There are a handful of distinctive characteristics that make an effective leader, but the truth is that anyone can be the leader they aspire to be with the right amount of hard work and commitment.

Even though there are no shortcuts to being an effective leader, here are some daily habits of the great leaders with the help of a physical planner. These habits will definitely take time to cultivate but with the right tools, attitude and handy notebook by your side, you’ll eventually get closer to your ultimate aim.

#1: Note-taking

 Note-taking is probably one of the most common habits among the most successful leaders. Getting your thoughts penned down in a planner would definitely help you focus better and retain most of the important information. And better yet, you’ll be able to refer back to your thoughts anytime without losing track.

While there are several ways for effective note-taking, writing with pen and paper still has its edge in learning as writing by hand demands heavier “mental lifting”, and this in turn increases conceptual understanding and retention.

Bill Gates is a brilliant example of an enthusiastic note-taker. Despite being a computer genius, he still chose the old-fashioned way of pen and paper when it comes to getting ideas or thoughts out of his head.

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#2: Planning

Great leaders always ensure that proper planning has been done before carrying out a task. As the saying goes, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. They do not just jump into action without actually having a solid plan. Those who succeed know that rushing into things is not a smart move.

One method to becoming an effective planner and leader is making a to-do list before the day starts or even a night in advance. With every minute you spend in planning, you will save more time than that in execution. While it is great to be an enthusiastic worker, there is certainly no point in being fixated on your goals without doing any prior planning.

It is those who put in the effort to start a to-do-list before executing a plan that will eventually triumph and become outstanding leaders.

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#3: Set Priorities

After writing out your to-do list in your planner, working from the 80/20 rule should be your next move. The 80/20 rule dictates that out of ten tasks, there’s bound to be two that are more urgent. Work on those two tasks first!

By identifying those tasks, you will be able to plan the order in which you complete your tasks and you can leave those that are less important for a later time. You will be amazed at how productive your day is with additional time to focus your efforts on high-valued activities with prioritising.

#4: Goal Setting

By writing the goals down in a physical notebook, it will provide you with a clear vision and direction, making things much easier to achieve. As leaders, goal setting is crucial when you are leading a team, providing the unified direction when faced with adversities.

With a goal in clear sight, you will definitely be a step closer to becoming a successful leader.

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Incorporate these habits into your daily routine and you will discover how using a physical notebook will be able to help you further improve as a leader. You might not see the progress overnight, but even the most successful people only succeed after many years of practicing these good habits. So, take that handy notebook and get started today!

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