Your day is a blank canvas waiting to be filled with tasks, objectives, and goals. Assembling these elements into a coherent, productive day might seem daunting. Our 'Super Simple Day Planner' provides an effortless method for daily organization.
What's different about our template?
Our template is available in Excel (xlsx and xls), OpenDocument Spreadsheet, and PDF. You can use it on your computer or print it off. The column titles are: Task, Must be done by, Priority, and Delegate to. You can add, delete and edit any part of the template. Because there are no complicated macros, formulas, or conditional formatting, it is easy for anyone to use, regardless of their skill with spreadsheets.How to use the Super Simple Day Planner
- Download and Open the Template: First, open your 'Super Simple Day Planner' template. This can be in either Excel, opendocument spreadsheet, or PDF format, depending on your preference.
- Familiarize Yourself with the Columns: There are four columns in this version of the template: Task, Must Be Done By, Priority, and Delegated To. Here's what each column means:
- Task: This is the specific task or activity you need to accomplish.
- Must Be Done By: This is the deadline for the task. It could be a specific date or a specific time during the day.
- Priority: This indicates the importance or urgency of the task.
- Delegated To: This is where you note if the task is to be done by someone else.
- List Your Tasks: Start by identifying all the tasks you need to get done. Write them down in the Task column.
- Set Deadlines: Next, for each task, determine when it must be completed. This could be a specific time during the day, or it could be a future date. Write this down in the Must Be Done By column.
- Assign Priorities: Now, decide the importance of each task. This could be based on deadlines, the impact of the task, or other factors. You could use a simple high, medium, or low priority labeling system, or a numeric scale. Write the priority for each task in the Priority column.
- Delegate Tasks: If there are tasks that can be completed by someone else, write their name in the Delegated To column. This could be a colleague, a family member, or anyone else who is able to complete the task.
- Review and Update the Planner: As you work through your tasks, keep your planner updated. Mark tasks as completed as you finish them, and review and adjust the priority of remaining tasks as necessary. If new tasks come in, add them to the planner with an appropriate deadline and priority.
- Prepare for the Next Day: At the end of each day, take a few minutes to review your planner. Check off any tasks that were completed but not yet marked off. Then, look at your upcoming tasks for the next day, adjust priorities and delegations as necessary, and prepare yourself for what's ahead.
5 ways to prioritise your tasks
Prioritizing tasks is a crucial step in effectively managing your time and productivity. It helps you stay focused on what's most important and can contribute significantly towards achieving your goals. Here are some suggestions on how you can prioritize your tasks in your 'Super Simple Day Planner':The Eisenhower Matrix
This method divides your tasks into four categories based on their urgency and importance:- Urgent and Important: Tasks you need to do immediately.
- Important but Not Urgent: Tasks you can schedule to do later.
- Urgent but Not Important: Tasks you can delegate to someone else.
- Neither Urgent nor Important: Tasks that you can eliminate.
The Ivy Lee Method
At the end of each day, identify six tasks to accomplish the next day and order them by importance. In your planner, assign a priority level from 1 to 6, where 1 is the most important task.The Pareto Principle (80/20 rule)
This principle suggests that 20% of your tasks will account for 80% of your results. Identify those high-impact tasks and give them the highest priority in your planner. Get a Pareto analysis template.The ABCDE Method: This method involves categorizing tasks into five groups
- A: Tasks that have serious consequences if not done (highest priority).
- B: Tasks that have moderate consequences if not done.
- C: Tasks that have no consequences if not done.
- D: Tasks that can be delegated.
- E: Tasks that can be eliminated.
The MoSCoW Method
This method is beneficial for projects but can also be used for daily planning. It involves dividing your tasks into:- Must have: These tasks are non-negotiable and must be done today.
- Should have: These tasks are important but not critical.
- Could have: These tasks are nice but unnecessary.
- Won't have: These tasks are the least important today.
When setting priorities, consider factors like deadlines, the task's impact on your goals, the effort required to complete the task, and any dependencies between tasks. Remember that it's okay to reassess and change your priorities during the day if situations change. Prioritizing is not a one-time task; it's an ongoing decision-making process based on your best judgment.