How do you plan out your day? do u use a calander or a note book ?

Question

What's the best way to plan out my daily activities .
I am asking this question because i am getting really busy recently after many years of going thru some trauma ...
now i found 2 jobs. One full time , one part time

Have to pay off my credit cards...
have to pay off my college loans
have to pay off my car payments..

On top of that I want to spend time for myself , u know get a masssage , write something ( i like to write sometimes )
work out ( i want to join a gym ) so i have to find time for that.

But How should I plan this ?
is there like a computer software or should i write it all on a piece of scrap paper ..what do I do ??
I want it to be organized and neat !!
how ??

please answer me , this is very important for me ..

Answer 1

There are (calendar) programs that can be used for planning. A paper calendar or simply a list of what you need to do in the near future might suffice.

Also, an Excel spreadsheet can work exceptionally well. Use the first column for the priority, column 2 for the task and column 3 for notes. (You could also have a “date due” column, or what ever.) The neat thing about Excel is once you’ve made the list you can keep adding to it, and deleting as tasks are completed, change the numbers in the Priority column and then RE-SORT to get everything in the, newer, correct order.

But try several approaches to see what works best for you. Remember, the system or procedure should work for you, not the other way around.

Answer 2

It truly depends on your preferences, but I've done a couple of things which may help.

I prefer using a calendar/planner - I've tried Franklin Covey and DayTimers, and I schedule time/days for different activities and tasks. I happen to use the "Week at a Glance" with a Franklin Covey planner so I can manage my time and add tasks to my daily task lists.

For example, in each week, I set aside time to go to the gym four weekday mornings, I block off my work schedule & input meetings/appointments. I specify certain times for personal time & I use the task list (and post-it notes) to remind me to do different tasks, such as when to pay certain bills (I add the reminder five business days prior to its due date to ensure they are paid on time.)

When planning your time, you can manage a lot of different tasks and activities. If you want to get a massage once a month, make the appointment and schedule it in the calendar. Even add a reminder for when to call to schedule..

Some folks like to use time management software or a PDA/Palm/SmartPhone - if you're likely to use that more than a planner.. go for it.

Remember - time management isn't an overnight miracle, it takes practice & persistence.

Best of luck!

Answer 3

I like those small notebook style daily planners, You can write everything down and keep it in your purse..

A computer program won't do you much good if you run into a friend at the grocery store, and they ask what you are doing 2 weeks from Wednesday.......