Despite the fact that we live in an increasingly digital world, people are more interested in paper planners and journals than ever before. This shouldn’t be all that surprising, as no matter how many digital calendars or organizers app developers might release, there will never be a productivity tool as powerful as a paper planner.
A paper planner gives one the ritual of sitting down and really thinking about how they wish to live their lives, in addition to allowing them to create an action plan for personal and professional success. Unlike a digital calendar, the act of actually writing out schedules and to-do lists forces you to really think and engage with your obligations and your plans.
source:entrepreneur.com
If you’ve been relying on a digital planner or no planner at all, you might be reluctant to jump on board the planner train. To inspire you to make this positive change and to take charge of your life with this helpful tool, here’s how using a paper planner boosts your productivity, in addition to some helpful tips on how to make it all work for you.
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You See Your Life In Visual Form
Seeing really is believing. When our obligations and tasks are these overwhelming things in our heads, we have a hard time believing that we’ll ever be able to successfully finish this intangible and seemingly endless to-do list. However, when we can visually see a list of all the things we need to accomplish, actually finishing our list of tasks starts to feel like a more tangible goal. This is why the best planners for college students are the ones that enable students to write out all of the assignments they need to complete for any given day, week or month.
Determining the best way to schedule each day or how to shape your daily routine can be easily accomplished if you have a paper planner to consult. Being able to flip between the daily and monthly views will put it all into perspective and put you on the path for success.
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Tip: Just as it’s satisfying to sit down and plan everything out, it’s equally satisfying to cross or check off tasks that have been completed. There’s an overwhelming sense of satisfaction when you check an item off of your to-do list and this intensely positive feeling will inspire you to want to be more productive so that you can achieve that wonderful feeling again and again.
Add a Satisfying Ritual to Your Routine
If you look at paper planners online, you’ll notice that most of them feature beautiful designs and appealing visuals, such as these goal-oriented planners reviewed on Getlifeyoudesire.
Planning is not supposed to feel like a terrible chore. It should feel less like completing a mundane task and more like engaging in a mentally nourishing self-care ritual. This is why your planner shouldn’t be dull or ugly, but rather brightly colored and pleasant to look at each day.
Tip: Little rituals are the building blocks of productivity and success. The most successful planner users start each morning by either writing down or reviewing what they have to do that day and conclude each evening by crossing off the tasks they completed and jotting down what needs to be done the next day.
Never Forget an Obligation Again
There’s no worse feeling in the world than realizing you completely forgot to turn in an assignment or show up to an obligation. When we live our lives in a state of disorganization, we frequently find ourselves either perpetually running later or completely forgetting to do the things we need to do to be successful.
Using a paper planner every day will help you to avoid these awful situations. You’ll be amazed at how much easier life becomes when you remove the unnecessary stress of feeling like you’re behind or forgetting to satisfy your obligations.
source:entrepreneur.com
Tip: Try to write things down in your planner as soon as you think of them or hear about them. If your professor tells you that you have a surprise quiz next Thursday, jot it down as soon as possible to ensure you have enough time to create a studying action plan that will result in a high grade. This is why it’s smart to carry your planner with you whenever you can.
Planners Aren’t Just For Work and School
If you’re only using your planner for work- and school-related tasks, then you’re not using it to its full potential. Planners are also great for organizing your personal life and staying on top of your personal goals.
For example, if you’re trying to master a foreign language as a hobby, you can assign yourself blocks of time each day to make sure you that you accomplish this long-term goal over time. If you’ve been feeling stressed out and your appearance is suffering as a result, you can block out time to give yourself a DIY facial or to attend a yoga class.
Remember, we aren’t meant to be mindless drones who work, go to school and then go to bed just to repeat it all the next day without any time for self-care. The most successful people in the world understand the importance of relaxation, rejuvenation and making time to take care of themselves.
source:entrepreneur.com
Tip: Using a paper planner is a great way to make sure that you’re getting in enough time for self-improvement, self-care and hobbies. Strive to plan out a week that is 60% full of work or school, 30% self-improvement and hobbies and 10% completely open with no obligations. The last one is important so that you can spend a little time watching TV or playing on the computer. Just because you’re trying to be productive doesn’t mean you can’t occasionally indulge in a little laziness.
Becoming Productive Takes Time and Effort
Productive people aren’t just naturally disciplined. Instead, they put in the time and effort to become the best version of themselves. Using a paper planner means utilizing a simple tool that can have massive changes in your level of productivity, motivation and overall sense of accomplishment.
source:entrepreneur.com
