Valuable ways to use a planner, as heard from a planner expert

So, what kind of value shall we create today?

Hello, this is Oshika.
Thank you for opening this note.

For the past week or so, I've been on back-to-back business trips, and my body is falling apart.

Even though traveling just means sitting down, it makes your body feel as heavy as lead, doesn't it? (sweat). Mornings are tough...

Not only on the day of the business trip but also the day after, my performance drops significantly, so I keep my work light. Otherwise, my body wouldn't hold up. I'm not young anymore, after all.

Now then. Today's theme is "planners."

Do you use a planner?

One of the benefits of a planner is being able to think about the balance of your work before and after business trips.

In my case, I make it a habit to use Sunday mornings to plan out the following week. I do it while relaxing with a cup of coffee. At the start of the month, I also roughly plan out that month.

When you manage yourself with a planner, you can tell when a day is going to be packed, and you can also foresee days where you still have plenty of room.

That is why I personally find it very useful.

However... there are some people who,

“bought a planner but ended up quitting after three days”might be among you, right?

You buy one, but you don't keep it up. You buy another, but you don't keep it up. You've been repeating this for years.

Truth be told, that was exactly me in the past (bitter laugh).

The other day, I had the opportunity to speak with President Shirohige of Kokuyo Sanyo Shikoku Sales Co., Ltd., who is known as a huge planner enthusiast.

President Shirohige is a "man who became a president using a planner." Currently, alongside his presidential duties, he also gives lectures and conducts corporate training as a "Planner Dad" who promotes the joy of using planners.

When I asked him for the secret to not being a quitter when it comes to planners,

"Do not separate your public and private life"

was the advice I received.

People who can't keep up with a planner—and I understand this myself—end up turning it into just a schedule book. At best, it becomes a reminder for appointments. A substitute for a memo pad.

Then, gradually, using the planner becomes like a chore, and you start feeling, "In that case, a smartphone app is fine."

I can totally understand that feeling. You lose the reason to keep using a planner.

So, what if you could really feel the reason for using a physical planner?

So, what I would like to recommend is not separating your professional and private life.

Since I became independent, I have been writing everything down in one planner, both work and private matters. For a freelancer like me, there isn't really much of a distinction between being on and off the clock.

What is interesting about a planner is that I think it allows you to “discharge” all the tasks in your head, like 'I have to do this' and 'I have to do that'.

People feel hazy and anxious because they keep their to-do lists stuck in their heads. So, get it all out at once. Get it all out without leaving anything behind.

I really want you to experience this for yourself; it feels truly great!

Originally, there is no boundary between work and private life in the time equally given to us. Everything is connected.

If work time runs over, your personal time decreases. If you try to secure personal time, your sleep time decreases. If your sleep time decreases, your work performance drops.

For better or worse, your professional and private lives are linked.

Feeling down by saying, 'I can't get a good night's sleep again today...' is not good for your mental health, is it?

To avoid inviting such a vicious cycle, let's manage all your time and all your actions with a planner.

At first, it might be difficult to move yourself according to plan. However, once you get used to it, you will understand the balance of 'how long it takes me to complete this task'.

When you can control yourself like gears clicking into place, you will start to truly experience the joy of using a planner.

The secret to using a planner effectively without separating your professional and personal life is,

to "think of your day in three parts."

I learned this from the aforementioned President Shirohige as well.

Dividing it into three parts means splitting your day into "work time," "personal time (or time with family)," and "sleep time."

Some people want to divide their 24 hours equally into 8:8:8, while others want plenty of sleep, and some love their work so much they want to be involved in it around the clock. The balance is different for everyone.

That is precisely why you should first consider your own ideal balance.What kind of balance do you prefer?

Once you have a rough idea of that ideal balance, I want you to try incorporating it into your planner.

By doing so, you will be able to spend your time in a way that is truly comfortable for you.

This would be difficult to achieve by relying on your internal clock alone. Even if your balance gets thrown off, you would always be able to make excuses for yourself.

I do not recommend making "continuing to use" your planner the goal.

Imagine the bright future you can achieve with your planner. Try using it while visualizing how mastering it can enrich your time.

Tips to ensure your daily planner habit doesn't end after three days. To recap one last time:

• Do not separate your personal and professional life

• Think of your day in three parts

If you're going to use it, you might as well have fun with it.

Now, you've felt the urge to create value again today!

I'll put down my pen here.