I started giving “planner tours” back in high school. Friends wanted to know why I carried it everywhere, what I wrote in it, and probably if I had any tips that would work for them.
My planner has evolved over the last 25 years, and with so many people looking to integrate paper and digital tools as they manage the details of their personal and professional lives, I thought this quick tour would be helpful.
This post has been created so you can skim it in two minutes or less, but I also provided some in-depth answers, in case you want more.
Of course a paper planner isn’t going to be the right fit for everyone (I know plenty of people who do all of this digitally), but hopefully the ideas shared here can help you decide what will work best for you. Enjoy!
The Planner Itself
I have a thing for FranklinCovey. It started when I was 13. This specific planner is a FranklinCovey Compact Size with Blooms two-pages-per-day inserts (I just keep 30 pages in there at a time so it stays slim).
Here’s why I love my paper planner:
- It doubles as a wallet—holding my driver license, credit cards, library cards, checks, stamps, Post-it notes, thank you cards, receipts, photos, etc.
- I can see a lot of information at a glance.
- I can brainstorm and plan while sitting in meetings and it doesn’t look like I am “sitting on my phone.”
- I can color in it with markers. (It just makes me happy.)
- It calms my brain to actually use pens and paper.
Some people worry about carrying a big planner around all the time. And I get it. That’s when I would recommend the pocket-sized planner (super tiny…just like a wallet), or I would suggest you email yourself reminders or voice memos when you are out and then put that information into your planner when you get home and you are keeping your emails at zero.
My Google Calendar
Eric and I use a shared Google Calendar to manage all our appointments and deadlines. I held on to my paper calendar as long as I could, but at the end of the day, digital calendars just make more sense for us.
My Paper Calendar Supplement
Although I don’t use the two-page paper calendar included with my FranklinCovey planner, I use the Prioritized Daily Task List to record date-specific tasks that need to be checked off by the end of that day.
In this example, you can see the following tasks that had to be done (or at least assessed/thought about) that day:
- Outline post/planner tour
- Discuss kids’ schedule for Thursday-Saturday event
- Check on health insurance sign-up
- Send check to painter
- Finalize dates for live event
I work on those tasks throughout the day, and before I go to bed that night, I make sure they are all finished.
If they are not finished, it means I either planned too much for the day or I had unexpected things pop up. In that case, I do forward one or two things over to the next day’s calendar. ***The key is NOT to rewrite things over and over every day, so I try to just make a super short list and then get it done as quickly as possible.
And see that column for your appointment schedule?
Sometimes I “create my day” in that column—sketching out my appointments from my Google calendar, brainstorming when the best time would be to implement those tasks on the left, and filling in time for my nap, meals, family time, reading, exercise, etc.
And then that paper on the right is my note-taking and dreaming space. I use it to outline meeting agendas, grocery lists, price quotes, ideas, and goals.
Before I go to bed, I look at those notes to see if there are any tasks or commitments associated with them, and then I record them in the appropriate places. I also photograph those pages (if they are important) and upload the photos into Evernote, which will search my handwriting. (Is that not awesome?)
My GTD®-Based Next Actions
David Allen’s best-selling book, Getting Things Done®, is what locked my FranklinCovey planner into place.
I used to write 60 things on my task list. And then when I didn’t do ANY of them, I rewrote all 60 the following day. (You know what that’s like…)
Now I have only those things that MUST be done on my task list on the left, and all those flexible tasks I WANT to do go inside my pouch page finder, labeled by context:
- home
- errands
- computer
- to discuss
- phone calls
I color-code those, and I do keep every color marker in the zipper pouch at the front of my planner. Because it makes me happy.
Looking at the example above, you can see the kinds of things I do when the context presents itself. This is a WEEKLY list. I just move the bookmark from day to day, and then everything should be checked off by the end of the week. If it isn’t checked off, that most likely means I planned too much. I create a new Next Actions list each week during my Weekly Review, and the goal is to never rewrite a task. (I rarely reach that goal, but it’s still my goal.)
