Speaking of spending money. My name is Joanne and I am a planner/organizer addict............

[Joanne]

I've probably posted about this before.

 

But I've got "it" bad and I'm jonesing. All my life, I've had this idea that the *perfect* planner will create my perfect life. And it might still be true. Because I've not found the perfect planner and I've not had the perfect life.

 

Homeschooling allowed me access to Well Planned Planners, Donna Young pages, Amy-somebody family planner, Manager of their Homes, Fly Lady and the Daily list for cleaning that you get online whose name I can't remember. When I was a Christian, I did a planner from Quiet Time Ministries. And I made a planner from Garden Tryst from Lamplight.

 

I remember before Franklin Covey was "Franklin Covey". I've had numerous DayTimers. I've had little ones, vinyl ones, leather ones, standard size and compact.

 

I love the fresh hope, promise, and endless possibilities of a new planner. The smooth,organized pages. Visualizing different colors (ink, highlighter, all used in a coded system for chores, calls, email, administrative errands, appointments....)

 

Over the years, I've tended to "think" I need a new planner for each new role, job, phase of development.

 

I recently got a Franklin Planner catalog in the mail. I'm sure that they have a perfect "post near fatal accident, impoverished with hope to build a private practice" planner just for me. Finally. It will solve my problems. My kids will be obedient, my house will be (and stay) clean, my budget will work, my credit will get cleaned up, my schedule will fill with appiontments and I'll buy a modest house.

It will start with just the right planner. It will. I know it will.

 

 

[jewellsmommy]

Hey, let me know when you find "that" planner...it sounds like magic. ;)  Hmmm....I think that's what I'm missing too...the right planner...yeah that's the ticket....

 

:grouphug:

[Amy in NH]

Maybe you can create the perfect planner and then make a million dollars selling it?

[Rose in BC]

I've got the Canadian strain of the same disease :).

[Harriet Vane]

Ah yes, I remember when I was first gifted with a Franklin day planner. Everyone in the company was given one, and we all attended a day-long seminar to learn how to properly use it. It had so many nifty tabbed sections. We were so pumped . . . .

[Dandelion]

Hi Joanne!  My name is Julie and I'm a planner addict too.

There's nothing like a fresh, crisp planner to start the new year. I have a little ritual where I go planner shopping in December every year, so I can write my goals in it for the new year and have it ready to go on Jan. 1. I'm sick like that. Who uses their planner on New Year's Day?? I do.   :p 

I'm having a bit of a dilemma though. This year, I've switched my appointments and events over to my iPhone calendar. It's working really well for me. For other goals and to do lists, I still mostly use my planner, although I've started using the task list on my phone too. The organizer in me thinks everything should be in one place, and since having appointments in my phone is working so well, I might have to switch completely over to my phone for everything. But there's something about writing things down in a planner that no app has been able to replicate for me. Sigh.

Maybe I'll write things in my planner AND plug them into my phone. Yeah. That's efficient.  :D

[Liz CA]

Have had lots of planners from Franklin Covey - I prefer the one day a page...but I have to tell you...the planner is not guiding your life but hopefully you will be able to guide your life with a planner. Everything you said about planners - I can totally relate. When the fresh 2014 package came in the mail, I could not wait to open it and touch it. Another year...I think it is a visual thing; the pages represent our hours and days.

[Audrey]

I used to be addicted to planners, too.  I chucked them all in favour of using Outlook (not the online crap, the program) which I synch to my BB.  I can make it tell me anything I need to remember, know, do, buy, ask, go to, etc., etc. 

[Lisa in SC]

Hi Joanne! My name is Lisa, and I, too, am a planner addict! My addiction goes deeper, though. I'm also addicted to planner pages. I prefer pages designed by other addicts over the more commercial pages. I could name the many that I'm drooling over at the moment, but I'm going to try to resist enabling fellow addicts. I will say that this is a fairly good addiction for me. I really do accomplish more and remember more with a well designed planner in my life.

