Four crucial features your planner needs

If you're an avid user of diaries or planners, you probably already know how essential they are in keeping your life organised.

But what if your planner could do more than just help you stay on top of your schedule? What if it could actually elevate your daily routine, guiding you to build healthy habits and approach your work with intention?

We're excited to share four brilliant tools that have been true game-changers for us, and we believe they can have a transformative impact on your planning routine as well. Plus, you can download the last 6 months of our Curation planner for free.

So let's dive in and explore these ideas that can take your planning experience to the next level.

1. Self-Care Cheat Sheet
Are you tired of constantly neglecting self-care because you feel like you never have enough time or struggle to prioritise it?

We hear you, and we have just the solution for you: a self-care cheat sheet.

Creating your own cheat sheet is simple yet powerful. Start by brainstorming a list of 5-10 quick and accessible activities that you can do within ten minutes. Think about those simple things that require no preparation, can be done anywhere, and have the potential to boost your energy, reduce stress, and bring a sense of calm to your senses.

Now, here's the secret sauce: Keep your cheat sheet right in your planner. By doing so, you'll find it much easier to integrate these self-care moments into your life, even on those busy and overwhelming days when time seems to slip away.

If you're already familiar with our planner, Curation, then you know about the Self-Care Menu, where you can customise self-care ideas for your mind, body, and soul. It offers suggestions for 10, 30, and 60-minute activities, allowing you to tailor your self-care practice to your specific needs and available time.

See if you can make self-care a non-negotiable part of your daily routine with the help of a handy self-care cheat sheet or the Self-Care Menu in Curation. You deserve to nurture yourself, even in the midst of a busy schedule.

2. Daily Self-Care Planning
Dedicate one line in your planner to your wellbeing and select an item from your self-care cheat sheet or pick something that will inspire you to take some time out for yourself.

In Curation, this line is an integral part of the weekly spread. Even if you don't own Curation, you can still incorporate this idea into your planner. 

Create your own symbol—a heart, an inspiring icon—that represents self-care and let it serve as a daily prompt, urging you to schedule time for rest, workouts, meditation, journaling, or any activity that nurtures your mind and body.

3. Habit Tracker
Maintaining motivation can be a real challenge when you don't have tangible evidence of your progress. Even if you know you've been on a streak, like reading before bed for 5 consecutive days, there's something incredibly satisfying about visually seeing how far you've come.

That's where a habit tracker on your weekly spread comes in. If you're a dedicated planner user, having a habit tracker right there in front of you serves as a powerful daily reminder to stay committed to your habits and work towards your goals.

And if you're someone who finds joy in checking off tasks on your to-do list, imagine the delightful rush of dopamine as you tick off your habits each day, witnessing the tangible proof of your dedication.

Now, let's be real for a moment. We all have those days when we fall off the wagon, and that's perfectly normal. But the beauty of a habit tracker is that the number of unticked days might reveal patterns and insights when you look at it alongside your appointments, meetings, and general to-do list. It provides a clearer, more accurate picture of how you're spending your time and why some days feel more challenging than others.

If you're ready to give it a try, we've got you covered. We've released a free PDF of the last six months of Curation, our planner, which includes weekly spreads from July to December. Each weekly spread features a habit tracker to keep you accountable and motivated on your journey. 

4. Prompts to help you prioritise
Feeling overwhelmed with a never-ending to-do list where everything seems equally important? We've been there too, and we've got just the solution for you.

Equip yourself with these powerful prompts to help you identify and prioritise your top tasks.

Choose the ones that resonate with you the most.

Let these prioritisation prompts be your secret weapon against overwhelm:

1. Does it need to be done today? Distinguish between what's urgent and what you can delay.
2. Can it be delegated? Embrace the power of teamwork and collaboration to help lighten your load.
3. What's the value or benefit of the task? Assess the impact and prioritise accordingly.
4. What's the risk? Identify the potential consequences on not doing the task.
5. If you could only choose one task, which would it be? This will help you optimise your limited time by focusing on your top priority.

If you're hungry for more guidance on these five questions and how they can transform your prioritisation process, we've dedicated an entire episode to this topic.

Dive deeper into the subject by listening to episode 14 on The Saint Belford Podcast, where we explore practical strategies to help you conquer overwhelm and stay focused on what truly matters.

Curious to experience the transformative features of Curation? We've got you covered. You can now get your hands on a free PDF of the last six months, complete with the pre-week planner and weekly spread, featuring habit trackers and more.

Discover a new level of organisation, self-care, and unlock a life of greater clarity, balance, and fulfilment.