The specific tool I use for this is the Progressive Task List insert or the FranklinCovey pouch pagefinder with the Compass Cards (turned backwards).
Asana and Evernote—for Current Project Lists, Project Support Materials, and Routines
I have an entire podcast about Asana and a full tutorial on Evernote inside our Steps to Everyday Productivity Program, so I won’t recreate all of that here, but the basic idea is as follows:
I keep all my business-related projects totally in order inside Asana, using the categories…
- “Current”
- “In Progress/Waiting”
- “Next in Line”
- “Someday”
Asana is awesome. You can upload photos, add links, set deadlines, outline full projects, and share tasks with a team. I use that strictly for LearnDoBecome.
Then Evernote holds my personal Current Projects List, plus images, documents, agendas, etc. that I need for ANY of my projects—work or personal. Evernote also holds pretty much everything I would want to access from my phone or computer (besides private passwords and confidential stuff).
So What Does a Typical Day Look Like?
First thing out of the gate (after my personal morning routine) is to look at my Google calendar to see what HAS to be done.
Then I work from my Evernote Routines List and my paper planner task list–and fill in the gaps with Next Actions.
Sitting down to work for a few hours a day is on my Routines list, so that’s when I utilize Asana and move forward on my business projects.
Evernote is there to support me every step of the way. I’m usually in there at least a dozen times—creating new notes and accessing past notes.
The day is fluid because my life is full of activity and I want to be able to adapt to the needs of family, friends, team members, and neighbors. But I do set boundaries to accomplish my work and take breaks (because otherwise I lose my mind).
As I’m typing all of this out, I recognize there are a lot of details and moving parts here. And honestly, I’m not trying to complicate things, claim perfection, or insist that everyone needs to do things the way I do them.
This is simply the process that helps me keep track of everything on my plate. And it’s colorful! And stress-free! And it kind of makes me giddy.
Feel free to post additional questions or ideas in the comments (I’ll answer as many as I can), and if you’re feeling excited about revamping your system, check out the announcements below to find out how you can learn more about our productivity system here at LearnDoBecome.
As a quick review…here’s a little image we put together…Thanks and happy planning!!
Timely Announcements
We’ve just posted new times for our live webinar, “How to Finally Stop Drowning in Piles”, and we’d love for you to attend.
Want to peek into the live training series going on August 29th through September 23rd? Find out about it here!
Yay!!! Thank you for this post. I was wanting to learn more about how you use your Franklin Covey planner as part of your STEP system.
You’re so welcome! Glad it was helpful! Do you use a paper planner?
I also was completely addicted to my Franklin Planner starting in about 1990 and continued for many years until people insisted that I had to “get with the digital age”. My productivity has dropped steadily ever since. I totally agree that there is something cleansing (for some of us anyway) about sitting down and writing it out and I continue to do that, but not with a formal system, and now I am drowning in piles of scattered notes and lists!
Brenda, I am a paper girl too. I love some aspects of digital but can relate to you in that there is something soothing and therapeutic about writing things down. We’d love to have you join us for a free class at http://www.LearnDoBecome.com/step for helps in getting out of the piles of lists!
Thanks April! I do not get why you both use Asana and Evernote – it seems like many programs and planners to check during the day! Do you think it would work to just use one of them?
Cecilie, Great question- Think of Evernote as an amazing filing cabinet, and Asana as a fabulous project management tool. You can of course, use both for more than this, but each of these seems to specialize in each of these categories. 🙂
I think Asana is your “WORK” and Evernote is your HOME Management go-to, right April? Don’t know Cecilie if that helps make better sense for you. I’m retired since 2013. I was totally immersed in Franklin Covey…it saved me many times. I’m considering going back to it because I love the writing aspect, too, but will give my newly adopted command central plus digital (cuz I love my laptop and smartphone, too, and see if I can’t somehow make that work.
Thank you, this was helpful. One question, how did you get Google calendar to highlight appointment durations? I can only get little squares beside the appointment start times. I would to color code based on content category.
