Planner haters

Hey, this is Seth with SethPerler.com. Did you hear about the buffalo who sent his boy to college? When his son left, he said, “Bison.” Haha — pretty good, huh? Cheesy, I know.

How’s it going?

So I’m here today to talk to you about planners for people who hate them. If you hate planners, you’re in the right place.

There are lots of websites and videos all over YouTube about planners and how to use them, but they’re usually made for highly organized people by highly organized people. These left-brain, linear, sequential, structured people love systems like this. It gives them a sense of control, and they’re able to handle lots of detail with ease.

But if you’re watching this, you’re probably not that kind of person. This is for students who hate planners — not because they’re lazy, but because they don’t like managing tiny details that feel meaningless or overwhelming.

A lot of the ways planners are traditionally taught don’t match how some students actually think and function. So I’m going to show you a system that works better.

Even if you hate planners, you still need some way to manage tasks and time. Everyone does. The goal is to make it simple enough that it doesn’t feel overwhelming.

Most people like us — right-brain, creative, outside-the-box thinkers — struggle with time perception and organization. So I’m going to show you what I do with my students.

This will be a longer explanation, so feel free to pause and come back to it as needed.

Step 1: Set up your calendar

First, print out your yearly school calendar. You want about one to four copies — one for your refrigerator, one for your bedroom, one for your office, and one to tape inside your planner.

Cut it down so it fits and tape it inside your planner. This is called front-loading — getting everything important into your system at the beginning so you don’t have to think about it later.

Next, simplify your planner. Remove any pages you don’t need. The goal is to make it as thin and simple as possible.

If possible, use a clean, simple, black-and-white monthly planner. Avoid overly decorated or cluttered planners — they can be distracting.

If your planner has too many sections, quotes, or visuals, it can actually make it harder to use, especially for visually sensitive or easily distracted students.

Step 2: Fill in the entire school year

Go through your calendar and highlight every day off for the entire school year. Include holidays, breaks, and weekends.

Write in important events in advance — everything you already know about. This reduces surprises and stress later.

This process helps you see your entire year clearly and reduces the feeling of being overwhelmed by time.

Step 3: Use shorthand

Because there isn’t much space in a simple planner, you’ll need to use shorthand.

For example:

• Math: “M: p.65 #1–21”

• English: “LA: draft due”

• Science: “SCI lab 14 due”

• Appointment: “4pm dentist”

Always write things on the day they are due, not the day they were assigned.

You can also do backward planning. If you have a test, write the test date first, then plan study sessions leading up to it.

It’s better to over-plan than under-plan, even if you don’t follow every step perfectly.

Always put the time first when something has a specific time, because time is fixed and important.

Step 4: Color coding and visualization

You can color-code your planner if it helps you visually organize information.

Highlight weekends, holidays, and important events. You can even add small drawings or symbols for major events if that helps you remember them.

The goal is to make your calendar visually easy to understand at a glance.

Step 5: Front-load everything

Add any recurring activities or commitments as early as possible. If something happens every Thursday from 6–8 p.m. until November, put it in right away.

The more you front-load, the less you have to think later.

Common problem: falling behind

One common issue is what I call the “swimming upstream syndrome.”

Students slowly fall behind in the first few weeks of school. By the time it becomes obvious — often around week six — grades start dropping, and stress builds quickly.

This system helps prevent that by keeping everything visible and organized from the start.

Final thoughts

Keep your calendar visible — on a wall, desk, or wherever you can easily see it. Don’t make it something you forget about.

You can pull it down when you need to work on it and put it back when you’re done.

The key is consistency, simplicity, and visibility.

You’ve got this. There will be ups and downs, but with a system like this, you’ll be much more in control.

Take care, and have an awesome school year.