Saturday, May 16, 2020

Planning Your Life

Do you use a planner?  I have always used some sort of planner because I have never been able to commit everything in my life to memory for instant recall.  When I was a kid they used to give out small Hallmark calendars at gift stores, at the check out, free for the taking.  I always had one — or maybe two — in my purse.

When I was in school I used a notebook for school work, obviously, and each section had a page that I would jot down assignments, due dates, etc.  I didn’t use a separate planner because I just wasn’t that organized and if I had it in that notebook, I was good.  If I didn’t have it in that notebook chances are it got left at home.

After my school years I sort of quit using a planner I could carry around and moved on to a wall calendar to keep all those “kid” things organized — two kids definitely tested my memory for sure —  I couldn’t remember what I ate the day before much less keeping all those pediatrician appointments and school schedules straight.

Then my husband took to traveling and I had to keep up with his schedule and keep important contacts with me and blah blah blah I went back to a personal planner.

Over the years I have used many different brands, sizes, colors, configuration ..... none of them perfect.  Right now I am using an Erin Condrin life planner that is 18 months long — or 18 months BIG.  It is big.  And I make it bigger what with papers paper clipped in it and appointment cards and such.  I keep it together with this cute rose gold elastic band and it works but it isn’t ideal.  Why you might ask?  Well......

We have a book, a black book, that we keep our accounts and passwords in.  I bought it at Barnes and Noble.   My husband has decided I need my own book because it seems we can’t both use the same book because he always has it and I can never find it.  I don’t want to buy another book because that is just one more thing for me to keep up with.  I also need to have a place to put contacts in — I have a small moleskin address book, black, that keeps getting lost as well.  So, the solution would be to have contacts in my planner.  There is no place for contacts in this planner.  So, basically, I would have to re-write everything every year when I got a new planner.  I am not up for that. I have even tried to download a digital planner and that just didn’t work at all — clearly I am not techy enough.

So, the solution is to make my own.  I have made my own using a moleskin journal before and it was good and fit in my purse but again,  being bound, it couldn’t be added to at all.  The obvious solution is a binder — but what size?  I have explored half size binders, leather binders, cute binders, regular binders.....

And after watching several videos I was no closer to making a decision.  So, I decided to shop my own desk.  I have a half page loose leaf binder, I have a silly full size binder that is new and never used and I have two zipper binders.  One is a pink and black binder that I bought somewhere, can’t remember where and the other is this really cute, sort of hippie retro floral print, bright pink, that I got years ago at Old Navy.  I had no use for it when I bought it but I really like the print.  So, off the shelf it came.







When I opened it up it had two or three sets of dividers — nothing “cute” but all very serviceable.  One set was for the months of the year and then I had two sets of insertable dividers — plain ol’ buff colored.  There was also a very nice pencil pouch there and a pocket that I could stash a dashboard with post its and paper clips and such and a couple of other little hidey holes for things.  

I don’t actually remember putting all that stuff in there but I was glad to see it.  

Now, clearly this is a large item to haul around.  I don’t have my junior high school boyfriend to “carry my books” for me and I doubt my husband is going to haul it around.  So, what do I do when I go to appointments and things?  After some thought I decided the best thing to do is employ the calendar on my phone.  Then transfer any appointments or plans to the planner.  The thing is, I don’t want to possibly lose the planner with my contact list and, even more importantly I don’t want to lose my account and password information so the planner would have to stay home for the most part.  

I did some looking online for free printable and printed out monthly calendars.  I don’t have a color printer so everything I printed is just black and white but I am thinking of ways to bling it out.  I printed out the half page versions but the more I look at it the less workable I think it is.  After using Erin Condrin and the MochiThings planners, I know I need room to write.  

So, is this going to be my Holy Grail of a planner?  Doubtful but we will see.  I am going to give it a go.  I figure this way, at least it is a bright color so I won’t lose it in the jumble of “black” books we have around here and it zips so things won’t fall out.  It is bulky and it is bigger than the current planner but it does have some pluses.  

What do you use?  How do you use it?  Opinions?  Discuss.
     
        

8 comments:

Granny Marigold said...

I've always relied on a calendar that hangs near the phone in the kitchen. Every birthday, anniversary, appointment, in written on it. It even has when I last watered my cactus. I know. Crazy, right? I make sure that I buy a calendar with big squares since there are days that several things have to be written on them. As for passwords and such, I have a small notebook that I keep near my Bible ( good safe place for it).

Boyett-Brinkley said...

My thoughts have been going towards a wall calendar as well instead of a planner. That with my phone might be the better choice.

Frugally challenged said...

Do you have Filofax there? I've used one for about thirty years. They come in various sizes and being loose leaf you just replace bits as needed. They've been around for about a hundred years and used to be very "yuppie"but they're not so much in favour since people have used their phones as planners. And I'm not going there!

Boyett-Brinkley said...

Hi, Mary! Yes, we do and I am looking at them — all this DIY stuff is maybe more than I want to get into. I don’t like planners that you have to chuck the whole thing at the end of the year and the idea of being able to replace parts of it is definitely a plus. I try to use the calendar on the phone but I am afraid that I will lose everything and honestly, I forget it is there! I am old school and getting older and really prefer paper and pen and I still write cursive when I can

Pom Pom said...

I think it's so fun to compile notebooks and planners. I like that part, but I don't really use the planner to consult or anything. I do write things that happen and family visits in my Happy Planner. It's fun to watch planner videos on YouTube.
I like your system and your creating, BB!
Your picture is lovely! Hello, you!

Boyett-Brinkley said...

Thanks! Hello back at you!

JLS Hall said...

I used the Erin Condren life planners for several years, but they're just so BIG. I like to keep my old planners as a record I can refer back to, and the Condren planners just take up too much space. So I've gone back to Filofax - I use one of the A5 size binders and just replace the pages every year. Much easier to archive. But I don't try to carry them around with me. We discovered Letts diaries in England, and I get one of the small diaries every year and carry that in my purse. it means I have to record everything in two places, but it seems to work for me.

I remember when I was in high school and college, I used to get those little date books that the Hallmark stores used to give away for free to customers. They were small enough to slip in a purse or notebook and were so cute! I guess I've always been obsessed with planning. But I still seem to be completely disorganized!

Boyett-Brinkley said...

Yes, I think you were the one that got me started on the little date books! I mean, you would pick them up so I had to pick them up. To not be siblings we were so siblings-ish! I am trying to use the calendar on my phone but I really don’t trust it — I have to have something to write it down in. I am going to look at Filofax again and I will check out Letts diaries. I just don’t really trust the electronics.

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