person, technologically speaking. I schedule my work appointments in Outlook and my personal appointments on Google Calendar. After all, my smartphone goes everywhere. Why not keep my calendar on it?

Because a cell phone calendar is NOT planning. 

(Note that work appointments outside of blocked out work hours go on my personal calendar, as well.)

Planning doesn't absolutely require paper. Gasp. Blasphemy.

But it does require a place to think out your plan - and paper is the simplest place to do that.

I'm a paper planner lady, so I'm lost without paper, but whether you use paper or - like my silly non-paper husband - spreadsheets and lists on your laptop, planning always requires thinking. Paper is simply the tool that I use most often to force myself to think.

Paper planning allows me to think clearly about my goals for the day and week, encourages me to make decisions, and frees up my brain from having to hold on to excess thoughts and information.

So why am I using plastic instead of paper in 2021?

Why Bother With a Daily Plan

How life has changed!

COVID-19 along with a heart problem (mostly solved by a Cyborg...um...pacemaker) had me at home, working in the home office.

I was in front of my laptop every day. So I did work planning in a bullet journal dotted notebook with drawn in monthlies and weeklies with no planner issues.

I planned my personal life with Google calendar (on laptop and on my Galaxy 9 cell) and the Microsoft to do list app (also available on my laptop and cell phone).

I planned, but I didn't do stuff. Not having a personal planner was a disaster.

The problem with not making a daily or weekly plan on paper is mostly no follow-through.

Daily Planner Page on a Rocketbook Fusion

The Absolute Best Way to Plan Your Day

Things in my life that I can control: my nail polish (a bronze-y red), which book I read (a cheesy romance), and what I eat (literally eating a bowl of Cookie Crisp right now - don't judge!).

Things in my life that I cannot control: my special needs kid getting put on homebound schooling, our new puppy pooping on the floor, library books that are overdue because of the medical issues with the kid, and that I'm already out of makeup. 

(Yes, I could have controlled two of those by returning books early and ordering makeup timely, but...shush!)

Use a Planner to Deal with Your Day

But I can control using my planner to deal with all the stress. Today, I'm going to walk you through how I plan my day in a way that makes sense, even for the laziest and most scatterbrained among us.

(Me. I'm talking about me, y'all.)

Let people know about Giftie Etcetera! Pin my planner pic to Pinterest or share on Facebook.

How to Plan Your Day

It's been a while.

I love my planner and use it every day, but between work, a special needs kid, and just life, I don't blog about it enough.

But I should because...

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Using a Planner Successfully Every Single Day

Raise your hand if you ever forget to use your planner. Sometimes? Often? Yesterday?!?

I look pretty sheepish right about now.

Even as a dedicated Plannerd and planner blogger, I forget to use my planner sometimes - and that NEVER ends well.