Planner Pitfall #1 – FOMU

You have been anxiously waiting for the arrival of your new Erin Condren planner.  Now that you have it in your hands you are “waiting” to start using it.  Why? You have a bad case of FOMU.  No, that isn’t a typo.  I must tell you, I am incredibly impressed with myself for coming up with this.  What is FOMU?  Fear of Messing Up!

I can’t even count the number of times I have sat down to make notes in a new planner and felt paralyzed. I start thinking, “Maybe I should wait until I come up with the perfect system, find the perfect pen, etc.” 

Rid yourself of FOMU and JUST GET STARTED!  As you begin using your planner you will figure out what works best for you.  That brings me to mistake #2.

Planner Pitfall #2 – Thinking everything must be consistent.

Once you finally get over the fear of messing up, stop thinking you need to do things the same way each week  Try something this week and if you don’t like it, do something next week. It’s okay to figure out what works best for YOU! Your planner can evolve with your life and needs.  You may need to use more space for appointments and commitments this week than your to-do list.  

I use an Erin Condren vertical planner that has 3 boxes for each day.  I have changed how I used these boxes many times.  Just when I think I have figured out what works best for me another kind of obligation or activity enters my life that needs planner space.  Or… seeing how someone else uses their planner sparks a new idea.  Speaking of how others use their planner…

There isn’t one right way to use a paper planner, but by avoiding a few Paper Planner Pitfalls you will develop the style that works just right for you!

Planner Pitfall #3 – Comparing your planner style to the pictures you see online.

Don’t compare your planning style to someone else’s.  It’s great to get ideas from others, but it’s too easy to get discouraged when we start thinking our pages need to look just the pages we ‘ve been admiring.  Develop your own style.  I go back and forth between using mostly pen and using a combination of Washi tape and stickers. Again… your style needs to meet your needs.

Conclusion

Avoiding these Paper Planner Pitfalls will give you the freedom to develop the personal planner style that fits your needs and your life.

Do you have other ideas to add to this list! Please share!

I finally found a solution to my planner paraphernalia pile up problem! I originally purchased this cart to organize make up, skin care products, hot rollers and other similar items. When I was preparing for hip surgery and knew I was going to have to “stay down” for awhile, I needed to find away to keep my most important things close at hand.  

At the same time, my daughter was putting together a cart in order to be prepared for the birth of her adorable little boy.  When I saw her gathering diapers, wipes and other items for her cart, I realized I needed not one but two carts.  I purchased a new cart and stocked it with reading materials, water bottles, snacks, and other items to have next to my recliner after surgery.  Then, I emptied my existing cart and converted it into a planner cart. I’ll post a video next week that will include links to the items I used to put my “Practically Perfect Project” together.

As I got older my planners evolved.  I loved little notebooks of any kind.  I remember being a teenager when a paper store opened in the local mall.  In my memory, I can still feel the texture of the binder cover I left the store with that day.  They had a whole store filled with different pretty pages to customize your planner. 

Time has gone by.  I have had Day-Timer planners, Dollar Store planners, Franklin Covey Planners… the list goes on.  My husband loves to tell me that I need an organizer to organize my organizers.  I used to think he was kidding. I TRIED using a Palm Pilot and other electronic organizers when they first came out, but none of them gave me the same sense of satisfaction that I felt when using a paper planner.

We live in an incredible age of technology.  Someone in my family can enter an event on the phone calendar and it automagically (no, I didn’t forget to spell check, I say this is a word and I’m sticking to it!) appears on each family member’s phone.  This is a great convenience and I do use it. 

However, I am much more productive if there is a paper planner in my life.  I love the ability to look at the whole month at a glance, color code events, add stickers or washi tape, etc.  My planner is more than my daily schedule and “To Do” list; it is a creative outlet.

I love the feeling of accomplishment when I look at my calendar and see items on my to do list checked off.  I am one of those people that has been known to add something I have already done to my list, just so I can have the satisfaction of checking it off.

My current planner love is the Erin Condren Life Planner.  I’ve been using it for years and I love the interchangeable covers, and other available accessories.  After being out of school for over 38 years, I started college again this semester and found that my list of things I need to do and remember no longer fit in my Life Planner.  So, what is a self-proclaimed planner addict to do?  Buy another planner, of course!  My new Erin Condren Academic Planner is sitting at my local FedEx waiting to be delivered tomorrow.  I can hardly stand the wait.  I’ll share pictures of my “new toy” soon.

Being a planner addict is serious business.  How does a planner addict store all things planner related?  I finally found a solution that I love. Check back next Thursday and I will show you my solution!

What is your favorite planner? Do you use stickers and washi tape or are you a “keep it simple and only use pen” planner? Comment below!