Have you ever bought a beautiful new planner, convinced it would finally keep your life organized—only to stop using it a few weeks later? Or maybe you have multiple notebooks, but when you need to find an important note, it’s nowhere to be found.
It’s not that planners and notebooks don’t work—it’s that they’re often used the wrong way.
Planners, notebooks, and journals each serve a different purpose. When you give them clear roles, they work together to help you stay organized and focused. The key is to stop trying to make one tool do everything. Instead, use them strategically to manage your time, capture ideas, and reflect on your personal growth. Here’s how:
Use a Notebook to Capture Information
A notebook is where you jot down ideas, meeting notes, and anything else you might need to reference later. By keeping notes separate from your planner, your schedule stays clean, and your ideas remain easy to find.
It’s your space for:
- Brainstorming and idea-dumping
- Taking notes during meetings, courses, or coaching sessions
- Writing down important reminders and insights
Use Your Planner as Your Command Center
Your planner is more than just a place to write down tasks—it’s the system that helps you plan ahead and stay in control of your time.
Instead of relying on scattered daily to-do lists, your planner should:
Show when things will happen with structured weekly planning.
Include both work and personal life in one place.
Keep you realistic and intentional so you don’t overbook yourself.
Use a Journal for Reflection & Growth
Unlike planners or notebooks, journals aren’t about productivity. They’re for processing thoughts, tracking personal growth, and gaining clarity.
Your journal is a space to:
- Write daily reflections or gratitude lists.
- Explore emotions, challenges, and wins.
- Set and track personal goals without pressure.
When each tool has a distinct purpose, you’ll feel more in control and less overwhelmed. Your planner tells you what you are doing and when you are doing it, your notebook captures important information, and your journal helps you reflect.
If you’ve been frustrated with your planning tools, this is your sign to simplify. Give each one a clear role, and watch how much easier it becomes to stay organized and focused.
If you’ve been thinking about joining The TOP Program, now is the perfect time! When you join this weekend, you’ll get access to an exclusive new student group call—a chance to get direct guidance as you start building a time management system that actually works.
Inside The TOP Program, you’ll learn how to stop feeling overwhelmed, create a schedule that fits your life, and finally follow through on your plans. Join now and get the support you need to make it happen!
This Week’s Watch: How to Use a Giant Wall Calendar for Family Planning & Organization
Keeping up with school events, vacations, appointments, and all the moving pieces of family life can feel like a full-time job. That’s why I rely on my giant wall calendar as my go-to system for organizing it all!
In this video, I’m walking you through how I set up a Year-at-a-Glance (YAAG) wall calendar for our household—including how we color-code everyone's schedules, what to track (and what to skip), and how this simple visual system helps us avoid overbooking and stay on the same page. If family planning ever feels like chaos, you should watch this!
|
This Week’s Buzz: How do you juggle multiple online calendars?
Managing two separate digital calendars—one for work and one for home—can feel like a full-time job in itself. If you’re constantly clicking back and forth between your personal and work calendars trying to stay on top of everything, there’s a smarter way to keep them in sync.
In this week’s Weekly Buzz, I’m sharing a super simple (and often overlooked) trick that will save you from double entry, missed appointments, and last-minute calendar chaos. If your work calendar is “protected” and doesn’t play nicely with your personal tools—this one’s for you.
Remember, this video is only available until Wednesday—don’t miss it! Head to The Pink Bee app to watch now.
Friend, don’t forget—just 15 minutes of planning today can set the tone for your entire week. You’ve got the tools, you’ve got the tips, and now it’s time to take action. Let’s crush this week together!
Responses