Justifying All My Planners and Journals!!!

I not only get asked  all the time how I use so many planners but I ask myself this same question. It’s honestly difficult to pass up something beautiful that I see on Instagram and just buy it!! I know that since the beginning of my time using planners I have always used more than one planner but not like I do today. Social media is a huge influence on what I am using and also why I feel the need to use so many things. I get frustrated with myself because I say to myself ‘ Can’t I just love one?’. I am filled with guilt that I have so many that are beautiful and are not being used all the time. I want to use them all and I try and find uses for them all to justify having them. I have the same thoughts that most people in the planner community have. I have times that I feel at a loss and then some times that I feel i’m on top of it!

What I have found since being in the community which was back in 2012 is that I have relaxed a lot more. I don’t have quite as much guilt because I know that it’s my passion and my hobby. I like to change out my planners and they all speak to me in a different way. Some of them are more strict and some are more free flowing. Some allow me to draw and watercolor in them while in others I’m setting a time management plan. In some of them I like to just use stickers and in some of them I like to only use pen. I have found this to be the answer to feeling overwhelmed and guilty.

I of course will use some examples to paint a clear picture of what it is that I mean. I will begin with travelers notebooks. I have them in all kinds of sizes from field note, personal, regular to extra wide and they all speak to me in different ways. When I want to plan on a larger scale and use the planner perfect method for example I will dive right into an extra wide travelers notebook. I love setting the notebook up and the excitement of the journey that it will take me on. It’s that experience that I really enjoy and love. In a regular size midori I tend to try and plan more creatively in it. So I love to make tabs and splash my water colors through out. I like to experiment with all the wonderful printable inserts that can be found on etsy and see what I like and what I don’t like.

I do highly recommend taking notes while using different planners and journals. This is how you will most learn about what you love. In addition to choosing a size I like to use I also have to consider what size depending on where I am in my life. When I worked on the unit as a nurse I had a small planner that I kept in my scrub pocket. It helped me to stay on top of crazy schedules and also keep little cheat sheets for different drips in the back. At this time in my life this is what worked best for me.  I currently work from home and have a toddler and one on the way so I’m not limited to which planner I can use but I like to have something more on the creative side and more portable. I love documenting everything that my daughter does. I love keeping track of the things she likes to do. If she is ill and has a fever I like to write down her symptoms and when I am giving her tylenol. I write down questions about my pregnancy etc so planning has changed with me because life changes all the time.  The planner that I had in college was letter sized and filled with appointments and time trackers and very very regimented. Having options is really wonderful because I can let them change as my life changes and with so much on social media I am able to allow that influence to add to my creativity and make sure that I am making the most of my days.

Since the age of 8 when I first picked up a planner I have learned that ring binders like filofax and franklin covey open up the more strict side of my brain. The cap that I put on with these planners is much more business. I’m more serious and use a lot less creativity with them. This is the place that I keep my information for my online classes as well as a more structured schedule for youtube videos and social media analytics. I like to keep notes from people who ask to do reviews etc and I consider this to be a very professional interaction so it all goes into rings. I struggle with ring sizes from the personal to the a6 to the a5. These are all things I like to change up. I tend to leave the A5 at home and the other sizes I will take with me and throw into my bag. It all depends on how much I am leaving the house and if I need anything for a business meeting.

Allowing myself to feel the freedom of different planners and travelers notebooks and exploring so many different methods keeps me interested in using a planner. It keeps me on my toes and keeps me excited to set up new planners and try new sizes. In my opinion if my planners did not change over the years I would have never grown as a person. I look at my planners as an addition to my life. It adds to my day and doesn’t take away. It keeps my brain sharp and allows me to not only make plans but pull together ideas for what I want out of my life. It’s really very exciting if you look at  it this way!! Do you love all your planners and switching in and out of them?