How to Keep a Weekly Planner

Last Updated: March 24, 2023

Want to become more organized? Keeping a weekly planner can be a great stress reliever as it will help you keep on top of things and learn to prioritize more effectively. This wikiHow will teach you how to start and maintain your weekly planner.

Steps

1
Get a weekly planner at the store. Most stationary stores have them.
- Most stores that sell notebooks usually have planners too.
Tip: Make sure to get a planner you like, or there is a chance you won't use it.
2
Wait until the beginning of the week (Sunday/Monday) to set up your planner ^{[1]
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- This will also help you avoid confusion when starting your planner.
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3
Make a to-do list for each day and number them. ^{[3]
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- This will help you prioritise your tasks more effectively.
4
Check off things when you've done them ^{[4]
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5
Think about any appointments you have in the week ^{[5]
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- For example, 6:30 pm and write what you have to do, such as Have dinner with Sam and Paul.
6
Write the time you have to finish your tasks each day ^{[6]
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7
Make adjustments to your planner if needed ^{[7]
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- If you don’t fix errors, you're less likely to continue using your planner and stick to your schedules.
8
Leave time open ^{[8]
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Research source}. Just because you have a planner doesn't mean you have to have something planned every single second of every single day. To keep it balance, leave about 25% of each day open.
- Being over scheduled is worse than being under scheduled.
- Leave the weekends more open than weekdays. The weekends, especially Sundays, are supposed to be your time to take a break from school or work.
Note: Keeping your day open doesn't mean sitting around all day. It is important to continue hobbies and healthy habits. Find something to do, such as exercise ^{[9]
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Weekly Planner Template

Sample Weekly Planner Template

Expert Q&A

Question

How do I organize my monthly calendar?

Jake Adams
Academic Tutor & Test Prep Specialist
Jake Adams is an academic tutor and the owner of Simplifi EDU, a Santa Monica, California based online tutoring business offering learning resources and online tutors for academic subjects K-College, SAT & ACT prep, and college admissions applications. With over 14 years of professional tutoring experience, Jake is dedicated to providing his clients the very best online tutoring experience and access to a network of excellent undergraduate and graduate-level tutors from top colleges all over the nation. Jake holds a BS in International Business and Marketing from Pepperdine University.

Jake Adams

Academic Tutor & Test Prep Specialist

Expert Answer

Prioritize what absolutely have to get done rather than writing everything down in your calendar. Some deadlines are flexible, so if you plan out an entire day or week without any room for error, you'll have to spend more time reorganizing your schedule than you actually do working. Try to organize your tasks by things that need to get done now (within the next couple of days), things that you can do next (within the week or two), and things that you can do later (that are 2-3 weeks out). Those later dates are important, but they don't need to be at the forefront of your current schedule.