Before I started writing for StyleBlueprint Birmingham I was interviewed by the publication for its FACES of Birmingham feature. There’s one question that’s asked of every woman profiled for this feature: What are 3 things you can’t live without?
My answer? Beyonce, Essie nail polish and my Day Designer.
The Day Designer is a planner by Whitney English and it’s the answer to another question I’m often asked — How do you do it all? If you’ve ever wondered how I teach full-time, write part-time, run See Jane Write, exercise most days of the week and still find time to hang out with family and friends you should know that the Day Designer is my secret weapon.
The Day Designer’s January 2019 Flagship Daily Planners go on sale today. If you’re someone who still loves writing down to-do lists and planning your months, weeks, and days on paper then the Day Designer is for you.
Here are a few tips on how to get the most out of your Day Designer.
Remember, nothing will work unless you do. The Day Designer isn’t going to help you slay your day if you don’t actually use it. So often we buy pretty planners, decorate them with fun stickers and even pick out a fancy pen to use with it only to let it sit in a corner collecting dust. I not only use my Day Designer but I bring it with me wherever I go. The Day Designer comes in two different sizes and I always opt for the “mini” size because it’s easier to tote around.
Design your day at night. Each night before I go to sleep I spend quality time with my Day Designer. I think that’s why we’re so close. Before bed, I make a list of every single thing I need and want to do the next day, including time to touch up my nails with my Essie nail polish or go for a run listening to a Beyonce playlist. Then I schedule when I’m going to do each task. Whenever I skip that step I’m never as productive as I want to be. When writing out your to-do list be sure to leave some spaces blank to give yourself some margin.
Related Reading: How I Plan My Week
Eat the frog. The Day Designer planning page includes a space for “Today’s Top Three.” Here you can list those three tasks of the day that you absolutely must complete. And let’s be honest, the things you must do are usually also the things you don’t want to do. And that’s why I am sure to do these things first. I eat the frog. Mark Twain once said that if the first thing you do each morning is to eat a live frog, you can go through the day knowing that that is probably the worse thing you’re going to have to do all day. Your “frog” is a task that you’re most likely to procrastinate on. Maybe it’s the biggest, most important task of your day. Perhaps it’s the most tedious or time-consuming. Maybe it’s the most intimidating. (For me it’s usually something like transcribing interviews.) Do this first. Eat that frog and everything else will “taste” like a piece of cake.
Other features of the Day Designer that you might like include goal setting worksheets and charts to help you envision your ideal month, week, and day. The daily planning pages also feature space to jot down what you’re grateful for, what you’re having for dinner, and more. Each planning page also features an inspirational quote for the day.
Visit DayDesigner.com today to pick out your favorite cover design and buy your 2019 planner.
*This post contains affiliate links.