[Guest]

It's bad enough that I used Homeschool Tracker for one kindergartener with a very relaxed academic and social schedule. The fact that I don't use Windows and had to run a virtual machine for the sole purpose of using Homeschool Tracker for one kindergartener with a very relaxed academic and social schedule means I need help!!!!

 

An M$-Word compatible document with a table, Red Notebook ( http://rednotebook.sourceforge.net/ ), and the calendar alert on my phone are all I really need but I can't convince myself that they are powerful enough to give me the perfect life.

[Camelfeet]

I am also addicted.  So much so that I spent dozens upon dozens of hours creating my own online planner... 

[Carol in Cal.]

I just use two tools--an outlook calendar, and to do lists on Word.

I've tried other things, and they don't work for me.

My to do lists have categories--urgent, personal, family, work, various volunteer chunks, house, shopping

I find that when I make a to do list I sleep better, and even if I don't look at it very much I am more effective.  I think that just writing things down cements them into your memory better.

[Deb in NZ]

I, too, have had a life-long search for the perfect planner, to help me get control of my life  :laugh:   I thought I'd found my best fit in the BusyBodyBook planner & for 5 years I was very happy.  Last year the company went out of business  :crying: & my search began again.  After a couple of false starts (& wasted $$) I am again very happy with my new planner (made by tinyme.com.au)  I find that having a column for each family member really helps me to see when someone (usually me) is doing too much.  Our family wall calendar is in columns as well & lets me see easily if dd is at sea or on shore & how her shore leave lines up with ds#2's regattas, etc.  

 

If I wanted to cut my budget I'd have to stay far away from book stores & stationary stores.  Even already having my 2014 diary (planner) I still feel the pull of those fresh, crisp new diaries in all the shops  :tongue_smilie:

[PrairieSong]

I use my phone for organizing appointments and shopping lists, etc., but for daily to-do lists I use a plain spiral notebook. I suppose I could use my phone or iPad for that as well, but I like crossing thing off my list with a pen. I'm old-fashioned.

[SKL]

LOL.  I have a Franklin Planner in a lovely leather cover, a generous gift I had asked for.  It all sounded so good.  I was going to start using it as soon as I got abc and xyz accomplished.  By the time I was "ready," the inserts were all outdated and I never got around to getting new ones.  The lovely, empty planner continues to take up space in my cupboard many years later.  I don't have the heart to ditch it.

 

The only thing that ever worked for me was putting stuff on my Outlook calendar.  It's not fancy, but that's probably why I like it.  Less is more.  If I don't want to think about all the things that I have to do in the future, I don't have to.

[AmyontheFarm]

As the owner of a a delicious red leather absolutely perfect Day Runner.  I am about to commit a Covey sin.  Throw away the catalog darling! Toss it out! Let go! Revel in the freedom of not being bound to a Franklin.  Set it free!

 

My biggest complaint for the longest time was that my gorgeous book didn't open itself and get started on all my tasks before I even woke up my sleepy head.  It didn't solve all my problems, world peace or even who's day it was to do laundry and gasp! It even collected dust, just to insult me!

 

Once, I created a recipe of my own for organization then my house started to appear to clean itself, we started arriving 10 minutes early for appointments, taxes and other head exploding paper work magically appeared done and correct the first time and the children stopped mouthing back that it wasn't their week to do such and such.  You my dear, don't need a book.  You need time to research all the programs you have already studied on their own and overlay the good parts from each program so that you stitch together a program designed just for you by you!

 

I was able to write out what I loved about each "system" and build my own system.  It won't work for anyone else, it will only work for me and this house.  But; that's the key.  It does now work!

[Jennifer in MI]

Check out the Cozi app!  I started using it a couple months ago and am in LOVE with it!  I put all appointments/activities, etc in there and it sends the entire family reminders.  I can enter to-do lists for each child and they are emailed to them.  So far, it has worked really well!

 

[Chris in VA]

LOL--love this post! 

 

You should do more writing, Joanne. Do you have a blog? 

[Joanne]

LOL--love this post! 

