When it comes to planners, sticky notes are one of the simplest tools that can make the biggest difference. Instead of adding clutter or chaos, they actually help you stay flexible, reduce the number of crossed-out tasks, keep your pages neat, and make things easy to adjust when life inevitably changes. Instead of crossing things out, rewriting, or cramming notes into tight spaces, sticky notes give you the freedom to plan without the pressure of permanence.

Here are some smart (and easy!) ways to use sticky notes in your planner.

Everyday Ways to Use Basic Sticky Notes

Regular sticky notes are endlessly versatile and can instantly elevate your planner setup. If the usual way you use basic sticky notes is 17 of them in piles on your desk with random to-dos, a call back number for a doctor’s office, and an inspirational quote you heard…you’re not alone. But let us help you help them make sense and really elevate your planner and your organization!

Here are some of our favorite uses:

• - Brain Dumps: Jot down quick thoughts or tasks as they pop up and place them in your planner. You can later move them to the right day or section.
  

• - Reminders: Use them as quick reminders for deadlines, phone calls, or appointments. Stick them where you’ll see them most.
  

• - Task Lists: Write out a short daily or weekly task list on a sticky note. When it’s complete, you can remove it—no messy cross-outs in your planner.
  

• - Temporary Notes: Perfect for things that might change, like tentative plans, schedules, or meal ideas.

• - Reminders: Use them as quick reminders for deadlines, phone calls, or appointments. Stick them where you’ll see them most.
  

• - Doodles: Enough said.

Sticky notes work beautifully when you want to keep your planner neat but still need flexibility.

What About Mini Sticky Notes?

Ugh we’re SO glad you asked! Mini sticky notes are perfect for those small-but-important details you don’t want cluttering your page.

Here are some ideas:

• - Highlight Priorities: Use a mini sticky to mark one or two must-do tasks for the day. They stand out without overwhelming the page.
  

• - Moveable To-Dos: Write tasks on sticky notes when you’re not sure which day you’ll do them. Move them around until they find their home.
  

• - Color-Coded Categories: Assign colors for work, home, school, or personal tasks. The mini size makes them easy to move around without taking over.
  

• - Page Tabs: Stick them to the edge of your planner pages to mark important sections—like monthly overviews, ongoing projects, or notes pages.

• - Tiny Reminders: Perfect for short notes like “Call back,” “Bring snacks,” or “Print tickets.” Small size = big impact without wasted space.
  

• - Habit Tracking: Place a row of minis at the bottom of your week for habits (water, steps, reading, etc.). Move them or toss them as you check them off.

Meet Our Weekly Sticky Notes

Sometimes you need more structure than a single basic sticky can give you. That’s where our Weekly Sticky Notes come in. Think of them as a “mini weekly planner” that sticks right inside your pages. With a column for each day of the week, they make it incredibly simple to map out your time without overcomplicating your setup.

Here's how we recommend using them:

• Brain Drop Everything: Jot down everything swirling in your head: no filter, no pressure. (We love keeping a brain dump notebook for this!)
  
• Pick the “Do This Now” Tasks: Choose what needs to happen this week. (Then maybe tuck the other items on the brain dump list on a sticky for another week ;) )
• Place Them on Your Weekly Sticky: Pop those tasks right onto the days you’ll realistically tackle them.

The best part? No overthinking. No elaborate setup. Just clarity.

The Weekly Sticky is also perfect for:

• - Planning a theme in your week (meals, workouts, content creation).
• - Keeping work and home tasks separate from your main planner spread.
• - Giving yourself a “test run” of the week before committing ink to the page.
• - Some people use one Weekly Sticky per week, while others layer two or three for different categories (work, home, personal). Try both and see what clicks!
• - Our community (you!) always come up with the best ideas so if you end up discovering a clever way to use your weekly stickies we humbly beg you to tell us all about it over in our community FB page!

Why Sticky Notes Make Planning Easier

Whether you’re using classic sticky notes or our Weekly Sticky Notes, they help you:

• - Keep your planner pages cleaner and more organized.
  

• - Reduce stress from crossed-out or rescheduled plans.

• - Stay flexible while still keeping structure.

• - Add color and movement to your planning style.

Sticky notes really elevate your planner. Think of them as the bridge between your busy, ever-changing life and your beautifully organized pages.

How Sticky Notes Can Improve Planning for ADHD Brains

For ADHD brains, traditional planning methods don’t always stick (pun intended). A rigid planner layout can feel overwhelming or too confining. This is where sticky notes come in; they’re flexible, forgiving, and overwhelm-proof!

Here are a few ways sticky notes can make planning easier for ADHD:

• - Visual Clarity: Sticky notes let you separate out tasks so they don’t blend together on a crowded planner page. Each note becomes a “bite-sized” piece of information, which is easier for ADHD brains to process.
  

• - Built-in Flexibility: Plans change constantly. Instead of crossing things out (which can feel discouraging), sticky notes allow you to move tasks to another day or section with zero stress.
  

• - Prioritization Made Simple: You can color-code sticky notes for “must-do,” “nice-to-do,” and “reminder” categories. That way, your brain sees the hierarchy instantly without needing to re-read a list.
  

• - Capture Wandering Thoughts: ADHD often comes with brilliant but mistimed ideas. Keeping a sticky note section in your planner for “random thoughts” or “later list” helps you park those ideas without derailing your focus.
  

• - Boosting Motivation: There’s something rewarding about pulling off a sticky note once a task is complete. It gives your brain a little dopamine hit, reinforcing follow-through.

TL;DR

Whether you’re an all-in planner devotee, someone who’s struggled to find a system that truly works, or a planner-newbie who is nervous or unsure about how you want to map things out, sticky notes are a game-changing upgrade. They let you plan with flexibility, adapt on the go, and keep your schedule feeling clean and manageable. Try experimenting with different sizes; basic, mini, or our super star weekly stickies, to see how they fit your life, brain, style (live, laugh, love part 2). Sticky notes might just be the missing piece that makes your planner the system you actually love using every day.