A Work Planner Setup for 2020

We’re just about into the third month of 2020, so I’ve had 2 months to figure out which type of planner works best for me, what to put it in and how to use it effectively for work. When the year started, I thought I would go back to using a Two-Go Moleskin Notebook like I did last year. I loved the size but I was missing a monthly calendar layout. I switched to a dated planner, but missed the space to write notes from meetings. So I went back to the system I used a few years ago – a  letter size disc-bound TUL planner.

Work Planner Setup for 2020

My Planner Needs

At the front (and back) of my planner is a TUL Pocket Divider to hold stray papers. Then there are 2 tracker pages – modeled after bullet journal habit trackers. These are for 2 of my work routines that have multiple steps before they are considered completed. Many of the steps rely on others to send me information – and then for me to compile and upload said info. The trackers help me see which steps are done, or still need to be completed.

The rest of my planner is in sections divided by TUL  Tab Dividers – each section is 2 months, and has a Month at a Glance FREE printable from Abby Larson (1 month is on each side of a page, example – January / February … next section has March / April)

On my monthly page, I highlight work travel days and due dates for one set of information that I have to get from other companies. It’s much easier to track visually than digitally (which I have tried in the past).

After the monthly page are my TUL To Do List pages. This keeps a running task list for each month. When a month is finished, anything that isn’t done is migrated to a fresh page with the month and year written at the top. And new tasks get added to this page.

After this, I keep a few Colored Notebook pages for notes from various meetings and work events. This provides a quick visual difference between notes and my TUL To Do List pages.

After all the monthly sections, I have a second pocket divider and a page for each of my team members and my boss. On this, I keep anything that comes up that I want to discuss in our one-on-one meetings.

Accessories

+ The  Office by Martha Stewart™ Discbound Ruler acts like a bookmark so I can quickly go to the current monthly ToDo page. The Pilot G2 0.38mm is my favorite pen because it’s fine point and never smudges. Plus, the TUL 0.5mm Mechanical pencil is sleek and pretty, and I use 2 different highlighters (yellow & pink) on my monthly layouts.

How I Work

I shared my typical work from home routine a few weeks ago, but things have changed somewhat because we’re under a stay-at-home order for our state because of COVID-19. My morning starts with a workout session in the basement. Then it’s a quick shower and a cuppa tea as I log on to start working at 8:30AM. I pick 1 or 2 things to prioritize each day, and then spend the rest of the time trying to tame my email inbox. Anything I’m waiting to hear from stays in my inbox, and goes on my task list. When it’s done, I move it to a folder in Outlook / email program. At the end of the month – I go over my task list and migrate anything to the next month that can’t be completed. My work day ends around 5PM.

Do you use a planner for your job? Paper, digital or a combination?