“Patty Planner”
Organization has not always been my thing, I have never been a “Patty Planner”. This lesson has been forced on me by life’s tough lessons. When, I got a smart phone, I became as organized as I had ever been. At that point many years ago, I began putting appointments, goals, ideas, and more inside of my phone. Sure, I would make important appointments, but what happened to my to do lists? What happened to my goals and dreams? Well, they got lost in my phone.
Changing It Up 2021
So, this year, I finally gave up on this tech system of keeping my life. I purchased a beautiful home planner from Passionate Penny Pincher after doing a great deal of research on planners. (In my next blog post, I am going to go into my planner research, and why I picked this one. No, I was not paid to talk about this product. I purchased it because this is the one I chose, and paid full price for!) I made a business bullet journal with a little notebook from Target. Finally, I made a homeschool planner. (I’ll admit the homeschool planner is not that pretty, but it is currently functional.) I keep all of my notebooks on the counter in a trapper keeper. (Remember those Lisa Frank ones? Mine isn’t that cool!)
I am just now learning to use these, and finding what works. So, I won’t pretend to be a Patty Planner Guru! I was tired of not seeing my goals and ideas front and center. I was tired of my schedule being unclear and intangible. This written product seems to give me an additional sense of accountability.
Tips
Here are some tips that I learned when beginning my planner journey on paper.
- Even if you are not artsy, make it fun. A little washi tape, stickers, etc never hurt anything
- Treat yourself to some new pens! (I bought some gel pens at Target.)
- Don’t feel like you have to stick to a certain method on your planning journey. Do what works for you and you will be more likely to stick to the plan!
- Make it a habit. Set a time every day to work on it.
- Make it a peaceful time of self care
- When you are done using your planner (or multiple notebooks), put it in the same spot.
I don’t think I am the only one who has lost plans in a phone, so take the plunge and try something new! Don’t forget to follow me on instagram at @thestronghomemaker!
