Which planning style is right for you? (3 examples inside)
“A messy planner is better than an unused one.” // One of my favourite planning quotes of all time.
You may be someone who has bought a planner in the past, only to have it sit in a corner without use for fear of not knowing what to write or even how to plan (been there, done that!). But what if, you started using your planner in a way that works just for you and your personality? As soon as I shifted my mindset on how to plan for different seasons in my life, I tapped into my personal planning method based on who I was and how I think. I’ll show you how right here.
“Who am I and what motivates me?”
One of the best tools I have found for getting a deeper understanding on motivation, is the Enneagram – a personality assessment tool which includes 9 various personality types. Many people have heard about the Myers-Briggs and Four Colors assessments for personality, which are also helpful, but they don’t get to the core of our motivations. You can learn more about each type in my primer course below and take the test here for yourself!
What does my personality have to do with planning?
When I used my enneagram to inform my planning style, I started focusing less on what I thought my planner “should” look like and more on what I knew I needed:
A section for tasks and both long/short-term projects
A section for creative musings (for when I have too many creative ideas at once)
Weekly reflection (I often use “morning pages” for this but a weekly reflection is simple for including in my planner as well)
An area to note down what is or isn’t working and who I can ask for help (I can easily try too many ideas at once without evaluating and asking for help feels excruciatingly difficult for me at times.)
Time blocks to help me make sure I take time off (as I’m prone to overworking)
Being an enneagram 3 wing 4, I enjoy ambitious projects while also being someone who is sensitive, creative, and deeply connected with the emotional world. I can stay in my head a lot, which is why I always have a section for “reflections” alongside my long list of things to do. My enneagram 3 side pushes me to achieve and create value out in the world.
Plan with personality in mind
Here are the 3 examples…
Once you’ve take the Enneagram test as well as the primer course, you will know which of the examples below is the best fit for your planning method. You can also mix and match the ideas based on your enneagram wing number just like I did above with Types 3 and 4 for my own personality type. This post covers three out of the nine types. Let’s get started! You can find the second post in this series for types 4, 5, and 6 right here.
Type 1
Being the reformer, type 1’s love a sense of order and have a strong conscientiousness for right and wrong. Consider having sections in your planner for:
Ideas for your AM and PM routine that you can refer back to
Jot down appointments and tasks
Causes you want to support
Make lists to help you categorize things like shopping, expenses, to-do’s, etc.
A weekly plan for unwinding and resetting when you feel stressed
Type 2
Type 2's can be selfless helpers who give, give, and give some more. Consider having sections in your planner for:
Big picture goal for the week, that’s important to you
Break up times to spend with people you care about and time for yourself
Make a list of things you want to say “no” to / boundaries for when requests start to infringe on your overall well-being
A space for reflection on how the week went and any feelings that came up for you.
A space to track nutrition, health appointments, and self-care items so they don’t get neglected.
Type 3
Type 3s can be super focused on projects and creating a life where they feel valued and give value. This can make them successful leaders though they may also struggle with being too image-conscious or overworking. Consider the following spaces in your planner:
Long-term and short-term goals
Quarterly projects or bucket lists
Time blocks for the many things you want to accomplish as well as time blocks for taking time off completely (which can be a challenge for 3s!).
A space for self-care habits you want to incorporate each week
A space to reflect on the value you brought into your day as a whole person, without producing or doing more.
You can find the second post in this series for types 4, 5, and 6 right here.✨
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