OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW

Happy New Year! A fresh start, new resolutions, new goals and our own 365 page book just ready to be written. Time to make it a good one!

I have a couple resolutions on my list but I decided to take a little tip I read last year and apply it to mine this year. I'm doing monthly resolutions because did you know it takes 27 days of doing something for it to become routine? Interesting, huh? Before I can tackle any of these I need to come up with a plan to make it actually stick. Because I know myself too well and 2 days in I'll get sidetracked (which isn't hard to do) and I'll forget about what It was I needed to be doing. In order to achieve a goal you need a plan and a planner. I'm a big paper girl. Always eyeing up new notebooks, planners, stationary so I've tried a few of these planners and wanted to share them with you if you're in the market for one. Remember: You have to find a system that works for YOU! If you're not using it everyday then most likely you're not going to. Move on to something that will better suit you. For me I realized I needed a daily schedule with a to do list. I actually switched my planners half way through the year because I found one that had just that and it worked better for what I needed to accomplish. Some prefer a wall calendar, some are all paperless but whatever it is you do there are a lot of great options out there.

My first "real" planner was Erin Condren's Life Planner. These are so fun! I had pictures of my family all over it which made me smile everyday. There are add in's and even FB groups where everyone shares how theirs looks. This is when I realized that I probably had the most boring looking planner. Or maybe mine would have looked like that before kids. I will never know. This planner is great for keeping at home, it's a little big to tote around.

The second planner I had was a Plum Paper planner that I found on etsy. Less expensive then the other one and I was able to customize it to my needs. I created a column for my husband and the kids. meal plan column and work "to do" column. This was when I was working part time and managing more home and kid stuff. I really liked that each family member was separate so I knew who needed to be where and when, if my husband was traveling and if I need a sitter, etc. You can customize yours many different ways to suit your needs. This held up really well too and there is a back pocket too.

Since I am always up for trying new things I order yet a different planner the following year. I ordered a Lotus Paper Co planner. Very similar in size to the Erin Condren and Plum Paper but it had a hard cover which I liked along with the elastic band to hold everything inside. You can choose your page layouts and I chose the one with the to do list in the middle because ADHD people need to do lists everywhere or else we don't know what to do. Great multitasking pages to keep on top of daily activities. This planner works well for those who need to see everything that is going on that day. This was definitely the most durable out of the 3.

My current planner happens to the be cheapest one and the one that finally fits me the best. I was drawn to the black and white stripes in Target and when I opened it up I fell in love. The days are listed by time and since I get very easily distracted I liked that I could plan out my day. It is also helpful in seeing how productive I was as well. There is a to do list, an email/call section and next week section so you can have a look ahead. It's bigger but thinner then the ones above so it's easier for me to put in my work bag but have started leaving it on my desk and carry around my May Designs weekly planner.

These little May Designs books pack a lot of punch for me. They keep me on track. There are now more options for inside. I just ordered a new one and haven't yet decided if I like it better then the weekly pages option. They're durable and small and I can keep it in my purse. I copy things needed from my regular planner as well as my informant app on my phone. Yes, I'm not all paper. I still don't trust any electronic scheduling app since I've lost way too many appointments.