I am someone who didn’t realize they had Type-A tendencies for the longest time, and because of that, I always neglected using a planner. Because I can also be quite laid back (see: “procrastinator”), I convinced myself that I could simply organize and prioritize my tasks in my mind. I slowly began to realize, however, that I was becoming more and more absent-minded because of this (as one does when you have a million things going on in your brain). So, I would write down task lists and appointments on my phone’s Notes app, but the simplistic nature of the layout frustrated me, because I was never able to visually see what my priorities were (ie. no colour coding, etc). Then I started using Reminders, Google Calendar, and my phone’s built-in calendar simultaneously.
But of course, this rarely worked the way I wanted it to, because I was using so many different platforms that I was getting confused, and inevitably, forgetting where it was I wrote certain things down on. There’s nothing more annoying than scouring five different apps to figure out where you wrote that super important task.
In lieu of this conundrum, I finally invested in a planner (also known as an agenda) so that I could have one place to write down all my tasks, appointments, and goals. Initially, I felt a bit weird about this: even though I tend to get overly concerned with time management, overthink my tasks until my eyes are crossed, am always thinking about my next project, and get ridiculously anxious about things people have no business being that anxious about, I have never been the type to be super organized. I almost feel like an imposter in my own body when I try to assert my organizational skills, even though I know at heart that there’s nothing more fulfilling and satisfying than staying organized. (It’s strange to be both a procrastinator and a lover of organization all at once; oftentimes, both sides are butting heads with each other).
However, as soon as I received my new planner in the mail (I bought this lovely mid-year, white marble and blush coloured one from Indigo for a great price), all my weird insecurities floated away. Here’s three ways that having a planner has already helped me organize my life better!
It’s a great tool for people whose lives revolve around deadlines
As a freelancer and person with multidisciplinary interests and hobbies, sometimes it’s hard to bounce back and forth between fields. You have to readjust the way you think and operate all the time, and whether this is in regards to your workplace or your own personal projects and goals, this can be a tough thing to do. Though I recommend that everyone buy a planner, no matter what occupation you’re in, I especially think this is a great tool for people who are taking on many different projects and tasks. For example, I co-manage AvidBards, do writing work for other companies, and am taking an online course at the moment. Because of the amount of planning I have to do for each of these, having one place to organize my priorities and even brainstorm ideas is extremely helpful. You can use your planner in whichever way necessary: use stickers, colour-coded pens, highlighters, and legends to help you visually recognize which task belongs to a category. What I’ve started to do, as well, is put a checkmark next to a completed task, indicating that I don’t need to worry about it anymore. This tactic has already helped me feel more relaxed, overall!
There is tons of space to write down my tasks
The agenda I bought, particularly, has lots of space for me to write. It displays two types of calendars: a monthly layout, where you can glimpse at your entire month on a two-page spread (optimal for noting down deadlines and appointments), and a more in-depth section where each day of the month is given a larger block to write your tasks down. As well, the planner has a section entitled Notes, giving me about 50-60 pages of lined paper for me to write down whatever I’d like. This is optimal for brainstorms and random thoughts – really, this could be anything you want it to be! Of course, you can always choose planners that are simpler and less extensive in space depending on how much or little you need to write down, but I particularly love having all this space.
I get to practice my handwriting
There’s something incredibly cathartic about handwriting, and yet, I barely write anything by hand anymore. In an era where we have smart phones, laptops, tablets and touch screens, one can get by their entire lives by only using typing as their form of writing. I have definitely fallen into this habit, and I love getting back to honing my handwriting skills. It’s a wonderful break from the screen, it’s relaxing, and it builds on your fine-motor skills as well as your memory. For those of you who are in school using your laptops to take notes during lectures or classes – try handwriting your notes instead! I found that in handwriting my notes, I was able to retain what was being taught to me so much more easily than when I was typing them out.
If you’d like to read more ways to help organize your life, mind, and self, read our post entitled “Self Care Practices for the Productive Mind“!
~ Z ~
