New Year, New Planner!
I’ll say it– my planner is one of my favorite things I own. I get a new one each Christmas, but within the pages, I have a few organizing techniques that stay the same. Perfecting your planner can be quite the process, but when done right, it can help you manage your time and have fun along the way!
Finding the Right Planner
Step one is finding a planner you love! Do you like your pages with lines or no lines? Do you prefer ivory or white paper? Surely you can appreciate a sticker section (if you cannot, you might need to quit reading here.) As a proud planner snob, I will only use white paper with no lines, and I like fun pops of color throughout! I like a planner with a monthly calendar view for big events as well as a daily view so I can try and sort out my day to day activities. The Bando planner is my favorite– it has art for each month and lists fun holidays, such as National Hot Dog Day and Send a Card to a Friend Day!
Monthly View Techniques
Once you find a planner you love, step two is making your planner your own! Light a candle and make some coffee, because this should be a truly enjoyable process. Before you start writing, think about the main activities you have each week and designate a color for each category. For my monthly view, I have 5 categories: school, work, birthdays, meetings, and fun!
In the monthly calendar section, I try to only include the big stuff or things that differ from my daily routine. For school, I only include major tests/quizzes and project due dates rather than what days I have to go to class. For meetings, this includes appointments, interviews, or obligations that I absolutely can’t miss. For work, I include babysitting and intern hours, but I don’t include my job on campus because that is something I do every week at the same time. Just like with my school schedule, I think it’s redundant and unnecessary to list things that are already a part of your routine in this section of the planner– going to class should be a given!
For birthdays, I only includes the ones I would feel awful about forgetting, and for fun, I list events and trips! If I make dinner plans with someone I haven’t seen in a while I’ll throw it in there, but I don’t usually include last minute plans with a friend in Athens or stuff like watching This is Us every Tuesday with my roomies. Let’s be honest, every single day has a little pink “fun” thrown in there! I save these specifics for my daily view section.
This highlighting system allows me to quickly glance at a week and see what types of obligations or activities I have going on without having to think too much about it! I suggest choosing your own categories and colors, and coming up with your own “rules” about what you need to include in your monthly view.
Daily View Tips
For my daily view, I get a lot more detailed. This is where I include class times, homework, errands, and things I need to work on that day. I usually create a detailed timeline and a list of things to do. Since every day is a little different, I prefer unlined paper so I can mix it up!
Your daily view is really the area to note the little things– did you work out? Did you eat a healthy meal? Are you tracking your water intake? These details would clutter up your monthly view, but the daily section is just the place.
Happy Lists
My favorite section of my planners is my “happy lists” that I put at the end. As a college student, school and internships seem to be the kind of accomplishments that people deem the most noteworthy, however, I think there are far more small victories worth celebrating along the way! Reading a new book is an accomplishment! Seeing a new place is exciting and unforgettable! For me, my planner is a place for positivity, so I love keeping these fun lists throughout the year. Try keeping lists like “new recipes I tried,” “places I’ve hiked,” or even “shows I’ve finished on Netflix” to help you realize what a busy, wonderful, and unique life you live!
