Using a daily planner is one of the keys to creating any lifestyle and getting the benefits from that lifestyle. I’m such a big proponent for using planners that I started creating my own and selling them on Etsy. But I know that just having a planner doesn’t mean you are going to get any benefit from it. You must use it correctly and avoid the common mistakes.
If you been using a daily planner for a while, but find that you aren’t really benefiting from it, this article is for you. Maybe you are losing interest, or you just don’t really see why you should be using it every day. If this sounds like you, it might come down to some common mistakes many people make when using a planner for the first time.
Audio/podcast version:
Table of Contents
1. You Are Using More Than One Planner
This is a very common mistake for a few reasons. Maybe you like to keep your personal and professional life separate so you need one for each. Maybe you are a planner addict (guilty!) who buys more of them than you can even use.
While this is understandable, it can be really hard to focus on more than one daily planner at a time. Find a planner that allows you to organize both your personal and professional life, whether that means using the monthly calendar for your personal appointments, and weekly calendar for work-related tasks, or getting a planner that has blank pages to write down notes and to-do lists as needed.
I admit this is a very hard mistake to fix. Although I prefer printable planners, I can’t resist a beautiful hard-cover spiral bound planner. I try to avoid stores like Barnes and Noble or Michaels for this very reason!
There is one small plus to having a lot of planners though, I should add. If you buy an undated planner, you aren’t forced to use it immediately. You can stockpile them (guilty again!) and in the future when you need a new one, you can pick the one that you are really feeling at that moment.
2. You Don’t Love the Planner You Are Using
Another mistake people often make when using a planner is buying one that doesn’t suit your needs. Like I said, it’s tempting to buy pretty planners when you see them in stores, but what I have found is more often than not, the cover attracts me to it while the inside pages leave me disappointed.
While you probably don’t want to waste money on another expensive planner, think of how it is affecting you when using a planner you don’t like. You probably never get excited about opening it up, find it awkward to write in, and don’t benefit because it doesn’t have everything you are looking for. In this case, it is worth the money to buy one that you absolutely fall in love with.
This is another reason why I love printable planner pages so much; you can build your own planner using a ring binder and insert any interior pages that suit your needs. These pages are only a few dollars, you can print as many as you want for life, and you can mix and match the pages that work for you.
So, it’s best if you can design your own custom planner that you will love because you will use every page and there will be no filler pages you feel forced to use! I have a few videos on my YouTube channel that go more in depth about using printables for daily planning.
3. You Rarely Remember to use it Daily
A daily planner is exactly that – something you use daily. If you are just using it once a week to write in your appointments or to-do lists, but don’t check it each day, you are probably missing out on the entire purpose of using a planner, therefore you are not getting the many benefits that planners provide.
You need to at least open it up every day so you know what tasks you have that day, check on your appointments, and fill out information on any daily pages your planner might have. This is how you will get the most out of it.
4. It is Being Used Like a Journal
While some planners do have journaling pages, it shouldn’t really be used as a journal. Try to keep your planner and journal separately and use them for different things. It allows you to focus on what you are using, instead of trying to journal in a very small space in your planner, which doesn’t help with major issues you might be facing.
This is one example where having a separate journal and planner is a good idea. When you need to stay organized, get things done, and reach your goals, a planner is essential. When you want to write out your thoughts, express yourself, and work on your mental health, a journal is essential.
Create Your Own Custom Planner
Now that you know the most common mistakes to avoid, you might be ready to create your own custom planner and start fresh the right way! I have over 120 printable products in my Etsy shop including planner pages, journal pages, workbooks, checklists (for your planner!), and lots of other fun stuff to help you create a healthy lifestyle, improve your life, and crush your goals! Click the image below to visit the shop!
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