7 Things to Write in Your Planner This Year ...

I always make it a priority to write down birthdays in my daily planner, and birthdays are one of the most important and helpful things to write in your planner I would suggest. First, they help you not to forget someone’s birthday, and they also allow you to see it a month ahead, instead of getting an alert on your phone the day of, or just viewing it last minute on your smartphone calendar. I also like to write it down so I can work birthday gifts into my budget when I’m making my budget based on my planning dates.

I also always write my goals for the year down in my planner. It allows me to see what I want to do and when, and also gives me a time frame of what I’ll need to do to make it happen. This can be a great way to give yourself motivation for the year ahead, and it can also help you achieve your goals better than by just having an idea of what you want to do with your life during the year. I suggest making quarterly goals, and then progressing to monthly. It feels so good when you get to check those goals off!

Like I mentioned, I keep my budgets right inside my planner, and prefer organization planners like Franklin Covey brand that are specifically designed for this purpose. It’s so helpful when planning your budget and your schedule. That way, I know not to schedule lunches out on weeks I’m low on funds, and also know that I’ll need to cut back my groceries if needed on certain weeks, which allows me to plan for coupons correspondingly. This is a very helpful tool I’d suggest anyone get on board with. It can really save you so much stress, as opposed to just winging it!

You know those doctor’s appointments they make six months in advance? I have news for you, that reminder card they give you to put on your fridge is way too easy to overlook, or can find itself lost. To prevent that, put all your yearly appointments down in your planner as soon as you make them. This way, you can see it all year round, and when the month of the appointment comes up, you’ll be sure not to miss it.

I actually also like to keep a section in my planner with inspiring quotes. This allows me to get motivation during tough times, or whenever I see something inspiring, I’ll write it down on that date. It’s really neat to be able to go back and look at this, and I love doing it when I need a little mood boost or time of reflection.

This is another favorite idea I have for you to write down in your planner. I like to write recipes that I might enjoy in my planner, for corresponding dates. I know that’s what Pinterest is for, but how many times do you really go back and look at all those pins anyway? Instead, I write an idea down and clip the recipe to it, or write it out on a blank page in my planner near the date. For instance, if I find a killer banana bread recipe I know my mom would love, I write it out and place it a week ahead of her birthday, or keep it in a file in the back. Then I can easily reference it when I know I’m ready for it.

Last, but certainly not least, some of the best things to write down in your planner are phone numbers! Yes, I know your smartphone keeps them for you, but if you ever get a new phone, or perhaps something happens with your current one unexpectedly, you’ll have a permanent file with all your contacts so you don’t lose anything. I have used this feature at least three times in the last five years and I’m so grateful that I did. One time, it was a software glitch, and the other two, I got a new phone where the numbers couldn’t be transferred over. I highly suggest this, even if you have a cloud storage with a smartphone like an iPhone. You never know when you might need it for another reason anyway. Addresses are also a great thing to keep on file with phone numbers, in case you need them for the same reason.

Planners are something I really love buying each year because I know how much I’ll use them, and how much they’ve helped me for the last five years or so. Do you use a planner, and if so, what is your most essential thing to write down in your planner?