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Planners give me life! They’re an organization essential for me, and should be for everyone.

Although digital planners and calendar apps are great for reminders and recording plans, visualizing your schedule with pen and paper is so important. An old-fashioned planner will make you more accountable by giving space to reflect on schedules, plans, and time. This will also make you less dependent on digital reminders while making you more conscientious of your personal schedule.

You can use a planner however you desire, but here are some tips if you’re learning how to make the most out of yours to simplify and organize your life.

#1: Buy a Planner

The first step is to buy a planner. Purchase one that gives you ample writing space and is aesthetically pleasing. You’ll be using this everyday, so purchasing a planner you like is vital. Some elements your planner should include:

• Monthly calendar pages for writing down events, save-the-dates, etc.
• Daily/ weekly pages for keeping track of day-to-day meetings, tasks, and to-do’s
• 12-month outlook page for long-term planning
• Notes section on the weekly pages
• Durable: make sure it will last all year
• Good size: medium-sized planners that easily fit in backpacks, purses, and business cases are best

#2: Plan Your Planning Time

Start planning! If you ignore your planner and don’t use it, it’s like you never even purchased one. The best way to start using your planner is by carving out time to just focus on writing things down. It could be 5 minutes, it could be an hour—however much time you need to plan, make that part of your schedule.

#3: Yearly Goals

A planner helps visualize the year ahead. Utilize it to keep track of goals, but ensure that these goals are realistic and achievable. For goals, use a pen. Pen is (technically) permanent, which gives a psychological signal that this is something you are definitely working toward.

Maybe you want to save $5,000 by the beginning of July. Write this in July and write your smaller goals each month prior to keep you on-track. Maybe you want to take a trip to Thailand in September. Write down a general time frame at the top of the September monthly page. This is your year—start being accountable for your daily and future life by writing your thoughts somewhere visible.

#4: Big Picture Planning

Look at the 12-month outlook page: are there any important events or days? Think about birthdays, weddings, important holidays, and vacations. The first thing I do with a new planner is to write down birthdays of family members and friends—then I won’t forget! I usually write birthdays on the monthly pages and the actual days within the weekly pages. The same goes for any holidays or days off work: mark them throughout the planner. Even if the holiday is typed on the day, write the holiday in your writing—this will give your planner a personalized feel.

#5: Crucial Monthly Dates

Now that your planner has some personalized touches sprinkled throughout, it’s time to really start documenting plans. Use the monthly pages to give yourself an idea of how busy the months ahead will be. Write necessary tasks: bills and credit card payments, paydays, appointments, and meetings. Anything that’s crucial to staying on top of your life, write it down on the appropriate day each month. This will help you visualize important days each month, whether it’s a parent-teacher conference, a doctor appointment, or a car payment. Once you have these tasks written on each monthly page, transfer the information to the appropriate days on the weekly pages.

#6: Monthly Plans

It’s good to have each month loosely planned approximately one month before the month arrives. (For example, you should have February generally planned at the beginning of January.) Think about what you want to achieve or anything you need to do in the coming months: sign the kids up for baseball; host friends for game night; go see a new movie. In pencil, write these plans on the monthly calendar pages on the correct dates. Once you coordinate and solidify the plans, write them in pen. Then, transfer the information to the corresponding dates in the weekly/ daily section of the planner.

#7: Weekly and Daily Schedule

Before each week begins, take some time to take a look at your planner. Use this time to review any plans pre-written for the week, as well as add in anything important for the week. I like to write down my daily schedule for each day of the week. I’m a teacher, so I usually write down the classes I have and make a mini-checklist that includes any tasks I need to complete that day. In addition, I write down tasks I should do once off work: stop by the post office; go to the grocery store; do laundry; meal prep; blog; etc. Writing things allows you to dedicate brain space to others things throughout the day rather than simply remembering tasks and will help keep you organized. Once things are completed, be sure to cross them off for the day so you can see what still needs to be completed and what you have achieved.

I check my planner a couple times during the day: usually in the morning once I settle in at work and in the evening when I return home. I also make sure to review the next day before going to sleep to be more mentally prepared. Making the most of your planner will help organize your thoughts, goals, and life!