organization
This has been a highly requested blog post! This is actually my first time using a Day Designer and I am so so excited to get my life even more organized! I'm still learning the best ways to get the most out of my new planner, but this should help if you are new to Day Designer.
Monthly View
What I really like about Day Designer is their clean layout. It feels so refreshing to start planning on a "clean slate." I use the monthly view to map out big events, birthdays, bills, exams (when I figure out when those are!!!) I find that the Day Designer squares hold a lot of information for even the busiest of months!
Daily Pages
Something that I'm not familiar with is having an entire page dedicated to a day. But I've found that I really like it!!! In the past, my planners have only featured weekly pages to plan my days. With the daily page, it makes it really easy to schedule and get a glimpse what times you're free. I sometimes find myself wanted to agree to an event, but then realize that I have something going on at that time! This feels like a tangible Google calendar (if you are familiar with those) and you can prepare for busy or free days.
The to-do list on the side is so so helpful for jotting down to-dos and not getting swamped with sticky notes (#guilty). I also am such a fan of the helpful tabs up top like dinner and due dates. I will use these A LOT during the school year.
A fun thing about the Saturday/Sunday page is this at a glance of the next week. I plan the Sunday the week before and fill this in so when I sit down to plan my next week, I already have a pretty good reference of how busy I'll be. It also is fun to use if you have something exciting coming up to look forward to.
Front Page
Other than writing your contact info in case you lose you planner, I like to use the first blank page to attach my color code for the planner. I have a different color for each of my classes that translates into my schedule and to-do's. I also put down dates that occur every month (like bills) so when I'm planning for the next month, which is something I do the last week of the month before, I can put those down first!
Ideal Schedule
This is my favorite part I think!!!! You can literally map out your perfect week which is helpful when you are taking classes, have clubs, work, etc. It keeps you organized and gives you a general idea of what to expect week to week. While no two weeks are the same, it's a helpful reminder!
Let me know what you think! If you are new to the Day Designer game, was this helpful? Also let me know which planner design you got/plan on getting! If you are a Day Designer pro, share your tips below! I would love to know how you utilize your planner.
If you are wanting to purchase a Day Designer, use my link! I would love to know if I helped on your planner journey LOL
Happy Planning!
B
B
Hi everyone! So I have gotten SO MANY requests to do a post about how I organize my agenda. I thought what better way to kick off my blog than with a highly anticipated post!
Currently, I use the Lilly Pulitzer Large Agenda. I have had a Lilly planner for the past three years and I LOVE them. Last year, I used the Jumbo for my Senior year of high school. I went back to the large this year just because it's easier to carry around and I still have plenty of room to write everything. Also, I like to put a monogram sticker on my planner every year. I purchased mine from Sunshine Vinyl on Etsy. Personally, I have my own set of supplies that I use for my planner. These include:
- G2 Pilot Pens (I buy the 24 pack because you can never have too many colors)
- Sharpie Highlighters (matching colors to my pens)
- Thin Washi Tape
I am one of those Type A people who lives by color coding, so this is the system I use currently. As you can see, I broke it down by different categories: sorority, class/homework, Disney trips (guilty), clubs, appointment/misc, and then my Etsy shop. You can tweak this to fit your needs. I know some color code by different courses, but I like this way better so it's less confusing.
This is how I set up my month. When I get a syllabus or during a chapter meeting, I normally jot down events and due dates in this area of my planner. I try not to make this too crowded and save it for the important stuff like papers and projects or events that Phi Mu is partaking in or hosting. This gives me an overview of the month and keeps me on top of approaching due dates. I also like to use washi tape to section of weeks of events (recruitment, career week, Thanksgiving Break, etc.)
Another thing I like to do in this section is use the side area to write down items that I need/want to buy. That way I can use it like a reward system or make sure I don't buy too many sorority tees and can't pay for stuff I actually need (but you can never have too many frockets, am I right?)
This is my weekly view, which I typically finalize every Sunday night before the week begins. I use thin washi tape to section off about a third of the space for a "daily to-do list". I use this so I don't waste space writing down things like "vacuum" or "email professor" and I can check them off easily this way. I write down the first three course letters to differentiate classes and use different colors for the rest. I have a gator shaped paperclip (are we really surprised) to keep my spot on which week I'm in.
On the left side of my planner, I typically write down a Bible verse or quote to give me some sort of inspiration throughout the week. And at the bottom of the right side, I have all the companies that I represent/work with to make sure that I am posting about them once a week.
After I complete an assignment or an event is over, I highlight through it with the same color highlighter. Above is what a completed week typically looks like. If something is not marked or not check off, I move it to next week's to do list or respective day. That way all of my tasks are completed.
Now the fun part! My favorite thing to do besides planning my life is using all kinds of stickers in my planner. In addition to the stickers that comes with my planner, I also have the Greek/College Lilly stickers and I purchase other sticker sets from Etsy. For example, I have these adorable contact case stickers to put in my planner to make sure I'm changing out my contacts when I need to!
So that's basically all I do to stay organized and up to date with my planner! I hope you enjoyed this post and I would love to hear your ideas for more posts. Thanks for reading and I hope you love planning as much as me. I mean in the wise words of Leslie Knope, my hobbies include "jammin' on my planner".
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