Which Planner Should I Buy?
. It is that time of year when we need to buy a new planner and for many people, this is a BIG decision, especially as there are so many new and fancy planners out there! How do you choose the perfect planner for you? I actually did a FB live of this last week but I understand not everyone has time to sit and watch me waffle about the exciting subject of planners and journals but here is the video in case you do have the time!
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If you just want to get to the nitty-gritty then here is the lowdown. Heads up, some of these links maybe affiliate links, that means I get a small percentage of the sale at no cost to you, if you decide to buy.
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Bullet Journal
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I have used loads of different journals and planners over the years, some I loved, some not so much. What I recently fell in love with is Bullet Journalling.
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Now, this isn’t a pre-printed planner but instead, you use any old notebook, so if you are on a budget, just grab something from the dollar store! . Why I love this system is that it’s so versatile and I know only need one book, no schedule and planner and journal to lug about, it is all beautifully organized in one notebook. My book of choice is the RollBahn (available here in the USA / Japan ). It is squared, yellow paper, plenty of pages and a ring binding, which is my binding of choice for this kind of thing. There are different sizes, A5 is my favourite – just big enough for my bag.
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In the front, you set up an index and then have a couple of pages for the months and that is it. The rest you fill in as you go and add the page number and topic to the index as you go along. Super simple and beautifully organized.
This leaves you with the freedom to put whatever the heck you like in your journal, I have everything from gratitude pages to recipes I want to try to FB Ads training notes to blog post ideas. I also have my brain dumps and hit lists in there.
If you give it a go, there are several FB groups and pinterest boards with spreads and ideas on how to journal and track anything and everything. It can get a bit overwhelming so take it easy! The great thing is, if something doesn’t work, it’s no big deal, you just ditch it and try something new next time.
I have found the bullet journal plus google cal is all I need, streamlined yet allows me all the creative freedom that I need!
Ebi-kun was so interested in mine he decided to start his own! Win-win, I love that he wants to be involved too
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Passion Planner
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I have to say, I do love the Passion Planner, it is beautifully designed and it fits well with my Kaizen system of planning. Great quality and to be honest, I just like looking at it. But… there is always a but.
Like I said my preferred size of schedule is A5 and I found it a bit too cramped for my writing, I felt like I was having to write in fairy sized font!
In their defence, they do make a bigger planner but that doesn’t fit in my everyday bag, which for me is a problem! Maybe I need a bigger bag, not a smaller planner!
They also have a great scheme where they give back and you can get credits to pay it forward.
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Leonie Dawson Shining Life & Biz Planner
Another planner that I love – okay, okay, I might have a bit of a stationary problem! If you don’t know Leonie, you should check her out, she is mad as cheese, in the nicest way, complete hippy, killer businesswoman and swears like a trooper! What’s not to love with that combo? Her planner asks lots of great questions about your biz and your life, I suppose the title gives that away! And it’s all beautifully illustrated by Leonie. She also has several types of workbook so you can pick what works for you. The but… It was too big! This really is a deal breaker for me. And although I love Leonie’s whimsy style, I kind of found it off-putting when it came to writing and doodling my own work in there. Leonie also big on giving back and donates a huge amount of books to women’s shelters and the such like each year. Get your Shining Life & Biz Planner .
But The Big Secret Is…
. It doesn’t matter which planner you choose, there are plenty out there apart from the ones I listed, the big thing comes down to doing the work. It doesn’t matter if your planner is made of paper from a whomping willow tree and you are writing with magical unicorn ink, if you don’t put the planning into action, it won’t get you anywhere. So when you come to pick your planner, whatever you go for, just keep in mind that the planning is only a small part of the equation, doing the work and making the magic actually happen is up to YOU.
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