How to use a planner: collage of Legend planner, Abundant Blogger's Goal Planner, Asana screen, and Airtable screen

How to Use a Planner to Become A Better Blogger – A Complete Guide

Three years ago, I made a decision that transformed my blogging business: I committed to using the Legend Planner. After trying countless planners and systems, I finally found my perfect match. But here’s the thing – it wasn’t just about finding the right planner. It was about developing a system that actually worked for my busy life as a blogger.

Today, I’m sharing exactly how to use a planner, how I use my own planner in particular, in combination with digital tools to run my blog efficiently, and, more importantly, how you can develop a system that works for you.

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Finding Your Perfect Planning System

Let me be honest: before settling on my current system, I tried everything. Multiple planners, digital-only approaches, regular notebooks – you name it, I’ve tested it. 

If you’re still figuring out what the best system is for you, I suggest reading my blog post about making the right choice between a digital and physical planner first: How to Choose the Right One: A Digital vs Physical Planner

What I discovered is that the magic lies in combining the right tools in the right way.

Currently, my system consists of:

Why this combination works: The physical planners keep me focused and present, while the digital tools handle the complex moving parts of my blog business. It’s the best of both worlds.

How to use a planner: collage of 2 pages: awareness & self-discovery and most important life questions

My Daily Planning System (that Actually Works)

Let me walk you through exactly how I use my planner every day:

Morning Planning

Your morning sets the tone for your entire day. I begin each morning with a focused review of my time blocks, using a simple but effective color-coding system. Blue pen marks all blog tasks and content creation, orange indicates personal commitments, and green tracks any schedule adjustments I need to make throughout the day.

Time Blocking Throughout the Day

My typical day flows naturally through structured time blocks. The early morning hours from 6:30 to 8:00 are dedicated to my morning routine. This is followed by my first focused business block from 8:00 to 12:00. During this time, I tackle social media creation, content research, and newsletters. After a refreshing lunch break and dog walk from 12:00 to 1:30, I dive into my second business block until 4:30, focusing on content writing and goal planning.

Evening Review: The Secret to Staying on Track

The final fifteen minutes of my workday are crucial for maintaining momentum. This quiet time allows me to reflect on my accomplishments, check off completed tasks, and prepare for tomorrow. I review any adjustments in my schedule, mark them with my green pen, and ensure all my digital tools are updated with new deadlines or ideas that emerge during the day.

How to use a planner: collage of 2 photos: one with all stickers to be used in Legend planner and one of a week-spread in the Legend planner

Weekly Planning: My Sunday Success Ritual

Sunday planning has become my favorite ritual of the week. With my Legend Planner, Asana, Airtable, and AB goal planner spread before me, I spend 30 to 60 minutes setting up for a successful week. The process begins with a thorough review of the previous week, noting patterns in my productivity and identifying what worked well or needs adjustment.

Once I understand my past week’s performance, I turn my attention to the upcoming week. This includes transferring critical deadlines from Asana to my planner and establishing time blocks for major content creation. I ensure all platforms are synchronized, from my content calendar in Airtable to my project deadlines in Asana.

How to use a planner: collage of 2 photos of the Abundant Blogger's Goal Planner: the cover, the table of contents, setting financial goals, and setting content creation goals

The Game-Changing Addition: Energy Tracking

You know those days when you stare at your content calendar and wonder why some weeks flow effortlessly while others feel like trudging through the mud? I spent a long time puzzled by this until a blogging friend introduced me to a simple but powerful tool, which I added to my planning routine: energy tracking.

Let me share a little secret that transformed my productivity: In my Legend Planner’s monthly spread, I don’t track tasks… I track my energy levels using a color-coding system that’s become my personal crystal ball for productivity:

  • Green = Excellent (These are my power days!)
  • Blue = Good (Solid focus and steady progress)
  • Yellow = OK (Getting things done, but not quite in the flow)
  • Orange = Not great (Push through essential tasks only)
  • Red = Crappy (Time to be gentle with myself)
  • Purple = Time off (Because rest is part of success, and the family wants to spend time with me, too!)

