Notebooks, Planners & Folders

How To Plan More Effectively With One Of The Spotlight Notebooks

When you live a busy lifestyle, it is all too easy to book too many appointments at once, leaving you with little room for personal or family time. However, even if you live a busy lifestyle, you can ensure you have plenty of you-time by benefiting from one of the Spotlight notebooks, accompanied by these helpful time-saving tips.

What Is The Best Way To Write Down Appointments?

Experts recommend scheduling appointments from noon - this means you will be working backwards from noon for morning appointments and forwards from noon for afternoon appointments. Doing this proves beneficial for a number of reasons.

Planning from noon allows you to fill in your notebook appointments more effectively, but also ensures maximum productivity. It also puts more attention on early and late appointments, which you can attempt to avoid in your notebook if you require more personal or family time. Since you work from noon downwards or upwards, these will be the last slots in your busy schedule.

How Do I Schedule Enough Personal And Family Time In My Spotlight Notebook?

When you schedule appointments in a notebook, it is recommended to schedule your personal and family time first. Do not leave it until you have booked your work appointments and other commitments, as it will be too tempting to skip week by week without getting the appropriate time for yourself or your family.

Scheduling personal times first and foremost is important for everyone, but even more important for those with busy and hectic work lives. While you may work according to the statement "I don't have time to relax", it could actually make you less productive. The brain needs to unwind and rest to maintain its peak performance, so scheduling you-time and family time should be a priority for your work life as well.

Additional Top Tips For Scheduling And Planning

Your current notebook or planner may be a dreaded item, maybe because it is overflowing or because it reminds you of work. However, these additional tips can make your planner or notebook your new best friend.

Choose something fun: If you have scheduled your appointments in plain looking planners all your life, then it can most certainly remind you of work. So, why not give it a more personalised touch? There are many professional planners and notebooks with a fun design, adding just a bit of personality to come through.

Digital is not always better: Many people think a notebook or planner is outdated these days, especially with the arrival of online calendars. Still, those who have to schedule on the go already know that digital calendars are not always the best thing, especially when you have to use your small phone screen while you are talking to someone. To avoid double appointments and overscheduling, use a proper notebook or planner to maintain an overview.

Use back-up appointments: If you are one of the busiest people around, nothing is more frustrating than a cancelled appointment on the day. So, if your calendar is already overflowing, you could use back-up appointments. In other words, have another appointment ready when someone cannot make it on the day. This does not only save you time further down the line, it also ensures you work at your full potential.

Book breaks: Finally, do not forget to book breaks in your planner or notebook. Remember, a break from work does not have to last several hours. Even if you can take fifteen minutes to yourself to unwind or simply do something for yourself, it will make the world of difference when it comes to your stress levels. It also makes you like your planner or notebook just that little bit more.