As a blogger, I may be compensated in some way (either pay, product, or experience) for sharing the post below All opinions are my own. ~Heidi
I’m a planner. Always have been and probably always will be (I don’t see it changing anytime soon, anyway!) There’s something about the start of a new year that makes planning even more exciting. My kindred spirit, Anne Shirley (from Anne of Green Gables), said that “tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it . . . yet.” That’s how I feel about my new calendar(s). It’s always so exciting to crack them open and write in them for the first time.
1. A Planner
My planner of choice is from Plum Paper Designs. I blogged about my discovery of this planner back in the summer of 2013 and, to date, that has been one of the most-visited posts on my blog. For 2015, I chose a different format for the weekly planning pages. Rather than choosing my 7 categories, I decided to go with the more simplistic blank lines option. I did this because I found that there were just a few of the 7 categories that I was utilizing and the space to write in those was too small, while other areas were often left blank. With the blank lines, I can make a list of what needs done each day and check it off as I go. (You can see a glimpse of the blank lines weekly page in the lower right corner of the collage below.)
I keep this planner on my desk, right beside me, so I have easy access to it when I’m working. Of course, because it’s portable, I can also grab it and carry it with me when we go to appointments, meetings, etc. I ordered extra blank pages in the back, which are great for taking notes or filling with useful/important information.
2. A Wall Calendar
In addition to my planner, I also like to have a wall calendar. In previous years, I’ve used a wipe-off calendar; but, quite honestly, the perfectionist in me went a little crazy with that calendar! Being a lefty, it’s hard to write on them without smearing. And, I also find it difficult to write on something that is stuck to the wall. So, this year, I’m switching to a regular calendar. And, thanks to my friend Brenda, I have a lovely one filled with Thomas Kinkade’s Disney artwork! I write basically the same things on this calendar as I do on the monthly calendar page in my planner. Because I will normally have my planner open to the weekly pages, it’s nice to have this one hanging on the wall beside my desk so I can quickly glance at it without having to flip back and forth in my planner. It also comes in very handy for my family to be able to glance at. I know it seems redundant, but it’s what works for me.
If you’re jealous of my calendar, you can probably find it at your local store for 50% off since we’re into the new year!
3. A Blog Planner
I know what you’re thinking . . . why doesn’t she just write her blog posts in her regular planner? Well, trust me, I’ve tried that in the past. But, then I was introduced to My Blog Plan, by the makers of The Well-Planned Day calendars, and I was hooked! This planner offers so much more than just a place to write what I want to post each day. There are spaces to check when I’ve shared my posts via social media, and there are lots of tracking tools and record-keeping forms included as well. It helps me to plan ahead and keep my blog nice and organized, which makes this planning freak a happy girl!
4. Colored Pens
Probably the most important tool to keep me as organized as possible is my colored pens. My planner and my calendar are both color-coded, so it’s easy for any member of my family to look at it quickly to see if there’s something that they need to do today. I have to confess that I am VERY picky about my pens! It took me several tries before I finally found a set of pens that I liked – both the color variety and the way that the pens wrote on paper. I prefer a fine-tip pen. I finally ended up with the Pilot G-2 series of retractable pens in Fine Point. I have each color designated to a certain member of the family or specific task. I use these pens in my planner.
In addition to these pens, I also have a set of Ultra Fine Point Sharpies that I use on my wall calendar (my regular pens tend to smear on the material of the pages, due to my lefty-ness). This set includes all the same colors as the set above (plus a few more!), so I can continue with the same color-coding scheme in both places.
Using these 4 tools, I can simply and successfully plan my 2015. What are your favorite planning tools?
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