How to Use Microsoft Planner to Organize Individual Tasks

I explain how Microsoft Planner is a useful tool for a group to work together as a team in a previous post, “What is Microsoft Planner Used For?”

I pointed out at the end of the post that my post was purposely worded to state what Planner is and is not designed for.

Why:  Just because Planner may be designed as a tool for a group to collaborate, it actually has some great applications for the individual!

Here’s my story of how I use Planner to organize my task management as an individual:

I used Planner to create a Business Development Plan to organize all of the Tasks related to this part of my job.

Planner helps me see the big picture of all the Tasks I have going on. When the boss asks how my workload is, I can pull the Plan up to show him what I have on my plate without getting him lost in the weeds of my Wunderlist Tasks lists.

What I also love is that I can use two Planner features to help me quickly adjust my priorities at the start of every week:

Labels – I use the labels to show which Boards are Priority (red) and which are Important (orange).

This way I can see at a glance where I should focus my attention.

Buckets – I use buckets to sort my Boards into four buckets – One Time, Weekly, Monthly, and Ongoing.

This way I can rearrange the order of the Boards in each bucket to put items that need attention at the top of each bucket.

How do you use Planner to stay organized and give yourself a big picture view of what’s going on?