How to Plan Your Day

It's been a while.

I love my planner and use it every day, but between work, a special needs kid, and just life, I don't blog about it enough.

But I should because...

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The Difference Between a Planner and Time Management

At 9:47 a.m. this morning, I got my first cup of coffee. Considering that I start my day at 6:45 a.m., this is a problem. 

Multiply the poor timing by my first day back at work after a vacation, my lingering pneumonia, and a bit of an autoimmune flare, and that's a set-up for disaster!

But, wait, you say...isn't Giftie a guru of time management?

Organizing Your Planner Page

If you use a planner (or struggle to use a planner), you probably like writing on paper. 

I certainly do. I love the connectivity of the ink scratching across the paper. The feel of having a plan, written down and organized, makes me believe I can handle anything.

But writing things down in a way that works can be a challenge. So I took a picture of my weekly planner page and took some notes about how I organize my planner spread for maximum performance.

How to Use a Planner to Survive the Chaos of a Natural Disaster

If you aren't familiar with this blog, I mostly write about day planners. In fact, Giftie Etcetera has a pretty active Facebook group where we discuss getting and keeping our lives in order. 

When my hometown in Louisiana flooded in a massive, 3-day rainstorm, the group kept talking about planners and order in general. 

That is, they did until one member said that her house flooded and she was stuck. Her planner wasn't good enough for the to-do list that grows so long and massive after your home is completely ruined. 

Surprising Day Planner Secrets

I use a planner. 

I am generally on time for meetings, mostly get stuff done by the deadline, and can sometimes stop worrying about missing stuff.

But I am far from perfect.

Planner Possibilities: Using Any Planning System on Any Planner Page

There are so many planner page layouts available, from those from Filofax and Franklin Covey, to those like DIY Fish and The Happy Planner.

There are just as many planner systems. From my own Giftie Etcetera system to Getting Things Done to the 7 Habits, people are forever creating and tweaking methods for organizing our appointments, tasks, and goals.

Newsflash - your system of choice does NOT have to match your planner pages perfectly.

I usually show examples of my own system, but for today's purposes, notice the standard Franklin Covey 2 pages per day format.

Instead of using the 7 Habits system (with priorities like 3A or 1B), I am using a combination of Getting Things Done (with context-based task lists and tasks written with a verb at the beginning word) and the Giftie Etcetera scheduling system. I'm using parts of the page to record calories and part to plan dinner.

The point is that your system does not have to match your pages. Decide which pages work for you. Decide which system, with adaptations as needed, works for you.

That is the way you should plan! It doesn't have to be all or nothing. In fact, if you stick to all or nothing, you'll soon find out that no one system works, even on its custom-made pages.

Etcetera.

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Tricks for Planning Projects

Someone in the Giftie Etcetera Facebook group asked for tips to plan projects. As Loyal Readers know, I use a Project index for planning projects. But the question raised was more about how I actually plan each project.

I decided to start with a simple tutorial identifying the main parts of most of my project pages. I did this using OneNote, but I do it in my planner the exact same way!

Tricks for planning projects:

*LABEL

I label the project topic (the same one as listed in my project index) in a box (so it is easy to spot) in the upper right hand corner of the page.

Under the box, I put a subtopic. A blog post, as in the example, is a one page project, but for multiple pages, this is really important. For example, for a birthday party, I might have a page for menu and another for the guest list. For a research project for work, I might have an outline page, a research notes page, and a list of tasks.

Next, I put in the date when I create the page (and, sometimes, the due date right under that: "DUE: 06/29/15").

*TWO COLUMNS

I make two (usually imaginary) columns on each page by indenting the first words that I write slightly to the right.

The first column (left) contains due dates, appointments, and tasks. If the information to the right is not something that needs to be noted in the meat of my planner (my monthly and weekly calendars), the left column stays blank. That creates a simple task list to the left.

The second column (right) contains the information that I need. In the photo above, I write tasks, ideas, outlines, and lists.

*HIGHLIGHTED SCHEDULED

Once something is written in my planner from the left column, I highlight it to show that it is scheduled.

Note: In this case, I am not highlighting that the task is done, but that it is either written on my monthly calendar (appointments and really important due dates) or on my weekly task list. If you skip this step, you might not get things done on time, so make sure you do this one!

*SHAPES

Boxes, clouds, and doodles help me to keep like information together and visually easy to spot.

In OneNote, I can just use the "Lasso Select" function to move things around and use the "Add Space" function to add items to these lists.

In my planner, I use erasable Frixion pens to add things to the lists or move them.

I really just keep my writing pretty organic, reflecting my thinking processes, but labeling, making two columns, highlighting scheduled items, and using shapes helps make my project easy-to-read and accomplish.

Etcetera.

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How My Planner Gets All The Things Done

Today, I did not want to do any of The Things.

I did not want to workout.

I did not want to do my paid work.

I did not want to wake up early to drive carpool, take a shower, or cook dinner.

I just wanted to sleep in under the warm covers, wake up to a cup of sweet cafe' au lait, and read romance novels all day.

But I need to take care of my body, get paid, do childcare, and eat healthy meals.

So I took out my planner.

I viewed all The Things that needed doing.

I also noted that the list wasn't all that long and had space for some relaxing time right after work.

Most critically, I noticed that I have a blissful weekend off (after a long weekend of volunteer work last week).

