5 Ways My Planner Transformed My Life

It’s no secret that planning an event can help it run smoothly. You wouldn’t have a wedding without a bit of planning, you couldn’t run a business without a schedule, and you shouldn’t write an essay without a plan. So, the idea of running something as important as my life without any kind of planning doesn’t make much sense to me; however, this wasn’t something I realised until recently.

Two years ago, anxiety was affecting every part of my life. Between running a business, trying to do coursework, bills in every direction, and just trying to live my life, things were piling up and becoming increasingly stressful. I was becoming more withdrawn from people, I wasn’t socialising or doing anything with what free time I did have. I couldn’t deal with all of it, so didn’t want to deal with any of it. My life ground to a halt; I turned my phone off, stopped opening emails, and just allowed everything to snowball.

When I discovered the planner community, or in particular the bullet journal community, I was instantly interested. It boasted a simple and easy way of staying on top of my life. It was a chance to step away from my phone, and a throwback to the days in school where you had diaries to note your homework and class events. I can see everything for the week, month and year ahead all displayed in one place. Setting up a planner gave me the motivation and drive to keep my life on track, and I am going to tell you how.

1. Making a To-Do List

Every evening, after I’ve settled down for bed, I grab my planner and I make up my to-do list for the next day. I include everything from going to the shop, to organising documents. I usually end up with a list of five or six things that I need to get done. Then when I wake up in the morning, the first thing I do is re-read my to-do list. It’s a fantastic way of setting myself up for the day and since doing this my productivity has shot up. I know what I must get done and I do it. There is less worrying about things in the future because I can focus on this small list for the day. There is also something incredibly satisfying about being able to tick your tasks off as you get them done. To see a fully ticked list feels really good!

2. Release Your Creativity

Your planner can quickly become an extension of yourself. It goes with you when you leave the house, and its usually close to hand when you’re at home. But more than that, filling out your planner can also be a very personal activity. Your planner becomes not just a planner but a journal, a diary, a doodle pad, and anything else you need. You go from bullet pointing your to-do list to drawing it. You buy stickers and pretty bordered labels to fill in your daily activities. Your pens become multicoloured fine liners. Some people even have themed weeks, where everything is written in shades of the same colour or all the stickers have a festive theme. My planner seems to have ended up with lots of pinks and blues, but I love it! Decorating my planner keeps me coming back to it, and it’s a great outlet for the urge to doodle hearts in the corners of your pages.

3. Clear Your Mind

Writing down all your future tasks and plans is an excellent way of stopping things building up in your mind. Not only can you keep track of tasks but by writing it down it takes away the burden of remembering. You’re not sat somewhere thinking: “I have this to do, then this, then this, then this, then this,” which can quickly become overwhelming. Just writing it down can help put the tasks in perspective. You start seeing which are urgent and which are not. You can prioritise and work out which can be linked together to better manage your time. It’s like a weight being lifted off your shoulders and I think you’re so much more likely to do things if you have a clear mind and can take one step at a time.

4. Balancing Life

Living your life and being alive are two very different things. When all you do is eat, sleep, and work your life can quickly become monotonous and dull, which I find leads to a lack of motivation and negativity. But when your life is evenly balanced with fitness classes, partaking in your favourite hobbies or socialising, you can really start to enjoy your days. Life satisfaction and motivation can quickly improve when you have an evenly balanced work and social schedule. Having a planner has meant that I can see when I am either working or playing too hard. If my planner is all work one week then I know that the following week I may have to take a small step back from work and invite a friend for a coffee, or do a fun activity, something to even out the work. Then, if I have a week of little work but lots of socialising, then I need to re-evaluate what I’m doing with my time. I am so much more motivated when I get up in the morning if my day is evenly balanced.

5. Always Be Prepared

If you’re aware of what’s coming then you have time to prepare for it. My planner doesn’t just tell me who’s birthday is coming up and when my next appointment is, but also when my bills are coming out and what my work schedule is. I feel like I’ve been given the gift of time by being aware of when things are happening; I’m avoiding stress because I’m no longer leaving everything to the night before. Even on a day to day basis, if I know I have a fitness class after work, then I know which equipment and clothes to pack in the morning to cover all my activities and I often prepare this the night before! I’m a lot more motivated to get things done if I’m prepared for them.

I love my planner. I don’t think I could function without it these days. Don’t get me wrong, not every inch of my life is planned out; I still love a bit of spontaneity! However, now I have time for spontaneity. I have time to go out and do fun things because I know that I have everything else under control. I no longer feel guilty about doing something fun instead of sitting at home and working. I am more motivated and driven to succeed than I have ever been before and having my life under control has made me so much happier.

If you would like more information or are considering setting up your own planner or bullet journal I would highly recommend checking out either the Bullet Journal website, the Bullet Journal Junkies Facebook page or having a little peruse through Pinterest. There are planners for everyone and anything, be it work, fitness, or mental health. I hope that you find something that benefits you and helps you keep your days running smoothly.