Viewpoint: Day planners are essential

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    Shanna Ghaznavi

    In a busy world of homework, appointments, projects, phone numbers and numerous other activities and facts, it is essential that each and every student use a day planner.

    Though you may only think of the planner as an elaborate ploy, engineered by corporations to make money, the planner is worth absolutely every dollar you pay for it.

    To first of all convince you of the absolute necessity of properly using your planner, I will draw your attention to the numberless important engagements which, as students, fill your daily lives. You must, of course, spend at least one hour of every day in “planning and solitude”; this will enable you to save time.

    Through making a complete list of daily tasks and by prioritizing each of the items on this list, you are bound to become a much more time effective person. For example, during your hour of “planning and solitude,” you will list the task of brushing your teeth, and then, possibly, going to a doctor’s appointment. These would, of course, be prioritized B and A, respectively.

    But, if on your list you put breathing — which hopefully we all do each day — it would be prioritized as A1, whereas your doctor’s appointment may be A3 (right after “performing bodily functions” as A2).

    In addition to your “daily plan pages,” there are monthly planning calendars — these are at the front of each section starting a new month. Here is where you will record every important appointment, every holiday celebrated by every religion, and most importantly, every birthday of every person you have ever known or ever hope to know. In this way, you will never be caught off-guard by an unsuspected birthday or an Anglican Saint’s day.

    Behind your daily planning sheets is a section to plan your goals and to state your values. For instance, you plan to go to Disney World on Dec. 28. First, you will go to Dec. 28 in your daily plan pages and write in “Trip to Disney World” and give it an A priority.

    Secondly, you will go to your “goal planning page” and write down all the steps necessary for your success in going to Disney World; including booking tickets, packing suitcases and remembering to tell your parents good-bye. I assure you, no matter what, if you follow the things you wrote exactly, you WILL go to Disney World.

    It is very important you remain constant in your goal and you do not let trivialities, like a fatal illness in the family the day before you leave, hamper you from exactly following what is on your goal planning page.

    The value and goal pages are exceedingly important and you must keep your planner with you at all times, so as not to misplace them. In fact, I want you all — right now — on every one of your daily plan pages, to write, “I will keep my planner with me at all times today.” This way, you will never lose your planner.

    A daily plan page, or a page from your planner’s address book, is not nearly as important as your values and goals pages. If you lose a daily plan or an address page, you merely lose a few addresses and what to do for a day. (Though, I must admit, it is important that you remember to breathe.) But, can you imagine the chaotic, colossal effects of losing a page of values? YOU WOULD HAVE NO VALUES!

    You may even become like those among us who are depraved enough not to use planners! Yes! Believe it or not, they do exist … those imbeciles who think they can just take life a day at a time and accept things as they come to them — those who think they can do with their free time as they please and have no set schedule. No, of course not. This is not even an option.

    So, as you can see, keeping your planner with you at all times is vital to your well being.

    In closing (as I only have two remaining minutes — according to my planner — in which to conclude this before I have to rotate my tires), I would just like to reinforce that planners are essential to our well-being here, and yes, even to our life after death; since, of course, the designers of the universe use planners also.

    I would also like to remind you, should you need any supplies for your planner or would like to purchase our new deluxe edition, you may contact me at Schedule Quest, or call 1-900-555-PLAN. And, of course, all major credit cards are accepted.

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