Back-to-School: It's Not Just for Kids

 I'm currently up to my ears in fall semester planning and frustrated that organizing is something I can only talk/write about until things settle into a routine. Luckily, I had a chance to do just that on Tuesday, when Tracy Stewart, the woman behind OSV's Up Close webinar series, was kind enough to host me on the webcast once again. 

Fittingly enough, we talked about back-to-school organizing, but we got to move beyond just little kids and talk a bit about college students and adults as well. I think that's the first time I've had that sort of back-to-school discussion, and it was a lot of fun.

In addition, OSV (the publisher of Know Thyself) offered the book at 20% off in conjunction with the webinar. Sale price is good at the OSV Bookstore through August 22 with the code KNOW20.

You can listen to the webcast here. 

If back to school is a thing at your house, I wish you all the best! 

Throwback Thursday: Planners by Style

Last week, I wrote about three questions to ask when buying a new planner, but all of them were about the planner itself, and that's only part of the story. When planners (or any organizing tools) work, it's because the interaction between tool and user is a good fit. Choosing a planner (or, again, any organizing tool) is about choosing the one that's best for you.

If you've already taken the styles quiz and know your personal and organizational styles, read on. If not, you might want to take a minute to take the quiz and see which one(s) of the styles below best describes you. 

• Do you need to see it? I need to see it folks can be very picky about the view. Some like month-at-a-glance, while others are die hard day-by-day planners. Finding the view that works best not for just your life, but for your personal preference plays a role as well. Personally, I need to see white space. A cluttered planner stresses me out, so trying to cram everything into one of those pocket-sized calendars is an absolute guarantee I won't use it, no matter how cute the cover is.

• Do you like to be busy? I love to be busy folks need calendars that travel easily. Many I love to be busy people choose electronic planners and apps for just that reason. Whether you choose paper or electronic, however, finding a consistent home for your planner is key. A lost planner is of no use whatsoever, and is more stress-inducing than no planner at all.

• Do you drop and run? Then you need a place to corral all of those appointment cards and reminders or you need a planner that makes them obsolete. Electronic planners or desk planners may rise to the top for this style because it's less likely that we'll set down a device that serves multiple functions and forget about it than a single-function paper planner. Your personal style may also lead the way here. An I love stuff/drop and run person may gravitate toward a different planner than the I love to be busy/drop and run person.

• Do you know you put it somewhere? Once again, location is key. While personal style may lead the I know I put it somewhere organizer to a particular planner, the most important thing for someone with this organizational style is deciding on a consistent, convenient home for the planner so that it always goes in the same "somewhere." Electronic planners, desk calendars and the ever-faithful kitchen calendar just might do the trick.

• Do you cram and jam? Electronic planners and apps may be your saving grace. Not only do you not have to worry about deciphering all the information you crammed into a small square on a paper planner, but their electronic counterparts will notify you of all the things you tried to squeeze in as well.

• Do you love stuff? You, like me, might be suffering from (or reveling in) too many planners from which to choose! Using just one calendar is often your battle. Notice that I said using, not owning. I love stuff is not my primary personal style, but I do love stationery stuff, so you'll find multiple planners in my house. Each has its purpose, however, and when it comes to scheduling appointments, they all must go on one calendar, or you need a plan to integrate your multiple planners. But, take heart, next week's post focuses on some of the things you can do with all the other pretty planners you just had to have.

When styles (yours and the planner's) and functionality align, using a planner is not only easy, but it makes your life easier as well, giving you that much more time to do all the fun things you put into the planner in the first place. 

Or at least to relax, secure in the knowledge that you've written it down, and don't have to rely on memory alone because writing it down takes us one step closer to getting it done.

3 Keys Thursday: 3 Key Questions to Ask When Choosing a Planner

 

'Tis the season to think about planners! 

I must confess to having a passion for them. Though I know the advice to have one planner that holds everything is sound, for me, planners are like potato chips. 

I can't seem to have just one.

As someone with an I need to see it personal style (more on planners and styles next week), for me, it's all in the layout. Though I have a pile of planners that I use for a plethora of purposes (more on that in January as well), the two I use most regularly rose to the top of the pile because of their layouts. 

One has each month on a two-page spread, giving me space to write in all my appointments and see the month at a glance so I can (theoretically) avoid appointment overload. It's big enough that I don't have to squeeze everything into a tiny square, and thin enough to fit in my purse so that I can write down appointments when I make them.

The other is an undated book with space for daily notes. Each Sunday, I transfer all of my personal appointments and school obligations from the monthly planner into the undated book (dating the pages in the process) so that each day has its own page. Yes, I'm aware that I can find both of these features in a single planner and, for a long time, I did. But I love the space for a to-do list and three daily priorities in my undated planner and the process of transferring things from one book to the other reminds me of what I need to do and aligns the personal and the professional, reducing the possibility of my forgetting to be somewhere or do something. 

Sound too complicated? Then it's not a good plan for you. But, for me, after years of trial and error (#itsaprocess), I've landed on a plan that helps me keep everything straight without having to lug a ten-pound planner with me everywhere I go. As with all things organizing, though, one size (planner) does not fit all. 

Here are a few more things to consider as you go in search of the one that's perfect for you.

Electronic or paper? Do you use your phone for everything? If so, you might already have the perfect planner at your fingertips. Don't like the calendar on your device? There's probably an app for that. Analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of the built-in calendar when it comes to your planning needs can help you figure out what you're looking for....and what you're not.

To note or not to note? I like having pages for notes at the back of the calendar and, if there's some note-writing space on the planner pages themselves, that's a bonus. I don't have a hard and fast rule about what those pages are for. Quite honestly, I sometimes use them because they're the only note paper I have with me but other times, I use them to record things that are time-relevant, like information from doctor's appointments and goals and plans for the year. Again, if you're a planner-on-the-phone person, you might use your Notes app for this.

Parked or portable? As I said at the outset, there's a lot of wisdom in the advice to have a single planner for everything, whether it's in your bag or on the refrigerator. If you're going to break that rule (as I clearly have), make sure you're simplifying things, rather than overcomplicating them. Be honest with yourself about how well your plan is working for you. How often do you forget something that's in the "other" calendar? Never? Great! Keep up the good work! Sometimes? Maybe you need a plan for combining your calendars.

What's the most important feature of a calendar? Its ease of use. It doesn't matter if your calendar is the one that came on your phone, a clearance bin generic version, or an expensive personalized agenda with a monogrammed leather cover. Choosing the tool that works for your styles is half the battle.

What do you like best about your planner?