Having the right planner for you

Over the last few years, I have been trying to find a planner that works for me and the way that I think and like doing things. It has taken quite a while for me to figure out just want I liked about planners and what I didn’t like. I know that I have written quite a few blogs about my planner or my journal and how I have liked the one that I was using.

Last year, I decided that instead of purchasing a planner because I couldn’t find one that I liked, I would use a dot journal book and lay out my own planner so that I could lay it out for what I wanted to use my planner for. Yes, that is a great ideal when you first think about doing it, until you realize how much time it takes to set up your planner. The planner I had set up would last me four months, and then I would have to set up another planner for another four months, which isn’t something I was enjoying doing. So, part way through the first four months I realized that I could change the planner up, and it would last me 6 months so that was better, except that I still had to sit and layout each page of the planner which does take time. I did end up setting the second planner for last year and got through part of that planner until I found an academic planner that I liked.

The academic planner did work through the end of the year, but then I realized that I really didn’t like a planner that went from July – June because for me a year is January – December, so I needed another planner, so the hunt was on again to find something that I liked.

Things that I didn’t want.

1. The appointment layout, as I don’t operate on a time schedule, I work on a get things done schedule.
2. Something that won’t stay open on my desk because I like seeing the calendar, so I see what I have to do.
   

What I did want.

1. Space where I could add notes each day easily.
2. Ability to add little notes after I had completed the tasks and added everything else for the day.

As you can see, I had some specific things that I both wanted and didn’t want, and it was becoming a challenge to find a planner that was going to make me happy. After looking at a lot of calendar and planner, I finally found one that seems to be working for me, and it is the Happy Planner – Classic Lined Vertical Layout. This planner gives me the space to add the items I want to complete each day and with it being a ring system I can add pages to it if I want.

My planner is very important to me because it is used for both work and personal tasks, so having it available on my desk all the time is important. I have been using this planner since the beginning of the year and so far, it seems to be working for me. I hope that I can continue to find this type of planner in the coming years because not having to set up my own planner is so much nicer and I have enjoyed it so far.