If you’re looking to increase productivity in both your personal and business life, then you need to look at freeing up your brain productivity.
And, freeing up brain productivity means tracking yourself across multiple lists. Whether it’s a to-do list, a contact list or a resource list you now have one for almost every category of your life.
You use to keep a list for only two reasons. First, you had a grocery list because too many times you arrived home and forget what you went to the store for in the first place. Second, you had a list because you didn’t want to admit to anyone that your memory wasn’t as good as it used to be.
Now, a list is no longer just a reminder. It’s a major means of freeing up brain space in order to live a more productive life.
The Daily Productivity Planner
It all started innocently enough with a daily planner.
For those busy people, a daily planner was a scheduling tool. It was an easy way to schedule meetings and events and be able to plan the rest of your day around them. Without warning, it began to schedule your day for you hour by hour. There was no guessing or free time, you would know exactly where you were every working hour.
Then the daily planner took a leap and it became your future planner. It started planning for you months down the road and even started scheduling out your whole year.
I think there was some comfort in being able to look into your future and know where you planned to be.
However, within each daily planner were a couple of pages for a To-Do List. And, thus the rivalry began.
Trying to schedule time was suddenly competing against the to-do list items. As life was becoming busier so the to-do list items were becoming longer.
That brings you to where you are today. It’s a 24/7 world where your success revolves around your productive planning.
Productivity consultants and coaches preach the value of performing a brain dump or mind sweep to free up brain space in order to effectively focus and concentrate on what’s most important.
The challenge is that both techniques give you more than to-do items. There’re all kinds of thoughts and ideas mixed in with feeling and memories that are bubbling out of your brain at the same time.
The Ultimate Productivity Planner
The daily planner is no longer your primary planner. “The Planner” is now your productivity guide in a book.
In essence, “The Planner” has the following sections —
Index
- Topic sections
- Each topic corresponds to a page number or range of pages
Key Identifiers
- Designated codes, symbols, abbreviations
- Symbols signifying importance, urgency, or additional context
Calendar(s)
- Planning guide in monthly and yearly formats
- Becomes a visual tool for quick overview and notation of important dates
Monthly Log
- Left side is in numerical date order
- Right side is a list of tasks, events, notes for the month
Daily Log
- Left side is in numerical date order
- Right side is a list of tasks, events, notes for the day
Future Log
- List of items you would like to get to
- Daily or monthly items can be moved to a future date
Collection
- Related ideas or notes
Additional Personalized Categories
- Goals (personal and/or business)
- Progress tracking
- Motivational quotes, images or words
- Specific projects (planning, scheduling and action tasks)
- Special reminders
- Spontaneous thoughts and ideas
- Bucket list of life experiences
- Journal
- Contact list
- Resource list
- Items to further investigate or check-out
- Any other information of interest to you
Some prefer a physical planner. You might think of it as an external brain storage system that’s with you all the time.
It has the flexibility to be personalized according to your changing needs and preferences.You can add personal touches to the exterior cover and internal pages. Your favorite color coding can be used to identify different sections, tags, designate symbols and highlight in contrasting inks. Further, you can also insert images, drawings, graphs, charts and specific design layouts.
If you are the digital type, productivity planners may not give you everything you want, but they still offer the key planning features to enter, track, and make notes.
They also offer convenience. You have quick access without having to pull out a physical planner. Your information can be downloaded to different devices. And, you can edit, prioritize, and relocate items without having to rewrite them.
Planners help you organize and increase your brain productivity. Click To Tweet
At the same time, planners require their own energy for focusing and concentrating. The difference is that once you close the planner, you know you have a handy reference guide when you need it. Or, there’s no need to worry about trying to remember something because it’s already recorded.
While planners appear to be versatile, there is a privacy threat if someone were to have access to your private thoughts and journaling entries. If your brain dump or mind sweep is going to include things you wish to keep private, then a locked diary or separate journal may be a more appropriate place to free up that part of your brain space.
The One Brain Productivity Problem
Whatever method you use to increase your brain productivity, there’s still one problem.
There’s still some space tied up with things that are important that you’re not even thinking about.
Before you despair, know that yes there’s a way to get at them out of your brain and into your planner or journal. However, you will have to wait till next week to find out how.
In the meantime, if you are already using a planner, check if there is anything you can add or revise to make it more functional. Or, if you’re the type that writes notes to yourself, why not give a planner format a try with some notebook paper in a simple 3-ring binder.
Resource: http://organizedhome.com/time-money/tap-power-of-planners
Images: Pixabay 791939
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I love this. Sometimes the number of tasks is just so tremendous and even putting things on a calendar can be an additional chore. However, I get it. It is a practice that has to be in place.
Lorii, you’re right. Having to write in down in a planner or calendar can be an extra effort. But as a business grows, things have a habit of getting more complicated. And, anything that makes is easier is worth the effort.
I am a true creative so I have to physically wrote stuff down. I use a 5 subject spiral notebook, black pen and yellow highlighter. I system I developed from my paralegal days and still works for me as an entrepreneur together with a planner/calendar.
April, good point. Many bring the planning skills from previous professions. I like the spiral notebooks as well. A great way to keep everything together. Sometimes the simple methods work the best.