Every evening (or sometimes first thing in the morning if I crashed early), I take a moment to reflect and color in that day’s square in my monthly spread. But here’s where it gets interesting – in that same square, I jot down what went well and what didn’t.

How This Changed My Blogging Game

Keeping track of my energy levels gives me great insight into how my months are going. Last month, I noticed all my green days clustered around the beginning of the week. That insight led me to rearrange my content creation schedule – now I tackle my most challenging writing projects on Tuesdays and Wednesdays when my energy typically peaks. Game changer!

Here’s a real entry from my planner:

Monday:
What went well: Created a new batch of pins and scheduled them out. Finished my monthly admin. Finished my freebie and got it uploaded to Subtrio. Created a new newsletter template.
What didn’t: No time taken for prepping a new blog post yet.

How to use a planner: collage of 2 pages: monthly page and reflect on month, ideas& notes page

Aligning Daily Tasks with Big Picture Goals

One of my favorite moments of the day is when I open both my Legend Planner and my Abundant Blogger’s Goal Planner (yes, I created this because I couldn’t find exactly what I needed!). This double-check system ensures I’m not just busy – I’m busy with purpose.

My Goal Integration Process

Every Sunday, before I dive into my weekly planning ritual, I:

  • Review my goals in the Abundant Blogger’s Goal Planner
  • Break down big goals into daily action steps
  • Assign those steps to specific time blocks in my Legend Planner

How to Use Your Planner and Making It Work Harder for You

The real magic happens when these systems work together. Here’s what a typical day looks like in my planner now:

  • Morning Power Hour
    • Review my goals from Abundant Blogger’s Goal Planner
    • Adjust time blocks if needed based on energy patterns
    • Set my top 3 priorities aligned with quarterly goals
  • Throughout the Day
    • Use color-coded time blocks (blue for business, orange for personal)
    • Note quick wins and challenges
    • Make adjustments in green as needed
  • Evening Wrap-Up
    • Color code the day in my monthly spread
    • Write quick notes about wins and struggles
    • Review tomorrow’s goals and time blocks
    • Celebrate progress (yes, even small wins count!)
How to use a planner: collage of 2 pages: life goals & dreams and showing the tabs of the month

Monthly Content Organization that Actually Works

I remember when I used to scramble for content ideas at the last minute. (Hello, 11 PM panic writing sessions!) That all changed when I started using my monthly planning system. Let me show you exactly how I organize my content now.

My Monthly Planning Power Hour

My monthly planning power hour has become a cherished ritual. Picture this: a steaming cup of tea (usually something with berries), my Legend Planner open to the monthly spread, my AB goal planner nearby, and my laptop displaying Asana and Airtable. This dedicated time transforms my content creation from chaotic to controlled.

The process starts with a review of my energy-tracking patterns from the previous month. This has been eye-opening regarding my productivity. Last month, I noticed I consistently had “green” (excellent) energy days after a good night’s sleep. Guess what? Now I try to go to bed at 10 pm instead of hanging on the couch until it’s past 11!  I have several alarms throughout the evening to make sure I make it, being in bed around 10.

In my Legend Planner’s monthly spread, I take time to reflect on the previous month, write my review, and map out my tasks for the month ahead. The magic happens when I align these plans with my quarterly goals. This is where my Abundant Blogger’s Goal Planner really shines. I check my monthly goals and ensure each week’s content aligns with my bigger vision. Those goals get translated into specific action items in my Legend Planner.

Finally, I update Asana and Airtable with my content plans. This might seem like extra work, but trust me, having everything synced saves hours of confusion later!

How to use a planner: collage of Legend planner, Abundant Blogger's Goal Planner, Asana screen, and Airtable screen

Making Digital Tools Play Nice with Your Paper Planner

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: managing both digital and paper planning systems. I used to think I had to choose one or the other until I discovered how beautifully they can work together.

The beauty of modern planning lies in combining paper and digital tools effectively. My Legend Planner serves as my daily companion for time blocking, energy tracking, and immediate task management. It’s where I capture quick ideas and maintain my personal schedule.

