Life stresses me out like it does for everyone else. I did not realize how to fix the problem until I discovered planners. After years of research and experience, I have found the best way to lower stress with my planner. Now you have an excuse to buy cute supplies!
1—Find the perfect planner. Find a planner that works best for you. There is no right way to use a planner. Buy one with tons of detail like the Day Designer 2017-2018 Flagship Planner or one that allows more freedom like the Floral Monthly Planner by World Market. A planner that gives me freedom and allows me to clearly see “the big picture” of a month is my preference.
2—Buy supplies. Step two in the planning process is finding your materials. Purchase the necessities first and the cuter the better. I use pens (I need this adorable Kate Spade Rugby Stripe Pen Set), pencils, a marker, and washi tape. Small solid-colored washi tape is my go-to because I color coordinate my activities (see step three) and washi tape can easily be rearranged for changes in my schedule. Stickers are also a fun purchase (I have the ban.do Sticker Book, Part 2) as well as colored writing utensils.
3—Plan your month. Due to “the big picture” design of my planner, I can go month by month and easily input into the calendar everything I have to do for that month. Using colored washi tape helps me prioritize my life. I will focus on a certain color of more importance before the others. I also write down goals to focus on during the month, as well as my budget.
4—Plan your week. First I like to organize my week by adding in everything from my monthly calendar with a bullet point. Next, I will write in activities I need to do that week not listed in my “Habits” (see step five) with an open bullet point. An open bullet point allows me to draw in the bullet point if I completed the activity with a check mark, need to reschedule the activity with an arrow, or the importance of the activity with an asterisk.
5—Habits. A “habits” section is a chart with activities I need to complete everyday like taking my vitamins. I set up the chart in a blank area of my planner with a row for every habit and then make a column for every day of the week. At the end of each day, I check what I completed.
6—Extras. Furthermore, my last step for the planning process is making a list of what to accomplish every week, month, and year. I write this on one blank page of the planner and this is another reference for planning my day.
Will these tips help your planning? Do you have a unique way of planning? Share your thoughts in the comments!
