Last year, I told you about the perfect planner I purchased, and that my friend Amanda and her father are the brains behind. I say this without bias–this particular planner is not only wonderfully structured (it’s exactly what I’d want out of a planner), but it was essential to my growth both personally and professionally. I didn’t know how badly I needed it until I now have that 20/20 hindsight.
This is coming from someone who was an OCD planner all growing up and through college, but then fell hard into the other side of perfectionism–the underachieving kind where you don’t dare to even try. The past year, I was an old dog (re)learning old tricks, so having this planner as a way to guide my goals, provide plenty of space for my to-dos, and act as a way to track my progress has been SO helpful in getting me back on the organization horse.
Here are some pictures of just how loved this planner has been for me. I use it for my home/family to-dos, to plan out posts, to track work-outs, and schedule out all the podcast stuff. I have also been documenting all my insurance calls so I know exactly where to look to remind myself what they said or call them back armed with you said what/when. (Ugh, insurance!)
I’d say I’m not obsessive about using my planner, as I had to have some balance with reinstating this good habit and making it something I could actually keep up with! For me, I simply tried to keep it accessible (on my desk in my kitchen) so I could jot down to-dos as they came to mind in addition to planning out my day either the night before or morning of. But I also used the planner as a journal of sorts to track my progress with its prompts to both connect with my goals and reflect on my work to get there. Even a few minute a day on this–or even every other–has helped me immensely in getting back to the old Monica who actually did things. Friends, it’s never too late to work on developing a good habit–I’ll be your example for that.
Sure, it’s October and I’m talking about my planner for next year. But . . . it’s OCTOBER! The year has gone by so quickly. So on a similar note, it’s never to early to be proactive about setting yourself up for a success.
I was thrilled when Amanda let me know the 2018 versions of the planner were going live early this year (active now here!), she has a code for my followers for 15% off (use APWS2018), and a giveaway of one of your choosing on my Instagram. Talk about nice! (This post isn’t sponsored, but Amanda kindly sent me a planner.)
Mine arrived last week. I was pleased to see they now laminated the cover, so that’s a plus. Also, the new cover options are perfection–the right variety of feminine, masculine, and gender-neutral selections.
On the inside, I am VERY glad they kept with the same layout, as well as kept inspirational quotes. There is the perfect mix of ways to take notes, make lists, as well as planning daily by hour, weekly by goals, and monthly calendars to boot. I’m always reminded to stay focused on what I’m reaching for, which I all too easily forget.
Having my 2018 planner already is making me look back on the past year a bit and start thinking about what I’d like to accomplish next year. Just as I did before, I’ll be sharing that with you as the year comes to a close, so look forward to that. (You will, won’t you?!)
