A new planning routine begins with a notebook page. Soon you add colour categories, several apps and a detailed review. Preparing the routine starts taking the time intended for doing the work.
Keep the simplest version that answers your current need. Use it for a few ordinary repetitions and note any practical difficulty. A change should solve something you can name, such as forgetting a deadline or losing the next action.
Add one change at a time
If you improve the arrangement, keep the rest steady while you test the addition. You can then see whether it helped. Remove parts that create work without making the practice easier to use.
Return to the original purpose in your review. Is the routine helping you choose and complete the relevant activity? An attractive setup can be enjoyable, but it still needs to fit the time and attention you have. Save optional design ideas elsewhere so that a useful modest routine can remain in use while those ideas wait.
