Above is currently my favorite planner, and I can’t wait to share why, who it’s great for, and ways to use this planner. At one point I had even thought about making a planner, but then I found this functional minimal beauty. The planner that works for me, and can for you as well.
Why this is my favorite planner?
There’s no work. I don’t want to fill in dates, pages, calendar month, or even draw the lines for the actual calendar… that’s not a planner, that’s a notebook . Do I like using colored pens and pencils, to make pretty lists or habit tracking boxes? Yes, sometimes, but sometimes I don’t want to track my habits… as in December (ahem, or all of 2020). I want my planner to be able to function completely without hours of effort on my part or even minutes really. Because there are those times in life when you can take a half hour and color pretty boxes, and you’re feeling the motivation to do ALL the habits and things, and then there’s the rest of the time. This planner is great for BOTH of those occasions. Best of all, at the time of writing this it’s under $10!
Who’s it for?
Everyone, but better yet, people who plan by the week. Especially us shift workers out there. Paper planner styles tend toward the weekly for school age, and daily for 9-5er’s. More recently block scheduling has come into vogue for the work from home and mom crowd. But what about paper planners for the rest of us? The nurses and techs who may get called out and have their day flipped upside down. The part timers, and quite possibly everyone in any customer service position. This is great for anyone who works where shifts change, or are switched often. Now, I still say use your phone for important dates and times like work, but for planning purposes, it’s hard to plan you day, then get called in. Then what happens to everything you were planning on doing that day? It get’s pushed back, so you feel like you’re always playing catch up. Unless…. you plan by the week.
How is it divided?
First there’s a year layout, then it’s broken down into monthly calendars. After this it gets broken down weekly, followed by about ten pages or so of blank bulleted pages at the end. The last pages are great for separate notes and lists, like Christmas lists, monthly lists, project lists, or fun and inspiration. On the back cover there is a pocket, and there are two ribbons of different colors to mark the current pages.
How I use the planner?
That’s why I enjoy this planner so much! You do you…. and you do the you on whatever day or week that is. How I use it is just example to show why I like it so much. There is no right way to use a planner, and if you think you need use it in a specific way, you won’t end up using it at all. Use it as you wish, because there’s no way to mess it up.
On the left page you have the structured week. Here, I like to put work shifts, meal plans, and sometimes weather if I have outdoor projects in the mix. On the right page it’s bulleted and for whatever you want! Sometimes, I get fancy and make boxes and habit trackers, or break down my lists into different colorful categories, but most of the time, I use it as a huge dump list for the week. Everything I can think of for the week gets written down.
I’ve also recently started adding my frog (aka most important task) to the left on the next day of the week, if I feel like doing one or if it will fit into the day. This doesn’t happen until that day or the night before because I don’t want to load up the left side with stuff that might just get pushed back. That’s what my dump “To do” list is for on the right. If I’m not working that day, I can just look at the to do list and start doing something, after the “most important task” The Frog from Brian Tracy, or The One Thing from Gary Keller that is.😉 This way, if you plans are put on hold, only the frog may be scratched out and rewritten on the following day, rather than an entire list. Then entire To Do list can be completed over the course of the week.
P.S…..
Ps. It will never be completed because you will always have to keep doing stuff and adding to it, which is GREAT news because that means you’re still alive! Since it will never be done, don’t forget to schedule in some fun!
Pps. Is this how you are required to use yours? Absolutely not! Use it however it will function best for you! This is a tool to help you function better in your life. A tool that no one else will see!
