Half of January is over. Now, how many of us have already given up on using our planner? Every year, we buy a planner, set goals and resolutions, and by the end of January, we give up. We go back to our old ways, and by the end of the year, nothing has really changed.
First, I want you to know that getting a planner will not automatically make you productive. Initially, you may be excited about the fresh start, your new planner, and all the possibilities ahead. However, as the days pass and motivation wanes, sticking to our resolutions and using our planner becomes increasingly harder.
To help you reach your goals and actually use your planner consistently, I’ve listed five common planning mistakes and how to fix them.
1. Forgetting to check your planner regularly
This is something I particularly struggled with when I started my productivity journey. Whether you’re using a physical or digital planner, you need to check it daily; otherwise, it becomes decoration rather than a functional tool. When you don’t review your planner, tasks slip through the cracks, and you lose track of priorities.
Solution
Habit stacking is an effective way to build a habit. It works by anchoring a new habit to an existing one. For instance, I review my day and plan for the next day after my evening skincare routine. In the morning, I check my planner before breakfast to see what I need to accomplish. When you finish a task, check it off immediately; it’s both satisfying and motivating!
If you’re using a physical planner, keep it somewhere visible and accessible. If it’s tucked away in a drawer, you’ll forget it exists. If you are using a digital planner like our Christian digital Planner, add it to your home screen for quick access, as shown here.
Pro tip: You may also use a habit tracker to record your progress.
2. Not following through with your plans
This is something I struggle with to this day. I would argue that the reason behind this issue is more than just pure laziness. For us living in the digital age, I think this is mostly due to distraction. How many times have you doom-scrolled on social media and, without even realizing it, wasted 2 hours of your day? Depending on the day or time of day, you may have different energy levels and motivation.
Solution
Know yourself and adapt your plans based on your habits and tendencies. For instance, if you tend to grab your phone in the morning after waking up and somehow end up on social media for hours, prevent that by putting your phone in another room so you won’t be tempted to doom-scroll. If you are more motivated in the morning, plan your more challenging tasks then and leave lighter tasks for the afternoon. You may also ask someone to hold you accountable.
Pro tip: At the end of each week, review what you actually completed versus what you planned. This helps you identify patterns and plan more realistically going forward. This is why our Christian digital Planner has those sections.
3. Overplanning
Each of us has goals we want to achieve. Maybe it’s learning a new language, reading the entire Bible in a year, or writing a book and fulfilling a childhood dream. Whatever your goals are, you need a road map to achieve them, and that’s where planning comes in handy. Planning allows you to break down a goal into small tasks. However, if you are a perfectionist like me, you have likely made the mistake of overplanning. This sets you up for failure by:
- planning more tasks than you can realistically complete
- making rigid plans that don’t allow for unexpected changes
- implementing too many habits at once
Solution
A good rule of thumb is to have a maximum of three top priorities and six tasks per day. This is a good way to start and adapt based on what works best for you.
Be more flexible when you plan. Leave 30-60 min between time blocks for delays, interruptions, or tasks that take longer than expected.
When it comes to habits, build one habit at a time, and only introduce a new one once the former habit has been established as part of your routine. On average, research shows that 66 repetitions are needed for a task to become a habit [1].
4. Forgetting to rest
We all want to be productive and reach our goals. However, we must not burn our body, mind, and soul on the altar of productivity. Hustle culture has been more and more prevalent in recent years to the point where more and more people (especially young adults) are experiencing burnout. This is something I personally struggled with a few years ago, when I was still in college. To make matters worse, I was in a field that normalized overworking.
Remember that you are not a slave to your plans. Planning is to help you, not to make your life more stressful. If God rested on the seventh day, shouldn’t you? Are you better than God? (I really hope you answered “no” to that question).
Solution
Give yourself grace; you are not a robot. Schedule daily and weekly rest as intentionally as you schedule your tasks. Set aside time each day for quiet time with God, pursue hobbies that bring you joy, and spend quality time with family and friends. Although rest may not look productive, it’s essential to your productivity journey. Rest keeps you grounded, restores your energy, and sustains you for the long haul so you can continue pursuing your goals without burning out.
5. Relying on self and not on God
The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.
Proverbs 16:9
It’s easy to fall into the trap of putting our own plans above God’s. Whether we are aware of it or not, we are often influenced by our culture and the people around us. Is becoming a doctor really what God wants for you, or is it your parents’ dream?
Here is the truth: your planner is a tool, not your savior. When we rely on our own wisdom and strength, we set ourselves up for failure, regardless of how successful we may appear to the world. True success is submitting ourselves to God’s will, no matter how humble that may look.
Solution
Always start your planning session with a prayer. Whether your goal is to pay off debts, work out more, or get a promotion at your job, always commit your plans to the LORD and be open to His redirection for your life. This is precisely why I created the Christian digital Planner as a tool to help you steward your time wisely and pursue what matters most: a God-focused life.
Conclusion
Planning doesn’t have to be overwhelming. By avoiding these five common mistakes, you’ll set yourself up for a year of steady progress rather than burnout. Plan with grace, flexibility, and above all, with your eyes fixed on God’s guidance.
References
- Lally, P., Van Jaarsveld, C. H. M., Potts, H. W. W., & Wardle, J. (2010). How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world. European Journal of Social Psychology, 40(6), 998–1009. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.674
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