Barbara, If you click ‘edit event’ once you click on the appointment, you can edit/color change. 🙂
I don’t see a place to change the color other than selecting a different Calendar type; 1. My Exchange calendar (green), 2. iCloud calendars – Home, Family (both in Yellow) or Work (Purple); 3. My google calendar (Blue)??
I dont see anywhere to edit colors of just certain appts…??
Please advise
Great question, Nancy! I created a second calendar for my personal things and titled it “Triggers.” That one is purple for me. 🙂
I think you need to do it on the computer, not on a smart phone.
Thank you so much for sharing this! Everything looks so beautiful and colorful – love it! I am one of those who constantly rewrites tasks. I love your ideas for streamlining and focus. Thanks again!
Thank you, Laura!! I’m so excited for you to build your Command Central! 🙂
OH BOY!!!!! I think we came from the same mold….. I have tried to go “paperless” I need it also. Tried several different planners and need to utilize google and more into planner and don’t know how. Thank you, I will STOP trying to “re-invent the wheel”. I am a busy person, with four children, farmers wife, independent sales representative, and a local elected official. Not to mention a personal, spiritual and health life to maintain!
I’m a total newbie; should I already know what a “routines list” and “task list” are? I know about “next actions list”…. that’s the “for me” for my family” and “beyond” next item grouped according to “home” “phone” discuss” “errand” and “computer”, yes?
Great Question! We use these terms a lot in our Steps to Everyday Productivity Program. If you want to jump in on a webinar we can teach you what each of these things are- and why you need them in your life! http://www.LearnDoBecome.com/step. 🙂
Routines are the things you usually or often need to do each day. It’s what you would like to do each day. They are a framework. You might be too busy to do all of them, but at least you can do some of your morning routine.
Love this! Thank you so much for sharing how you use the paper and digital tools together. I started using a FranklinCovey planner in 1996, and wow! Did my productivity increase! I loved it and used it for everything. Then, after so many people saying to “get with the digital age,” I succumbed…and my productivity hasn’t been the same since. :/
I’ve tried to reintroduce paper but have struggled with how to co-mingle the two…and this post gave me some great ideas. I now have another FranklinCovey 2-page/day planner and a family google calendar, and I’m going to try integrating them using your tips. Thanks again!! (And I love the use of color to make it pretty too! It has to make me feel happy for me to use it.)
I loved my Franklin planner, but moved to mostly digital. I just use a legal pad for my task lists. I just need to develop the routine of checking my lists… OY!
Hi, I’m 70 yrs old & have used a Franklin planner for forever. I get excited in December buying all the supplies for the next year. I have an i-phone & see my family using that as their planner, but I love the feel of pen & paper. Great article. Thank you. Nancy
Where do you put all your kids sports and school activities on your Google calendar? Their schedule is what completely clutters up my Google Calendar so its visually overwhelming but it’s the best way to make sure that everyone knows where they need to be when. But now that I have two in high school plus younger ones so the Google Calendar is so over filled that we almost hate to look at it and avoid it. Any suggestions?
Hi Sarah! There are two parts to this question. (1) Is it your SCHEDULE that is overwhelming? (2) Is it your CALENDAR (visually) that is overwhelming? If it’s the calendar, I would create a new color for your kids’ sports/activities, so you can turn it on/off as needed. That should help you know where YOU need to be. Then I would just put any driving responsibilities on your own calendar so you don’t double-book. If it’s the schedule that is overwhelming, the book “Essentialism” is AWESOME. Hope that helps!
Hi April and Danielle,
Thank you for creating a productivity program!
I have piles everywhere at home and some at work too. I have a terrible time with time management at work and home. My work office for now is clean since I just moved in to a new space, but when the stress of deadlines hits, I feel exhausted and start to procrastinate due to being overwhelmed. How do I start making daily, productive routines at home and at work? I’ve never been able yet, to get most or all of my casework done in time each year, which leaves piles more for the next year.
I read David Allen’s book, Getting Things Done. It’s wonderful but offers virtually no visual representation on how to start and maintain the routines.
