Every year in August I go school supply shopping and buy a brand new planner for that school year. I become so excited about how organized I'll be this year and how amazing the school year will be. Of course, at first, I use this planner daily, but as the school year continues I start things on my phone instead. Rather than writing out tasks, I set reminders on my phone. By May I haven't used my planner in a month, but that next August I buy a new one again and let that cycle repeat.
This series of events is very familiar to many young people. Over the past year, however, I have started using my planner in a new way. Rather than using it solely for school, my agenda contains my whole life. I write down all of my plans, all of my responsibilities, and any and all small reminders I may need throughout my week. This may seem obsessive, but as I use my agenda in this way, it provides so much to my life.
I would often finish my day and think to myself, "Wow this was such an unproductive day." I couldn't even fully recall everything that I did but I would label the whole day as a waste. Now, as I write every small detail in my agenda, every individual task is important. Doing laundry? It gets written down. Seeing a friend for lunch? It gets written down. Even if your task isn't something "necessary" or "productive," it should be scheduled out in your day. By doing this, you will never again go to sleep feeling like you wasted a day.
Also by doing this, your forgetfulness of dates and responsibilities will significantly decrease. Rather than having homework written on random pieces of paper or in the notes app, every small thing you need to do will all be in one place. Since using a planner daily, I never sit around wondering, "What was that thing I needed to do?" It is always written on the day that it needs to be done.
Using a planner to plan out my weeks has significantly shifted my life for the better. It's such a small part of your day to jot down plans, but will save you lots of time down the line. Planners can start at prices as low as $10, but serve as a solid investment in your future. Planning my days has changed the way I live my life and it can do the same for anyone.