Digital Planning Not Work For You? You could be making these beginner Digital Planner mistakes. Learn the Best Digital Planning Tips and be more productive.
Using a digital planner is meant to make you more productive and organized, right? But have you tried to use one and found that it just didn’t work for you?
Maybe remembering to write in your planner became just one more thing on your to-do list, and you often forgot. Or did you try to keep up with all the gorgeous planners you see on social media and it got you stressed out and you started to dread using your planner?
When you are first learning a new planning system it can be overwhelming, even if you have used a paper planner in the past. Luckily there are a few simple tips to help you avoid making beginner digital planning mistakes.
Keep reading as we share the easy digital planning tips that are going to make you more productive when using your digital planner.
Which of these digital planning mistakes are you making?
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Digital Planning Mistakes Beginners Make
1. Not Having Access To The Right Technology
Just like with any modern technology process, not having the right setup when Digital Planning is going to lead to frustration and wasted time.
You need to take into consideration the age of your device, what programs it is capable of uploading, and how quickly it is going to let you use your digital planner. If it takes too long for you to do anything with your Digital Planner it is not only making you less productive by wasting valuable time but it makes using your Digital Planner unenjoyable.
Next, your screen needs to be large enough to easily see the pages of your digital planner and for you to write your notes. Having to constantly zoom in to see your planner pages on a tiny screen is going to get frustrating pretty quickly, and may also mean you miss important information on your pages like appointments.
Also, think about device accessories that are going to make using your Digital planner easier and more streamlined. This could mean splashing out on a stylus so you don’t have to type your notes or try to use your fingertip.
Check out our Digital Planning Technology recommendations here:
We are not saying that you need the newest and fanciest devices to make digital planning work, because it isn’t the case. But you do need to make sure your device is new enough to not only upload your Digital Planner ( if buying a Digital Planner online always check what devices or software it is compatible with) but to use and access the best note-taking apps.
While we are on the subject of note-taking apps let’s see what the next mistake you could be making is.
2. Using The Wrong Note-taking App
To make your digital planner capable of adding your notes and information you need to have a note-taking app uploaded onto your device.
Simple, right?
Unfortunately, there are lots of apps to choose from and not all apps will suit your needs or device. As with most things to do with planning choosing an app does not have a one solution fits all. Although this means you have to do a little research to find out which is the best app for you, it does mean that you get to use your Digital Planner in a way that suits you the best.
Need help choosing the right note-taking app for you? Check out the post below to find out which app has the right functions and features to make your digital planning journey successful.
You may also like: The Best Note-Taking Apps For Digital Planning
3. Using The Wrong Digital Planner For YOU
There are so many digital planners to choose from these days that it can be just too overwhelming to pick one…and what if you pick the wrong one?
This can lead to you not even downloading a planner at all!
We recommend that you actually don’t do too much research on digital planners because it can lead to overthinking your planner needs. There are so many planner add-ons, planner pages, and planner aesthetics that you could waste lots of valuable planning time trying to find the perfect planner.
We suggest that you start really simply if you are a digital planner beginner and do not get caught up in the amazing planners you see others using online.
It is best to just use a few key planner pages to begin with, such as those important calendar pages ( daily, weekly, monthly).
As you use your planner more and become better at planning you will learn what you actually need from your planner to make your days run smoother and more productively, and remember this will not be the same for anyone else. This can be when start using more of the pages available in your Digital planner, or you upgrade to a digital planner that has those things you need. You may even create your own digital planner when you’re at this stage.
4. Not Taking The Time To Learn How To Use Your Planner and Notetaking App
It can be tempting to charge straight into using your planner and the note-taking app you have chosen but we have learned from personal experience that if you take a little time at the start of your planning journey to learn some basics you will end up saving yourself lots of time and effort.
Luckily, there are lots of tutorials online to help you with this. Here you can learn shortcuts on the apps to make your planning time more effective as well as hacks to help you get the most out of your planner.
Looking for some easy-to-follow digital planning video tutorials? We have lots of easy planner videos that are perfect for beginners. Take a look below:
- GoodNotes Tutorials
- Noteshelf Tutorials
- Notability Tutorials
- Zoomnotes Tutorials
- Xodo Tutorials
- Penly Tutorials
5. Buying Too Many Digital Planner Accessories
This is such an easy mistake to make when you first start planning. It’s hard to resist all those super cute digital stickers and accessories that make your planner more realistic, right?
