If you have time management or organization challenges, chances are you will benefit from using your planner more effectively.  I would like to share a few tips that I have seen work in my experience with coaching individuals with ADHD.

• Select a planner that works for you.  See the article I wrote last year on this topic for more tips on selecting the right planner.  It includes a checklist of characteristics that you can take with you when you shop for that perfect planner.
• Schedule time each day for planning.  If that sounds overwhelming, start with a small amount.  Can you spend 15 minutes this weekend planning next week?  Can you spend 5 minutes at the end of each day planning for the next day?  I am sure you have been told you should plan for a longer amount of time than this.  Sure, 30 minutes would be great, but that can be really overwhelming especially if you haven’t been doing much planning.  I encourage you to take small steps.
• If you use a physical planner (as opposed to an electronic one), find a space in your office and/or home where you will always put your planner.  Still afraid you will lose it?  You could always purchase a backup planner to ensure you are never without your planner.
• Look at your planner every single day.  Set a reminder in an electronic planner like Google Calendar that will send you an email every day.  The daily email can be great to help you remember.

How do these ideas resonate for you?  Which ones will you try?  Leave us a comment to let us know how you are doing!