If you struggle to get things done and achieve your goals no matter how many planners and calendars and to-do lists you use, then you might need to take a deeper look at how you are using your planner. If your schedule constantly feels chaotic and overwhelming, you could benefit from functional planning.
What is functional planning? Keep reading to learn how to simplify your life, get things done, and spend more time doing things that matter (like spending time with your family!).

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Functional Planning in a Paper Planner
A planner can help you stick to your schedule. It can also help you remember tasks. I’ve been using a paper planner regularly for as long as I can remember (middle school?). It hasn’t been until the past couple of years that I really honed in on how to use my planner to help me stay organized. This happened when I embraced functional planning.

What is Functional Planning?
Using a planner functionally means utilizing it as a practical tool for organization, task management, and time efficiency.
It involves using the planner to capture and track tasks, appointments, and commitments, employing techniques like time blocking and prioritization to streamline your schedule.
The focus is on efficiency, productivity, and achieving goals.
What Functional Planning is NOT
Functional Planning is NOT using a planner for creative purposes … using it for artistic expression, such as journaling, doodling, or decorating.
This does not mean you CAN’T decorate and be creative with functional planning. It’s just that the most important part is the FUNCTION and not the DECORATIONS. Typically with decorative planning, the focus is on making it pretty and then fitting the plans in later, often with less emphasis on organization and task management.
Those things are great, and I genuinely wish my brain would let me get super decorative with my plans, but it just doesn’t. That’s okay though, because I can channel that creativity into other areas.

You Are Not the Problem
When I first found the planner community I was so excited that there were other people like me, but the more active I became in the community the more I wanted to use stickers because they’re fun and pretty.
It led to a lot of confusion for me, because I had all this washi tape and full box stickers I was trying to use because everyone else was using them. But I could never understand why it took me so long to plan my week or why I still felt like I wasn’t being productive. Surely someone that spends this much time using and thinking about planners could get it together! But I was still overwhelmed and I thought I was the problem.
I mean I guess I was the problem but you know what I mean. My choice to focus on aesthetics first was the problem. Not my brain. Not even the stickers. I just didn’t know what I was doing because I put too many variables into place.
The Planner Community
A lot of people in the planner community have mastered the art of planning functionally and decoratively at the same time. They make it look effortless on YouTube and social media. But that either came with experience and practice or they’re just blessed with that ability to easily merge the two. But if you’re like me and that does not come naturally, then please understand that it’s fine and we just need to do things a little differently.
Think of it like your home. It doesn’t matter how many beautiful home decor pieces you buy and display in your home…if it’s messy and cluttered, you’re probably not going to like how it looks. You need to get a functional system of tidying and cleaning down so that the pretty stuff can shine and your home can feel like a refuge.
Get Started with Functional Planning
How to Create an Efficient and Functional Planning Routine
- Identify your planning style: Take some time to reflect on how you and your brain prefer to organize and approach tasks. Learn how to identify your planning style.
- Choose the right planner: Choose the size, format, and layout that aligns to your unique needs and NOT the newest or most popular one. Discover how to choose the right layout.
- Learn how to use your planner: Many planners include pages throughout that are meant to supplement the pages you use weekly or daily. Take some time to learn how to use those pages! Learn how to use your new planner!
- Use practical supplies: All you really need is paper and something to write with – everything else should simplify the process and not complicate it. Discover the 11 essential planning supplies.
- Set yourself up for success: Prioritize making time to plan and create a cheat sheet of essential information to include in your plans (hint: you don’t need to include every little thing that happens to you each day).
Shop my favorite planners and planning supplies.
Simplifying your planning routine reduces stress and boosts productivity. Avoid the cycle of excessively buying planning supplies, hoping for planner peace. Instead, use functional planning to free up mental energy to focus on tasks and develop habits to achieve your goals.
Learn how to Simplify your Life
Read articles about functional planning here on the blog.
Planning Videos
If you’re more visual learner, watch this playlist of my most popular plan with me videos about planning.
Functional Planning Summary
- Functional planning is using your planner as a tool for organizing your tasks and schedule.
- Functional planning is not decorating a planner with pretty stickers and washi tape.
- You can be creative with your plans once you’ve developed a practical system that prioritizes productivity over aesthetics.
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