Can A Planner Make Life Easier?

As you know, this month, I’m really concentrating on getting organised.

I shared in the first #SundayStationery my pretty Paris planner (still untouched!), and I also have a Dodo planner that I’m currently using for meal planning and my Zazzle washi tape planner that I’m using for blog work…

planners

But of course, this wasn’t enough. You can see that, can’t you? Something was still missing, so I decided to go for my first ‘proper planner’ in my eyes, more of an organiser/diary/spiral bound affair, with stickers and inserts. This one’s for home, family and life in general.

I looked around and discovered that they are actually pretty expensive! The US seem to have some gorgeous planners, but with shipping them over here, the costs became too high for me to justify when I’m not sure yet whether I’ll really take to this planner malarkey. In the end, I went for the very reasonably priced 16 month Life Book, by Organised Mum (link at the bottom).

Can a Planner Make Life Easier

The Organised Mum Life Book

It comes in several different cover designs and includes week to view horizontal page spreads including to-dos, shopping list and notes sections, then there are monthly planners, monthly budgeting, notes and to-dos, a Christmas planner, a summer holiday schedule, plans for 2017, and a separate little address book that slots into the back along with two sheets of stickers. I’m impressed by how much is packed into it.

The Organised Mum Life Book Pages & Inserts

The Organised Mum Life Book pocket

This is my first week of using it. I spent a little time at the weekend planning for this week, mainly using the stickers that came with it (I’ve also caught the planner bug for accessory sets and kits, so I have some of those on the way for future weeks), along with washi and coloured pens.

The Organised Mum Life Book weekly view

So could it make life easier?

Very possibly. It’s early days, but I can see the potential. Here are my initial thoughts…

It’s fun to do! First up, for me, is the fact that I do love stationery, and putting pen to paper like this, along with all of the possibilities for using and embellishing it definitely appeal.

The year is spread before me. Well, in this case, 16 months, so I can pop down plans and reminders as and when needed. Birthdays and the like I have covered with the calendar, but payments, chores, preparations for things, they tend to stay in my head and could well get forgotten or overlooked. I can see using it in this way making me much more efficient.

It’s all in one place. I start noting down Christmas ideas in one place, shopping lists and plans in another and reminders live in my head or might get written somewhere.

It makes me spot gaps in my week quickly. This makes it handy for making plans, rather than drifting through the odd day or two. When I was completing it on Saturday night, I could see what I needed to get done, and where we had some free space, so I slotted things in and then sent off a couple of texts to make plans with family and friends.

De-cluttering my head. This is the biggest thing for me, the feeling of ’emptying my mind’. I’ve long thought planners like this, though pretty, were surplus to my requirements as I’ve a good memory and enjoy multitasking. I had no problem with keeping plans and to-dos in my head. But having it all out of my head and onto paper feels great.

I can see the drawback being spending too long planning and prettying it up, rather than actually ‘doing’. I’m quite task driven, though, so as soon as it’s listed, I want to do it, so am hoping I don’t fall into this trap…

I’d love to hear what you think, and as I’m a total planner newbie, I want to hear all your tips and suggestions, pretty planner accessory shops – the lot, please. Thanks in advance!

Disclosure: I bought this planner for myself, though of course there’s an affiliate link there should you fancy getting one for yourself

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27 thoughts on “Can A Planner Make Life Easier?”

  1. I love my organised Mum products – I use 3 – The meal planning and shopping list tear off pad that is magnetic so goes on the fridge.

    The Family Life Planner – very similar to the one that you have but as a week to view and a column for each of us very useful as we’re literally all over the place most of the time.

    I also have their Family Planner 16 month wall calendar – again with a week to view that has columns for each of us.

  2. I think that if you set aside time, almost as a bit of personal time, on Sundays, you might find that a planner for your everyday life can be very helpful. It can be fun with the accessories and much bigger world of developing pen pals and sharing supplies with others, but that is not necessary if you do enjoy the pretty planning. The biggest part is we all tend to need a way to stay organized these days in a fast-paced world, and there is much less stress when it’s on paper. The pretty planning adds to the bit of creative release that can be very therapeutic and fun for stationary lovers, readers, writers, etc. As long as it does not consume too much time and it becomes more of a chore, it is great. Stickers and even stamps make planning out your week easy, especially when it is something you do regularly and can put down as a regularly scheduled item. Everyone uses their planners in diffetent ways, but never let the planning become a chore rather than something fun to do to keto you organized. Finding the proper balance is key.

    1. I think you’re so right with this. It’s a balance thing, and it is relaxing to do it, too. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

  3. Oh Jocelyn, we are kindred stationery spirits! In fact, I spy with my little eye some washi tape that I too have…!

    I love life planning and need a good organiser to keep me, well, organised! I feel my head’s a muddle if I don’t and I love having everything in one place.

    I’ve written about Kikki K today (link below), a brand I only discovered because of a mention you made, and my, I am in love. Unfortunately, it’s not all available to ship to the UK without charges. However, it’s made me fall in love with my Paperchase version of Filofax and last night, I was lovingly updating it.

    I have a Project Life scrapbook and they have just launched an organiser, but only in the US. We need more choice in the UK!

    I’m planning a trip to the new Paperchase at Grand Central – perhaps we should have a stationery / planner meet up??!!

    http://www.tobecomemum.co.uk/2015/09/swoon-worthy-stationery.html

    1. Oh, Kikki K is so pretty. Glad it’s got you enjoying your other planners again. And yes, always up for a Paperchase shopping trip!

  4. I’m following your planner odyssey with great interest, because I love stationery too, but so far the only thing which has worked for us is sharing the same electronic planner!

  5. I really want a big planner like this rather than just my diary. Decluttering my mind would be the biggest benefit for me, feel like my brain is always whirring and I forget so much! My friend got a Ban.Do one which is lovely and not quite as expensive and just today I found to joy of customise your planner YouTube videos and may have lost half an hour watching the Kikki Ki(?) ones, it would be bliss to have the time to do it all wouldn’t it? I love the start you’ve made on yours, it looks fab! xx

    1. Yes, I love being able to get it all out of my head! Ah yes, the beautiful Kikki K – I mentioned those to Kelly whose post you probably saw them on today? (sorry!). It didn’t take me long to do mine, and it’s made things clearer for me throughout the week. I can see me getting faster at it and more detailed. I can see the potential and the appeal x

  6. Oh I want to do this now. I have a diary and a weekly planner on my desk along with numerous notebooks, but this looks like a good way of bringing it all together. I might have to think about it. I hope you enjoy yours.

  7. I love a good planner. I used to have several different ones for different things but find that I need one master one and got rid of the others. I used a TOAD diary at the moment. Layout-wise, it’s exactly what I need but the quality could do with being upped a little because the pages catch on the rings whenever I turn them. Just a small thing but it annoys me so I’m looking for something similar but a little better.

    1. That would annoy me, too. I hope you manage to find something you like. I think I’ll end up using this as a master one, too, much easier.

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