Three Tips for a Successful Planner

Planning has become an obsession of mine.  I started out with just a mini binder from Target and now I have too many shelves of planners that I don't know what to do with.  But while those guys sit unused, I've been focusing on my Mini Happy Planner for ages now.......but just to switch things up I'm playing around with a Classic Size! What???

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Something I hear a lot about in the planning community is planner peace.  While this looks different for everyone it is often a long journey & sometimes feels unsuccessful.  Planning should be two things:

1. About you & your needs
2. F U N

Yes, we're using this system to get things done but we should also be focusing on how planning affects us.  If we're having fun and feeling inspired we're more likely to get things done & feel productive.  That is why I like to functionally decorate my planner.  Sometimes pretty does serve a purpose...if you want to live an inspired life you've gotta surround yourself with inspiring things.

Here are my 3 tips for a successful planner

Watch YouTube Videos

Now, when you watch these guys don't go getting a case of #FOMO (fear of missing out).  You're watching these videos to get ideas on what you may want to include in your planner.  I can't tell you how many times I still watch a Mini Happy Planner set up video to see how others are using their planners.  When it comes to the Happy Planner line a lot of people call this style of planning frankenplanning because you're taking different parts of different planners or accessories and putting them together.  I don't think I have a Frankenplanner....I just think I have a set up that works for me!  If you want to see my most current Mini Happy Planner set up for some inspiration, check it out here.

Plan your Planner

Now that you have an idea of the sections you might want to include in your planner it is time to figure out how you'll use them.  I love to plan my planners and you can often find a section in my planner about ideas for my planner.  This is all about making the planner work for you.  

If you have a plan then you're not out there all willy nilly buying planner supplies you don't know how to use.  If you see something out there you like consider how you'll use it.  Make a plan for it.  This will save you money & save your sanity!  This goes for any planner system, not the just the Happy Planner!

Experiment

The final tip is to just see what happens!  If you find yourself really interested in a system but you're not quite sure how you'll use it just go for it.  I recently used a 50% off coupon on a teacher planner from the Happy Planner just so I could see if I'd really like to use it as a social media planner. (spoilers I LOVE IT!)  I'm gonna make a good go of it and if it doesn't work out then I didn't spend too much and I can probably pass the rest on to someone else.

When you feel the call to do something...sometimes you shouldn't ignore it!  A system you're interested in may end up working perfect for you or you may learn something else about your needs that you can switch up later.  

There is no right or wrong way to plan.  Hell, even just putting a sticker down on paper serves a purpose for you - if it's inspiring just do it.  Planning is a creative & productive outlet for me so don't let anyone tell you that your way of planning isn't the right way.

If you'd like to test out some printable inserts to see what might work for you in your planner, check out the etsy shop!  I use some of the personal size inserts like the budget & week on one page in my Mini Happy Planner and love it.  You can also join the Printable of the Month Club over on Patreon to get a brand new planner printable each month.  Subscribe for only $3 here.

What planner system works for you? What have you tried that hasn't worked out?

xoxo, Moe