Don't waste your money on a day planner. If you want to get more efficient with your time, you don't need one.
I'll give you three good reasons why this is true (whether you believe it or not). Here they are:
- You're wasting your time. You will inevitably get caught up in a cycle of trying to find the “perfect” day planner. You'll have to set on a style, a color, and whose “system” are you going to use. This could take you forever. Don't waste your time.
- You'll waste money. Most day planners will cost you somewhere between $50 and $100. Do you really want to spend $100 on something you could easily duplicate for $2 with a spiral notebook?
- It will end up being a dust collector. Come on, admit it. You've got a closet that's filled with these things already. You didn't use them very long and you feel too guilty to throw them away. Why add another one to the pile?
The truth is, there is no one magic tool that will make you more productive. Certainly not someone's overpriced, bloated, destined-for-the-closet day planner.
If you really want to become more productive, do yourself a favor. Go get a copy of David Allen's “Getting Things Done”, read it, and just do the work. You'll be more productive, you'll have more money in your pocket… and more room in your closet.