Your Refresher Course: How to Use the FranklinPlanner System
February 2, 2015How do you use your planner? Since 1984, planner users worldwide have used the system developed by Hyrum Smith to list, prioritize, and accomplish the tasks needed to realize their goals. If you’re new to the FranklinPlanner, or if it’s been a while, take a look at this helpful refresher on how to get the most from your planning pages.
Download a PDF version here.
Enjoyed the \”Helpful Refresher\” notes. It\’s been a while since I\’ve used my Franklin Planner, so now it\’s time for me to get back into my routine of using my planner again.
P.S. I appreaciate all the other accessories that you can purchase for your planner.
Robin
I am trying to print this out – it looks like it is 4 pages – yet only 1 page prints, believe there is something wrong..
Please correct..
Your problem in very well known to IT professionals as a PEBCAK Error! Normally there is no solution for it.
So glad I saw this on your website. I had been trying to use my own \”method\”, which has been confusing me more than helping. Now that I\’ve read this, I\’m going to try it! Seems like it may work a lot better.
The hardest part of having a planner is the values clarification. Covey used to have excellent resources to help but they are basically impossible to find. I have even tried other resources but no real success. Am I looking in the wrong places or do you have other resources that you can recommend? I had even looked into the counseling that you used to offer (even though I don\’t really have the funds for it). I\’m sure I\’m not the only one looking for this type of help.
The FranklinCovey Training and Consulting website has an online mission statement building tool that may help you with this process. This is located at the following link:
http://www.franklincovey.com/msb/
I am looking for a complete video on how to use the forms and setting up your planner.
You used to have live classes on this but I had to travel to attend. There are videos from other people but I find they don’t know how to use the planner correctly. You can’t sell your planners or system without giving the public information. I realize that you only care about corporations, but the rest of us would like to learn too.
I wish you would carry more Classic binders that have .75 rings. I now use a weekly planner and a lot of the binders are too big; geared for the daily.
Thanks.
We have lots of binders with that size! Have you tried the Giada binder?
I actually liked the binders with the largest ring size. Which models are they? Thanks!
I find that the Classic size, zipper closing binder works best for but it doesn’t accommodate daily planning sheets. What suggestions can you offer? Also, I like Jan-Dec planners for personal.financial & business planning but need July-June planners for church & volunteer scheduling/planning.
Thrilled with the dot grid planner. I have been using FC since 1994, and bored with the same layout. Now I can include
What matters most to me in my own way. There are so many things that I want to schedule, that your structured layout didn’t accommodate.
When will the Franklin Planner system be integrated in an electronic system for use on a smart phone or computer?
I like the idea of putting in order from A-Z daily whats most important to accomplish to less important.
I like this idea, I actually made my own being that I have two jobs and both consist of daily tasks and now with me going back to school. It really helps me stay on track.
Planners are nice but i can find them to be to much, i prefer a calendar. If i use a planner i still use a calendar and can reflect off of it to guide me to look at planner for special assignments. It can assist to stay on tract because a calendar i have give very little space.
That planner seems like it would stress me out. Maybe I’m old fashioned but I like to just cross things out.
When I purchased my first Franklin planner back in about 1996 or 97, it came with around 4 (possibly more) cassette tapes – a recording of Hyrum Smith giving a live seminar on how to use the planner along with other great “life management/time management” ideas.
Has that ever been digitized? Is it possible to get a copy of that today?
did you ever find a copy of the 4 cassette tapes of Hyrum Smith on using the franklin planner? I’d like to get a copy some how.
I like this system but I wonder whether you’re supposed to re-write the tasks you didn’t get done that day in a new list for the next day? Seems like there’s a lot of re-writing going on! Is there a way to short-cut that? Thank you.
Yes, write the uncompleted item on the next day or the day in the future that you think you can actually get that item done. If you find yourself re-writing the same item multiple times, you tend to find a way to just get it done so you no longer have to keep rewriting it, or you realize that it may not be that important after all and you can assign it to a lesser priority or even decide to delete it.
Folks suggest that having an automated/electronic system do the transfer is more productive than re-writing, but I think there is something that happens in the brain with the actual hand writing that helps you analyze the importance and decide its something you want to do and find a way to do, or just something that you like the idea of doing, but will never have the follow through to do.
This process also over time helps you realize that you are quite probably allotting way less time than is necessary to accomplish the task so it helps you to realize your level of productivity and allows you to become more efficient.
I will definitely try this.
How can I access the original talk by Hyrum Smith on why and how to use the planner system?
Though the original talk is no longer available, please take a look at the Planner Training we now have in an online course, and as a series of videos, from a trainer who worked closely with Hyrum Smith: https://service.franklinplanner.com/planner-training-your-way/
Also, here’s an link to a great book by Hyrum Smith about his story: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FOSANQO/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
I have not seen that in a long time. I will try to use that for the next couple weeks to see if it helps.
The book To Do, Doing, Done by Snead and Wycoff (1997) includes a fairly detailed description of using the Franklin Planner for task and project management.
It takes a long time to write all your tasks, should I try it?
My day-to-day planner I have on my phone is pretty similar to the above planner. I’m very organized and time management is a must for me.
Utilizing a daily planner is very helpful. I am very busy during the day, and I can forget what things that need to get done. Being able to refer back to my planner is a big help.
I have enjoyed learning about this planner it is actually new to me and I think I will give it a try and see what the outcome will be.
Thank you I like this planner. Well organized.
I forgot how helpful a planner can be. When I started my Women Veteran Organization, I saw the need for it, but after Covid and the disappaerance of events, I stopped using it. I am going to strat using a planner again.
I have been using a Franklin Planner since the early 1990’s. Even though there have been times where I could not get the exact inserts to keep up with the name brand, the idea and structure has served me well and colleagues have seen the success of the model template on pieces of paper that I retain on person that can be taken into Secret spaces because it is simply a piece of paper with: dates, schedules, and check boxes of tasks to be accomplished.
I really enjoyed the refresher class using the Franklin planner, I do currently use a planner but this refresher was definitely worth the read.
I will definitely try it.
Glad I found this, time to go back to my planner and stick with it.
I really like my planner it keeps me alert of my busy like…….