Post 4 - Planner Selection

So I have covered Life Binders in my last post. In that post I mentioned that I do NOT put my calendar/a planner in it. The reason for this, is that I find it inconvenient. My primary Life Binder is a standard fit-into-a-backpack sized one and not something I want to carry around (hence the reason I have a mini LB). In respect to that, I may spend a lot of time at home, but I am not chained to the
house door. Most of the time, when you find out you are going to have appointments, you are usually at the doctors, or at the dentist, or any other appointment. Basically you are not at home where your Life Binder is, so whats the point?

Effectively Utilizing a Planner:

To effectively use a planner, even if you are just starting to use one and are not in the habit of using it, is to start by making it your go-to spot for putting cards. While I am saying to put cards in it, make sure you actually write out the appointment in the appropriate spaces provided. The way I manage this is by writing “OB appt. @ __:__am/pm” on the calendar overview and then any details in the notes pages for that date (see below for choosing a functional planner that will work for you rather than against you). That is just the start though. Start writing your plans to hang out with friends, ideas for dinner meals, etc. Doing this at the beginning isn't you going 'planner happy', it's you making a habit of using a planner so that it doesn’t just become another dead end notebook that will end up in a drawer (causing clutter). Some statistics show that if you can preform a new habit for 'about' 28 days straight, it will become a constant habit. So do it for about a month and you will be on your way to utilizing a planner effectively!

How to choose a Planner for YOU:

A planner can be as classic or extravagant as you want it to be… However all of the bling and glam is pointless if it does not work for you how you need it to in terms of function. You need it to function for the life style that YOU live, so it's not always something that you can have someone else make or choose for you since it is you that will be utilizing it.

You can get a simple planner at the dollar store and it could work better for you than one that you order online for $70. I currently have two that are valid, but I actually only use the dollar store one because it works better for my life right now. The other one I had purchased for $50, but it is currently going unused because it just does NOT work the way I need it to

There are many things that can go between the front and back cover of your planner, so you need to ask yourself BEFORE even looking:

What do you plan to use your planner for?

• Notes (long or short?)
• Journal
• Dates
• Appointments
• Lists
• Schedules
• Kids school functions (Examples: PT Interviews, school plays, etc.)

There are many things that can be used in a planner. I would suggest also finding one that has pockets at the front and/or back, these have been life savers for me, especially when it comes to bills and bit ticket payment receipts that you may collect while out at a store (file these in your Life Binder when you get home).

Next, ask yourself how you would like the layout to be. I find that for myself, to have it where the first section is most used, the next is occasionally used, the next is used a lot, the next not so much and so on, it encourages me to actually use the not as used ones more than if they were all just shoved at the back because I see them every time I go through my planner for something (out of sight out of mind is very real and could make you spend more money than you need to unless you find a way to beat it). That's just what works for me though. Most planners have the calendar portion right at the beginning since being a planner, the primary use IS for noting dates. That is unless you make it yourself.

Types / Styles of planners:

On that note!! I did say that you can bling out your planner as much as you want but it wont work if it's not functional. Ont the other hand, the visual effect a planner has DOES have an impact on you using it. Most people love using something that they are attracted to visually, and wont pull out something that either embarrasses them, or may just forget about it because it just doesn’t grab their attention sitting on the table. No mom wants to pull out a planner with a cover page that has an image of vulgar cuss words all over it in front of their boss. Also I doubt that someone who hates floral print will be likely to stick with something that has lilies and roses all over it, so really this part is based on YOUR PERSONAL style! Just remember, you can always add things like gems to a cover, but you can't take them off later if it comes already on it.

You can find planners in many different forms (and prices). You don't need to be a millionaire to get your hands on one, just have a want/need to get on track! Here are a couple of options that you have:

Make your own book at home:

100% by hand:

There is a video that you can see here that will guide you through actually MAKING your own book (which you can use for a notebook or what ever you want, though I have used this method for making my very first planner years ago). The tutorial is preformed by Sea Lemon, and she has a number of other tutorials, one of which is for putting the book into a hard cover to finish it off!! This allows the ultimate way to customize your planner to work for you.

Print it off:

For those that find that their creativity isn't up to par, or if you would rather a prepared version that is custom to you by you, you can always either make it yourself on your computer or find pages on pinterest or other blogs for free. One of my favorite templates can be found here. The site is run by a young woman named Kathy. All you have to do to gain access to these printables is subscribe by email.

Once printed off, what do you do with it? Well, you can either hole punch it and binder it, or you can hand sew it yourself. OR you can bring it to a place (Example: Staples) and they will bind it for you for a small fee. How ever you decide to do it, you get to choose how the sections are situated for your convenience.

