Is time on your side? If you don’t think it is, I can promise you, you’re wrong. But you have to plan your time wisely.

I am one of those people that hates being late for anything. Usually I show up 15 minutes early. Occasionally, life catches up with me and I’m a tad late for something. It doesn’t happen often, but it can happen. Does this sound like you?

Most of us are always busy, going from one place to another. We live most of our lives spontaneously, which is great! But adding a bit of planning can go a long way. Here’s why.

There are some days you have only a few things to do and others that seem jam packed. On the days that you only have a few things to do, does it seem like it takes all day to get them accomplished? While they might be very small tasks, the distractions in our life can prevent us from getting anything done. That spontaneity that creeps in tells us something better is out there. So here’s your first challenge. Take a look at your life and see how you’re spending your time. Once you have that, ask yourself if any distractions took you away from your priorities. Then, keep reading.

If you’re a woman, you might struggle with the idea of trying to do it all. We’re taught that we need to do everything and be everything to everyone, all the time. Men, on the other hand, experience this feeling far less. The imporant. thing to do is to find a balance. One between the wants and true needs for our life. This is where taking a minute to plan your time can be incredibly helpful.

My best recommendation is to get yourself a planner. A paper planner or an electronic one is find, but make sure you can take it with you everywhere. Use it often as it will help you find time for things you have to do AND the things you want to do. Once you find a system that works for you, you might just find yourself planning out everything. I plan my work hours, all my business activities, my appointments and meetings, and even my downtime. Planning everything and writing it down helps me figure out how to manage everything and see if I can move things around. Controlling your time is the key because once you can do that, it won’t control you anymore.

If you’re looking for a paper planner, here are the ones I’ve tried in the past.

Day Designer – This is a company that makes beautiful planners to help you design your day. It’s what I started with and helped me find balance. The daily planner is coiled and gives you a place for everything. Your Top 3 tasks, all your meetings, a place for daily gratitude, and even what you’re having for dinner.

Erin Condren – This company has a bit more variety, more design options, and all the accessories you can think of to make your planner fun. From stickers to pens and markers, these products make planning fun.

Agendio – If you’re looking for a completely customizable planner, this is it. If you want a daily planner, it will be coiled due to the the number of pages but you can choose weekly, monthly, or any combination you can think of. I loved this one because you can even add your own personal holidays and special events before printing.

Hemlock & Oak – This is the planner I’m using for the first time in 2025 and it’s simply beautiful. Hardcover, daily pages, and a vibrantly colored cover. The pages are thick so you’ll never experience bleed with your pen and it’s still portable despite its size.

If planning doesn’t sound right for you, it’s ok. Try again down the road. When you plan your time, you’re taking the reigns. So create a system that works for you! Here are a few tips to get you started:

1. Use what you already have. Your smartphone already has what you need – a calendar, a reminder app, and notes. If you don’t use it, start now! Make multiple calendars for all the areas in your life and color code them for easy recognition.

2. Remember portability. In order for you to plan your time, you need to keep your planner with you. Remember, if it’s not with you, you can’t use it.

3. Do a self-audit. – Make a list of all the things you do in life. Yes, everything! No rank them to see what priority they have. As an example, work might need to be on the list but weekly manicures don’t. Regardless of the activities, make sure you have them all in your planner.

These are just three things you can do to start to plan your time. When you start taking control back over your time, you’ll see that time really is on your side.