I have a busy 9-5 job that requires a lot of planning and organizing to keep everything running smoothly. My life outside of work, however, seemed to be an unorganized mess. Since my work organization revolves around electronic products, I felt I should use electronic tools at home too. Being someone who had used the Franklin Covey system for years, I was also drawn to a paper planner. I was conflicted which only added to the chaos I felt.
While doing research for a post, I ran across an article on using a planner. The author talked about using an electronic planner for some purposes and a paper planner for others. It was the best of both worlds and a solution I could use.
Types of Planners~~
Planners have evolved to color-coded and stickered organizational tools. A planner can be many things. It can be as simple as a wall calendar to keep track of your appointments or a spiral notebook that you use as a bullet journal. You may want a more formal planner organized by month, week or day. It is how you use it to stay organized that counts.
What do you need to plan?
It all comes down to figuring out what your own personal needs are. It also helps to evaluate your personal planning style. For example, do you like to see the week at a glance, or would you prefer to have a full page per day? Are you 
going to use it to keep track of appointments or just lists of ideas, meals, groceries, etc.? Maybe you need it all.
After reviewing my own needs, I found that the Google calendar I was using was working great for appointments. I am able to share calendars so other family members know what is going on. Where I was lacking was a place to plan for my businesses, blog posts, craft shows, product inventory, etc.
What I chose~~
The one I decided on was a Happy Planner from Me and My Big Ideas. They are available at craft stores such as JoAnn, Michaels and Hobby Lobby. You have a choice of the Big size, a Classic size or the Mini size. I chose the classic size. They have nicely laminated covers and sturdy rings that hold the cover and pages in place. There is a wide variety of styles and colors available.
I chose pages that were the week at a glance style. They have a three-row style instead of times of the day. This allows
me to use it to track three different areas. I decided on Blog, Craft, and Notes which I used washi tape to identify. I also purchased weekly menu planner inserts and pocket inserts that act as dividers and give me a place for receipts and other papers. A section with blank papers worked great for my favorite essential oil recipes and other important things I wanted to know.
Since I already loved colored pens, I had plenty on hand to color code the entries in my planner. These are my favorite. I also had washi tape and stickers from my scrapbooking stash to make it fun.
Start Planning~~
So far my planner is working great for my needs. Think about your planner needs, then select the planner that fits your style and start planning. You will find plenty of ideas on how you could use a planner with a quick search on Pinterest. How you organize and use your planner is up to you, so anything goes!
