"Must Haves" in my planner #paperplanners

If you've been here before you know that I can be organizationally challenged, and that this year I've made great strides in winning the chaos war!

2014 marks the year I returned to the paper planner.

"Tony" is my beautiful green leather Franklin Covey Classic size planner that travels with me everywhere I go. (Yes, I choose my purse size accordingly!)

Once you get in the habit of writing everything that needs to get done down - and YES, I mean everything - you can get a better handle on your life, your priorities and your time sucks.

For me, my biggest problem is forgetting the little things...like, stop for milk on the way home from work, go to the bank on the way home from work, pick-up the dry cleaning on the way home from work...seeing a pattern here? LOL

First "must-have" accessory in my planner: clear zippered pouches! I have two. In one I keep small bills. In the second I keep my next "must-haves" the accessories that keep me sane: blank sticky to-do pad and assorted colored mark-up stickers and flags.

Everyday I peel off a new to-do sticker and it goes right in the front of my planner - where it can't be missed as soon as I open it up. This is my ACTION list. Things get written on this list and crossed off all day long. At the end of my work day, if there are errands for the way home, I peel off the list and stick it to my dashboard - not to read while I'm driving, but to REMIND me I have stops to make. This works! I am a routine girl, if I don't have that visual reminder, I get lost in the music on the radio and then I find myself pulling into the driveway forgetting everything I was supposed to do - which means an extra trip out.

Appointments and schedules still go inside on my daily planner sheets.

Do you have a technique to remember those little things that pop up during the day?

The Book Bible #amwriting

Folder or Binder?

In my never ending quest to keep my writing life organized, I've decided it's time for "book bible."

Ideally, it should be big enough for all the notes I normally stick to my desk and shove in my inbox, and it should also be flexible enough to be portable and fit inside my tote bag.

Last week I used a folder with the three-prongs inside so I could set up my dividers (cast, setting, scenes & synop) - but I wasn't happy with difficulty in adding more pages (what a pain!)

This morning I moved everything to a 1 inch flexible binder. I love the fact that I can read the title of my WIP through the cover (I know...it's the small things that make me happy sometimes!)

The binder fits inside my tote bag - so far, so good.

Do you have a traveling book bible?

A Color Coded Planner

Not only am I am a visual girl...I love to color code anything in my life I can. I like to be able to see things at a glance and know what's going on. I do this with my colored post-it notes on the plot board for my books, so it makes total sense for me to carry that over to my planner. And it keeps "Tony" from looking boring (the horror!)

On the far right in the picture above are the little Avery dots. Since Tony isn't a very big planner (he's the Franklin Covey Compact size) and I prefer the week on one page view (see last week's post) - I don't have a whole lot of room for anything bigger. These dots are a good size to stick right next to an appointment or task, so I can see a glance how my week is shaping up.

Green is always money. Money coming in or going out (usually going out *sigh*) - but if it's something like a reminder that my daughter has to bring Girl Scout dues to the meeting at the end of the week, that green dot it a nice reminder for me.

Yellow, is always my family color - because they are after all, the sunshine of my life! So if it's a family thing on my calendar, it gets a yellow dot.

Orange are my errands...and when I start to see too many orange dots, I know it's time to juggle a few things off to someone else or at least move them to another day.

Pink is ANYTHING writing related. Writing meetings, brainstorming dates with the writer girls, or time I've set aside for promo, blogs, marketing, etc.

The colored dots not only keep me on track - they also have a way of keeping my life balanced. If I see a few weeks with a LOT of pink dots and no yellow...I know I've shifted my focus away from the family and that's not the mom and wife I want to be.

I've tried to be supermom and the only thing I really succeeded in doing was stressing myself out. Life is about balance, learning what's important to juggle and what we sometimes have to let go of for a while.

If you use a color coding system to plan your life...what's your trick?

Happy travels!

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! :)

 

Inside the planner...the front page.

I'm still getting used to carrying the planner (affectionately know as "Frankie") everywhere I go - but I can say with confidence it has made a difference in how I feel about the chaos I call my life.

When I open Frankie, on the left side I have several pockets, which is the reason I bought this particular Franklin Covey model...I need pockets. There's a strip with 4 credit card slots and one windowed slot, right now I'm using this area for my post-it flags, gift cards I've received, etc.

Behind the credit cards area is a pocket I'm using for things like my Bed Bath & Beyond coupons and my weekly dry-cleaning receipt (which has been awesome, no more digging through my bag looking for that dry-cleaning ticket - I know exactly where it is!)

Behind that is a zipped pocket where I keep a few extra bucks.

And behind that (I told you there are a LOT of pockets in this planner!) is where I keep notes and papers that I don't need front and center, but know I'll need within the next few days, and some extra post-its.

On the right, I've got a plastic binder pocket (did I mention I love pockets?) In here I have my everyday motivation checklist for getting things done and if there is something urgent that I have to remember - it goes here on a post-it.

On the next page, I bought these adorable magnetic clips with punctuation marks on them, I kept them on the plastic binder pocket so I know where they are when I need them.

