Hi everyone, welcome to my first blog post about planning! I have been using a planner since I was 14, and planning has made my life more fulfilling. I had lots of homework and duties at school so I used it to write down my deadlines and schedule my extracurricular activities. When I was in University, I had to schedule lectures, seminars and study sessions by myself. Time management has become very important to me. A good planning system is not just about to-do lists and work, it also brings lots of positive changes to my life!
*This blog post includes links to products on my Etsy printable planner shop
So why should we start planning and how has it improved my life? I have gathered some benefits of planning in this blog post. Let’s dive in!
1. Better time management and less stress
A planner helps you manage your time better. I mark all my appointments, schedule, and deadlines in my monthly calendar. With a monthly planner, I can view all my important dates at a glance. I know which day I am available instantly when I make new appointments.
A planner helps you plan your work according to the deadlines. You can plan ahead to make sure that you schedule sufficient time to finish your work. I feel less stressed when I planned my work as I do not have to worry about running out of time, or forgetting a task.
2. Improve your lifestyle
10 minute task trackers and hourly planners are great tools to record and track your time. You can easily review how much time you have spent on doing each type of task (e.g. working, studying, exercising, hanging out with family), and identify the areas you want to improve. In the following example, I only spent 1 hour a week exercising. I might want to schedule 1 hour of yoga session each day next week, and spend 1 hour less watching Youtube videos.
Planners are not just about to-do lists and calendars. There are a lot of planner inserts for you to record your habits and lifestyle. For instance, a habit tracker keeps track of a new habit you want to develop or a bad habit you want to break, while a water tracker records your daily water intake. A meal planner allows you to plan your meals in advance so that you can eat healthily.
3. Stay motivated and increase productivity
I feel motivated to work and become more productive when I use a planner. I always include a to-do list in my planner. Crossing out an item from my list once I have completed a task gives me a sense of accomplishment and motivates me to work harder. Since I have listed out everything I have to do that day, I know I have to work efficiently and stay focused to finish all the tasks.
4. Stay focused
Planners like Pomodoro trackers and 10 minute planners help me stay focused on days that I am not feeling very motivated. It gives me a sense of accomplishment by reminding me that I am making progress.
On days where I have various types of tasks to do, I use a 10 minute planner and an hourly planner to block my time. This way I can allocate time for each task and focus on completing one task at a time.
5. Assist you in achieving your goals and the lifestyle you want
Your plans are the small steps you take to realize your goals. When you plan, you should keep in mind the things you want to achieve. For example, if you want a healthier lifestyle, you may schedule a 1-hour workout session each day. With an hourly planner, you can easily view your daily schedule and allocate time for the things want to do. Being productive at work also means that you have more free time to do things that you like to do.
Therefore, not only does a planner increase your productivity and focus, but it also helps you manage your time wisely and gets you closer to the goals as well as the lifestyle you want!
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