In Store Purchase:

Now here is where things get complicated (or easier depending on your view). Prices can vary from $2.00 to over $100, depending on what you want. I have a $2.00 one that works amazing for me now, and I also own a $50.00 planner that used to work for me while I was in college. The more you pay, the more content you get in it. Being home 90% of the time now, the $2.00 one from the dollar store works just fine since everything else I need is in sections in my Life Binder, anything else is mostly appointments which I don’t need much space for really. (I'll insert a Planner Peak into the pages section to the left that will cover each of my planners and how I've used them each)

The dollar store has a couple of options, but it is best to go around the beginning of September if you would like to find better ones. I find that otherwise you tend to find basic cat or bird covered pocket calendars. I bought mine for $2.00 and it only came in plain black with the months/dates that it covered, but this allowed me to customize the outside it to how I liked it. I was more than thrilled though that it wasn't a paper bound book.

Most book stores (like Chapters) have more elaborate and useful Life Planners that allow for Calendars (obviously), notes, lists (though they're usually limited to a specific type), and if you're lucky, a few other things. These usually run between $29.99 for pocket versions to $59.99 for the purse versions (sometimes more, though I haven’t seen anything over $70.00). Also the covers are already decorated, usually very basic though and you don’t have much of an option to personalize it, you take it as it is. So basically what you want will determine what you pay for it in the store.

Purchase Online:

I like this option, and would most certainly order online if I had access to a credit card. Most of the Name Brand Planners you can find in store (like Erin Condren) can also be found online. Where in store, you get what you see, you can order online and personalize the covers AND sometimes the interior design to fit you. Add your name to the cover, or a picture of something or someone that inspires you! Prices of course vary depending on the site, and also depending on anything that you may add (where available in the sites), so do your research on them before you purchase. Here are a few sites you can check out:

Erin Condren

Plum PaperPlanners

KateSpade

Personal Planner Dot Com

Those are 4 of the better ones that you can get online. I have one from Kate Spade that I bought at a local Chapters Bookstore (worked amazingly for college), But now I would LOVE to buy one from Personal Planner Dot Com. I am left handed, and towards the end, you get options to add in your choices of blank pages, or lined pages, or a number of others. The best thing about this one and the pages, is you can have the pages printed vertically or horizontally. Being left handed, the rings when using lined pages on the right side of a book can be a huge pain, so I have the option to have the pages on the left (the back of the pages) going horizontally, and could have the ones on the right side go vertically. I think it'd be pretty sweet too for journals to have a differentiation between the direction of writing. Erin Condren is one that I wanted at the beginning, but I don't really like the idea of having a credit card, so I was never able to get my hands on one, and Plum Paper Planners came to me in numerous recommendations to try out. It's up to you to review them and choose what works for you!!

Personalizing a planner:

So lets say you have reviewed a bunch of planners, and you found one that you LOVE! Lets also say that you have bought it and you now hold it in your hands… Now what? You personalize it of course! Even if you ordered a personalized one from online, it's got your name on it etc, there is still room to personalize the inside! I personally use color. Any days that I have stuff planned, I color code the item with highlighters, and dates that I celebrate (Christmas, Halloween, New Years, etc.) I outline with either colorful gel pens and/or highlighters as well, depending on the occasion and if gifts are to be bought for it. Many people also use stickers, washi-tape, adhesive jewels, etc. Its up to you how you want to do things! Majority of things you can use to personalize can be found in the dollar store, so it's not too hard to make it specific to you.

Lets say you got one that doesn’t have your name on it, or anything personalized on the cover for that matter, like my $2.00 Dollar Store one. One of my suggestions is if you WANT your name on it, you can make a trip to the dollar store and pick up Contact Paper. I love this stuff because you can even use it on walls, no holes needed so perfect if you rent! Back to the planner use though. My planner is just flat black with months down the right side, pretty bland. Right now, I just have a strip of the adhesive paper down the right, white with waves to add even a little bit of interest. Unlike stickers, it doesn't unpeel on its own so easily, so it worked for the thicker plastic. Ultimate plan though is to cut out the letters of my name, add a few adhesive jewels along the side, make it look nice instead of bland.

That's the extent of my imagination really. I prefer a bit more of a cleaner look in my planners. I find that too much makes it too easy to overlook important dates, and with OB appointments for the baby, it's important that I don't miss these dates. How you customize your Planner really is up to you, so go for what you like!!

If you have suggestions/opinions on your planner, comment it below!