How to Use Your Planner More Efficiently

Paper planners are the best way to get and stay organized. I love planners so much I’ve created two successful planner companies. And when we celebrated National Planner Day last month, I shared just a few of the many reasons I love paper planners!

While paper planners are the best, it doesn’t mean we can’t use a little help to be more efficient in planning our days! Here are my five tips on how to use your planner more efficiently.

1. Write everything down! Do not attempt to keep everything in your brain. Mental lists do not work! We think we’ll remember that one thing we need to do, or that little bit of important information someone told us. We will not remember! Magical things happen when you write things down. 

2. Schedule time to index your notes and lists. Every Whitney English Week on One Page planner includes an index section in the back. This is a great spot to use the page numbers and catalog important information you have throughout the book. Keep segmented index lists for house projects, school information for your kids, work assignments, and more!

3. Keep it all in one place. I am all about list-making and I LOVE notepads (our Planning Notepads are consistently top sellers in our shop so I know you all love them too!). But if you’ve jotted down something important on a notepad, double document it by putting it in your planner too! Transfer all the important stuff to your planner. Your planner is the central spot for everything you need!

4. Keep a shared digital calendar between you and anyone else who needs to know your schedule — your spouse, family members, or coworkers. You can even have multiple shared calendars (one for family and one for work, for example!) so you can share it with the appropriate people. I spend a little bit of time each week transferring the meetings and appointments from my digital calendars to my paper planner which still allows me to keep everything in one place. See tip number three above!

5. Leave white space your schedule! Don’t over-schedule yourself; don’t feel like you need to have every moment of your day or your week planned! The unplanned space allows wiggle room for yourself and for others. White space is a planner’s way of giving herself grace!

So, what are your best tips for using your planner more efficiently? Share below so we can all see the best planning tricks and efficiency hacks!