Brandy Burke

We all want to be productive right? Well, at least the majority of us do – because being productive makes it feel like we got up for a reason, and helps us to feel like our day meant something as we slip into bed each day.

But even the best planners and the most determined list makers can still struggle with getting the needed things accomplished in their day – why? I really think it’s because of how we plan.

Often times, planning can just be a brain dump of all the things you need to do, and a brain dump is an important step in the planning process, but you have to smooth out the wrinkles afterward to make your calendar really make sense.

4 Tips for Productive Planning

1. Start with the Non-Negotiables.
   Your non-negotiables are the things in your days and weeks that you’re not willing to compromise on. They’re the things that happen because they make you who you are – and solidify your needs as well as your morals.
2. Brain Dump.
   We chatted about it above, a brain dump is important. But many people do this right on their planner and that’s where it all stops. Brain dump on a piece of scratch paper first, getting out all the little fiddly bits of things you really want and need to get accomplished. Then…
3. Next, plan the priorities.
   These are the things that absolutely have to get done, they have deadlines, other things depend on them, they pay the bills
4. Next, Calendar Block.
   This is especially easy when using an hourly planner, but even if you’re not using an hourly planner, you can still block like tasks together. So a priority may have been going to the grocery store – while you’re out running errands, lets put them all together in a block to avoid extra time and gas spent. The same with phone calls and meetings. When we block like items together, we’re bound to be productive.

There are also a lot of really great books on productivity that can help further add to the productivity life goal, just be sure you plan some time for reading, too!

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If you’re new to using a digital planner, you’re not alone – while I first heard of this fun new diddy back in 2018, it didn’t catch on rapidly and I’m only recently hearing more and more about it.

There are several digital planner pros and cons but if I could name my favorite pro, it’s that the stickers are reusable.

I know. Imagine being able to use your favorites over and over again without having to remember to re-order them!

This post will walk through the simple step by step guide to using digital planner stickers in GoodNotes5.

• First, locate the sticker you want to use.
• Select the Lasso Tool
• Circle (lasso) the sticker you want to use
  

• Hold your stylus or finger down on the screen until you’re given cut / copy options
• Select copy

• Go to the page you’d like to use your digital planner sticker on
• Hold your stylus down on the screen and click paste

If you accidentally bring too many stickers over (you copy too many on accident) when you hit paste, you can then lasso the ones you don’t want on that page and just delete them off.

The best part, those digital planner stickers can be used time and time again.

Every link on every page or post in this blog is subject to affiliate links. 

We’ve been talking a lot this week about digital planners – if you’re not caught up, the best place to start is with this post, digital planners 101. As I’ve mentioned throughout each of these posts, there are definite digital planner pros and cons – this post will explore each of these in our favorite format — list :D.

Digital Planner Pros

• Undated planners are reusable year after year.
• Digital planner stickers can be used time and time again.
• You can use nearly any image in your planner.
• You don’t need nice handwriting since you can also type in your digital planner.
• Your digital planner can go anywhere with you without worrying about dents and damaged corners.
• Never any mess-ups or smudges.
• No need for cancelled stickers to highlight the things that didn’t happen – can just delete right then.
• Typically the undated planners have far more page options, and that leads to more creative planning.

Digital Planner Cons

• While there are digital planner and digital planner sticker choices out there, they are limited in comparison to hardcopy planners.
• No sense of sentimental/archival existence like you have when you look at a stack of old paper planners from years past.
• It’s more expensive to transport (as in, if you spill coffee on your iPad, it comes at a substantial cost in comparison to your paper planner).
• Somewhat cumbersome to plan until you get the hang of it.

This list isn’t about the number of each bullet in the pros or cons category – I think it matters what your planning style is, the time you have, and what you like to do with your planners post-year-end. I’ll continue to add to this digital planner pros and cons list as I dive into digital planning more and more this year.