Why You Should Use a Planner (Seriously)!

Picture this: it’s 11:30 on a Sunday night and you’re about to go to sleep. But wait—there’s a paper due in the morning! And what’s that? You have a test first period?? And you forgot to do the English reading. Great. Looks like you’ll be getting 4 hours of sleep. Again. 

You probably don’t even have to imagine, just think back to last week, or a couple months ago when that happened to you. We’ve all been there. But what if I told you you could prevent that? What if you never had to experience that again? 

You might be thinking, Yeah right. But using a planner (as long as you actually do what you write down) can be perfectly effective in preventing that dreaded late night cram.

It’s no secret that writing things down can help you remember them. You’ve probably been told that a number of times when studying for a test. But writing down everything you need to do on your hand or tiny scraps of paper doesn’t count. Maybe they’ll help you remember, but they’re easily lost in your bag, accidentally discarded, or washed off. You’ve simply taken your already scattered thoughts out of your brain and scattered them all over your backpack. That’s not much better, is it?

Instead, taking the time to write things down in a planner can help you organize your thoughts, remember what you need to do, and end up feeling much more relaxed. Whether it’s a dated planner, a simple notebook, or even just a designated page on your notes app, having a specific place for all your to-do’s can completely change the game for your work habits. 

It takes time to build that habit, so in the future, every time you think of something you need to do, instead of reaching for the nearest stack of Post-its, a shred of looseleaf, or your arm, make the effort to take out your designated list and add it there. Then you can finally rest knowing that everything you need to do is written safely in your planner, waiting for you to tackle it. Hopefully before 11:30 pm this time.