Daily Planner Ideas

Daily Planner Ideas 

Tempted by using a daily planner but unsure of how to start? It may seem like an obvious one to some, but for many of us, a little assistance in using a planner is all the encouragement we need to get to get the ball rolling.  Plus - it’s fun learning how other people organize their day! Here at Wrinkle & Crease, we hear from all kinds of people on how they usetheirdaily planners successfully and we’re here to share their secrets.

What things should you track in your daily planner?

Daily planners can be used for pretty much anything - think of it as your very own instruction manual. Yes, we use planners to organize appointments, anniversaries and birthdays, but you can also use one to track important goals and habits. Here are some examples to get your started: 

• Health Tracking:Daily workouts, sleep, gettin’ in those veggies!  
• Personal Care: Daily vitamins,  dental care, skincare routine
• Skills/ Hobbies: Playing an instrument, reading, learning something new
• Daily Tasks: This one should be something youknow you do everyday - it’s an easy win to check off, perhaps it’s having your coffee or even just making the bed 
• Self-Improvement: Drinking more water, breathing/meditation time, stretching 
• Money:Saving for a trip, having a ‘No Spend Day’, emergency or retirement savings
• Household: Plant-care, daily chores, organizing a room or a drawer
• Goals:Working towards a new designation, an achievement or an award 

Daily Planner Ideas for Beginners

Here’s a list of things to remember when just starting out: 

• Plan to Plan:Set aside time yearly, monthly and weekly to think about how you’d like to organize your time
• Visual Reminder: Keep your planner visible and easily accessible
• Be Consistent: Use your planner at the same time every day. A lot of people like to plan the evening before so that they can hit the ground running first thing in the morning. 
• Aesthetic: Choose a planner that you love the look of - this goes a long way in building the daily habit
• Accessories: Splurge on a new pen or a few pretty highlighters that are just for your planner. There’s nothing like new stationary to get you motivated!

Pro Tip

A really great idea and tip for beginners is to set aside a time to use your planner and organize it. 

I know what you're thinking...make a plan to use my plan.  

However, making your planning a priority is essential to not only having success, but also enjoying the process.  So try to establish a rhythm with your planning, and make it a habit.  

Don't judge yourself if you fall off the plan.  Remain committed to trying. Keep going.  Don't stop.   

Design Ideas to Personalize Your Daily Planner

• Colour code categories by using different coloured pens or highlighters in your favourite shades
• Add in motivational quotes each month that speak to you and your goals
• Use page markers or sticky notes to easily access important pages
• Decorate with stickers and washi tape to give it some personality
• Emboss your planner with your initials for a sophisticated and personal touch(Wrinkle & Crease does this)
• Get creative with blank pages - use these to draw, doodle, chart or graph!

List of Daily Planner Hacks

• Utilize monthly blank pages for monthly to-do’s rather than filling up your daily boxes, especially if you don’t know what days you want to complete these yet
• Create a ‘Master’ To-Do list at the back of your planner for referencing and ensuring nothing gets forgotten
• Create weekly priority lists and stick to only 3-5 for each week 
• Block off time each week or day for priority items 
• Create a master meal plan list in blank pages at the end of the planner for a quick reference when you need a meal idea in a pinch
• Create a habit tracker graph in blank pages. Use symbols or abbreviations per box to show what you’ve accomplished for the day, or add these symbols to the bottom of each day when you’ve accomplished them

Important Dates in 2022

Here’s an at-a-glance reference for some important dates coming up in 2022:

• New Year’s Day - Saturday, January 1, 2022
• Valentine’s Day - Monday, February 14, 2022
• Family Day - Monday, February 21, 2022
• St. Patrick’s Day - Thursday, March 17, 2022
• National Sibling Day - Sunday, April 10, 2022
• Easter Sunday - Sunday, April 17, 2022
• Mother’s Day - Sunday, May 8, 2022
• National Donut Day - Friday, June 3, 2022
• Father’s Day - Sunday, June 19, 2022
• International Cat Day - Monday, August 8, 2022
• International Dog Day - Friday, August 26, 2022
• Thanksgiving - Monday, October 10, 2022
• Halloween - Monday, October 31, 2022
• Christmas - Sunday, December 25, 2022

For additional information check out the Day of the Year Website for example January 3rd is Golden Retriever Day...

FAQ

1. What Should I Write in my Daily Planner?

Your daily planner should be a simplified version of the most important parts of your day, week, month and year.  Appointments, goals, habit tracking, significant milestones, anniversaries and to-do’s and anything personal to you and your life.

Here is a list of the top 8 things that you should add to your planner. 

1. Important dates, not only holidays but important dates to you
2. Important goals and milestones, including daily challenges
3. Budget items that keep you on track
4. Creative ideas, and use a tracker so you can implement those ideas
5. Phone Numbers
6. Motivational Quotes
7. Health Appointments
8. Meetings and Family events

A daily or weekly planner is used to keep you not only on track, but also to remove the stress of trying to remember everything.  Keeping these things in your planner will help with both. 

2. What Are the Best Daily Planners?

The best types of planners are the ones that not only enable you to track daily appointments, but also allow room for outlining goals for the year. 

Look for one that includes full pages for each monthly section for creating an overview plan. Lined note sections are perfect for each week for quickly and easily jotting things down as soon as they come up.  Another pro tip? Find a planner that lies flat.  It’s all in the details!

3. How Do I Choose a Planner?

Choosing a planner can be very personal. We suggest taking time to analyze what you’d like to use your planner for most and making sure that the functional elements in the planner are there to assist you. 

4.  What is the Best Daily Planner?

We think our daily planners are pretty fantastic.  We spend a lot of time researching and carefully choosing our products.  As a local business we have the flexibility to really choose what we want to support and who we collaborate with.  

Having said that. 

The best daily planner is one that you will not only use, but one that will help bring organization and joy to your life.  A daily planner that helps you keep track or important life events and key dates. 

You want to use a planner that helps with with things that are important to you, whether it's a meal planner, self care planner or just simply a life planner. 

The best planners are ones that inspire you, that keep you coming back.  they give you joy when you not only setup your days, weeks and months but also when you get to check things off the list.  

5. What do you Write in the Notes Section of a Planner?

When you are using your planner there are a couple of different places to put information and details.  The most relevant and important information needs to go in the date area.  This is where you put the time, location and cost if there is any.  

There are also areas of a daily planner for additional information that may be relevant to that week or to events during that week.  This is called the notes section.  

So what do you write in the notes section of a planner?  In the notes section you add information that you will need for the event or the week, or simply something you want to remember. 

If you need to bring something, like your own lawn chair or your own water.  If you need to check in before you arrive, or if you need to pick up something on the way.  

The notes section is also a great place for random creative ideas that you have during the week.  There may be a better place for this if it happens a lot like a creative journal so you can keep track, but the notes section is helpful for this.  

The notes section is a great place to keep track of simple things, and additional information that you want to remember. 

The only trick is remembering which date has the note.  That is especially true for creative ideas that are not connected to a date or event.  You don't want to have to look through your whole planner to find it again.

However it's always better to write things down.  

Happy Planning!