I have to improve because my job and family depend on me . We rarely can relax at home because everything is in chaos daily – laundry, dishes, Mail, chores and things missing or tasks forgotten. This is all due to my company downsizing staff in my department with larger work loads, death in the family this summer , other aging relatives, and more demands on our time from family.
How do I start to improve? I have self-study but I am not organized naturally, I need to get ideas from people who already are very familiar with this process.
I really appreciate your help!
Marsha
From NJ
We are so glad you are here! Have you been able to be part of the STEP LIVE classes? We’ll have more podcasts and tools coming soon, as well, but since you are in Self-Study, I would start with Module 1, Step 1, and if you need more support, do come into Mastery. The upgrade price would be TOTALLY worth it. We’re here to help however we can! Much love!
HI April. It has been such a pleasure hanging out with you and Eric on these lessons. I am finally motivated again. I am looking at the planner and trying to decide it it will really help me to stay on task. I have been listening to all of your STEP LIVE and have had the self study for a while and have just been dreaming about doing it. You have encouraged me to get it done. I guess my question to you would be-should I get the planner now and begin implementing it as I build my command center or can I wait so I will not be overwhelmed with too many things? Does that make sense? Thank you so much for your kind and inspiring spirit! Kelly
So glad to have you with us, Kelly! And great question. I think it totally depends on you. If you have a functional calendar right now and can make a temporary list system for Next Actions, I would go with that until the whole system is up and running and THEN get a new planner. But if you feel like a planner would “lock” the system in place from the start, then go for it! The key is to get moving. Whichever path is easiest, choose that one. Good luck!! 🙂
I am wanting to buy a Franklin Covey planner and am struggling with what size to get. I do use a google calendar, but otherwise am definitely a paper/pencil kind of person. I watched your 30 min. planner tour in the STEP program and was going to order the classic size because I love how you set yours up and you said you loved that size, but I noticed that you have now moved to the compact size. What made you switch? Any recommendations for me? I do like having a clear pouch for money and things and also extra space in the back to hold my routines list and other parts of the program for quick reference like you had in that tour from 2012, but it is sure tempting to have a smaller planner that will fit in my purse better. Help! I have already spent WAY too much time trying to decide!
Yes!! I feel your pain! Classic is amazing. Tons of room. But I am so in love with Compact now that I don’t think I will ever go back…. it is so easy to carry around, and now that I have EVERNOTE, it solves the need for more space to write.
Maybe I just need to learn Evernote! I figured only one thing at a time! First, get my command central running and going well, then learn another program like Evernote. 🙂 In the meantime, maybe I’ll still go for the compact so it fits in my purse and hopefully will be enough room! Wish they had the color of yours still though. I have looked and looked and can’t find that color or any that I like on the Franklin Covey website. I am looking on Amazon to see if I can see another binder that is the right size that would work with no luck yet. Anyway, thanks so much for all you are doing! I can’t tell you how excited I am right now!!! I can see light at the end of the tunnel. I am all caught up and ready for the Live training of Module 6 tomorrow! The Live trainings have been wonderful. Thank you!!
This post is several years old, but I have a question for April. Do you think that the Compact size would work well if you tried to use it as you used your classic many years ago? Is it possible to set up projects, next actions, and other reference info? I have the classic, but it gets heavy and I find myself leaving it behind. I’m wondering if you would, if you were back to mostly paper, use the compact. Thank you for all the wonderful information that you guys provide. Marta
Hi Marta! I would definitely give it a try–though I would make sure that your project lists are SUPER manageable. A paper planner isn’t very forgiving when you add dozens of pages. 🙂 If you are okay writing small–and potentially taking the pages out so you can write on both sides without the rings getting in the way–I think that could work beautifully! Let me know if you try it!
Thanks you SO much for this post!!! I just can’t do 100% digital and I’m finally realizing it. This was so validating and helpful. I appreciate you sharing ALL the details! You are very kind to help us all with the little steps we can take in our life that make such a huge difference. Thanks again!
We are so glad to have you with us Martha!
Yay! So happy to hear! I tried going all digital, and I failed miserably. 🙂 Finding a system that works for YOU is key. Good luck!!!
