The Life Changing Power of Planning
The Life Changing Power of Planning
Using a paper planner can be life changing. I was amazed at how such a simple tool was able to make such a positive impact on my stress level. In this article I will show you my process to move into your paper planner.
For me, the goal of a planner is to gain control of the sloppy, swirly bowl of tasks and events that take up my brain space. My planning guide outlines my approach to capturing the things that I have found too difficult to manage without a planner. It’s not that I have a bad memory. I have at least an average memory. But, my brain can not effectively remember all the things I need to do in the right time, or in the right order, or with the right priority. Putting it all down on paper makes it so clear.
Why is this on a Bible Study Blog?
It might seem strange to be talking about planners on a website with devotionals and Bible Studies. No matter what your stage of life, God has given you things to take care of. You have a lot to manage. Your job is to steward those things well. And a planner can help.
“And the Lord [Jesus] replied, “A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward. I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns. But what if the servant thinks, ‘My master won’t be back for a while,’ and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk? The master will return unannounced and unexpected, and he will cut the servant in pieces and banish him with the unfaithful.”
- Luke 12:42-46 NLT
We are the servant. God is the master. Are you being responsible with the things that God has given you?
Several years ago, I was not being a good steward of my time, resources or relationships. I was mismanaging my time. Wasting my energy doing the wrong things. Forgetting commitments. Saying “yes” to too many things that I couldn’t actually do.
While a paper planner might not be for you, getting your hands around the things that God has asked you to manage is important. Use this as a launching off point to finding solutions for your management problems. This passage from Luke ends with Jesus telling us that if we are responsible with a little, He will give us more, because we have demonstrated that He can trust us.
“And a servant who knows what the master wants, but isn’t prepared and doesn’t carry out those instructions, will be severely punished. But someone who does not know, and then does something wrong, will be punished only lightly. When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.”
- Luke 12:47-48
Before You Start
Take a moment to sit down with your planner and pray over it. You can repeat the prayer below, or say your own. I recommend that you write this prayer on a piece of paper, fold it up, and take it in the front of your planner.
Dear God,
Thank you for bringing me this tool. I want to be a good steward of the time and resources you have given me. Please be present with me every time I sit down to work on my plans. Lord, your plans for me are greater than anything I could dream of. Please make your plans for me clear. Draw me back to my planner as I learn to incorporate this tool into my habits. And tell me when I have done enough and should rest. God, I put all my trust in you and your vision for my life. Thank you for your love, patience and grace.
Amen.
Supplies
A favorite Pen or Pencil
A highlighter
Ruler, or something with a straight edge (a flattened spaghetti box or cover of a book works great if you don’t have a ruler)
Step One: Brain Dump
Before you even open your planner, you need to know what is going in it. On a piece of scrap paper, write down all the things that are swirling in your head. All of it. Do not feel the need to filter. It can also be helpful to walk around your house and note tasks or small projects that need to be done (such as: replacing a closet light bulb, or putting away a bag of random things from vacation). You can also look through papers to find dates and tasks that you need to capture (such as: kids school calendars, small group schedules, etc.) Try not to get too caught up in the calendars. You want to create a master list, it should feel freeing, not overwhelming.
What to include on your brain dump list:
Tasks
Upcoming tests and assignments (if you are in school)
Work schedule (if you have an inconsistent work schedule)
Upcoming events
Doctors/Dentist appointments you need to schedule
Kid’s sport schedules
Bible study homework
ANYTHING that is nagging you
You can repeat this process anytime you feel like there are a lot of things that are on your mind that need to be moved into your planner.
You can do this brain dump onto any scrap piece of paper. There is also a printable worksheet in the PDF.
Step Two: Planning Pages
Future Plans
If your planner has note pages in the back, turn to the very last page. Label this page “Future Plans”, draw a vertical line down the center with a ruler. Label one side “Future Events” and the second side “Future Tasks”.
Any tasks or events that don’t fit in your planner timeline will go on this page. When you move into your next planner, you will reference your future plans page.
Planner Reflection
On the next to last page of your planner, you are going to set up a page for notes about your planner. You will write down anything that you LOVE or HATE about your current planner. I recommend that you stick with whatever planner you have for at least three months. This will give you enough time to really determine what is a planner problem, and what you want for your next planner.
Label the page “Planner Reflection”. Draw a vertical line down the center with a ruler. Label one side “Things I like” and the second side “Things I don’t like”.
I recommend that you keep notes about the function of your planner as you are using it. For example, if you have big hand writing, and find yourself running out of room regularly, you might make a note that the planner is too small on the “don’t like” side.
Look back over this list when you are getting ready to purchase another planner.
Step Three: Date Your Planner
If you have an undated planner, look at your list and find the date that is furthest out. Date your planner up to this point. If you have a single event that more six months out (like a wedding or retreat or vacation), put this event on your “Future Events” list.
If you don’t have a lot of events, label at least six weeks of dates.
Step Four: Move In
Events
Go through your Brain Dump list and move all the events with dates into your planner. As you add them to your planner, cross them off your list.
Important Tasks
Look over the tasks, circle the ones that are high priority. These are the tasks that HAVE to be done in the next week. Assign the tasks to specific days over the week. Cross out each task as you put it in the planner
Everything Else
Look at your remaining tasks. Assign those tasks to the next few weeks, crossing them off as you do.
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