For me, Monday mornings are for organizing my calendar and writing down everything that I need to get done that week. It's the perfect way to get started on the right foot and make sure that I have a full picture of my week's goals and objectives. Between working full-time, planning a wedding, coaching a high school cheer team, starting a blog and trying to maintain some sort of social life I've got a lot going on on a day-to-day basis. I've also got a spotty short-term memory. Pretty much, if I don't write it down right when someone says it, I will forget.
I recognize my weaknesses and my hectic life and also know that there's only one thing that can help manage everything: my planner. If I lost my planner, I would have to take a break from the real world for a few days in order to reorganize everything. It's all in there- work tasks, meetings, practices, workouts, wedding deadlines and dinners with friends. It's also color-coded so that at a quick glance I can identify the types of things I have going on each day.
I've relied on a planner to organize my life since high school and believe that it gives me a leg up in terms of my manners. Keeping organized and remembering things makes you look like a well-rounded individual who can take on anything, even when you're just making it up as you go along. So, how exactly does a planner help my manners?
I Never Forget a Birthday (Or Any Other Important Date)
I have a really hard time remembering birthdays, unless it’s one of the handful of people for whom I pick up prescriptions on a regular basis. Using Facebook as a reminder isn't really an option because that requires me to check it every day (which I don't) and assumes that everyone I know is on Facebook (which they aren't). With my planner, I’m looking at a birthday reminder for days or weeks on end, which drills it into my mind. This way, I can be sure to send the obligatory text message and post the stereotypical photo on social media to commemorate the occasion. Also, if it's someone for whom I need to get a present, I'm never caught off guard.
I Always Remember to Follow Up
A lot of times at work, the phrase “follow up in a week/month/etc.” is thrown around in meetings and emails. That’s all fine and good, until you forget to follow up on the appointed date. With my planner, I can make a note on the appropriate day and let it slip my mind until I see the reminder. This makes me look like I have a great memory (which I don’t) and that I’m on top of everything (which I am sometimes). Moral of the story: My planner makes me better at my job and helps me juggle a variety of tasks.
I Make Time for Myself
By writing down everything that I have to get done in a day, I'm able to see where I have time to do things for myself. Also, it helps me to not schedule too many things in a day. I need time for myself to unwind and relax by reading a book or binge-watching a show. Time for myself also lets me recharge my patience, which is essential to living a well-mannered and busy life. Technically you shouldn't have to schedule your personal time, but sometimes that's the best way to make sure you're not overbooked.
I Look Like I Have It Together
A filled-out, color-coordinated planner makes you look like you have everything together, even if the items you’ve written down are a jumble of tasks, goals and cries for help. I’ve found that people see a planner and assume that its owner is organized, more likely to get a job done and all around more professional. This is great because I like giving off this vibe and then proving to people that I can finish a project in a timely manner (which is only possible with the planner). You never want people to realize that you’re making it up as you go along, and a planner is the perfect way to counteract that perception.
Manners Moral: Like a good shade of lipgloss and the perfect tote bag, every well-mannered woman needs a planner to keep her life together and shows everyone that she means business. If you're ready to get your own planner, view Kate Spade's options here (they're my favorite).