How I'm Organizing My Inkwell Press Planner (Tips From A Planner Rookie)

I have been a huge Google Calendar user for years. I dearest having a digital calendar that syncs across all my devices, sends me reminders and can handle recurring events with ease. Just after ogling others' pretty planners all terminal year and realizing I could use one central place to organize my to-do lists and weekly schedules, I decided to endeavour out a paper planner in 2017.

I haven't used a planner for a long time, probably since high school actually. I've liked the idea, but take struggled with how to utilise a planner most effectively when I already have a great digital organization in place with Google Calendar. I had e'er thought it was an either/or question, either a newspaper planner or a digital agenda. Simply after investigating planners and seeing how others utilize theirs, I realized there was a way to use both!

It'south no wonder planners have become and then popular recently – they are very sophisticated, with a multitude of layouts and tons of extra features like repast planners and goal trackers. And they are all beautifully designed! After a ton of enquiry and recommendations from friends, I chose an Inkwell Printing planner for 2017.

At present that I've been using my new planner for a few months and accept constitute some systems that are working for me, I thought I'd give you a rundown of how I'm using my new planner forth with some tips for organizing a planner of your own. I'm however a planner rookie, so I'd beloved to hear any other ideas y'all take for getting the most out of a planner!

This mail service contains chapter links to planning products I personally use and love. Come across my disclosure here for more than information.

Why I Chose An Inkwell Press Planner

Before I share my tips for organizing a planner, I should probably tell you a bit more than nigh the one I chose. There are so many beautiful planners out in that location, all with astonishing features! I ended up choosing the Inkwell Press Classic A5 LiveWELL Inserts paired with this classy black and white striped binder.

Here'due south a list of the features I looked for in a planner:

• Modest and portable and so I can carry information technology in my purse to work and meetings
• A weekly layout with plenty infinite to write all of my to-dos for each day
• Beautiful pattern with high-quality paper then ink won't bleed through (Inkwell Press excels at this!)
• Flexibility to insert additional printables and pages of my own, like souvenir trackers and workout routines (why I went with binder inserts instead of a bound planner)
• An emphasis on goal setting
• A complement to my existing Google Agenda schedule
• Something that could combine all of my personal and professional schedules and to-dos into one place

I chose this Inkwell Printing planner because it met all of my criteria and I heard rave reviews from friends. At present that I have my own, I volition totally vouch for their visitor any day! This planner is astonishing! (You can get $10 off your kickoff Inkwell Press buy through my chapter link.)

If you are shopping for a planner, I propose making your own list of criteria earlier you begin browsing. The planner world is super overwhelming! Deciding some basic things like the size and layout yous want will assistance you narrow down the options, and your list of criteria can exist a litmus test before you click "order."

Organizing A Planner – What'due south Currently Working For Me

Time Blocking

I chose the classic layout from Inkwell Printing, which gives me vertical space for each day of the week. I utilize thin washi record to divide the day into 3 parts: forenoon, afternoon and evening. Sometimes I completely time block my twenty-four hours by treating each line every bit an hr. Other times, I similar to have that mental separation between the three sections of my day, but don't feel the need to time block every hour. Just having tasks divided into those 3 sections gives me a dandy plan for the 24-hour interval.

Appointments & Meetings

I am using either Sunday afternoons or Monday mornings to plan for the week alee. I still employ Google Calendar to keep track of all of my meetings and appointments, and then I write the upcoming week'due south appointments into my planner. This gives me a great expect at the calendar week ahead, and I make sure to note any to-dos that I need to consummate before those appointments/meetings.

Special Events

I as well utilize my Inkwell Press planner to track special events like holidays, birthdays, weddings and family gatherings. I put all of these items into Google Calendar, which is nice because I tin fix special dates like birthdays and anniversaries to echo annually and I can proceed track of furthermost dates like weddings and such. I'm aiming to write these special events into my paper planner at the beginning of each month.

To-Practise Lists

I've added a few minutes of daily planning time into my morning routine, and information technology'due south go something I look forrard to. I sit down downwards with my planner and decide what I need to do that twenty-four hour period. Since I've already written in appointments and meetings for the week, information technology's easy for me to look at the mean solar day and see how much fourth dimension is available for tackling projects and tasks. I use the remaining lines in my planner to assign tasks to either the forenoon, afternoon or evening. I go on my planner near me while I work so it's convenient to check tasks off as they are complete, which is oh so satisfying!

I always have tons of to-dos on my listen, manner more I can realistically complete in a day. In an effort to keep my planner pages looking bang-up and pretty, I wanted a place to jot downwardly random to-dos as I recollect of them. I now add a bare glutinous notation to my weekly spread for collecting the to-dos that come up to mind.