On the right, I bought a few pieces of decorative card stock in different designs to cut down to make dividers. I decorated the side with washi tape which doubles as a nice reinforcement for the holes. This is my immediate note section, but on the front is my weekly to-do list. I always have my week color coded - each day has it's own color.

I put appointments on my calendar - my to-do's go right up front on my post-it notes so that when I open the planner - they are right there! This has proven to be very effective for me.

So far, all is well is plannerville and I'm happy with way it's working out for me. My only complaint about the binder I picked is the small ring size...it's been limiting on how much I can put in the planner and still feel the pages turn with relative ease. We'll see how it goes. :)

If you use a planner - what's your must have on those all-important first pages?

Planning to succeed

Week one!

As promised, today I'm showing off a little of the inside of the new planner. I anticipate it's going to take me a few weeks to really figure out a system that's going to work for me, but I think I'm off to a good start.

My calendar pages (I bought the DayTimer Flavia 1 Page Per Week) arrived on December 31st and I quickly went to work loading up "Frankie." I already had the plastic pocket folders from a previous attempt at being organized, so I'm able to reuse them (yay!)

On Amazon, I found the punctuation magnetic clips that will be used throughout the planner - but I'm not sure where yet.

I splurged on some fun wasi tape and colored/textured cardstock to use as a dividers at JoAnn's the other day too. (Of course they're purple!)

This is the divider page for the January calendar and I love that each month is colorful and has a new quote.

I've made room in my purse for Frankie and I've made it rule #1 that he's going everywhere I go...no appointments will be made without consulting him first.

Planner Rule #2 - consult with Frankie every night before bed and adjust the schedule for the next day...nothing screams organization like knowing exactly what to prepare for the next day, right?

Planner Rule #3 - the daily list. Yes, I am a list girl and I love to see things get crossed off my list, it makes me feel productive - even on those days when my plate is crazy full.

Each page this month has my total word goal written at the bottom - each day I will add my total to visibly track my progress.

I have a section strictly for writing inspiration, the perfect place for the little tidbits that pop up when I'm out.

The planner will surely evolve over the next few months into something that is unique to me - but I'm planning and that's the first step toward success!

Have a planner tip for me? I'd love to hear it.

Planning for 2014

Frankie, my new personal assistant!

For whatever reason, organizing my life has been a constantly unattainable goal since the day I was born. As a typical Aquarian, it's a inner battle to get myself to commit to precise appointment and goals.

For years, I've been trying app after app, calendar after calendar, all in the hopes of trying to maintain some sort of balance. All to no avail. The reminders I have beeping on my cell-phone are usually ignored. :)

As a writer, I know the power of the written word and how I simply remember more and feel more committed to something when it's down on paper.

So, this year, I bought myself a brand new, leather bound, Franklin Covey planner - probably a little too big to fit in my bag, but we'll see.

I had a few "must-haves" on my list when I went looking for a planner (not a big surprise, right? LOL) I wanted a zip pocket, I had to have a place for a pad on the inside right, I also wanted at least one pocket on the left side.

 And because I always jump into things 100%, I found a few Facebook groups for Planner Addicts and promptly discovered binder charms (and when I found the Romeo and Juliet Book charm...I HAD to have it!)

Over the next few days I will be immersing myself in YouTube videos on planner set-ups and how to decorate my planner - because let's face it, stickers and colored pens are awesome...the scrapbooker in me is in pig heaven at the idea of adding creative touches to my new boring brown planner! (Poor Frankie, is going to be girled up in no time!)

Now, as I move into 2014, I'm filling up the calendar with goals and dividing my planner into both day-to-day life plans and long term goals.

Next Friday, I'll give you a peek inside :)

How are you doing on your new year goals? Do you use a paper planner or are you an electronic calendar girl?

Checklists, Deadlines and Cats

What could be better than combining my love of post-it notes with my love of checklists?

It's taken me a while, but I've finally come up with a system that works for me and keeps me focused and on track all day. My sticky note goes everywhere with me - it fits perfectly in my moleskin organizer and when I'm home for the day it sticks to the side of my monitor.

As you can see, I also love my color coding and there is a system to my madness :)

The white sticky at the top has my inspirational quote of the week. The pink note is there to remind me that at the end of the day I deserve to reward myself - even if it's something small! Both the white and pink stay all week long.

Next comes the blue post-it, which for me represents my family and personal agenda items for the day...you know those errands and things you MUST get done. Yup, we all have those, but the key for me is to narrow it down to 4 or 5 MUSTS - the rest is gravy. :)

The green note is my writing goals for the day. I break them into small chunks because I have a day job and this is the system that works for me. 500 words before I leave for the job. 500 more before dinner and 500 after dinner.

The green and the blue get ripped off at the end of the day and replaced with fresh notes each day. For me there is just something energizing about ripping off those notes - knowing I accomplished tasks on my list. It feels good.

Goals and deadlines...two things that go hand in hand in life. Keeping my daily goals and deadlines in front of me with my sticky to-do list has helped me.

