Peanut butter and jelly, salt and pepper, socks and shoes…these are all things nobody can deny, go perfectly together. One pair that should be on this list is organization and planner. While it might not be as common to see these two paired, they go hand and hand. There is a reason becoming more organized is consistently on the top ten list of New Year’s resolutions; in fact, it has earned a spot in the top three for decades. 
Despite the best of intentions, once the appeal of a fresh new start fades away, people tend to struggle to stay on track with their organizational goals. According to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology, only 46% of people who made New Year’s resolutions were successful. That means over half of the people who set a goal for the new year will fail!
If organization is one of your goals, a printable daily planner can help you stay on task. If you’ve never used a planner, it can improve and transform your life in many ways. The good news is, unlike some other systems, printable planners are completely customizable and unique. Think of it as a master blueprint of your life. It’s easy to incorporate an organizational planner into your life and make it a habit you won’t soon break (unlike those resolutions). Here are six ways using a planner can transform your life.
- Improve Time Management
Life can be busy, and there never seem to be enough hours in the day. In fact, research indicates American families have just 37 minutes of quality time together per day. If your goal is to maximize the time you have with your family or friends without distractions, a daily planner can help keep you on task and manage your time more efficiently.
- Simplify Your Life
By now, you’ve probably figured out life can be pretty complicated. Work responsibilities, getting dinner on the table, school activities, cleaning your home, even staying connected to your friends and family can take time. How many times have you felt obligated to say yes to an engagement when you really didn’t have the time or energy? If you are nodding your head, you are not alone! Simplifying your life can be freeing, and setting time aside to construct your master list for your life can have a huge impact when it comes to simplifying your life. Having a customizable planner might not make your life any less busy, but it can help you prioritize the details in a way that can make it manageable, organized, and less stressful!
- Improve Productivity
Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world in 2020, it changed many things, including our workforce. The percentage of workers punching in from home hit a high of 70% in April.
Many learned that distractions and more flexibility than ever before in our homes were not ideal in terms of productivity at work. Incorporating a daily planner can not only maximize your productivity and help you stay on task, but it can free up valuable time you might not have realized you were wasting in both your professional and personal life.
- Relieve Stress- I’m sure you’ve heard the old saying, how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. While this saying might be outdated and corny, it bears truth. You would never set out on a road trip without at least having some idea of where you were going to end up, and the same is true for your daily life. Mapping out your plans in a tangible, easy to use and read format can destress your life. Whether you are setting goals for yourself or simply jotting down what you are having for dinner the next couple of nights, a daily organizer takes the guesswork out of the equation and lets you focus your time and energy on more important things…actually living!
- Improve Your Finances
The National Association of Professional Organizers reports we spend one year of our lives looking for lost items! Furthermore, 23 percent of adults say they pay bills late (and incur fees) because they lose them. While today’s technology, including autopay, might make it easier than ever to schedule and pay bills, oftentimes, when you have several bills, you can lose track quickly of what amount is coming out on what date. Managing your finances is a part of life and whether you have financial goals, want to save for a large purchase, contribute to a college fund, invest, set reminders to check your portfolio, or simply want to see where your money is going, a daily planner is an essential component that can seriously put you on track.
- Improve Your Happiness and Quality of Life
“Happiness is not a goal…it’s a product of a life well-lived.” – Eleanor Roosevelt.
Everyone wants to be happy, right? The pursuit of happiness is something everybody strives for. If your life feels cluttered and overwhelming, it can seriously have an impact on your happiness. Whether you are setting goals, being present and engaged in all aspects of your life, including organization, goes a long way. Setting aside time to map out your schedule each month can give you a realistic picture of what to expect for the month. Of course, unexpected things always come up but being prepared for daily tasks can relieve stress and give you peace of mind.
As you can see, constructing a master list for your life can have a myriad of benefits. Are you working towards achieving a goal, meal planning, scheduling your family’s activities, medication management, keeping track of important financial information, meetings, work deadlines, and more? A planner can give you an easy-to-read glance at the tasks ahead so you can not only stay on top of things, but plan and prepare for the future.
It will become a habit!
Studies have shown on average, it can take anywhere from 18 to 254 days for a person to form a new habit and an average of 66 days for a new behavior to become automatic. The key to making planning a daily habit is to incorporate it into your daily routine. Try making it a habit to do it at the same time every day, and soon it will not only become a habit, but time you actually enjoy!
With an easy-to-read at a glance format, you will quickly gain control and simplify your life. Here’s a closer look at how this planner can help simplify your life, improve your time management, and more.
- Schedule
Yearly, monthly, and daily planner pages to help you stay on top of meetings, activities, appointments, and important dates for your whole family,
- Meal Planning
A daily planner includes space to plan meals or track your nutrition. The bonus notes feature is a great place to jot down recipes or grocery lists to save time and money at the supermarket!
- Goals
Set monthly goals and map the steps that get you there in every area of your life!
- Fitness
Plan your workouts, make time in your schedule for the gym, and keep tabs on your progress!
- Important Information
Keep your family’s medical information, important contacts, and more at your fingertips!
- Life at a Glance
Multiple layouts to keep track of important reminders- choose from a traditional calendar layout, or list formats to see special dates, appointments, and activities in a single glance.
Are you ready to download your personal planner and start focusing on the things that really matter in life? Let us know in the comments!
Sources:
https://www.goskills.com/Soft-Skills/Resources/Top-10-new-years-resolutions
https://www.becomingminimalist.com/the-statistics-of-clutter/
https://www.becomingminimalist.com/the-statistics-of-clutter/
