Planner Tip: Mark Out Extra Days on Monthly Pages

Yesterday, I was teaching exponents to 6th graders.

If you don't remember exponents, an exponent equation includes a base number with a superscript number representing the exponent to the upper right.

  3
2

Exponents are read as in the following example: 2 to the 3rd power. 

To solve that equation, the student would multiply the base number, 2, by itself for the number of times indicated in the exponent, 3.

2 x 2 x 2 = 4 x 2 = 8

So, 2 to the 3rd power equals 8.

As you might guess, a lot of students did this instead:

2 x 3 = 6

The students were very smart. They understand how exponents work, but they were struggling with paying attention to the rule. Since our brains process so much automatically, their brains would process the question as 2 x 3 and they would answer carelessly.

I do the same thing with my planner. I am easily distracted and often do things without stopping to consider them.

Things are so automatic that I will often write stuff in an undated box in my monthly planner.

To solve that problem, when setting up monthly pages, don't forget the simple act of marking out the undated, unused spaces that represent days that do not fall within a particular month.

That simple planner hack will take care of the problem of mindlessly entering information in the wrong part of the page.

Sometimes, I color in the empty blocks. I've used washi tape or markers to fill in the boxes. But, somehow, I cross out the boxes that will remain unused every time I set up a monthly page.

Try it. It's easier that exponents and just might work for you!

Etcetera.