Advice and tips on how to organize your planner for September

We are still in the midst of summer, it's true, but September is just around the corner. One thing you should avoid is being caught unprepared, especially when it comes to commitments and tasks: this is where the agenda or planner, our best friend since school days, comes to our rescue. While school diaries were used to jot down homework and class schedules (and write notes to friends), the agenda can be, in many cases, a real lifesaver for the less organized... or for those who have too many things to do and struggle to remember everything. But what are the steps to follow to have a perfectly (or almost) planned year?

Choose the type of agenda or planner

Everyone is different, and there is an agenda for every need. Whether you are a university student, a career woman, or an artist, the pages should adapt to you and what you need in your daily life. Are you a creative? Do you love drawing and using colored pencils and pens? Well, then the bullet journal is the type of agenda for you. With its blank or dotted pages, you can unleash your creativity and make every day your own. The only downside is that you should prepare it in advance before the start of the year or the period you need it for: arm yourself with patience, and you'll see that the result will be spectacular.

If organization is your strength and you love having an overview of all your commitments, classic agendas may be right for you. Depending on how much space you need to write everything down, you can choose between a daily agenda (with one page for each day) or a weekly agenda (with an entire week on one page, accompanied on the other side by a space to write notes and thoughts). Size also matters: there are handy little agendas to put in your bag or those in A4 format that offer more space to write, although they are not as easy to carry.

A separate category is that of to-do lists, real lists to create and then check off as you go: shopping lists, books to read, movies and TV series to watch, up to goals to achieve within a certain period. To-do lists can also be included in the blank pages available in regular agendas, but there are notebooks made specifically to be filled with lists.

Smartphone apps

We are in the twenty-first century, and the cell phone has become our best friend: if you're not a fan of paper and prefer to have everything at your fingertips, there are apps that will allow you to note anything and set custom reminders. Depending on the operating system, there are real agendas and planners in the App Store: it’s up to us to figure out which one suits us best, just like with the physical version. If used on a tablet, creativity is virtually unlimited, like with bullet journals: just equip yourself with a digital pen and it will be like writing on a piece of paper. Apps like Notability for iOS and Grid Diary for Android are ideal for getting started... unless you prefer to use the classic Calendar app.

Select important things and fill in the planner

Once you've chosen your agenda, the next step is to identify the important commitments and events to include. Whether they are birthdays, dentist appointments, or just a night out with friends, the important thing is to remember everything: the trick is to make a list on a separate sheet, divided by priority and category. Don't forget the most important phone numbers: even though we have everything on our smartphones, sometimes it's good to go back to analog. When filling in your agenda, remember to follow an order regarding the tasks and parties you already know in advance: write down birthdays and anniversaries first, then move on to scheduled appointments, like medical visits and concerts. Obviously, you can't plan a whole year in two hours, but most of it will be ready for future additions: also try to find a moment during the day to update it (even once a week is enough).

Personalize your planner

Agendas are often standard models, but we are unique: even with a simple daily planner, we can have fun personalizing it. Washi tape, highlighters, and colored pens can be great allies, even with simple underlining: you don't need to be a lettering wizard to have a curated and representative planner. Most importantly, you don't have to be precise: uniqueness is also in the smudges on the paper, and the goal is ultimately to keep up with all your commitments. Including to-do lists, goals, and completion indicators (perhaps by coloring the squares) will help you make your agenda truly yours, and adding photos, bookmarks, and quotes could be a great way to remember the good times spent with your friends and family.