When I'm planning my mean solar day, I refer to the gluey note and determine what is well-nigh important to work on based on how much time I accept available to me. Having a running to-do list on that viscous annotation makes it easy to motility it over to the next week if I don't consummate everything.

Daily Top 3

The Inkwell Press planners have three small boxes for each mean solar day that can be used however you wish. I looked at a lot of examples and people use them to track all sorts of things!

I'thousand even so finding what works best for me, only right now I've decided to apply the top box to write downwardly my acme three goals for that twenty-four hour period. I choose these each morning and it helps me stay focused on the few items that are well-nigh urgent or well-nigh impactful. I don't always consummate everything else on my to-do list for the day, but I really try to at least accomplish my elevation three.

Daily Wins

I've been using the 2d pocket-sized box to record daily "wins." I'm hoping this will assist me slow down and reflect on what I accomplish each day. I've been aiming to gloat 3 wins per twenty-four hours, and they are normally a mix of personal and professional things.

Routine Tracker

I've written a lot about the value of following routines considering I swear by them! When I'm creating my weekly layout and daily plans, I consult my ideal weekly routine equally a guide. Since I switched jobs a couple months ago and am now primarily working from dwelling, my forenoon routine has changed quite a bit. I'm currently trying out a new routine in an endeavor to use my mornings more intentionally. I wrote a checklist for my new routine on a small sticky note so I don't forget whatever of the steps, and move it from week to week so I always have it handy.

Related Reading: Read nigh how I organize my week for maximum productivity and focus here.

Goal Setting

The key to setting goals is etching out regular time to work on them. That's why I propose incorporating tasks related to your goals into routines and your weekly schedule. Equally I'm planning the upcoming week, I always refer back to my current goals and make sure I have some time set bated for them.

Inkwell Press planners place a strong emphasis on goals, which I love! In that location are a few pages at the showtime for yearly goals. And then the front of each calendar month has a page for your monthly goals. This is a corking way to interruption large goals into manageable monthly chunks, and having them written at the beginning of the month makes it convenient to flip back and review them when I'm creating my to-exercise lists and schedules for the week.

Related Reading: Learn more than most my 90-day goal setting process and download the free worksheet here.

Habit Tracking

I've been creating a mini habit tracker for each week. Using a small mucilaginous notation, I write out my habits with circles backside each to signal how many days of the week I hope to follow that addiction. Correct now, I'm tracking workouts, reading and walks with my new puppy. Y'all can rail all sorts of things! Wait back at your goals for ideas of related habits.

Related Reading: Reading my tips for forming new habits and download a free printable monthly habit tracker here.

Web log Posts

1 thing I was iffy about was how to use my planner for my blog. My blog involves then many to-dos every week, and I didn't necessarily want to clutter up the pages with a bazillion blog related tasks. I keep track of all of my blog tasks, projects and editorial calendar in Asana, which is great for project management. A couple specific web log tasks ordinarily get added to my evening to-exercise lists, while all of my ideas and long-term plans stay organized neatly in Asana.

I manage my editorial calendar in Asana, but take started using the monthly layout in my planner as an editorial agenda every bit well. I've been using small sticky notes to plan out weblog posts for the calendar month, and then I remove the sticky annotation and write the post title in ink once I've written it. I also jot downward ideas for my Saturday newsletters on this monthly view and also rails any guest posts being published on other blogs.

It's nice to have a identify for my editorial calendar correct inside my planner and so I can refer to information technology speedily. The viscid note method is also helpful because I commonly have a fairly solid plan for posts for the unabridged calendar month, merely I am oftentimes rearranging the verbal dates they are published. Having the little sticky notes reminds me of my mail plans while giving me the flexibility to move things around as needed.

Notes & Lists

I added lined paper to the back of my planner binder and tucked some sticky notes into the front end pockets of the planner. These are bang-up for keeping rails of other random ideas and lists. I've started i page for my reading list, where I write down any books I hear recommended that I desire to bank check into afterwards. I'yard sure I'll utilise my notes section for all sorts of things during the yr! The gluey notes are also handy for making shorter lists that tin be added to a specific weekly spread.

I hope this post gives y'all some ideas you tin use in your own planner! What tips do you have for me? Any must-have supplies? I've barely dipped my toes into the huge world of planner stickers and extras. Is there a certain planner brand you swear by? Leave a annotate with all of your wisdom for organizing a planner!

And if you're looking for an admittedly amazing, organized, high-quality planner, expect no further than Inkwell Printing planners! (Get $ten off your starting time Inkwell Printing buy through my affiliate link.)

Happy planning,

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This post contains affiliate links to planning products I personally use and dear. Encounter my disclosure hither for more data.

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