Planning/journaling is taking off online. Planners have long been a favorite of those with busy lives. Now, more people are trying their hand at planning.
There are many planners on the market to suit any organization need. There are so many questions. Where do you start looking for planners and planner accessories? Is planning only for the super busy? Before diving head first into planning, consider a few tips to get started.
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First, planning is personal. You do not have to be the lover of all things girly and “basic” to use a planner. We cannot all be a Leslie Knope, whose hobbies include organizing their schedule. Organization is not a one size fits all situation. Some people just need their smartphone calendar app and others like to color code theirs with bright stickers.
In the past, I tried just about every electronic version and paper planner imaginable. Unless you have a great memory, you could probably benefit from a planner. No one likes missing assignments, especially a boss.
If you are looking into your first planner, consider a few points. For more information, search through Instagram or Etsy. Planning is a full-time job for many people, and these websites are a great source of inspiration.
Types of planners
- “By-the-minute” planners
The extremely busy folks need every minute accounted for in their day. If you need to plan every minute of your day, consider getting a planner that lists out every 15 minutes or so. This way, you do not forget anything.
- Weekly/Monthly planners
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This is the standard type of planner. These planners are great for the person who needs it all. It has the monthly view for all those big ideas and the weekly planner for more detailed tasks. Traditional planners offer people the opportunity to maintain a schedule. Planning is mostly work and life scheduling, but it can be anything you need it to be.
- Monthly planners
Monthly planning gets rid of the weekly play-by-play. It benefits some people to have a zoomed out picture of the month. It allows someone the ability to plan ahead without shuffling through weekly pages. If you are someone that needs to have a monthly overview, try this option. (Monthly planners work best for me).
- Bullet journals/planners
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Traditional planners do not work for everyone. Bullet planners utilize graph paper journals. You could also use a sketchbook, notebook, or really book/journal. Bullet planners are great for people who do not think linear. Instead of organizing by date, bullet planners give you the freedom to organize by project, idea, or anything you want. You have the choice to design each planner entry as you see fit, with as many or as little categories as you want. The main disadvantage with bullet planning is setting aside time to construct each entry.
The purposes of planning
Planners are for more than just boring daily tasks. It is a way to incorporate journaling into your daily life.
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Many people use traditional planners or a separate planner for tracking their health. There are health and diet planners on the market. You can track your daily meals, journal your food thoughts for the day, and write down calories burned. Many people find it helpful to use these to stay on target for their diet.
Another great activity is a memory planner. Many people just use their daily planner for this activity, but some have separate ones. A memory planner allows a person to write down one or two memories from each day. Some people use a traditional calendar for this function. Be creative and find some you like.
Wedding planners are a big draw for the newly engaged. You have to meet with a million people on top of your already busy life. It is easy to get swept up in the chaos of it all. Wedding planners work hard to keep you on schedule, but they are not babysitters. Your own personal planner helps keep thing straight. It also allows you to include extraneous details that you need to remember about a meeting.
A deeper look inside planners
Planners are best when the user tailors them to their needs. People tend to run away from planners. People stereotype planner users as anal or super organized. As stated, planning is personal. If you want to decorate your planner so that it farts glitter every time you open it, then go for it! If you need the artistic and flexibility of a simple bullet planner, try it.
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Stickers, Post-it notes, and washi tape are amazing, but they are not for everyone. If you like decoration, Etsy sells just about every sticker and accessory your planner could ever need. To see some options in person, try your local craft store, Target, or even Walmart.
Planning is only useful if you design it to fit your needs. These are just some options. Try some experiments and see what you like.
Target has some great options for newbies that are inexpensive. If you are looking for more variety, try some of these: The Happy Planner, Erin Condren, Plum Planner, and Filofax. Tons of Etsy shops specialize in custom planners. There are even some great planner apps to try out, too.
Jump on the planner trend or leave it if that suits you. Remember that a planner is a tool to organize yourself. A planner is only as useful as you make it.
