I feel productive when I can check stuff off a list in my planner.
I remember when I first got a planner. Everyone in the Philippines was so obsessed with the fancy Starbucks planner [a], and it inspired other companies were inspired to make their own planners, including the Filipino-favorite fast-food chain: Jollibee.
Back in college, I used to go there all the time for their spaghetti and their fried chicken [b], and when they released their planners, I decided to give it a try. They never released another one and I don't know why, but I remember really loving it.
I made it my own, designing the covers, having my own system and doodling all over it. It was the first time I ever finished all the pages and it made me feel so productive. To this day, I've never gone a year without having a planner.
It helps me focus my days, especially on seasons where I have nothing to do and can waste time not doing particularly anything. I write everything that I plan to do in the day - including things that one should easily remember, like taking a shower.
See, one of the hardest things for me to overcome is the feeling of uselessness and there are days when I just can't be bothered to even get up. It's hard but somehow having a planner, and being accountable, even just to myself, helps.
Every tick feels like an accomplishment, every step feels like I'm moving forward, and every turn of the page feels like I'm actually not so useless after all.
It helps ground me, and we all need that every now and then, I suppose?
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Footnotes:
a. They still are and I've given up ever really ever owning one because of two reasons. One, you can only buy them in certain countries and two, I don't like the taste of coffee. Le gasp!
b. You can keep your McDonalds and your KFCs, Jollibee owns my stomach.