You know those empty pages in your planner that you never know what exactly you are going to put on them? Here is a list of 10 things that you can write down that will not only fill that space but will be beneficial for you moving forward throughout your month or even year.
- Daily to do list
For some, this may seem like a no brainer but there are many people in the world that don’t make lists. At all. Ever. I know it’s kind of crazy right? But for those of us that only function through our lists this is a great thing to get in the habit of.
Every morning I sit at my desk with my cup of tea and make my list of things that I want to accomplish that day. It doesn’t have to be extravagant but writing something down to cross it off once the task is complete can help you feel more organized and accomplished throughout your day.
- Brain dump
I like to make this list when I am starting my month. Get a nice fresh page to write down all of the random things that come into my brain during the day.
This is something that, yes, you can keep somewhere else but I like to have it in my planner so that I know where it is and I can look back at it occasionally.
- Grocery list
I get it, you’re thinking “Alyssa, we all make grocery lists”. And for the most part you are correct but how many of you only start the grocery list when you are about to go to the grocery store? See, that’s what I thought! If you had a running list you could know that you needed Lemons to put in the sun tea that you are making tonight.
- Gift ideas
This is a newer one to my arsonal of lists, but I have found that it is really coming in handy.
When you’re talking with your Aunt Martha and she says that her dish rags are looking worn, go to your gift list and write down that Aunt Martha could really use new dish towels.
Whether this is a list of gifts for birthdays, Mothers Day or Christmas, this is going to save you time and even money so you don’t spend your money on something random because you have no idea what to get someone.
- When did I last?
My Husband asked me the other day “When was the last time we shampooed the carpets?” And I looked at him like he had 2 heads thinking why he would think I know the answer to that question.
Before I could answer with what I was actually thinking, I quickly realized he was asking because I write everything else down, why don’t I write that down as well?
This led to the “When did I last” List.
When did I last shampoo the carpets? When did I last change the battery in the smoke detector? When was i supposed to get the oil changed in my car again? Now you know right where to look when you have these questions.
- Books to read/read
I don’t know about you but now that I am an adult, reading isn’t so bad.
That being said i like to write down books that i want to read so that i don’t forget them. I also do this with TV shows and Movies on the same list. I just cross them off once i have finished them and the list just keeps going.
If you want to do this electronically I would recommend looking into Goodreads or Fable to help you keep all of the books and things you want to read right at your fingertips.
- Goals- monthly, quarterly, yearly
Everyone talks about goal setting at the beginning of the year, which is great, don’t get me wrong. But once you set the goal how often do you go back to think about it, look at it or did you even write it down?
I like to write my goals down that I set for the year as well as break the goal down into monthly achievable small goals so I know that I am working towards my bigger picture.
Not only should you be setting yearly goals but it can be important to write down smaller goals as well. Having a list that you look at on a somewhat regular basis can be really helpful.
- Monthly cleaning
Having a list of things that you need to do on a monthly basis is a good way to keep up on the chores that you want to make sure get done but it’s not something you need to do every day or every week.
I like to break some tasks into times of the year, such as sweeping the chimney. This is something that needs to get done but doesn’t need to get done until we are closer to using it in the fall. This is an extreme example but you get the gist either way.
- Master to do
At the beginning of the year when we are making our goals for the year dont just stop at personal goals. I like to write down the things that I would really like to get done in that year around the house.
Every little thing that I can think of that needs to get done, I write down on a master to do list. This way i wont forget and i can add to it as i see fit. Now when you are breaking your months down you can add one or two things from your master to do list onto that month and get that list done instead of only making the list longer.
- Birthdays
The more people that you meet the more dates that you have to remember in your brain. At least that is the way that I feel.
Well, writing them down is a good way to remember them better but also a great way to make it so you don’t feel like you have to constantly remind yourself of it or you’ll forget.
When you find out someone’s birthday, go to your list and write it down. If you want to break it down by month, Great, running list? Perfect. Whatever way you want to do it so that you can go and look and remember whose special do is what month is great.
Now on the same note, this doesn’t just need to be for birthdays. It could be an “Important Days” list. Wedding anniversaries, Birthdays, anything that is recurring every year that you don’t want to forget the date (or you don’t want your significant other to forget).
Again lists are meant to help you and the only way that they will be helpful is if you do them in a way that works with your brain.
