Organize Your Life with Planners

 Dear Readers,

We will start a new year in a few days and it's time to get a new planner!  I love planners and I wanted to show you the ones I used.  I meant to post this article in the summer but I had to change my plans many times because of people getting sick around me, at home or at the office.  At times, I felt overwhelmed by bouts of illness but had to quickly get back on my feet because my family depends on me and I can't take days off from work without affecting the office.

My fixed schedule was constantly interrupted and I had to postpone or cancel many plans.  The changing circumstances around me forced me to find new ways to juggle my time.

I knew it was time for me to re-evaluate my planning system.  I know many people don't ever want to use a planner and they seem to live fine without it (I don't know how they do it!) but I am not one of those people.  I need a planner to not forget appointments, deadlines, birthdays, events, meetings, etc.  I also use my planner to work toward my personal goals as well.   

There are many planner systems and people should choose a system that suits their needs and lifestyle!  So what I will show you in this blog post may not be something that works best for you but it could give you some ideas!

I have used different types of planners since elemenary school years.  I started with a tiny lined notebook, then I upgraded to a small 3-ring binder, then a full-size binder, the bullet journal, and then I got hooked to the Traveler's Notebook system.

I love how easy it is to use a Traveler's Notebook but with increasing projects in my life, I needed more than just one planner and I needed more writing space too.

So I use different planners depending on the areas where I need the most organization:

• Events, billing, appointments
• Work, tasks, deadlines
• Health, workout, diet
• Gratitude Journal
• Family Photos
• Meal Planning

I prefer dated journals when I know I will write something daily so I don't have to spend too much time on adding dates.   

For my photo journal, I don't use dates at all because I won't print pictures everyday.  If you are the type of person to print photos everyday, then a daily dated journal would probably work best for you!

I'll show you today the planner I use for work : The Classic Happy Planner Twin Loop, which is a wire-bound planner with a vertical layout from Michael's Craft Store.

It has a hard cover and it stays on my desk at the office.

You can see the whole year in one spread.

There is a monthly vertical layout.

It also has a monthly section where I can see the whole month in one spread.

At the endof each month there is a recap page.

I like how each month tab has a beautiful art cover.

The weekly spread is where I write most of entries.  It has a margin on the left to write a weekly list or follow-ups.

I wanted to show you my other journals too but that would be for another day!  I hope you will find the planner type that suits you the best!

I wish you all a Happy New Year and good luck with any resolutions or goals you may have!

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own. I was not paid nor received gifts to write this or mention any store or website.  

Midori Traveler's Notebook

Dear Readers,

It's already the end of the year.  Where did this year go???  Are you ready for the New Year?  I have been preparing my planners for 2019.  I started using a planner when I was a university student.  Mainly to remember appointments and due assignments.  Even now in the age of smart phones, it seems superfluous to use a paper journal when you can set up your cell phone to remind yourself of any events with a day countdown and notification alarms.

But I still use a planner because I like the very action of having to write down my life events and the tactile feeling of paper is just something that electronic devices cannot replace.  Just like reading an actual paper book instead of an e-reader, I prefer holding a book in my hand and flipping the pages. 

I used only one type of planner until now: a ring binder that allowed me to add categories and paper as I wish.  But a ring binder was cumbersome, heavy and the rings in the middle were in the way when I had to write.  I went through a few brands but I never really found "planner peace" because something was always missing or not quite the way I wanted.

Then I found out about Midori Traveler's Notebooks, nowadays re-branded as  "Traveler's Notebook" or "TN".  It was a simple system: a leather slip cover with elastic bands that can hold slim paper booklets.  Once the booklet is completed, you can easily archive it and replace it with a new one.  The booklets can take many forms: ruled, grid, or blank. You can add a business card holder, zippered pouch to hold stickers or stamps, a pen holder, etc.

At first, I doubted such a system would work for me because it seems so simple and the price was about $50 USD for the leather slipcover alone!  Each inserts was about $8 USD and more.  It added up quickly but I found a cheaper version at Michael's Craft Store and there are many nice choices on Etsy as well.

I added my own paper to cover the TN inserts

TN with inserts

I glued an envelope inside the cover page

Traveler's Notebook by Recollections

I found a charm to add on the cover

Some move covered booklets

Traveler's Notebook VS Recollections Notebook

Both planners are about the same size and use the same principle but you definitely get what you pay for.  The Traveler's Notebook is much nicer and the inserts are lighter.  But if you don't like to use real leather, the Recollections planner is a good alternative.

There are many tutorial in blogs, and videos about how to use this planner  and it's really fun to discover new ways of organizing so I hope you'll give it a try if you want to find a system that would work better for you.

I have been using this planner each day which is really an amazing feat for my lazy self so this system works for me.  I will share the inside of my planner in another post.  I am trying to blog more often but it will all depend on my health and my family too.

Do you use a planner? Is there a planner that you prefer?


Disclaimer: All opinions are my own. I was not paid or received gifts to write this or mention any stores or website. You may find a better store in your area.