What great ideas! I live off of lists. I have lists for everything. They really do help me keep track of everything. I prefer having something tangible rather than electronic reminders, although I use those too. I find there to be something in the visceral experience of committing something to paper that helps me to get it done. Digital is so ephemeral.
Jennifer, you fall into the paper camp. It seems the comments have been running more in favor of paper over digital. There definitely is something more tangible about writing it down. Thanks for commenting.
I use planner and reminders very much. My Google Keep is always open, and it sends reminders to my smart watch each time I have an activity that is due. It is a time saver to me.
Lots of food for thought here. I make a to do list always. And I agree that it helps me organize my day or week. Once I have these tasks written down I often do not have to refer to the list again..but if I start to get distracted then I refer back and pick a task. Also this year I have added a monthly set of goals centered around social media primarily.. last year I felt so scattered with all the apps and processes. This year I concentrate on one or two a month.. so far it is working out well
Definitely putting items down on a list is a good way not to have to worry about them, Alene. Like you idea of focusing on social media with only one or two apps and processes. It certainly makes life easier and less stressful.
As someone who works a lot more intuitively, I don’t have a formal planner in the way you describe it, Joyce. I do have a Daytimer and love the idea of physically writing everything in it, so I can see my weeks and months at a glance in advance. I do make lists and enjoy checking off the things I finish. When each list is finished, I throw it away to start a new one. This method seems to work for me, so I’ll continue using it!
Good point Beverley. Everyone has to find a system that works for them. There’s a lot to be said for the action of writing things down and then checking them off when completed. Real brain satisfaction when you’re able to to that.
I am ALLLLLLL OVER lists. I have lists for everything. I keep OneNote open on my computer and it’s my daily/weekly planner and because I can link to it from my phone, it’s a great place to store notes for a range of things… my wedding plans, my house to dos, my blog topics, my website checklists, etc… this is so on point!
Why am I not surprised, Kristen? For those that love the technology, it’s a life saver.
I keep going back to my physical planner… Otherwise I continue to stick post it notes everywhere! And must always give myself mind clearing time too. I recently learned first hand with mama that the brain does like activites such as lists but we need to try new things to keep it in a learning mode. Nice artcle Joyce, thanks.
It’s all about what works for you, Teresa. I like to convenience of a physical planner also, and I’m less likely to use the electronic versions.
I still have never found the perfect method for paper; I tried again this year, but no go. I read your cool clarity and I can’t find one that works for me yet. Although it’s not perfect, I’m still rocking the digital method I’ve put together (combination of Evernote, calendar application, and IFTTT).
If your digital combination works for you that’s great. Everyone will find a system that works. As times change, so will the methods. The key is to keep the info from flooding your brain.
Yes, just started using a planner for my business the start of this new year, Joyce and have to say it is the best thing I have ever done! I just feel more organized and focused 🙂 Great tips!
Hey, Joan that’s great! Glad you found a business planner that really works for you.
Fabulous tips Joyce. I cannot manage without my planner and lists. I like the paper version as the very act of writing things down helps clear my head.
Ah, you’re a paper person. I’ve received favorable comments from both the paper and the digital people out there. As, I always say, whatever works for you!
I’m going to bookmark this post to improve my planner, Joyce. I do keep a record on my laptop but the real planner is the nice ring binder with crisp sheets and dividers. I find writing things down by hand helps me to actually prioritize my activities better.
I agree, Vatsala there is something of substance about having a physical binder with dividers. That’s my personal preference as well. But, the digital aspects also have their value. No reason, you can’t use both.
Very interesting information (as always), Joyce! I cannot imagine my life without a planner! I prefer the paper one as I like the visual images and handwriting notes. I recently started adding ‘to BE’ items in my planner in addition to ‘to DO’ items. I also like to cross the completed tasks with my pen – it’s rewarding for it gives a sense of accomplishment.
Love the idea of a ‘to Be’ as part of your planner. It’s great being able to turn to that section for inspiration and motivation.
Oh my, I felt my right eye begin twitching as I read through your list! There was a time when everyone I knew walked around with a big thick planner so I’m all too familiar with the scenario you described. I think your advice makes a lot of sense and I’m happy to share it, but I have to be honest when I say that I am SO happy to have escaped a world where I have to deal with planners! Oh, I am still a big planner, obsessively so, but my life is intentionally simpler now and so is my system for keeping track of my priorities. Great tips!
A good observation Marquita. Some of the video about planner seem to go overboard. They’re not meant to be a walking encyclopedia of your life. And, it makes total sense that it should reflect the way you want your lifestyle to be.
I started using a physical daytimer decades ago! And even with all the new technology, it still works for me to hold it in my hands. I can vouch that using it truly frees up brain space!
No wonder you are such a creative writer with all that freed up brain space! Thanks for sharing how well the physical version work for you.
Great information Joyce. When I used a paper planner I used to refer to it as “my brain.” Now I do everything online and I love it. Organization rocks!
Online versions make it a lot simpler and it sounds like it’s a better fit for you than paper. (Just remember to have a backup version, technology can be a curse at times.)