By Dave Ulacia

For enthusiastic fans of FranklinCovey’s world-famous time management approach—with its smart ABC-123 prioritizing method—it might seem silly to wonder whether disciplined scheduling and goal setting are worthwhile. After all, dyed-in-the-wool FranklinCovey Planner users have enjoyed the results of this careful, studied approach for years now. But some people aren’t so sure—and they have every right to question whether there really are measurable time management benefits. And the answer to their questions lies in pizza. Yes, scrumptious, scrumptious pizza.

Whether you love plain ol’ pepperoni, veggies, five different cheeses, or barbecue chicken, pretty much everyone agrees pizza is one of the seven wonders of the culinary world. Likewise, FranklinCovey knows there are as many approaches to planning your personal and professional lives as there are to top a glorious pizza pie. That doesn’t mean we’re not proud of our traditional planning approach—that we’re not thoroughly convinced of its power to help you get more out of life. It just means we also understand that people think and plan in various ways—ways that are equally creative and effective.

So what are the benefits of time management? It really boils (bakes?) down to what you want them to be. It’s probably safe to bet that, since the beginning of time, every ambitious person on the planet has wished for more time to fit important projects or leisure/family activities into their day. When you plan things out, you inevitably find ways to filter out unnecessary activities or rearrange dates or times so you can fit in the things that matter most—today. A planner can also help you save money on gas, groceries, and miscellaneous errands by giving you a fast, easy view of your schedule for the week so you can see where to combine trips.

But that’s just the beginning. With all the responsibilities and distractions we face in modern society, who couldn’t use a tool to keep birthday and anniversary reminders, as well as notes and contact information handy? And if you’re the type who puts detailed plans for achieving your loftiest ambitions into writing for future reference, there’s still nothing that tops a FranklinCovey Planner with powerful back-end content like The 7 Habits, Leadership, and Cornerstone Planners.

The list of benefits could go on and on. When you find the planning technology and method that fits your style, you’ll be amazed how you squeeze more not just out of each day, but out of your entire life—from work and play to treasured relationships. Whether you prefer software for your laptop, smartphone solutions or a slim-profile paper planner, and whether you simply want to track important meetings and events or strategize ways to advance your career, you can find what you want to do in the way that best suits you.