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Hello and welcome back to The Secret Of Life. 

This week’s topic is Planners and Planning. I would like to provide possible answers to questions such as: How do I keep a consistent and updated planner? How do I personalize my planner? What even is the point of planning and writing down plans?

Along with responding to these inquiries, I would also like to provide some examples of different ways students and teachers keep track of their assignments, activities and extracurriculars to possibly aid you in your journey to either starting a new and improved method of planning or building on a structure that you already have in place. 

“Personally, I don’t use a planner because I always end up forgetting to write in it but I think that they are a helpful tool, especially for people who are forgetful or like to write things down,” Noah Beirne ‘24 said.

Let’s start with this fundamental question: what exactly is a planner? 

“I think that a planner is an organizational tool that can help [people] be organized and keep track of their lives,” Sophia Bobier ‘24 said.

Well, if you’re looking for the dictionary definition, Merriam-Webster-Dictionary tells us that a planner is “something (such as a device, program, or notebook) that provides a schedule and is used for planning activities, travels, etc.”

This is a great definition, but for the purpose of this column, I want you to be able to decide what precisely a planner is to you.

It could be sticky notes in a folder, a daily notecard with a list of assignments to be done or a calendar hanging in your room with the main events each day. The list goes on and on.

If you are looking to start keeping a planner but don’t know where to start, here are some potential options given by Friday App: 

Digital Planners

• These are a great option if you are the type of person who always has your phone on you. Especially in today’s day and age, phones are a great tool for people. There are many apps and services that people can download and access on their phones. It is a wonderful option if that would work for you.

Work Planners

• These planners, while they may be interpreted as specifically geared toward people who work, can be used for almost anything school-related. This could be homework assignments, upcoming tests, or even club activities that you want to keep track of.

Bullet Journals

• According to Bullet Journal, “Bullet Journal® (aka Bujo) is a mindfulness practice designed as a productivity system.” 
• In essence, a bullet journal is whatever you want to make it and is a personal favorite of mine as you can create and design page layouts that work best for you.

Personal/Life Planners

• These planners are mainly designed to help people keep their lives and personal activities in order. They are especially helpful with family activities and keeping track of your own life in relation to the lives of people around you.

Health and Fitness Planners

• Being healthy is an important part of living and a health and fitness planner may be a good fit for people trying to get in shape, stay in shape, plan a workout regime, and other potential uses. 

Daily and Weekly Planners

• These are helpful planners to assist in organizing your day and/or week by timing and events that are happening in the near future. If you are looking for a way to find out what your schedule is and a place to keep an updated schedule, these planners may be a great option for you.

If you don’t know where to start, this article provides tips and tricks to help with organization and planner ideas.