The Planner: It's all about the pages!

Franklin Covey, Boston in Green, Compact

Since the beginning of the new year I've been dedicated to using a paper planner and have already seen a huge difference in both my writing productivity and my household organization!

But...it hasn't been without the need to tweak the system as I go along.

First up, Frankie needed an upgrade (or a downgrade depending on how you look at it. LOL)

I recently purchased this new beautiful green leather binder from Franklin Covey in the compact size. Definitely makes more a statement and feels more "me" than the generic black I started out with, but it's also smaller.

I love the smaller size as it fits much nicer into my bag and isn't as bulky...but that also meant buying ALL new paper, dividers, calendars, pocket dividers etc. *sigh*

"Tony" is a nice size and according to the Franklin Covey site, the filler pages are 4.25 inches wide. Since I'm cheap and really didn't think that extra 1/2 inch would make a big difference I opted for the more generic and cheaper refills from another company that measured in at 3.75.

You can see the difference here - the smaller pages are on top. So, in the case of planner pages, size really does matter!

The other problem I had with the Franklin Covey refills for the Compact size, was the layouts. I don't need a page per day, and I don't like the vertical layout of their two page per week offerings. Does this make me a picky pain in the ass? Probably, but since it's my planner and the whole idea is for it to work for ME...I'm inclined to not care if it makes me picky or not!

Fortunately, I'm a crafty girl and with the help of some lovely girls who share my new addiction to planners on Facebook, I've discovered a world of free downloads all over the 'net.

Enter The Scattered Squirrel.

 

 On the right I've got my week, in nice colored boxes where I can note specific daily appointments. On the left is lots of space for to-dos, shopping lists, etc. I printed out a few, punched the holes, reinforced them and I think I'm good to go.

Until next week...happy planning! :)