Getting Organised with Planners

While waiting for my train yesterday I popped into Paperchase (any excuse). After cooing over their Christmas goodies I found a display of lots of different planners and journals, and two caught my eye.

The first planner I found in my basket quicker than I could blink was the 'Bossing it' planner - which is apparently for 'Goal Diggin' Girls (honestly - if I'd read that tag line first I probably wouldn't have bought it - I'm way out of the 'girl' age group, and also - I have no idea why it needs to be gender specific). However - there are some useful parts to this planner, which is aimed at people trying to start their own business - space to write out ideas, pages to support in finding clarity regarding the key focus of the business (I've found these particularly useful), and weekly planning pages to track goals.

I started using this planner today and found it really effective in helping me to focus on what I want to achieve from my business ideas, and what I need to do, to make it a reality. I've had lots of creative business ideas floating around for so long and I think this planner will help me focus them and move forward.

The second item I picked up is The Blogger's Journal. In the past I've tried to use online calendars and tools to manage my blog posts but there is something about having a pen and paper planner which I can pick up any time and sketch out ideas in, that really appeals to me. The journal has lots of blank pages for writing out ideas, pages to track followers, and goal setting pages. I used this journal straight away - sat on a train writing out some ideas. I've loved using it so far, and it's helping me focus more than an online calendar or a blank notebook can.

Paperchase have lots of different journals in stock at the moment - they're all super affordable and would be lovely Christmas presents for anyone in your life who likes to write out ideas. When so much of life is now sent looking at a screen I still really enjoy being able to write things out, so I'm sold on them so far - let's see if my blog and business ideas evidence that they are working!

Sorry for the lack of photos - I definitely need to sort out a lighting set-up for taking blog photos during dark evenings, but you can find The Blogger's Journal here and the Bossing it Journal here.

The Happiness Planner - A Review

I've written diaries on and off all my life, and have used a filofax for a significant part of my working life, so I've always loved having something tangible to write and plan in.

That said - I hadn't tried using a planner until last year when I bought my first Happiness Planner. I bought it part way through the year, but still found it so useful for helping me organise my priorities and focus on the good things that had happened in the day, rather than the bad. Unfortunately I didn't commit to using it every day and then got out of the habit of using it at all, so the positive effects wore off.

This year I bought A Happiness Planner in time for a January start and have committed to using every day so support in the achievement of my goals and to help train myself to focus on the good and not beat myself up about the past.

There are several different options of Happiness Planner available, but this is the one I opted for, and now it has arrived I could not be any happier with it. The design, and more importantly, content are beautiful and well written to support a manageable level of planning.

The overall presentation is beautiful, when you open the box you're presented with a little bubble wrapped parcel of loveliness.

As well as the main journal the set comes with a pen, 2 binder clips and 3 x paperclips (mine are rose gold...the metal colour depends on your overall colour options). Also included are some separate planning pages for undertaking activities including a 2016 Reflection, 2017 vision board and New Years Resolutions.

Inside the journal I was greeted with a positive message...

...and then some pages of activities to complete before getting to the main journal. These activities, and the additional sheets, were so incredibly supportive in helping me take a mental step back, think about who I want to be, want I want to do and how to get there. There is a really important focus on taking positive action - not being passive and expecting good things to fall into my lap. I love the overall tone of the planner, the questions it asks and the way it encourages you to think.

The main part of the journal provides space for planning/ reflection at the beginning and end of each month, and a page for each day to think about what I'm excited about that day, what my main focus is, what exercise I've done, what I've eaten, schedule, to-do list, notes, and then a daily reflection on what was good about the day, what I'm grateful for, and what I hope for tomorrow.

I've obviously only being writing the main part of the journal for two days but it's already been really supportive. I had a bit of a stressful thing happen yesterday, but the process of writing the journal in the evening and reflecting on the good things that had happened really supported me in putting the bad thing that happened to rest and not letting it eclipse the day.

I think it's going to be interesting to see how things go with the journal when I'm back at work full time (tomorrow...sob) but I'm determined to keep going with this for a year and see if it continues to support my personal development and levels of positivity.

If you've found a planner that works for you I'd love to hear about it.

Bye for now
Kat xx