I have used the same planner for at least 15 years, has space for appointment times every day, pages where I keep business sales records, space for personal appointments and financials, etc. Apparently it has been discontinued because I cannot locate it anywhere now! I’m not against change, but I am struggling to find a planner that suits my needs for work, business and personal. I have never been attracted to the Franklin Planner for some reason. Are there other suggestions for a truly multi-purpose planner?
Hi Dawn! You are not alone in looking for a customized planner that works for you. We’ve had lots of people in the STEP Mastery Facebook group share which planners they like (there are a lot, and we’ll need to do a post on the best ones soon!), but some people make their own through Blurb–or I believe Franklin Planner lets you customize pages? I personally just use my planner for basic notes and tasks, and then I’m going digital on everything else. Have you found any digital solutions you like for your financials, etc.?
I still like pen and paper. I transfer items to a spreadsheet each month but prefer recording on paper first—I make less mistakes that way. I have been looking at planners and there are so many choices that I find it a daunting task. I’ve looked at several suggested on the Facebook group page and done my own searches to no avail. I could use separate planners for work, personal and business but it would be cumbersome. I like everything in one place! I’ll keep looking….
I know I’m a little late to the game on this thread but am just discovering your website. I, too, am using Evernote and Frankin (I guess they’ve dropped the “Covey”?). I am about to dive into Asana for project management (I am into post-it notes on a laminated project planner right now.) My question is: in all of these tools, I am missing a contact management component which is very important to my business model. I currently use ACT! but can’t figure out how to integrate it into any of these programs. Any ideas?
Welcome, Laurie! You will love Asana. Since this post was published, we’ve learned more and shared more about it here on our website. Jill, one of our team members, shared a video of how she uses Asana in her personal and professional life. You can find that here: https://learndobecome.com/video-optimizing-asana-using-boards-to-manage-projects/. As for ACT! I (Taryn) am not super familiar with the program but have heard good things about Zapier connecting the two. (https://zapier.com/apps/act-essentials/integrations/asana). Hopefully this is helpful! Feel free to send a message to [email protected] if you have more specific questions. Thanks for taking the time to comment here. We’re glad you found us and we wish you the very best!
I just watched Jill’s ‘optimizing asana’ video listed above. I had heard of Asana before from someone else. but sometimes it makes a difference when the presenter is using it the way I need it. Those columns in the Flow Chart are right on target! Also the idea of making a column called ‘Done’ is so smart, so you can track your own progress in the free version until you really feel need to upgrade to the paid version. Brilliant!
Why do you use google calendar? If I have an iphone and ipad, wouldn’t icalendar be best. (I though I heard in a podcast that you also have an ipad.) I am wondering if I should switch to google calendar.
Thank you for your insights. (I am in the very beginning stages of starting this process and feel overwhelmed.)
Laura, great questions! Both calendars are wonderful and work in similar ways. The Google calendar can by synced with the iCalendar on your iPhone and iPad making it easy to access whether you are on your computer or a mobile device. Both calendars can also be shared with others as needed. Either is a great option! The key is to choose a calendar that works along with how you work. We’re thrilled to have you with us! Feel free to send a message to [email protected] if you have additional specific questions. Thanks for taking the time to comment here. We’re thrilled to have you with us!
How can one access the Productivity Course. I love using Evernote and would love to see how you use it for project planning
Thanks for asking, Dianne! We have a couple course options that you can see on the programs page on our website, and then those who go through our free class get a limited-time special offer. The first class is free, though, so we encourage you to start there! We hope you can join us! LearnDoBecome.com/STEP
So April, let me get this straight – you use Google for an overall calendar and the two other digital platforms for business and for personal projects, AND a paper planner for daily tasks, complete with the color-coded task card? Which is updated daily? I’m kind of overwhelmed with this. How do you not spend all day just managing your organizing media?
