05.18.08
Using Your Daily Planner
As previously mentioned one of the key steps to organisation is using your daily planner. I have to be honest and say that there are times when I ‘forget’ to use my planner, at these times I certainly don’t do as well as I do when I use the planner daily. My planner is my guide and reference, I can see what I want to do, what I have to do and what I would like to do. I can also see what I have done and what I still have to do. As a reference it contains my personal and business contacts, it contains books I have read and books I want to read, it contains ideas and quotes, things I have collected for my various projects. I also use it as my ‘journal on the go.’ I keep a journal-generally online, but obviously I can’t access this when I am out and about, so my planner comes in handy. There are many times, often on a daily basis, that I am out and have a few minutes when I can write…often it is when I am waiting for an appointment or a few minutes early picking up my daughter from school, at these times I can pull out my dairy and make a journal entry. I can refer to these entries when I am working on my online journal.
Here is how I set up my planner: Each page is divided into 3 coloumns. The first column is down the left hand side of the page (my particular diary has times down this side of the page). This is the column that I write down any appointments or things that should be done at set times (daughters music lessons, sports games and doctors appointments etc). The 2nd and widest column is my journalling column, it is amazing how quickly I can fill up this column! The 3rd column is the ‘To Do.’ It usually features my objective for the day, any tasks I would like to complete and people to contact etc. It is where I write books started and finished. For curiousity purposes I like to keep a record of what I read…last year I read 82 books (kind of a record, I usually average about 60), and it is good to look back. This column is where any miscellaneous items go.
I recommend you use your planner daily, set it up in a way that works for you. If you don’t carry it with you, do be sure and check it at least morning and night. I encourage you to take it with you, you will be able to refer to it throughout the day and add things as they come up. I love my planner, make yours yours, use it daily and you will find out for yourself why it is a big key in the organisational journey.
Regards,
Marg