Five Tips for Using a Planner

For Photographers

Jan 26

So you buy the new, shiny planner at the first of every year and then it sits idly on your shelf collecting dust for the next 365 days?! NOPE. Not anymore, my friend!! Put that bad boy to use and make stuff happen!! I use the Simplified Planner weekly version by Emily Ley. You can shop it here - SIMPLIFIED PLANNER!

Planner shopping is overwhelming and I really, truly hate it BUT what I love is a small, female-owned business that is faith based and all about simplifying life. That made it an easy decision to buy this specific planner and I will likely never use a different kind because this one is so great.

The most valuable piece of advice I can give is to just start. Put pen (or pencil) to paper and start writing stuff down. Write out all important perpetual dates like birthdays and anniversaries in your planner so you won’t forget to celebrate your people.
Take your planner with you everywhere!! My planner is usually never more than a room away from me at all times when I’m home or on the other side of my desk when I’m working. I’m not a purse carrier but it stays in my school bag and goes with me everyday to work and lives in the kitchen when I’m at home so I ALWAYS know where to find it.
Keep your planner open on your desk! This makes it super easy to access and brain dump into. If I think of something I need to do, I immediately write it down so it doesn’t get forgotten. Then cross or check off the items as you get them done. (That helps me feel accomplished because I can see my progress.)
Find what works for you. If you don’t like scribbles, write in pencil so you can erase and start fresh. If you are into color coding, by all means - make it happen. (I color code in my Powersheets Goal Planner)
Make it a habit. The first thing I do every morning when I sit at my desk is open my planner and see what’s on the agenda for the day. Make it easy to access and you will create the habit before you know it.

I hope this is helpful and you start putting those planners to good use in this new year!! What’s your favorite planner to use? What tips do you use daily for your getting the most out of your planner? Tell me in the comments below!