How to become more productive by using a planner

As philosopher Henry David Thoreau once said, ‘It is not enough to be busy.... The question is: What are we busy about?’ 

Many of us say that we are ‘too busy’, but how much of that busy-ness is truly productive? Much of the time, being busy can be a result of reactivity instead of proactivity - you are reacting to a work deadline that has crept up on you, or dashing to get new school uniforms for the kids before their first day back because you didn’t realise how quickly they would grow! You then become overwhelmed with busy-ness, i.e. too many last-minute tasks that cause stress and disrupt your schedule. If proactivity were part of the equation, you would be well on track with your deadlines, the children would be kitted out well before the school year began, and you might have more time to do the things that you love. It is this proactivity that becomes productivity.

We have all heard tips and advice on how to be more proactive, and thus productive: wake up earlier, limit your social media usage, make to-do lists, etcetera! However, while this is useful guidance, there is one easy thing that you can do to get organised while on your journey to a more productive life. Get a planner!

A good planner goes hand in hand with increased productivity. By planning, you are reducing the chances of busying yourself with reactive tasks and putting proactivity first. Sure, there will still be moments where you will have to put out the proverbial fire, but you will be more prepared for the fire in the first place! 

While your planner serves as the blank canvas for your schedule, planner stickers are the paint - and you are the artist. Craft daily, weekly or monthly spreads that both bring joy to your newly organised life, and keep you on top of your important tasks, appointments, projects and more.

Want to know how a planner can help you become more productive? Read on.

When you’re creating a to-do list within your planner, it can be very easy to spill all your tasks, chores and errands out onto the page in no particular order. However, when planning - just as you would when fulfilling your tasks - it’s important to be methodical. 

Order your to-do list by importance. This will ensure that you work your way down the list, ticking off each task as you go, rather than working randomly and missing important tasks as a consequence.

You can even decorate your list with bullet stickers, or take a look at our To-Do & Checklist section for more ways to make your list practical and stylish. Do you make to-lists regularly? Make sure they’re easy to find and refer back to by using monthly tab stickers!

If you know that implementing a daily routine increases your productivity, why not start each day with planning? Keep your planner at your desk, on your kitchen counter, or wherever you tend to start your day. Then, each morning, use that charming new pen that you’ve yet to unbox, and your planner stickers, to map out your day. This will encourage your creative juices to flow and help you get into a productive mindset.

Many people plan their day each morning, but you can also plan out your week in one session if you have a weekly format planner. Then, you can reflect on your spread on a daily basis and make updates to your schedule, revise your goals or add extras such as mood stickers to track your mood.

Rewards are important - otherwise it’s all work, work, work, and no play! But what do you reward yourself with? When you’ve completed a big project at work or school, ticked a stressful errand off your wedding planning checklist, or finished a big DIY undertaking at home, head on over to notesandclips.com for some beautiful new stickers to complement your planner.

We even offer achievement stickers to create a visual rewards system within your planner, from general praise, to diet badges, to ‘adulting’ merits. 

So get a planner and planner stickers today, and start living a more productive life!