 

You should do more writing, Joanne. Do you have a blog? 

 

 

I used to be the Happy Homeschooler!

 

I've had a couple of parenting support sites.

 

I am currently working on a site for my private practice.

There are also a couple of books in my head - parenting, parenting in recovery, and recovery in general.

[sbbulliv]

I am right here with you!  The split between electronic and paper is the toughest right now.  My brain works better with a pen in my hand, but obviously all the information coming in is digital.  I recently got a deal on a "family planner" at Target and recycled the Franklin catalog before it even came in the house.  It was a tough moment of indecision over the recycle bin, but I did it! 

 

Wow!  It sounds like Amyonthefarm has some tips to share!  Hope she does.

[Mango]

The perfect planner (after all my Franklin planners and daytime's) is iCal.

 

Use it with an ipod touch, iPad or an iphone. The iphone would compliment your business.

 

1. You can set up never-ending, repeating  birthdays. You'll never forget again! 
2. Your whole calendar, for years, is right in your pocket! Very portable, never bulky. 
3. iCloud makes sure you never lose it. AND you can search for past appointments or dates in a blink. iCloud keeps everything up to date on all your ical locations. 
4. The notes feature is fantastically fast, alphabetically organized, date and time stamped. Whohooo, never lose an important note again. 
5. It's easy to invite folks to join your meetings. Theres a feature in the appointment for inviting. 
6. You can color code the kids, hubby, and work calendars! 
7. Forgetful? Never worry, there's an alarm feature to make sure you get warned 1 day, 1 hour, or minutes before. 
8. Its Earth friendly because it's paperless....forever!

 

I also share my calendar with my mother & husband via iCloud (view not edit). 

 

Now days I'm a doer, I just grab that phone and go! It will even beep at me when I pass by Officemax and remind me I need printer cartridges. 

 

 

 

[Moxie]

But it isn't just the planner! You must also spent large amount of time searching for the perfect set of color-coding pens!! Once you find the two, magic will happen. You'll wake up earlier and your home will clean itself!! Rainbows, unicorns, puppies!!

[Tohru]

I was an addict too.  Until I realized that I kept buying planners because I was trying to capture time itself.  If I had the right planner and the right calendar, then I could keep time and get back all the time I had wasted in my life.  It was a very profound moment of clarity for me.

 

After reading Culture Code, I realized that a lot of things that I do is because they symbolize other things. 

 

[thessa516]

Well, have you checked out the Filofax yet? I mean, they have entire Pinterest boards dedicated to this beautiful planner. And people make Youtube videos of how they organize their planners. 

 

I'm sure that the Filofax Malden Personal in Ochre I'm drooling over will solve all my problems.  :drool5:

 

I also subscribe to and participate in #planneraddicts and #planneraddictspotd over at A Bowl Full of Lemons.  :lol:

 

---

 

I went digital. Evernote. Google Calendar. I went full in. For over a year. There ended up being too many times I was without service or couldn't access my Evernote. It would take way too long to pull up Google Calendar to schedule appointments. I'm happily back with my pen and paper and more productive than ever. Even my DH is impressed.

[Mnemosyne]

I love my planners.

 

Right now, I'm trying to make Evernote work instead... and it just isn't doing the trick for my calendar/planning needs. It's great for everything else, but it just isn't a calendar, even with the new reminder system.

 

I've been thinking of making my own...

[AmyontheFarm]

I went digital. Evernote. Google Calendar. I went full in. For over a year. There ended up being too many times I was without service or couldn't access my Evernote. It would take way too long to pull up Google Calendar to schedule appointments. I'm happily back with my pen and paper and more productive than ever. Even my DH is impressed.

 

I tried to go digital, but for the same reasons as thessa516 I had to go back to paper and pen.

The closest thing I go to digitally now, is to take a picture of my family calendar with my ipad and use that picture as my background picture.  This way I can quickly see if something is scheduled for that day.  I also will email or text myself a note to remember to add something to the calendar or call myself and leave a message on the home phone to remind myself.  I am very forgetful otherwise.