This thought recently came to me because I was at a wedding and someone asks ‘ so what are you up to these days? ‘ ‘ do you miss working as a nurse?’. When I try to share my excitement about how I have a youtube channel that focuses on paper planners people get this glazed over look. They suddenly lose interest in what I have to say. Many say ‘ that’s so 90’s’ or my favorite ‘ why bother writing it down, put it in your phone’. If people are genuinely interested I will share with them how paper planning has scripted my life, how it has completely changed my life for the better.
From the time I was 8 years old I have had a paper planner. The obsession honestly started with Chandlers planners. I remember having one each and every year and just changing out the colors. This was such an essential tool for me in school. It was on my desk or on my stack of books, always went home with me and each of my classes was color coordinated with an ink joy pen. This helped me to never miss assignments. Always be prepared when tests and quizzes might happen, what text books I would need to take home with me. I could not imagine life with out one. How in the world do you function without one? The images featured below are not my images because all of my Chandlers were unfortunately destroyed but this is to give some eye candy of just how great these planners were. 
When I really thought about how planners changed my life one of my first memories was trying to lose weight. I was a chubby kid and new I wanted to change that. The journey was a long one and it took me a long time to figure out how my body works. I had to write down in my planner each and every day what I was eating and tracking physical activity. I needed to make sure that I wasn’t depriving myself of anything and enjoying life but also enjoying and feeling comfortable in my own body. Tracking all this in my planner ultimately turned me into an adult that was fit and heathy. Don’t believe that story? Well, luckily I have several more. When I was 15 I went ahead against my parents’ wishes and got the cartilidge of my ear pierced. I knew that it was infected but I still went about a week without telling my parents that it really hurt me. I finally approached my mom and well ended up having to have it drained and cleaned and put on antibiotics for several days. While I was on the unit I remember clearly seeing the nurses station. I watched them all day long and when my dad came to see me after work I told him I wanted to be a nurse. I went back into my room and wrote down questions for my counselor. Back at school I set up and appointment with my counselor and he pointed me to the career center. I spoke with the helpful ladies in there and wrote down all the information I needed to get into nursing school . I set up appointments in my planner for all the different universities and all their options. I then went through my acceptances what I could afford and made a decision based on that. Without my planner I’m not sure how that would have panned out. My planner is my right hand man, it is always close by. It holds all of my secrets, notes, thoughts, basically my brain. I feel as though my brain would not be able to process as many new things if I did not have my planner.
In college my planner was ESSENTIAL!! I had almost 18 credit hours ( the equivalent to a full load, all day classes ) for my four years in college. I had many social activities as well as taking part in as much as I could with the school of nursing organization. We had a dance and fundraisers as well as open houses. I had clinicals that I needed to schedule. Each and every minute I could spare needed to be dedicated to studying. I think I went through a pack of highlighters and notecards a week. The planner was essential and the bigger the planner the better! Studying for boards, the planner helped me to schedule study times and give me a count down until it was time to take them.
The planner has been essential to me each and every day. It is not just a place to write down appointments it’s a place to script your life. It’s a way of living. It’s a way to make your life happen. Make things happen. Make your wants into something attainable.
I could not imagine life without one!