I loved this podcast and I’ve used a combo of Cambridge/Dayrunner for planning (digital overwhelms me-except for Sticky Notes.) but I like your insert pouch. Not sure if I’m up for creating a color-coded card every day though…🤪 😳
Hi Anne! Yes, I use Google for basic appointments (just 2-3 things on it per day, usually), and then project time is baked into my routines for each day. Asana/Evernote holds the project-management side of our business, for the most part. Then I use my paper planner for things I have to do each day (typically they are flexible–not appointments), and the color-coded task card is just once a week. Or maybe once every two weeks. The system takes a little while to learn, but then it takes hardly any time. I update my Next Actions card during my Weekly Review, and I keep it short. And I use my planner throughout the day to keep me on track. I just check my Google Calendar each morning so I know where I need to be/what’s going on, but it just takes a second. Does that help?
Oh my! I feel so overwhelmed! I use my iPhone calendar for appointment and meetings. But I’m so confused about the different task lists and project lists…..it’s not making sense to me. Is this normal?
Ronda, thanks for reaching out to us! It can feel overwhelming at first. You are teaching your brain a new skill so it will take some time for it to feel natural. We talk more about this in our STEP program. We’d love to support you there if it’s a fit for you!
What tool or software program do you recommend for managing your Contacts List? I am referring to those times when you want to send out a mass mailing, either for your business or for personal/family occasions such as Christmas cards or wedding announcements?
I have Microsoft Outlook on my computer, but have endured years of frustration getting labels to print out correctly and alphabetically, even after editing and retyping and finally hand-writing the envelopes on which the labels don’t work!
I am finally ready to replace my Outlook program with something easier and more reliable. Thank you – April C.
Hi, April! Thanks so much for your question. As a business we use Infusionsoft by Keap to manage our contacts list. Depending on the size of your business or how many contacts you need to manage for your family, MailChimp is a great email option as well. Thanks for being with us!
Hi, April,
In the Franklin Planner – Next Actions List – do you draw the outline of the car, computer, etc every week, or do you just put them on a clear ruler and write tasks to the right?
I have the Compass cards, but don’t know if I have to draw it all every week.
What I have been doing is for the day – I have pasted the next actions on a ruler and can move the ruler from day to day. Unfortunately the tasks don’t move with it.
Also, I didn’t see a weekly calendar in Franklin Covey.
Thanks so much for you help!
Jan
Hi, Jan! April draws the context icons each week but adding them to the clear ruler sounds like a great idea! You could also just write the word for the context rather than drawing the image. The weekly calendars can be found here, https://shop.franklinplanner.com/store/buy/Weekly/cat960012/. Enjoy!
Re: bookmark in the Franklin Planner
If you put the Next Actions card inside the bookmark pouch, do you have to take out the card everytime you want to check off a step?
Great question, Cyndi! You could take the card out of the pouch to mark off a step or you could use a wet erase or dry erase marker and write directly on the pouch. Both wash off easily and would eliminate the need to remove the pouch for each step. Thanks for being with us!
Wow. I have ADHD and have constantly switched between paper and electronic. I recently read that electronic calendars are dangerous for those with ADHD as each time we check the computer calendar we can get side tracked by other computer things- new emails- etc that send me off course. I have a franklin covey type note book as I relate to April but recently stopped using it (not sure why) and bought myself an 8 x 10 weekly calendar that has all the time slots in like a doctors office. It makes seeing time as a more tangible thing so when I look at the week at a glance I am better able to estimate whether to book in an appointment (I tend to pack way too much into my day and always running late) . The danger is that since i also input into my electronic calendar – my husband and I are both artists and need to see each other’s schedule- I sometimes forget to input into my paper calendar or vice versa like April warned. I decided to use my electronic calendar as a good way to remind myself to switch tasks and refer to my 8 x 10 size weekly calendar to keep me on track so I dont keep going to my computer that side tracks me. But I don’t generally want to carry that big calendar around with me and it stays on my desk. Perhaps I need to go back to do doing the weekly actions task which I loved and keep it in my franklin covey book so I can take notes etc but use the weekly calendar when scheduling appointments. I also feel the need to simplify as I tend to complicate things!! But I do see how having pen and paper makes me so happy and also need the electronic unfortunately. Thanks for your system- still figuring it out but really relate to April so much.