I got a ton done today. It was hard, as I am exhausted and have a sick husband this week, so I am doing a lot of extra chores. But I did it and the weekend is only a day away.

My planner let me see things clearly, when my tired, befuddled brain could no longer think rationally.

What does a plan do for you?

Etcetera.

Get Everything Done: Using Task Grouping in a Planner

One of the easiest ways to organize tasks and actually complete them is to group them based on where the tasks will be done. (I first heard of this suggestion in the book "Getting Things Done" by David Allen.)

I put my own spin on how I use that idea. For me, that means the following codes are written before each task:

C = computer
Ph = phone
H = home
E = errands
Pl = planner
A = anywhere

But the real trick is to learn to write the tasks so that they are grouped together. 

The Trick:

Start one list (like Ph in example below) in the lower section of the planner square and one (like H) in the upper, and add to those sections as new stuff arises, leaving space in the middle for other tasks.

TIP: Expand this concept by writing Computer tasks to the upper right and Errands to the lower right, or some similar groupings. Leaving the empty space in the middle when writing is the key.

It's not a perfect solution, but as this photo illustrates, the trick manages to mostly keep like tasks together.

Then, when running errands, I do those tasks. When on my computer, I tackle those to dos.

Such a simple trick, but reteaching yourself to enter tasks this way into your planner will pay off!

Etcetera.

P.S. Let your friends and co-workers know about Giftie Etcetera by sharing this on social media.

Planners and Productivity 101

My friend S complained on Facebook yesterday about the irony of getting nothing done because she spent all day yesterday researching ways to be more productive. That, S, has happened to most of us. {shameful look} You are not alone!

I find three things actually help me to be more productive: a morning routine, planning in advance, and having production goals instead of time goals.

Notice that none of these things are about the "usual" productivity tricks, like having a schedule, doing two things at once, or making the perfect tasks list.

I have those things in my toolbox, of course. I have a rough schedule of the day on my weekly (or occasionally daily) pages and a set schedule of mandatory appointments on my monthly planner pages. I often multitask. For example, I stand up and clean the kitchen whenever I am chatting on the phone with my sisters. I wipe down the inside of the car and clean it out while parked in the carpool line. I do have tasks for today, tasks for this week, and tasks for the long term noted. In addition, I make special tasks lists to help me complete a project.

But none of these really make me more productive. For instance, I might multitask chatting on the phone and cleaning, but I can't really do that during a work call. Doing two things at once  is NOT always the best plan. (Texting on a cell phone while driving? BAD IDEA.) And if I spend my whole day making schedules and tasks lists, I get nothing important accomplished.

Instead, I start with a regular morning routine. It's my signal to my mind to get into work mood. It doesn't take long - less than 15 minutes - but it gets my day moving and is a smooth transition between nonwork and work.

For me, my morning routine is putting on my glasses, having a cup of coffee (and sometimes breakfast), checking my messages/e-mail, and looking at today's planner pages. It can be done anywhere where I might work - at home, at the office, or at a coffee shop.

I know a lot of productivity experts talk about waiting to check e-mail. That is such a sweeping statement that does not take into account the nature of your work and your temperament. For me, I need to know if any urgent e-mails need to be dealt with first thing in the morning. I'm also not a person who gets lost in e-mail.

The point here is to create a morning routine that says "ready to work" to you. Maybe you are a school teacher, and that routine means taking roll, checking your mailbox, or tea in the teacher's lounge until the bell. Perhaps you need to write a daily list to get started. Maybe you visit with your co-workers for five minutes, then shut your office door. If you are a stay-at-home mom, maybe it means tucking the youngest in for a nap and finally brushing your teeth (you know, at 2 p.m., when you finally have a minute to yourself). Whatever it is, make it simple, quick, and consistent. And give it time! It will take some practice, putting the routine together with subsequent work, for your brain to make that important connection.

I also plan in advance. Otherwise, dealing with obstacles will sidetrack your routine.

Some ways that I plan in advance include writing appointments and due dates in my planner as they pop up, instead of trying to remember all of them. I dress appropriately for the day. I put out meat to defrost for dinner or prep double veggies the day before. I make sure I have the tools to do my job with me (packed in a tote bag the night before if I am working away from my home office).

Finally, and this one is the key to success for me, I make production goals instead of time goals.

Maybe my goal is to chop fruit for the week for lunches, research and write the portion of my work project that deals with Alabama and New York, or finish all the letters/bills that need to go in the mail this month.

What I try to never use as a goal is a time-based one, like "working 5 hours" or "getting errands done by 4 p.m." I know, I know. All the productivity experts disagree with this. They say to make and follow a schedule. Workout for 30 minutes or work on Smith project for 3 hours. But I NEVER do it. I would just watch the clock the whole time, and I would be miserable.

Instead, with a production goal, like run two miles or make a complete outline for the Smith project and write the first three paragraphs, I am concentrating on getting things accomplished. I feel a sense of success that does not come from working for 3 hours. My brain learns to crave that high.

Oh, and happy side result? I tend to make my billable hours goals or have free time left to do something else (like read a book or watch a movie).

TIP: If you have a production goal and limited time, set a timer to know when you HAVE to stop, goal accomplished or not. No need to clock watch and stress yourself out.

Etcetera.