Organisers

HOW TO USE A PLANNER & TO GET ORGANISED

I wrote in my last blog that I felt  January should not be a month for making changes, instead I spent it planning, mulling around ideas and I have to say it worked for me. How can we consider making important  changes to our lives  when  all but one month is taken up with events.

I often write about organising, it's a favourite topic of mine, sharing ideas & tips. From organising  your craft stash, and your craft spaces, to every nook & cranny in your home, but  this time I want to share a few little tips on how we can organise our hectic selves, in our ever so hectic lives.

While it’s hard enough to wake up with sufficient energy to tackle the day {at least for me!}, staying organised amidst hundreds of distractions seems almost impossible. Facebook notifications, email, picking up the house, or even feeding the cat captures my attention and before I know it, hours have passed by without me crossing anything off my carefully constructed list.
But daily structure is what helps us make the best use of our time, despite all those “important” demands. Even if you haven’t succeeded in the past, I encourage you to try again. Creating a flexible plan will not only help you stay on task, it will naturally aid you in the quest to become organized every single day! Two secrets I am letting out of the bag about being organised: it takes effort! & get an organiser that suits your needs.

You probably won’t find your ideal planner or inserts your first time out of the gate, and that’s okay, because the biggest tip I can give you for staying organised is not about inserts or tabs or stickers (but pretty is helpful)

The biggest tip for how to use your planner is…

well…

To actually use your planner.

Here are a few things I have come to realise....

It’s not enough to buy one – having an organiser will not make you organised.
It’s not enough to decorate the pages – pretty pages will not make you productive (for me it helps)
So, what do you have to do? 

Here is my 3 Step Plan:

Step One: Decide What You Want to Do

Step Two: Write it Down

Step Three: Do it!!

Easy right?

David Allen of Getting Things Done fame, says
“Your mind is for having ideas, not storing them”

And that’s where your planner comes in.

Here’s What I Do

First things first I write everything down.. and I mean everything. If I see an ad for something I think I might like to buy, I write it on my wishlist, if I decide that we are not eating enough spinach  I’ll write it in my meal planning section, if I get a notice about a craft or design show it goes into my planner before I even put the notice down.

One of my big realisation moments was accepting  that my brain alone could not be trusted!

I will admit that I have 2 planners 1 is small  and  portable, it spends time sitting open on my desk or in my bag. The second one is large and no longer portable and holds the key to my life....

Decide what you want to organise and what scale, my lists include

To do Lists

Meal planning/shopping

House Cleaning/Seasonal

Birthdays/special events

Blog prep/photos collected

PinkPeonyPetal agendas

Some people may think that this kind of organization is unnecessary or tooooo much, but to each his own. I need everything written out & in front of my face to feel comfortable with the day’s antics.
If you’re like me, it probably even gives you a weird satisfaction to have each part of the day planned out seamlessly, too.

I had the whole of January perfecting this planner to fit my lifestyle. I’m not even exaggerating when I say I am so happy and pleased with my self, So nice having everything in working order. It makes me feel so…. clean? Is that normal for any of you?

Maybe you have now decided that starting a planner or improving your existing one is a good idea, lets think about personalising it....

The great thing about planners is that there are nearly an endless amount of ways to customise them and add personality to keep you motivated with your daily goals and to-dos! Although I use a Filofax Original Planner in Fluoro Pink, you can use most of these customisations in any planner you own and use, from a Kate Spade, to an Erin Condren and even a Sugar Paper planner

Pens

A really cute and coordinating pen is must have item in my planner, I think adds a lot of personality to it. There are quite a variety of pens out there in planner world, and among them multipens like the Pilot Hi-Tech C Coletto are very popular because they give you the ability to write in a variety of colors! Friction pens as well are very popular because they are erasable and as a planner person, you know how scary it can be to write in an appointment and then have things change! I brought mine from Ebay they came from China and they are perfect.

 Charms

Planner charms are a very fun way to add personality to your planner because you can literally use a wide variety of charms to coordinate with your interests. Although many sellers on Etsy make custom charms in fun shapes like coffee cups, cute animals and even desserts, you can find charms at your local craft store or use ones off a key chain I like a bit of bling.

Custom Dashboard

As one of the first pages in your planner, a custom dashboard can do a lot to help motivate and inspire you whenever you open it up, It’s simple enough to make your own dashboard by laminating pretty scrapbook paper or cutting down an acrylic screen print to size. I recommend using acrylic prints or laminating regular paper so your dashboard is coated and more durable- it also works well for holding and removing sticky notes.

 Custom Dividers

Custom dividers are an excellent way to create a theme for your planner. You can purchase sets of themed dividers on Etsy, but I like to make mine by printing out images and pictures, adding tabs and then laminating everything so it’s nice and sealed. Use your own pictures, quotes, and snippets from magazines to create a collage for your dividers or stick to pretty scrapbook papers if you like a simpler look.

Page Markers

I love to use page markers to help me quickly locate important notes and pages in my planner. There are lots of different varieties of page markers; magnetic ones, paper clips, and even adhesive tabs. They are a great way to add color and style to your planner that you can appreciate even when your planner is closed.

 Printable Inserts

Although your planner may come with a set of dedicated inserts, there is always room for more, specifically, for fun and inspirational inserts that help to add personality to your planner and keep you on track with more than just your to-dos and schedule! The insert above is actually a free printable checklist titled Inserts like this are a great way to add inspiration to your planner and to add a little fun to your days.

Stickers & Washi

Although planner decoration isn’t for everyone, if you do want to add a little fun and interest to your planner pages, using stickers and washi tape is a fun way to do it! I have quite the collection of washi tape and I always have more than enough stickers around because I usually make my own and print them onto full sheet labels! 

DIY Folder

Not all planners are created with equal amounts of pockets and storage, so if you need an extra space to store stickers and notecards or whatever else you need to keep inside your planner, check out this easy DIY Folder Tutorial that shows you how to turn a regular file folder into the perfect little storage solution for your planner!

Colorful Paper

Why use plain old white paper in your planner when you can quickly add interest to your pages by using rainbow-colored copy paper? I keep a stack of colorful papers around and cut them down to size and punch them in my planner. They are great for color coding notes or visually dividing up sections or just adding a little fun to your pages.

I hope you have enjoyed this as much as I for sharing x