What are Printables, Calendars, to-do Lists?
By Martin Hurley
Updated May 2023
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Printables are downloadable digital documents that you can print out and use. The most common are calendars, to-do lists, meal planners, habit trackers in print-ready PDF format.
Printables can include daily, weekly, monthly and yearly calendars, and are often dated with a blank layout.
Why use printable calendars?
Monthly calendars are a great way to stay organised and plan out your day or week in advance. You can also use them as reminders for upcoming events or deadlines.
It's easy to download calendar templates for a variety of years / dates as needed.
For example, you might need a 2023 calendar but someone else might need a printable 12 month calendar or a 2022 calendar.
Depending on what type of printable calendar it is, it may also come with other features such as federal holidays, space for notes, important dates or motivational quotes.
To-do lists
To-do lists are helpful for breaking down longer tasks into manageable chunks so that you don’t get overwhelmed when tackling big projects.
For example, you can use a 'starting the school year' to-do list or a schedule planner worksheet for upcoming holidays.
These are usually print-ready PDF blank templates made to print on your home printer or at local print shop or library.
Meal planners
Meal planners help you stay on top of what groceries to buy each week or month so that you won’t miss any ingredients needed for your favourite recipes.
Or they can just be great for planning meals for a particular day!
Other planner templates can come in handy too, like habit-trackers, subject and field trip planners, goal checklists and password trackers.
The basic idea is that they can reduce overwhelm during your daily routines. Use wisely, they can make life much easier and more enjoyable!
School calendars
Fortunately, there are many free printable monthly calendars available online that you can download and use right away.
Some websites will allow you to customise printable blank calendars with your own images, fonts, colours, and more, although that may require different editing formats to use.
As well as specific education and/or school calendars, you can also get blank templates for book reviews, revision planners, learning pods, homework trackers and grade sheets.
Using your monthly calendar
Although many people use online calendars, having an actual printable blank calendar can still be super useful.
I find a good way to use them is by physically printing them out and then hand writing in important dates, activities or appointments.
Ticking off projects as you complete them can help you build confidence to 'keep on track' as you go.
Let us know how you use your calendar printables for your own situation!
