Happy February everyone! It’s pretty terrifying how quickly January flew. I hope you’ve all been working on the goals you set for yourself in the new year. This is the time of year when the momentum starts to slow down. I know because it’s happening to me right now! But this isn’t the time to slow down. Review where you’re at and what you were able to get done the past month. Then make a master task list of what you need to get done this month. And don’t forget to take time out for yourself in between that! A machine can’t function for long when it’s stressed and overworked, and the same goes for humans.
This year I think I’ve nailed my planning system and reached planner peace.
For so many years, I bought into the hype of buying pretty planners or diaries and decorating them to hell and back. In 2016 I discovered the planner community and got sucked into a black hole with no end in sight. I was wasting time, and because I’m a complete stationery addict, I was also wasting money. Now, there’s nothing wrong with that, but I was just buying planners for the sake of it. I’d fill up the first two months, and then forget about the damn thing for the rest of the year. It wasn’t serving any function or helping me to stay organised.
2018 is the year I think I have it sorted, and after testing it out in January, I know it’s going to work just great.
It’s useless to keep a planner if it’s not doing anything for you.
Here’s how I’m doing it. I’m a digital girl but I love pen and paper as much as the next person, so I incorporate both. Firstly, I use Google Calendar.
(Example of calendar, from TechCrunch)
Using the monthly view, I add all my future events and tasks effortlessly. It’s a great way to quickly see what’s happening months ahead without having to flip through fifty pages in a diary. I can move the events around with ease and prepare for anything coming up. It tracks birthdays, holidays and I can create a to-do list in there and tick items off as I complete them. It’s possible that in the future I could solely use Google Calendar for my planning. But I can’t help myself, so I have a physical planner as well.
I’ve tried them all. But my planner this year is different. I needed something more customised to me, with no fancy trimmings. I’m using an ARC discbound system which I can easily pull apart and reassemble however I want. Inside I have inserts and dividers from two of my favourite stores: Cloth & Planner and Sessa Vee. I use monthly and weekly inserts, along with some dotted notepaper and then break it up with dividers. That’s it. It’s flexible and simple. It’s all I need.
At the end of each week, I take time to sit down and plan out my next week.
I refer to my Google Calendar can write my weekly appointments or events into my planner. I then write a ‘top three’ list for each day and fill it out each night. I’ve been doing this recently and it is a life-changer. Instead of looking at a dauntingly large to-do list each day, I prioritize and write down the three most important things I need to get done that day. Using this method, I’m more productive and can tackle additional tasks after these are done. Let me know if you try out this system in February!
And yes, It’s also time for new Wallpapers!
I know, I’m a sucker for the minimalist style, and I hope you are too. The design will stay the same for each month so that they’re nice and coherent (that’s the designer in me talking), but each month will feature a different marble texture for the phone wallpaper. Enjoy!
CLICK HERE to download your February Wallpapers!
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