But using those digital stickers can take away valuable planning time. You also run the risk of not using your planner if you don’t finish the aesthetic of your page. It then becomes an unfinished project ( and as creatives we know just how many of those you can have), which will often mean you don’t use the page for actual planning.
There is definitely nothing wrong with using digital accessories, we have a whole gorgeous planner bundle full of them, but we suggest that these are something you add once you have your planning routine in place. It is also a great idea to use these more as a creative outlet during your free time rather than as part of your daily planning.
6. Comparing Your Planning Journey To Others
The magic of Digital Planning is that you can create a planning routine and setup that is perfect for YOU!
We all have very different needs, wants, dreams, and lifestyles so why would using someone else’s planning journey work for us? It is very easy to get sucked into watching video after video of amazing digital planner setups and then try to copy them because they look so amazing. We always need to remember though that the purpose of your digital planner is to make YOUR life shine, help YOUR goals become a reality and get YOUR life organized.
Watching these videos can be great to take parts of setups that you really love or think will work for you, but it is always important to remember that your planner is for you. No one else’s planner routine or setup is going to work perfectly for you.
You may also like: The Best Tips For Digital Planning
7. Perfectionist paralysis
This is one we can really struggle with.
Maybe you hate your handwriting when you see it on digital pages. Or maybe your day didn’t run exactly as you had planned in your planner a couple of times so you thought “This isn’t working”.
Lots of us put too much pressure on ourselves to be perfect and create perfect things but perfection is not the goal with planning. Life is messy, things happen, and we all have bad days.
This is part of being human.
It’s okay if your writing looks like a spider has had a dance party over the page, as long as you can understand what is written and the information you need is there. You don’t have to show it to anyone.
It’s okay if life gets in the way of your plans some days. Take a look at the most important to do tasks that you didn’t accomplish that day and see where you can add them for a later time. You may also find that some of these tasks are actually not that important anyway so you don’t need to add them again.
This is called ‘migrating‘ in planning terms. Yep, there’s a term for this. This means you are definitely not the only one who does not get everything done that they had planned.
8. Not Experimenting
Are you making the mistake of not making mistakes?
If you jump into planning and stick with the same pages, layout, and routine right from the beginning then you are missing out. Trying new things and seeing what works and doesn’t work for you is all part of the fun of planning.
This can be as simple as playing with what sections to add to your weekly pages to working out which is the best time of day to do your planning.
We think you should always be experimenting with some part of your planning, even when you have been doing it as long as we have.
9. Not Planning your Planner
To make your planning productive, easy to use, and pleasurable you need to plan your planner.
Think about what pages you will use more often, how easy it is to access your planner and the overall pages you need. You want your planner set up to be as productive as you can. If it takes too long for you to find the information you need it not only wastes time but may put you off using your planner.
Remember it’s good to experiment, so if your original plan isn’t quite working, tweak it so you have a system that does.
10. Not Creating A Planning Routine
This is maybe the biggest mistake you can make if you are new to planning.
Your planner doesn’t work if you don’t use it!
The first step in your routine is to make time every day to plan. Your ideal time may be in the morning or just before bed. Whenever you can have a few quiet moments to sit down and really concentrate on your planner. We have found that setting a daily reminder on our phones for a particular time really helped us make planning a habit.
Next, you want to work out a routine for your planning time. This means reviewing your day, adding things for the next day, checking what goals, appointments or tasks need to be moved from your monthly page to weekly pages, checking trackers, and so on. This routine will change and grow as you progress on your planning journey.
Don’t forget to make time to look through your planner during the day too. This is a great way to see if you are on track, not miss appointments and add info as you go.
11. Not Growing Your Planner As Life Changes
As you grow and change, so should your planner. The planner you start with will not work as the life around you alters.
It is really important to review your planning regularly to see what is working, and not working for you. This is how you make sure your planning is keeping you as productive as possible, no matter what your lifestyle changes are.
You may need new pages, or drop pages that no longer bring value to your life. It’s all part of planning fun!
Did you find you were making any of these digital planning mistakes? We hope that this post has helped you tweak your digital planning and that you find you are using your planner in a more productive and effective way.
Happy Planning.
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