My Planner Makes Me Work Extra and I Like It!

One advantage of a paper planner is the extra work it creates for you. 

Go ahead. Read it again. I stand by my position.

I'm all in on the extra work. 

Yes, a planner can create extra work - and that's a good thing! Let me tell you why...

Do I Recopy the Undone Task?

The Absolute Best Way to Plan Your Day

Things in my life that I can control: my nail polish (a bronze-y red), which book I read (a cheesy romance), and what I eat (literally eating a bowl of Cookie Crisp right now - don't judge!).

Things in my life that I cannot control: my special needs kid getting put on homebound schooling, our new puppy pooping on the floor, library books that are overdue because of the medical issues with the kid, and that I'm already out of makeup. 

(Yes, I could have controlled two of those by returning books early and ordering makeup timely, but...shush!)

Use a Planner to Deal with Your Day

But I can control using my planner to deal with all the stress. Today, I'm going to walk you through how I plan my day in a way that makes sense, even for the laziest and most scatterbrained among us.

(Me. I'm talking about me, y'all.)

Let people know about Giftie Etcetera! Pin my planner pic to Pinterest or share on Facebook.

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...

www.GiftieEtcetera.com

Using a Planner Successfully Every Single Day

Raise your hand if you ever forget to use your planner. Sometimes? Often? Yesterday?!?

I look pretty sheepish right about now.

Even as a dedicated Plannerd and planner blogger, I forget to use my planner sometimes - and that NEVER ends well.

The Hidden Secret to an Effective Work Planner

I work to live. 

Oh, I actually enjoy being at the office. You can't deny that all those office supplies make you giddy, too, or you wouldn't be reading this. But none of us go to work solely for the coffee or the office supplies, even if we like our jobs.

We go to work to afford trips to Europe, cute shoes, and nights out at fancy restaurants. Or, if you are more like me, to afford electricity, water, and a roof of some sort. Maybe, if you are lucky and determined, you'll make enough to put a new handbag or planner on your birthday list.

Work is an important part of life and takes up a lot of time, so keeping work pleasant and NOT overwhelming is an important goal.

I'm going to suggest one important tweak to your work planner (that also works for home) to change how you think about productivity planning...

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 Keep Separate Personal and Work Planners Without Getting Overwhelmed

It's been a while, but I'm back writing about planners. Something a little pesky got in the way - my new job!

How to Set Up a Planner

As the New Year approaches, plannerds everywhere are setting up day planners.

Even here at Giftie Etcetera, the new year means some tweaks to my planner. The most critical change is that I am moving back to a running to-do list.

How to Use a Personal Planner for Work and Project Management

I've been blogging about how to use a planner a lot less lately because I've been working at my big girl job a lot more often.

How to Use Your Planner Like a Household Notebook

If you have a planner, there's no reason to keep a separate notebook for household chores or big projects.

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. 

The First Page in Your Planner

Things have been crazy here in Louisiana. But in my planner, things have been pretty routine.

The system that I use on the first page of my planner gets a lot of credit for that routine in the midst of chaos.

The Cleaning Schedule in Your Planner That Will Actually Work

When I was younger, I was a history teacher. I was obsessed with the colonization of America. I thought maybe, someday, we'll colonize the moon.

Well, I have now achieved greatness by doing something I've only ever dreamed of doing.

I've colonized my home...

A Glimpse at a Typical Planner To Do List

When faced with a blank planner spread, sometimes it is difficult to decide exactly what goes on a to do list.

What belongs on today's page? Which items are important enough to list?

Trust Your Planner with Your Vacation Planning

Do you bring your planner on your summer vacations? Is it too much to pack? Does it stay at home? You think you don't need a plan because it's vacation?

Big mistake!

5 Critical Components of an Effective Daily Plan

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Most days, I make a daily plan in my planner. You should consider doing this, at least on busy days, even if you track all upcoming stuff on a weekly spread.

How to Make All Those Lists Work in Your Planner

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If you use a planner, you probably make lists all the time. To do lists, to buy lists...lists are an organized and efficient way to plan.

A planner basically exists because of lists. If you just needed to write down appointments, you could simply use a calendar.

Keeping a Monthly Master Calendar in Your Planner

Even though it's summertime, a glance at my monthly calendar shows just how overbooked I truly am at the moment.

In Pursuit of Imperfection

It's been a rough month for me.