As this year winds down to a close (whaaat) you might be thinking about how you’re going to do your planning for next year, at least if you’re an organizational and list nerd like me. This year I purchased an Erin Condren weekly planner because I won a gift card in a giveaway. Even though I do most of my planning digitally (and am very much entrenched in my system) I was curious about the hype and wanted to see if I could adapt it to my lifestyle.
These planners are very popular so you might know what they’re like already, but in case you don’t: they are large, colorful, personalized, detailed, and include extras like stickers and labels. There is an overview of each month and then it is laid out weekly. I decided to use the included stickers on just the monthly overview pages so I could glance at them and know if there was a birthday or event coming up.
The bulk of the planner is laid out weekly. There are no time slots; instead it is separated into morning, day, and night. I really like that part. Since there were three big spaces per day to fill, I started using the “morning” space for my work assignment, the “day” space for blog post planning, and the “night” space for meal planning.
For awhile I liked using a physical planner again and would dutifully get it out every day. I know that if I didn’t have a complex digital system already this would be a great option. But after awhile I began using it less and less. It’s pretty large and heavy, and eventually I realized that it wasn’t worth carrying around anymore. For my work assignment now I use sticky notes, for blog planning I use the WordPress editorial calendar plugin, and for meal planning I am using Google calendar synced with my phone. It’s all working great for me, and for the rest of my planning I use Google calendar synced with my phone plus the Things app. Check out this post for more info on how I tackle time & task management.
If you love physical planners, have a lot going on, and have a big bag or purse I definitely recommend checking out the Erin Condren planner, but I found it wasn’t the thing for me. Tomorrow I will share with you the notebook that I do carry around with me!
From Allison Nimlos:
I was pretty diligent about using my Erin Condren planner last year, but this year I feel like it’s fallen by the wayside. Even though I have a lot going on, I feel like there are a lot of reminders in life for me to check other ways. My work schedule is emailed to me. I only have one in-person class at school. I get reminders for doctor’s appointments, Junior League meetings and social events (because of Meetup). So… yeah, I just ended up not really using it much this year. I have another paper planner I’m thinking about getting that’s $30, but I haven’t decided yet…
From Nora:
I used her planner in 2012, but I opted for a different one this year: more slender, less heft. I liked the color and the stickers, but like you I stopped using it as much and started turning to post-its and other kind of notes. I prefer something smaller that I can glance at easily. I also sometimes felt like my life wasn’t full enough to fill the planner. Ha.
From Sarah @ Beauty School Dropout:
That really is a beautiful and functional-looking planner, but I’m like you — I keep everything electronically and it works for me. The only thing I still need to integrate is putting my meal plan on my calendar. It would be super simple, since I use my work Outlook calendar synced to the calendar on my phone, I just don’t remember to do it, so I end up referring to my blog to remember what I’m making that night. I also like to write the weekly menu on a whiteboard on the door we use most often, so everyone in the family knows the plan, but I’m forgetful about that, too
From kapachino:
The cool thing about doing meal planning digitally (whenever I actually get myself together to do it) is if you’re making a meal based off an online recipe, you can just put a link right there and have it ready to go. I really want to do the whiteboard thing though!
From Stephany:
I bought an Erin Condren planner a few years ago, even though I KNOW I am notoriously bad at using paper planners but they are pretty and I wanted to be like everyone else (ha). But I rarely used it and it was really too heavy to carry around with me. Plus, it’s just not worth the price tag for me. I don’t think my life really requires such a detailed planner… I’m fine with a $5 one I can buy at Target. Usually, though, I just use Google Calendar. I use it for my blog schedule, for appointments, and for reminders. I love it because I can set up email or alerts that go straight to my phone to remind me about bill due dates or appointments or something I need to remember to do on a specific date.