Does Your Planner need to grow up?
This summer, I’m working on updating my various planning systems.
I count myself among those who love office supplies and stationery. Give me a paper store, and I will give you my life savings.
At the height of our sibling rivalry, my parents could set my sister and I off talking for hours by introducing our favorite topic: school supplies. At eleven and eight, we’d pass the time on a long hike talking about pencils and binders.
As an adult, this interest has become focused on the search for the perfect planner. I’ve done the Passion Planner and the Full Focus Planner, and I’ve spent time in the bullet journal world.
Two years ago, however, my planning nerd’s brain was blown.
In fall 2020, I had hired a coach to help me in my role as director of my university’s interdisciplinary humanities program. I had a lot of balls in the air: organizing programs, managing a large and diverse staff, forwarding long-term plans to stabilize the unit, all while maintaining my own research agenda and keeping graduate students on track.
In a conversation about the overwhelm I was feeling, my coach asked me about my planner. I held my messy bullet journal pages up.
How’s that going for you?, she asked.
The answer: not great.
Over the rest of our conversation, she helped me realize that I had outgrown my paper system. I had too many projects spread out over too long a time frame to keep track of. I also couldn’t see things easily nor easily move or group tasks in my beloved Moleskine.
It was time for my planning system to grow up and better reflect my new role.
Now, there are A LOT of systems out there. To start, I wanted something that wasn’t too fussy. I had a sharp enough learning curve with my new job, and as a career humanist, I wasn’t well versed in project management.
Ease of use was my main criteria, so I selected a program called “Todoist.” This has worked well for me the past two years. The app works like a sortable to-do list and it’s very easy to enter tasks.
One of my favorite aspects of Todoist is the way it allows you to schedule recurring tasks. For example, I can set the task to “update cv and Interfolio” on the 30th of the month. Once this is set, I don’t need to enter that task again; it shows up every month.
If you are new to using apps as your planner/task manager and looking for a low barrier to entry, I’d highly recommend Todoist. It’s also good for those who love list-making.
Two years out, I have new needs. I’m no longer in my administrative role, but I’ve started a business that’s really two businesses. Also, my oldest kiddo has started elementary school, which feels a lot like its own project to manage.
Once again, I’ve outgrown my system. I’m now seeking a task manager that will help me to better think about my multiple roles and to see my various projects at a glance.
I don’t know what I’ll pick just yet...more on that soon...but I know that I have new planning needs to use as a filter.
To define your planning needs, here are some questions for reflection:
Has your role or another life circumstance changed recently? What does that mean for the kind of tasks or projects in your life?
What’s working about your current planner/task manager? What’s not working?
What are barriers you experience in using new technology? For example: Do you need a task manager to work without an internet connection? How “fussy” a system do you like? Does it need to be visually appealing?
How do you like to engage with your “to dos”? On a calendar? On a list? On a Kanban board? Through color?
