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Daria

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11 comments on What I use to plan

What I use to plan

I use: a monthly calendar and a regular, spiral-bound notebook. At this moment in time, however, I am in between two calendars: finishing 2024 and have been working with my 2025 calendar. I actually ordered my 2025-2026 calendar back in August.

Big flower theme; not intentional

A calendar has a monthly spread, so, big picture, and in my notebook I write out the weekly/daily things.

I am not a bullet journaler, and I don’t really do any stickers/decorations.

I do use highlighters haphazardly, mainly to highlight some important things (shows that I already bought tickets for, upcoming get-togethers, birthdays, kids’ activities and events at their schools).

Both my calendar and notebook are messy but especially my notebook. In my notebook, I have weekly and daily planning as well as travel plans, ideas and reminders for self, wish lists for things to do that are not immediate (example: get R a haircut or make corn for Thanksgiving celebration at my school). In other words, I use my notebook as a planner but also as a catch-all.

A to do list and some thoughts on France

I look at my monthly spread and my notebook every day.

I plan in advance, especially with travel and theater. It’s important for me to know where I am headed and have things to look forward to. I think it’s fair to say that, with big things like trips, it is six or eight months in advance.

Example: France trip is in July but I have had it written on my 2025 calendar for a while now. Also, activities like plays are planned in advance because I like to purchase tickets and sit close to the stage since I am nearsighted. Which reminds me, I want to comb through the agendas of NJPAC, MPAC and the State Theater and get something on the calendar for January, February, and March.

Other random things in my notebook- L’s drawings

What about you? Are you a planner? Do you enjoy it? How far in advance do you plan?

NaBloPoMo 2024 is here, and this post is part of it. Join me and other awesome bloggers in this challenge!

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Daria

Mother, teacher, partner, friend. I love coffee, books, and travel with and without kids. I dislike exercise. Nothing glamorous here but do have moments of insight.

11 responses to “What I use to plan”

  1. Nicole MacPherson Avatar
    Nicole MacPherson

    I am a planner and I have a paper “agenda” that I use to write in – it shows a week at a glance and has space for monthly things, goals, etc. I don’t use stickers or anything either.

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  2. Steve Avatar
    Steve

    I’ve settled on using a bullet journal at this point. I like the free-form approach it allows.

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  3. jennystancampiano Avatar
    jennystancampiano

    I’m interested to know- why don’t you use an official planner? I’m guessing the answer is that it’s too regimented for you, and you like to do your own thing.

    I don’t have a 2025 planner yet and it’s messing me up- I have some things I need to put in my 2025 calendar!

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  4. Melissa Avatar
    Melissa

    I plan on my computer. Google calendar for appointments etc and ROAM research for my lists, planning and note taking. For trips we usually plan well in advance, especially for overseas trips. For that G books flights and makes the intial outline in one note which he exports as a word document to me. It has a table format withcolumns being date, morning, aftenoon, evening, accomoadation. Things that are booked are highlighted green, need to be booked in yellow. And for other things that are flexible I just put them in possible positions with no highlighting

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  5. Lisa’s Yarns Avatar
    Lisa’s Yarns

    I had used a wonderland 222 for the last 2-3 years but this year I decided not to order one for 2025. Oddly I was never using the actual planning pages – I only used the notes pages at the back, mostly for to do lists for work and for taking notes during client meetings. All weekday stuff goes in my outlook calendar, including doctor appts and school closures, etc. For weekend plans, we have a Shutterfly calendar in our kitchen where I write things down. I also block off my travel on that so everyone knows when mom is gone (taco cant read yet so is oblivious, Paul can so he knows when I am gone/where I am going).

    I will be kind of sad to not get a W222 planner this year but I will just use a notebook for to do lists and note taking.

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  6. J Avatar
    J

    I have a planner where you just buy the refills every year, a month at a time. And we have a big calendar on the fridge. That’s it. For work stuff, I use notepads. For vacations, I use notepads or maybe a spreadsheet. I like to daydream about trips, but I don’t keep much of it in my planner, mostly beaause it’s so small.

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  7. Tina Avatar
    Tina

    Not really much of a planner, I really wish I could actually be better at it. I love lists and keep lists for everything. My biggest problem is I keep adding things to my lists but cross off very few things. I tried at the beginning of the year to organize myself and my lists and did okay for a couple of months, but I haven’t looked at in months. At this point I’m like, forget it and change some things and do better next year. I have different notebooks for different activities so I can keep track better, crochet in one place, menus and grocery lists in another, that sort of thing. But that’s about as organized I get.

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  8. Elisabeth Frost Avatar
    Elisabeth Frost

    I LOVE my planner. I used to use an inexpensive one from the DollarStore and it was fine. Now I use Sprouted and it’s AMAZING for me. I absolutely love the systems I’ve developed and it really helps me keep my life (quasi!) organized 🙂

    In addition to a planner, I make lists and more lists and even more lists. I buy “scratch” pads of paper at the DollarStore and use 1-2 sheets a day to make lists. It’s so helpful for keeping me on track.

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  9. Kyria @ Travel Spot Avatar
    Kyria @ Travel Spot

    I am definitely a planner! However, I mostly use online planning tools now, except if I am planning larger pieces of time out, I do like to write it all out so I can see it all visually at the same time. I also will often write lists and then either transfer them into my tasks online or notes online, or transfer the completed things into my calendar or notes depending on what it is. I have a notes tab for each place and I keep a list of possible things to do etc. there, and then once I book if that is needed, I put it into my calendar and/or an planning site called Monday.com.

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  10. Stephany Avatar
    Stephany

    I am a planner but I mainly use Google calendar for keeping track of appointments and such. I have a paper planner that has a weekly spread where I can lay out my week + track goals. I’m LOVING it!

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  11. San Avatar
    San

    Thanks for sharing your system! I always love to hear how other people plan. I keep a “to do list” on my phone (through Outlook tasks) and just add – or check off – there. And then I also have a paper planner, but since i am not lugging that around everywhere, it only serves broader picture planning purposes.

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