Meanwhile, Asana handles the complex moving parts of content production, keeping my workflows organized and deadlines on track. Airtable functions as my second brain, housing my editorial calendar, content ideas, blogging checklist, and performance analytics. My beloved AB Goal Planner has all my business goals, the steps to make them happen, and a place to note (and celebrate) the goals I have achieved. Using these four together is all I need to streamline my blogging business. It keeps me grounded and in charge of my tasks. 

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The Secret to Long-Term Planning Success

Want to know the real reason this system works? It’s not just about the tools – it’s about creating sustainable habits that stick. Here’s what I’ve learned after three years with my Legend Planner:

What Actually Works:

  • Consistent Daily Reviews
    • Take 5 minutes every evening
    • Color code your energy level
    • Note what worked and what didn’t
    • Quick check of tomorrow’s plan
  • Weekly Reset Ritual I treat my Sunday planning session like a non-negotiable appointment. It’s not just planning time – it’s my chance to get excited about the week ahead (which, basically, I always am!)
  • Monthly Goal Alignment Using both my Legend Planner and Abundant Blogger’s Goal Planner keeps me focused on growth, not just tasks. 

Common Pitfalls to Avoid:

  • Don’t try to track everything at once
  • Resist the urge to use every planning feature immediately
  • Remember that some weeks won’t go as planned (hello, green pen adjustments!)
  • Don’t abandon your system when you miss a day
How to use a planner: collage of 2 screens: one of Asana calendar and one of Airtable home screen

Planning for Blog Growth: Future-Proofing Your System

Let me share something I’ve learned after years of blogging: the planning system that works for you today needs to be ready to grow with you tomorrow. As I dream about expanding my blog from a solo venture into a full business (hello, future team members!), I’ve already started thinking about how to adapt my planning system to handle that growth.

Evolution of a Blogging Business: Planning Through the Phases

As bloggers, we all start solo – that’s where I am now. My Legend Planner currently serves as my command center for basic time blocking, energy tracking, and content planning. But I’ve learned that smart planning means thinking ahead. I’m already laying the groundwork for growth by creating scalable systems and documenting processes in Asana.

The next phase of growth brings exciting challenges. Hopefully in the future, I’ll need my planning system to handle team coordination and multiple revenue streams. That’s why I’ve started adding delegation notes in my time blocks, marking tasks that could eventually be handed off to team members.

Looking further ahead to a full-scale business, my planning system will evolve to include dedicated blocks for team management and strategy sessions. It’s like building a house – you need a strong foundation before adding new rooms.

How to use a planner: collage of 3 photos: the purple cover of the Legend planner, the tabs for the months, a weekly spread of the Legend planner

Common Growing Pains (and How to Prepare)

Time management becomes increasingly complex as your blog grows. I’ve found that creating clear categories in time blocks and establishing power hours for focused work helps manage this complexity. Adding flexible buffer zones between tasks provides breathing room for unexpected opportunities.

The key to scaling your systems lies in maintaining your planner as command central while leveraging digital tools for team collaboration. I use Asana for process documentation and Airtable for scalable content planning – tools that can easily accommodate future team members.

Perhaps most importantly, maintaining work-life balance becomes crucial during growth phases. I protect this balance by establishing sacred time blocks for content creation and consistently tracking my energy levels. These non-negotiable practices ensure sustainable growth without burnout.

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Your Growth-Ready Planning System: Start Now

Whether you’re a solo blogger like me or dreaming of building a bigger business, here’s how to create a planning system that grows with you:

Foundation Phase (Start Here)

  • Master your basic planning tools
  • Establish solid time-blocking habits
  • Track your energy patterns
  • Document your processes

Growth Preparation

  • Create templates for recurring tasks
  • Set up systems that can scale
  • Plan for future delegation
  • Reserve time for business development

Future Vision

  • Review and adjust systems monthly
  • Keep what works, improve what doesn’t
  • Stay flexible for new opportunities

Remember: The best planning system isn’t just about managing today’s tasks – it’s about building a foundation for tomorrow’s success. I’m still in the early stages of my journey, but having these systems in place makes me excited about growth rather than anxious about it.

Here’s to planning for success, one color-coded block at a time!

What stage is your blog in right now? Share in the comments below how you plan for growth, I’d love to hear your strategies!

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