Why Bother With a Daily Plan | Giftie Etcetera: Why Bother With a Daily Plan

Saturday, November 7, 2020

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.

Rocketbook Fusion Daily Planner Page
Daily Planner Page on a Rocketbook Fusion




Oh, sure, I showed up at doctors' appointments. But since I never had to recopy something or think about how timing would work, I often forgot about tasks.

Without a paper planner, home-based tasks were never getting done even though I was always home.


Bringing anything with me that needed to come along - the recycling to drop off or the list of meds to the doctor - was a hard no. I had no real plan using just electronics, just a list. I wasn't considering how I'd fit in my tasks or how to balance my day.

But I really didn't want a planner or journal. First, with my heart failing a bit (again, pre-Cyborg) I was fuzzy on appointments and absolutely needed the alarm on my phone. Second, I could barely carry my body, much less a huge notebook, without fainting.

Y'all, it was touch-and-go for a few months. I know many of my fans noticed me not blogging over the last couple of years, as my child and I got sicker and sicker. We are both much better now, but it became obvious that things had to change to make it work. For him, a new epilepsy med. For me, the pacemaker. For everyone - a new planner plan!

None of this means the tips I've always given don't work. They do, and I use old planner tips and tricks every day. Go exploring on my blog.


But slipping from my routine of a daily plan meant I lost something important.

Daily planning forces thinking. 


Thinking was seriously missing from my day and that missing piece caused catastrophes.

For now, I'm using the Rocketbook Fusion Executive size reusable notebook. I'm a lefty and it smudges, so I'm not that impressed, but it's light to carry, which is a big consideration while I recover from Cyborg Surgery. And it's endlessly customizable.

The details when I write out the plan are the magic that makes daily planning worth it. For example, the schedule shows I have a mammogram, but the details list that my special pacemaker scar cream can't be used until after the mammogram. I would have never remembered that without a written plan and might have wasted a trip into town for the procedure. 

When making your daily plan, use that time to think about how to structure your day.


It's not about how the plan looks today, but how it functions! I'm ready to be back to functioning, and as I start to share more of that here, I hope you'll come back with me.

Etcetera.


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*BONUS CONTENT - NOTES FROM THE PIC*

##WORDS## is how Rocketbook knows where to file my picture of the plan when I take a picture from the Rocketbook app. Rocketbook is an endlessly reusable notebook using Frixion pens, but backs up with the app.


I needed more space between appointments. When I made my plan the next day, I fixed that. 


I use a lot of codes. L = Loki (my kid's name), for example. @ means after (like after my husband does his part).


My DUE list was mandatory. My TASKS list was full of goals that might need to be recopied.


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8 comments:

Viki said...

Thank you for blogging again :) I so agree with you, I'm trying to plan my days -not easy these days for me cause the lack of time- but if I do, my days are so much better even if I can't follow my plans. The simple fact that I have to think about my day, stuffs, 2do-s, and so on motivates me to bring more logic in doing my things and it makes it easier doing these things.

rcstaub said...

Glad to see your back!! Hope you have a swift and easy recovery!

Christine Cortese said...

Well, I spy another blog! I'm so glad you're feeling well enough to start writing again after your long hiatus. My Mom had a pacemaker - it was a total game changer for her. I hope Loki's new meds are equally helpful for him. As I get older, I'm gravitating to smaller planners but I just can't use my phone or ipad (the ipad is pretty heavy in fact). I'm using a pocket moleskine with a drugstore monthly for appointments and this works pretty well for me now. I have larger binders at home with all my projects and goals and plans. However because I travel between homes I lug most of this with me from place to place, but I don't carry it in my bag! Our lives change so much over time, it's interesting how our planning needs evolve. Looking forward to more posts from you!

Anna said...

I'm glad to see you're back. :) I hope that your health continues to improve and that you gain strength back quickly. I know that I need some type of daily plan, or I forget details. Today is one of those days where I have constant interruptions, and I have to look at my planner to remind myself what I was doing five minutes ago. But it's still been a semi-productive day thanks to having a plan.

Jaime Barfield said...

So very sorry to hear about your health issues and glad to see that you and your son are doing better. I was very excited to receive the email that you had blogged again and look forward to more content. Take care of yourself!

Anonymous said...

It’s wonderful to read a new post!. So sorry to learn you have been unwell and hoping your health will continue to improve.

Angie said...

Glad to see you back! Hope all is well.

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