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It’s back-to-school time for many families and the stores are full of brightly-colored notebooks, calendars, and planners. Even though I’m long past having a school-age child in the house, I love this time of year as it seems like a great time to get organized.
You might be aware of the basics about using a daily planner, but have still not discovered the many benefits. Take a look at the reasons why everyone–including you–should start using a life planner.
It Helps With Time Management
Do you find that there is never enough time for everything? If so, it is probably because you are not scheduling your time effectively. This happens when you just run constantly, going from one thing to the next, without really thinking about everything as a whole. Using a planner allows you to schedule each event, appointment, errand, and task, so that you know what to expect and don’t run out of time. Set specific due dates and deadlines for everything to help you stay on track, and have extra time left for yourself and your family.
You Can Improve Your Productivity
This is important for your personal and professional life. While many people think of productivity as it relates to their job, you also want to be productive at home. This might include getting cleaning and home organization done, or working on projects you keep putting it off. Regardless of what it is, planners help you to stay on track with each individual task you need to complete, and encourages you to move on to the next one effectively and efficiently.
They Provide Excellent Stress Relief
Stress has many forms, but a common denominator is the feeling of being overwhelmed. You are often stressed due to a hectic schedule, having too many demands, or just putting too much on your plate. Outside influences also affect your stress level, but think about how different it could be when you actually have time for everything and are able to seamlessly go from one responsibility to the next without having to worry about missing something, being late, or having to back out at the last minute. You can also use your planner to schedule self-care activities.
There Are a Multitude of Health Benefits
As you might imagine, planners help you stay healthy in a wide range of ways. It helps your physical health by helping you track things like diet and exercise, you can schedule regular doctor and dentist appointments, and make sure you are getting enough fresh air and vitamin D by scheduling days spent outdoors. You get mental health benefits by reducing stress and anxiety, and even having journaling pages for when you just need a good brain dump.
More Time for Creative Activities
Another benefit of using a planner is that because you are sticking to a schedule for all the mandatory responsibilities, it leaves a little free time for your artistic endeavors, whether that means working on a hobby or trying something new. And some people use planners as a creative activity in and of itself, by adding stickers, pictures, and other decorative items.
A Place for Records
A final way I use a planner is keeping track of tasks, appointments, and notes. For example, sometimes I can’t make the dogs’ next grooming appointment when I pick them up because there is so much barking and commotion. If I forget when their last appointment was, I can flip back a few months in my planner and see when they’re due for a trim. Ditto for keeping track of when I last saw a specific friend or family member. Ask anyone who uses a planner—this comes in handy!
What about you? Do you use a planner? If so, what benefits are the most valuable to you?
