Like me, do you ever feel like you're not good enough? Like everyone else has their 'stuff' together and you're just floundering? That was me not too long ago. I struggled with self-doubt and low confidence, and it impacted every aspect of my life. But then I discovered the power of using a planner, specifically my digital planner, and it slowly but surely completely changed my outlook. it wasn't the silver bullet as they say, but I am thinking that my current state of mind owes a lot to using my digital planner.

Before I started using my digital planner, my days were sometimes scattered and unorganized. I would often forget important tasks, miss deadlines, and constantly feel like I was falling behind. I would beat myself up for not being more productive and often felt like I was not good enough. I didn't realize that I was a visual learner. 

One day, a friend suggested I try using a digital planner to go with my ipad and stylus. At first, I was a bit skeptical. How could a planner possibly make a difference? "Wasn't it was my actions, or lack of actions that was the issue?" I knew that. I think I was getting motivation confused with the whole reason for planning. But I was willing to try anything to gain any control over my life, so I gave it a shot.

I started by using my digital planner to map out my days and weeks. Initially I found using the software needed for the planner to have lots of options. This was a little overwhelming at first. But they told me that I did not need to be an expert. All I needed to do was make one step at a time and go at my own pace. My head was full, so that helped a bit and I tried to be a bit more patient with myself as I still did believe in planning. I just wasn't very experienced.

I was already feeling a bit overwhelmed with all the things going around in my head. Learning a new software wasn't at the top of my list of things to do. But I took their advice and just started with one page. I learned how to use my stylus and could see that my planner worked well with the other app. It was Goodnotes I used as the app to run the digital planer. But there are other ones like Notability and others. I used the Goodnotes 5 based on the research I did. It does have a subscription plan but the digital planner was a one time payment. That is a note taking app and it is something that I load my digital planner template into.

In my Digital Planner, I would write down everything I needed to do using my stylus, from work tasks to errands to self-care activities. I did not even care about the order of things, I just write them all down. After I write things down, I placed a number next to the first thing I needed to do, second and so on. I started to see a pattern between all the different things. Having it all in one place helped me feel more in control and less overwhelmed. I also found that the act of physically writing things down helped me remember them better. I think there is some research done on this where they worked out that when we use a pen, we are more likely to remember things.

But the real magic happened when I started using my digital planner to track my progress. Every time I completed a task, I would check it off in the planner. Seeing those little checkmarks add up gave me a sense of accomplishment and boosted my confidence. I started to believe that maybe I was capable of more than I thought.

As I continued to use my digital planner, I began to notice other positive changes in my life. I started to take better care of myself without really thinking too hard about it, scheduling in time for exercise and self-care. I did not always manage to do everything, but that was okay, I was making progress. I became more productive at work, and my boss started to notice my confidence. I was able to recall information with more detail. I felt like I was finally taking control of my life instead of just letting it happen to me or at me.

Now, I can't imagine going back to my old, disorganized ways. My Planly Planners digital planner has become an essential tool in my life, and I'm so grateful for the positive impact it's had on my confidence and self-esteem. If you struggle with self-doubt or low confidence, I highly recommend giving a planner a try. It may just change your life like it did mine.

"Using my digital planner helped me see that I was capable of more than I thought. It gave me a sense of accomplishment and boosted my confidence."