It’s that time of year again where you are ready to make this year your bitch! But don’t you say that every year and how did that work out for you last year? Well, you are in the right place to change all of that!

I am doing a 7 day series to give you the tools to start the year off right and make it your year.

Day 1: Why you shouldn’t have another New Years resolution

Day 2: How a planner will improve your year

Day 3: A procrastinators guide to getting sh*! done

Day 4: 7 ways to give your mental health a boost

Day 5: The ultimate morning routine to boost your confidence

Day 6: Why your clutter is holding you back

Day 7: 4 ways to achieve financial success this year

So for day 2 I want to tell you how a planner will help you have the best year of your life.

How a planner will improve your year

Having a planner can help you get your life organized. Which you probably already know. I remember when I was in high school and my mom hounded me about keeping my life organized with a planner. And now that I am an adult understand why she wanted me to have a planner.

Planners have come along way. They are more than just a calendar. Some of them have a place for you to write your thoughts and goals down. Planners now have as much personality as you do.

Why you need a planner

Planners help keep you organized and make sure you don’t forget what you have going on. It’s nice to be able to have something handy when you get a jolt of inspiration and need to hurry and jot it down.

I used to use my phone to keep me organized but that didn’t work so great. I put something in my calendar on my phone and not be able to see the whole description that I wrote (I have to be very detailed or I forget). Or I would abbreviate it so I could see everything but then I would forget the details. Like when someone asks if you have any questions and you know you do, but you just can’t remember them.

Track your goals

Remember how we said that we weren’t going to have new years resolutions anymore. Well, this is a great way to keep track of everything you put on your New Years bucket list. You can put your planner in when you want to do the things from your bucket list.

If you want to go on a trip or have a goal completed by a certain month you can write it on the month/calendar page. That way you can get it off of your mind and on paper. That way you won’t have to worry about remembering it later. 

It can prevent stress

Have you ever been going about your day and realize you forgot you had a baby shower or a birthday party to go to? And now you have to interrupt your day to go buy a present and try not to be late to something you completely forgot about? (it’s not just me right?)

If you write it in your planner you won’t have to worry about that problem. It will cause less stress to have a planner than to not have one.

Keeps you focused

Now that you can have your life organized you can stay laser focused. You’ll have your goals written down so that they can motivate you to get things done.

You will have things planned out (and know when it’s coming up) so it won’t feel like it crept up on you and throw your whole day off. It will help you keep tabs on everything so you don’t have that feeling of forgetting something. 

Types of planners

Now that you know why you need a planner you need to find one that works for you. There are so many different types out there that it can be hard to choose so here is a pros and cons list on the most popular planners.

Bullet journals

Pros

• they can be as cute as you want them to be.
• There are no rules with these. You can have just a weekly schedule if you want or you can just a monthly calendar to make it through the year. It’s up to you.
• You can have any page be whatever you want – username and password page, spending log, gratitude page, or whatever your heart desires
• They are pretty cheap.
• Lots of different types of notebooks work for them

Cons

• If you aren’t creative (or don’t have the time to be) it can be hard to do
• It can take up a lot of time to get started.
• You have to have an idea to keep it organized or it can look a little scatter-brainy.

Glam Planners

Pros

• These are super cute and don’t need to be planned out. The calendar layout is done for you.
• They have any style you can think of. Find the one that goes with your style
• Some of them have pen holders and an elastic to keep things held shut.
• You can find them pretty much everywhere.
• You can find ones that start at the new year or start when schools starts again.

Cons

• You can’t be as creative with this one
• Some of them can be pretty pricey.
• They aren’t as unique. Someone will have the same style as you.

Portfolio Planner

Pros

• If you find the one you like you won’t have to buy a whole new planner every year.
• Lots of storage so you can keep your phone or tablet in your planner if you want.
• Some of them zip close so nothing will fall out.
• They are durable, so you don’t have to worry about them falling apart half way through the year.
• When you find one you like you don’t have to worry not being able to find the same style next year.

Cons

• You have to buy new insert calendar every year
• They are pretty pricey compared to the other kind
• They’re bulky so they can’t just be slipped in a purse or a diaper bag without taking up a lot of room.

When picking a planner you don’t have to compromise on style or functionality. Pick the one that fits in your lifestyle.

It’s a wrap

This has been day 2 of 7 days to the best year yet. Now that you know why you really need a planner, you can go and slay your day! But is it enough to have the best year ever? I think you’ll definitely need to stick around for day 3.

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