Of course, these two furballs keep me on my toes as well. Rocky (right) doesn't get along with the puppy - but Oreo does. Either way, these two stick together and can usually be found cuddled together on my dining room table.

As you can see, Oreo gets more than his share of the treats...but we love him just the way he is!

You're Turn!

Tell me about your method of checking off the daily chores and goals!

Deadlines, Dreams and A Purring Cat

"Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world."
~ Harriet Tubman

Dreamer? Yes, that's me.

Strength, patience and passion? Absolutely!

Organized and able to wing it to stay on program? Ahhh, not so much.

Over the past few years (yes, I said years!) I've tried calendars, pocket agendas, online task lists that send me reminders...and I still keep looking.

Now that I've put myself in the drivers seat of my own writing career, it's more important than ever to figure out how to turn my dreams into reality and that's only going to happen if I hit my deadlines.

Yesterday I tried out a new (FREE!) app on my phone - Any.do and it worked great for me! I love the "plan your day" feature.

As for the dream...

Surrender to the Sheriff is with my editor, but you can read the blurb and a short excerpt on my website

I'll have a cover soon too!

Want more of a sneak peak with more excerpts and maybe even a contest before the book is released in July? Sign up for my newsletter!

Rocky has been spending more time curled in my lap these days, his purring and the clicking of my keyboard are music to my ears in the early morning hours or late at night.


How do you stay organized with all the "to-dos" on your list? Do you find the old-fashioned paper works best or do you like the reminders on your phone?






Happy travels, my friends!

New Calendars, New Beginnings...

I am a calendar junkie and this is my favorite time of the year.

Every store has a new choice to feed my addiction.

How many calendars can a girl have? Well, I'm so glad you asked...

I have one hanging in my kitchen. I have a weekly calendar I post on my refrigerator with all of the activities for that week for every member of the family (thanks to Cozi.com!) I've also got one of those "daily" calendars on my desk at home...I'm a sucker for those!

I've got a Moleskin daily calendar in my pocketbook.

Yes, I have my Cozi calendar on my smartphone. It sends me reminders and I think that's awesome. :)

Calendar over my desk at work? Of course!

And last but not least, in my tote bag that goes everywhere with me, I have a good old-fashioned daily planner with folders, zippered pockets, etc.

You'd think with all these calendars I'd never missed an appointment. Well, that's not exactly the case, but I do get better every year at actually consulting the calendars on a routine basis. LOL

Something about opening up a new calendar and penning appointments in the boxes that gives me a sense of being in control of my life. All those blank hours in the day, just waiting for me to fill them up or keep them empty and plan NOTHING. It's all up to me (well, at least I like to pretend it is.) I look at all those blank days and weeks are new opportunities to start something, to accomplish a goal a day at a time.

My kids get calendars every year in their Christmas stockings, because it's never too early to learn how to plan and schedule.

Now, with the proliferation of calendars in all the stores this time of year, I can't believe I am the only one with this particular fettish...so tell me, how many calendars will you buy this year?

And while you're here, why not take a chance to win some handmade holiday scented travel soap? (See the giveaway here!)

Have a great day and safe travels...



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The holiday 15 minute rule

How is it only a week before Thanksgiving?

Once again I feel like the holiday has come way too fast and I'm so not ready.

This year it's our turn to host the family for Thanksgiving, and I haven't even started shopping yet. I lay the blame for my lack of being in holiday mode solely at the feet of Hurricane Sandy and our being powerless at our house for 10 days. Running my refrigerators on a generator for 6 hours a day didn't instill enough confidence for me to run out and buy a 25 lb turkey before now.

The day job requires me to be there five hours a day, hubby just started a new job that keeps him from home for 12 hours a day (including his commute time...poor guy!) and add to the mix 3 kids, 2 cats and a brand new puppy being housebroken and you've got a recipe for CONFUSION!

So I am instituting the "holiday 15 minute rule." I'm a big fan in breaking everything down into small bite-size chunks - everything from saving for a big purchase to a project that's huge and daunting - everything just seems more doable in small doses.

Not familiar with the 15 minute holiday rule? Here's the way things run in my house...

(1) Make a list of all the things that need to be done for the holiday. (And I mean ALL the things! Everything goes on the list.)
(2) Tackle the items on your list in 15 minute bursts. Don't be afraid to delegate - give the kids 15 minutes to do something on the list - even if it's folding napkins or making those holiday place cards.

For example, in 15 minutes I can pull out the holiday decorations from storage. In 15 minutes I can go through the pantry to determine what staples for the holiday baking I need to stock up on. In 15 minutes I can make the holiday food shopping list...etc.

By breaking it down into 15 minute chunks of time several times a day, I can accomplish most of my holiday stress list without being all that stressed - then I can concentrate on the larger issues like setting aside enough time to bake the pies, actually DO the holiday shopping and cooking the meal.

I also add in a few 15 minute time slots during the day to write 500 words and a coffee/tea break ('cause nobody's happy in my house if I'm stressed out!)

Now I need some easy holiday recipes, because I'm just tired of serving the same old things! Do you make anything easy and special for a change of pace?

Happy scribbling my friends!