My Top 10 Planner lists 2024 to stay organised and focused

The beginning of a new year always seems to give us that motivation and inspiration to start something new. A new gym membership, a new personal diary, maybe even a new beautiful planner.

Those new year resolutions listed and the great intentions to follow through last probably until the second week in the month, before the momentum begins to waiver and we settle into the winter blues and all those great intentions fade into insignificance and we loose our momentum and begin to settle into another year of unfulfilled promises to ourselves.

What if this year was different? What if we found a way that kept us motivated and following through on our goals. A way that we could monitor our progress, celebrate our achievements and push through our challenges? Wouldn't that at least give us some incentive to explore how this year could be? Wouldn't it give us a reason to plan the months ahead ?

There are so many different lists and plans that we all use on a regular basis and compiling a list of just 10 is a challenge in itself. I wanted to create a list that could be universal regardless of your age, gender or career. There are many lists that can be added to this group, but lets start with 10 so that we don't feel overwhelmed by trying to fill our planners with too much information.

The first step to being successful with your planner and using it to benefit your life whether its for productivity or for organising your personal life, is to ask yourself this simple question. Why do I want to use a planner?

We must find our own reason for using a planner. Simply wanting to use it is not enough. Without a clear idea of why we want to use it and what we hope to achieve with it are the two most important ingredients to being successful in following through with the habit of using your planner.

EXAMPLES OF WHY WE USE A PLANNER

• To organise our lives

• Productivity

• De- cluttering our minds

• Planning future events

• Tracking personal goals

• Scheduling our time

• Work- Life- Balance

• planning vacations

• Planning financial goals

• Planning family time

The list is endless. Once we become clear of what our planner goals are, then making our lists can be clearer and more functional.

Try a selection of my top 10 planner lists for yourself. Once you get used to the habit of writing in your planner daily, you can create lists of your own that will help you to organise your life to reach your own personal goals and beyond.

My Top 10 Lists for your Planner

1. Monthly Calendar

2. To do List

3. Dinner Ideas

4. Contacts

5. Books to read

6. Birthday Gift List

7. Financial Goals

8. Bucket List

9. Goals for next week

10. Favorite Quotes

1. The Monthly calendar

Everyone needs a monthly calendar. The place to keep ourselves accountable. A place to list important appointments, meetings, birthdays, schedules both personal and professional. Whether a stay at home Mum or a CEO of an international business , the calendar is the most important list in our planner, personal, professional or even digital .

2. To Do List

The central list of every part of our planner. The place we get to list every chore or task that we need to complete in our day, week or month ahead. A brain dump if you like of all that has to be completed in a given time frame. A place to free your mind of the clutter that blocks you from completing the other ideas that are flooding your creative mind.

3. Dinner Ideas

Are you in charge of meal planning and cooking in your household? I am, and it is one of the biggest drains I feel daily and weekly, that dreaded question - " whats for dinner?" This list is a way to list all of our favourite meals and recipes, a reminder of what works that we can refer to on those days when I am lost for ideas of what to cook.

4. Contacts List

The place that is not necessarily names, phone numbers and email addresses, this is the list for favourite websites, you tube accounts, or even social media accounts that you follow can be stored. A quick checklist of important contacts that we might need to find quickly.

5. Book Reading List

How often does a friend or influencer suggest a book that has had a huge impact on their lives? This is your place to list books that you would like to read. Rather than purchase books that sit on a shelf that you never seem to get around to reading, here you have your checklist, tick them off as you read them , then you can look back at the achievement or perhaps you may even have a space to write a brief review of what you loved or hated about the book in question.

6. Birthday gift list

We don't often forget the birthdays of those nearest and dearest to us, however, ideas of what to buy can be more challenging. This is the place over the year where we can list things that they mention they would like, or perhaps you see something that you think might be a good gift for them. A place to create the perfect gift before the actual celebration, perhaps you need to plan an event for them , write down your ideas so you can look back and not be so overwhelmed as the date approaches.

7. Financial Goals

Do you have a plan for your financial goals? Or are you simply crossing your fingers that one day you might have enough cash to plan for your future. Wishing that one day it all falls into place is not enough. We must plan ahead when we have little so that when we have a lot we are prepared . Start small, decide to save for your next purchase and then build on that to bigger better goals. This is where you begin to get your head above water, make a plan for your financial future. Day 1 not one day.

8. Bucket List

This is the fun list. Time to think of all the things you want to do in your lifetime and then begin ticking them off. Its fun to do , see what you want to do with your life and how that list changes overtime. This is the time that we get to awaken our inner child .

9. Goals for the coming week

We all appear to be good at making lists of future goals, the long term variety, but what of our short term goals? How often do we take time to sit down and make a list of what we want to achieve in the coming week? This list gives us that opportunity. A place to decide what this weeks goals should be and how they help us to achieve our long term goals.

10. Favourite Quotes

This last list is just for fun. Having a list of inspirational quotes can give us a focus but can also be a point of reference for when we are thinking of giving up, consult the list for inspiration.

I hope these lists give you some inspiration of what and how planner lists can help us to take control of our lives and make them more organised. If you found this article helpful please comment below, let me know what your favourite planner list is.

xx Lei

A CLEVER VISION BACKED BY DEFINITE PLANS GIVE YOU A TREMENDOUS FEELING OF CONFIDENCE AND PERSONAL POWER - BRIAN TRACEY