How to Develop the Habit of Using a Daily Planner

A daily planner can significantly help you keep track of your important meetings, tasks, exciting activities, and deadlines. However, developing the habit of using, updating, and carrying a daily planner can be tough. Luckily, there are several tips that can help seamlessly integrate your planner into your life in an efficient way.

Think about the purpose of your planner. There are many types of daily planners designed for different tasks and personality types. Some are simple notebooks, while others include various sections for organizing multiple categories of tasks. Take some time to consider why you want to use a daily planner and how you’ll use it. This is important because you’re more likely to use the planner if it’s your main planning tool: having more than one planner can cause confusion and defeat the purpose. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Do you need a section for phone numbers?
• Will it mainly be used to remember appointments?
• Do you need a planner that lasts over a year?
• Do you want it to replace other organizing tools (like a to-do list)?
• Do you prefer a simple planner or one with multiple sections and details?
• Do you need a compact planner to fit in your pocket or a larger one with enough space for meeting notes?
• Do you want your planner to have more space for weekdays, or do you mostly need it for weekend activities?

Buy a Planner that Meets Your Needs

Consider the aesthetics of your daily planner. While functionality is key, you're more likely to develop the habit of using a planner that appeals to your sense of style. Some planners are simple with a black leather cover, while others are more vibrant and unique with intricate designs. Whatever the style, it should complement your work environment.

• Pay attention to the aesthetics inside and out. For example, some prefer blank pages over ruled ones. Some like symmetry, while others appreciate a more flexible layout. You might even have a preference for certain fonts. Make sure you find a planner that you enjoy, inside and out, to encourage consistent daily use.

Prepare pens and pencils. Your planner won't be very useful if you don't write in it. Keep plenty of sharp pencils and pens handy in the places where you'll most often use your planner. These places include:

• Briefcase or work bag
• Wallet
• Desk
• Home office desk
• Next to your landline phone
• If you’re someone who often loses pens, consider attaching a spare pencil inside the planner. Some planners even have a spot for an extra pen or pencil.

Commit to using your daily planner. People who make strong commitments tend to stick to their promises. Building a habit is difficult, but remember that when you commit to changing a small habit, you'll create a new routine.

• Remember that good habits are more likely to develop when you focus on one task at a time, so don’t overwhelm yourself with too many new time-management habits. For now, just focus on consistently using your daily planner.

Tell a friend about your intention to use a daily planner. People are often more likely to stick to new habits when others know about their resolutions and can support them. Talk to a friend or colleague about your new commitment. Your friend may also be looking to start a beneficial habit. You can remind each other to update your plans when needed.

Keep your planner in a fixed place both at home and work. Treat your planner as your only calendar: using two different planners can make it difficult to keep track of your responsibilities. This may seem tricky as you need to include both work and home tasks, but to always have it with you, designate a fixed spot at work and at home for your planner. Never leave it elsewhere—consistency is key to developing this habit.

• Good places to keep it at home include next to your landline phone, in your work bag or briefcase, or next to your cell phone and car keys.
• Ideal places to keep it at work include on your desk, in the middle drawer of your desk, next to your work phone, or in your briefcase.

Write reminders to build the habit of bringing your planner to and from work. When you first start using your planner, you may forget to bring it to work and back home. To prevent this, place reminders in visible spots both at work and at home. Studies show that sticky notes are one of the most effective ways to encourage a specific behavior. Use this method by sticking notes that say "Did you remember your planner?" in places where you'll definitely see them. These spots include:

• Your laptop
• Your desk
• Next to your phone
• On the door
• On the dining table
• On your bathroom mirror
• You can remove these notes once you've developed the habit of bringing your planner to work and home.

