Katrina Armijo Yup, the title says it all. I have an extreme addiction to planners and I’m not ashamed to admit that they are my weakness. I suppose being addicted to planners is better than being addicted to other things out there in the world.
I’ve always been a planner girl and really started using them when I was in college. I had a ton of events, schoolwork, and job duties that I needed to track while I was a student at Arizona State University. While I was in college, I stuck to buying planners at Walmart and they did their job.
I had no idea what existed in the planning world until late 2018 when my sister-in-law gave me a Mom-themed planner from The Happy Planner. I thought it was extremely functional and I loved that I was able to add pages that were functional for my day-to-day planning. Also, the sticker books made me fall in love with the company even more. Thus, this introduction made me fall into the deep addiction of planning.
I started watching YouTube videos, exploring Pinterest, and scrolling through endless photos on Instagram. The creativity that I discovered from other planner users was amazing. I love how much thought and consideration is put into the different spreads. I started a YouTube channel of my own, but I have a long way to go before I’m as inspiring as the planner queens currently on YouTube.
What I love about planning is the fact I can keep my life organized in a very eye-catching manner. Planning also gives me the opportunity to release my inner creativity just waiting to be shared with the world.
As of now, I have six planners that I’m using on a daily basis. I know what you’re probably thinking. Six planners? Why in the world would you need six planners? Trust me. I never thought I would get to this point. I started 2020 with the intention of only keeping a bullet journal planner, but as the months went by I realized I have a ton of different life categories that needed their own system of organization. Now we’re in 2021 and I need this separation to keep my life organized and categorized.
Yes, life categories! Here is a breakdown of the planners I’m using and what I’m focusing on in each planner.
I can honestly say these planners have helped me tremendously to stay organized and on track. This is ultimately how I’m able to keep track of this blog!
Now, let’s talk about how you use your planner. The decorating aspects of the planner are completely optional and totally up to you and your preference! For today’s blog, we are strictly talking the functions of planning.
I like looking at my planner and breaking everything into longterm, present week, and day-to-day tasks. Most planners have a monthly calendar feature for each month. This is the area you should jot dot any appointments or important tasks that need to be completed by a certain day, also known as the longterm section. I enjoy a monthly calendar view because I can look at a screen and get a sense of what I need to focus on or hold back on adding to the month if I am already extremely busy.
I also love having the monthly calendar to jot in any pay days and upcoming bills that may be coming up that need my attention.
Next, we move onto the weekly view. This can vary from a Sunday-Monday to Monday-Sunday setup. I particularly enjoy the Monday-Sunday feature because I feel the beginning of a work week starts on Monday for most people. I love that I can plan my weekend activities side by side in this particular format. Like the monthly view, the weekly view is another way to look at any big event or important items that need to be completed for the week. It’s best to designate one specific day to plan an upcoming week. I tend to do this on Sunday afternoons. By planning on Sunday afternoon, I can know what to expect for the upcoming week and how to manage my time wisely. Getting in the routine of checking in and following up with your planner will help you stay organized.
Now, my favorite section of all my planners is definitely the daily section. I feel a sense of accomplishment when I check off things on my daily task list and fill up an entire page. I tend to check in on my planner throughout the day to see if I’ve accomplished everything I was set to do for that particular day.
My biggest piece of advice for a person looking into purchasing and using a planner would be to start small and don’t get overwhelmed. You’ll grow to see how busy you are and how much you need to jot down in your planner. If you don’t have a ton of tasks, that’s completely okay! Use your planner to make your life easier, not more stressful! Trust me, in the long run you’ll appreciate all the benefits in having a planner.
If you’re in need of a planner, I highly recommend heading to your local store and checking out what they have, or browse the wonderful world wide web to see what is available to use!
Whatever style or brand of planner you choose, make it work for you and love the outcome!
XOXO
-Katrina
