My Pretty Project Life Planner

I embrace many aspects of technology, but digital scheduling isn’t one of them. I don’t use iCal or Google Calendar. I have never asked Siri to remind me of an appointment. Things just don’t stick in my brain that way. I need a tangible, visual way to keep track of my life and important information, and I’m okay with that.

For about ten years, my Franklin Covey Compact planner was my daily companion, but last fall I started to feel really bored with it: the plain dark brown that made it a safe long-term choice, the increasingly lame and few calendar refill options. Because it zipped up, I tended to store too much stuff in it, and any bills waiting to be mailed stuck out of the top awkwardly. I (guiltily) started browsing Pinterest for planner options that were more creative and enjoyable to look at. Eventually I found a post from Craft Room Secrets and knew exactly what I wanted!

My parents gave me this Filofax Saffiano Personal organizer (in Poppy) for Christmas. It’s smaller than my old Franklin Covey, but not so much that I feel crunched for page space, and light and thin enough to fit in my purse with no trouble. It closes with a snap strap and is open on three sides, so I won’t be tempted to stuff in lots of loose papers. It’s also beautiful! Red has never been my favorite color, but lately I feel very drawn to it – I’ve decided it must be my power color for 2015. It’s energizing, but I won’t get tired of it the way I would of, say, hot pink or orange.

The Filofax filler pages are very plain, but that’s okay. I copied Glenys’s brilliant idea of adding fun and inspiration with Project Life cards. I’ve finally given up even the pretense of scrapbooking, but if I ever started again, I’d go with Project Life. It seems really fun and easy. The cards are meant to complement life events, which makes them perfect for planners. I chose the Becky Higgins Core Kit in Honey, ordered a Filofax hole punch, and went to town. Note: I used barely a quarter of these cards, so if you want to do this and find a smaller pack that you like, I’d recommend that! I just had love at first sight with the Honey kit.

I mostly used the cards as dividers, but threw in extra blank ones for special notes. I also wrote out quote cards (mainly reminders of my One Word, Enough) and added them randomly throughout the year.

I never thought to use my planner as a personal diary of sorts, but I’ve learned that a lot of people do. They glue in ticket stubs and write down random thoughts or memories from the day. It’s a nice idea, since I don’t scrapbook anymore and I usually save my calendar pages anyway for record-keeping’s sake. I haven’t done very well with it so far, but this is a Reminder To Self.

It may seem like a silly thing, but I’m happy to have a new planner that makes me happy and encourages my creative brain! Much of my daily life is a creativity suck, so I need all the help I can get.