Transfer your information into your planner. When you first buy your planner, you'll need to enter a lot of details. You may have pre-scheduled appointments, ongoing tasks, and random bits of information to include. Spend one or two hours consolidating all this scattered information into your daily planner. This will help you input the details properly and allow for more efficient time management. Things to include in your planner are:

• Important contact details for family, friends, colleagues, and clients
• Meetings
• Class schedules
• Deadlines for school or work projects
• Shift changes (if your work schedule is not fixed)
• Medical and dental appointments
• Birthdays of loved ones
• Special work events
• Important personal events
• Key dates for hobbies or extracurricular activities (e.g., the date of your play rehearsal or Zumba class)

Review your planner every morning. Each morning before heading to work, take a moment to check upcoming appointments, meetings, and tasks. Spend a minute considering whether any new tasks should be added to your schedule or if any should be removed. Use this time to plan your day in a way that will allow for smart time management once you’re at work.

Review your daily planner every afternoon. Before leaving the office, check it once more. Make sure you've completed everything scheduled for that day. Think about any new tasks or appointments that should be added for the upcoming week. Always update your planner before you leave work to ensure you're staying on top of your responsibilities.

Use positive reinforcement to stay motivated. View your daily planner as something positive, not a chore or burden. Use it as a tool to reward yourself for completing tasks. Soon, you'll find yourself aiming to finish tasks just for the satisfaction of crossing items off your to-do list. To keep yourself motivated, you can:

• Cross off completed tasks and appointments. Whenever you feel discouraged, look at everything you've checked off and feel proud of what you've accomplished.
• Reward yourself for completing tasks. Treat yourself after completing five tasks in your planner. For example, enjoy a cup of coffee or take a walk once you've reached your goal. This will motivate you to use your planner effectively and get things done.
• Pair something enjoyable with your planner review. Try not to see reviewing your planner as a duty. Instead, treat it as a helpful tool. To associate your planner with positive feelings, do something fun every morning and afternoon while reviewing it. Enjoy a good cup of coffee, a piece of chocolate, or listen to a favorite song. Your brain will quickly connect the planner with positive emotions.
• Reward yourself with something special after a week of effectively using your planner. During the early stages of forming the habit, you may need extra motivation to carry your planner and update it daily. After each week of consistent planner use, treat yourself to something nice: ice cream, a movie, or drinks with friends. Within a few weeks, using your planner will become second nature.
• Write down positive activities alongside your important responsibilities in your planner. By using your daily planner to remind you of both fun activities (like lunch with friends) and less enjoyable ones (like a dentist appointment), you can stick to your new habit more easily.

Keep updating your planner as needed. During your morning and afternoon checks, add any new tasks, appointments, meetings, and deadlines. You can also update your planner when new tasks arise. Maintaining an up-to-date planner will help you manage your time more efficiently and prevent you from feeling overwhelmed. By writing down a task, you won't have to keep it in your head, which will eliminate stress and doubt.

• If you're feeling overloaded, move some tasks to the 'backburner' section to handle later. Don’t get discouraged when you see tasks that can’t be completed in a single day’s work.

Be patient. It may take two months or more for a habit to become automatic. Until the habit is firmly established, you may experience occasional slip-ups like forgetting your planner at home or missing an appointment. Be patient and forgive yourself. Remember that forming a new habit takes time, and occasional mistakes won't affect your ability to build a new habit.

• A helpful trick is to create a backup plan for those times you forget your planner at home. For instance, you could jot down work appointments on a sticky note and bring it home to update your planner. For particularly important events and deadlines, you can use online task management tools to send yourself reminders: this way, you won’t miss critical details even if you forget your planner.

• Don't think of your planner as a task, but rather as an asset. You'll feel more in control of your life with a daily planner, and spending just a few minutes each day can save you hours in the long run.
• The key to developing a new habit is consistency paired with positive reinforcement. Stick to your schedule, focus on the positive changes your planner brings to your life, and reward yourself when needed to stay motivated.
• Ensure that the planner you purchase fits your schedule and suits your preferences. It should have all the necessary sections to help you organize your life effectively.

• As you work on developing this new habit, there will be moments of chaos. You may forget your planner at home or mismanage a day with a meeting. Treat these moments as learning experiences: don't abandon your daily planner. Eventually, it will make your life much easier.