A Little More Planning Talk

It’s been such a fun couple of days hearing all of your comments on my planner post from Friday. The feedback got me thinking….Even though I love the Day Designer and have decided to make it my planning system for this year, it isn’t right for everyone. A friend of mine from yoga told me that while she’s going to check out my planner pick, she’s had the same leather planner for as long as she can remember. It would be a big leap for her to abandon what has worked so well for so many years. This was a good reminder to me that a planning system is very personal and has to work with your life. I just love knowing that so many of us are happier when we write things down and can see what our days look like on paper. It’s such an easy way to suddenly feel in control.If you’re still looking for a planning system but aren’t sure Day Designer is right for you, here are a few others I really like.If you’d rather pick up a planner locally, Day Designer has a brand that they’ve created especially for Target. They don’t quite have all of the bells and whistles as the one I’m using, but it’s a great organizational tool with many of the same concepts that put Whitney English’s Day Designer on the map. It’s available in tons of cute colors and patterns and I recently saw that Lake Bluff’s Target was fully stocked with them.Another terrific option is from Nina Restieri’s MomAgenda line. This planner saved me when I first had my children because Restieri accounted for the fact that each child has their own schedule and she allowed for this in how she designed her pages (she has four children of her own). The other feature I loved is that there is no spiral to contend with. When I started to make my way back into doing more client work, I switched from the MomAgenda to the MyAgenda. It was the same concept–it just didn’t out me to the world that I was, in fact, a mom.The last option comes from my amazing daughter Grace who is an incredible doodler. For the last two years, she has kept a Bullet Journal. Essentially, this is a blank notebook that the user designs to best fit his or her needs. Each week, Grace maps out how her days will unfold and creates the pages herself. It’s a true work of art and has been therapeutic for her to put her phone down and make these pages come to life. To me, this looks like a lot of work, but it is a truly beautiful keepsake if you have this flair (and a little extra time on your hands).Who knew that I could go on and on about planning? I’d love to know if you have a system of your own that you love, or if one of these might work for you. What a fun way to start the week!Happy Monday!xo