If you aren't a Planner...start now!

1/9/2019

I have always loved planners but this year was different. I met a girl boss by the name of Elaine Johnson and when I tell you that she changed the way I looked a planning my day and staying committed to it through out the year, please know that I'm not over exaggerating. What I found was that prior to really planning out my day a number of things were happening that were ultimately driving me crazy. First off I was double booking myself all the time, I would have dates in multiple areas from online schedulers to my icalendar, and o being able to keep all of my dates in one place caused me to look free in some areas of my life when I was really all the way booked up! Secondly, I was just forgetting important appointments. I may have coaching appointments that I see on my online scheduler but that mmm.. I just missed that dental appointment and now I have to pay a fee. And as a result of being double booked or flat out missing appointments, I was just always feeling on edge about my day.

So when I met Elaine who is the founder of Latinas in Motion and Mogul Mami as well as the creator of the Plan Pray and Slay Planner, I purchased a planner and through out our new found friendship I began to notice her planning habits. We could be in a working session and she would talk about a date months in advance and she would whip out her planner and mark the dates. I was like um... that same date she just jot down in her planner was now a date in my head... obviously I was doing something wrong. So I realized that one of my goals was to become not only more organized but more productive as well and I decided that if I wanted to see results then I really wanted to be strategic in how I plan my day. Here are three tips on how I went from being all over the place to one happy and committed planner!

There are a lot of dope planners out there that will help you get your act together. For me I first fell in love with the Day Designer with cool layouts and different calls to action I easily got hooked. But there are also planners from Erin Condren which are pretty straight forward. So if you just need to plan out your day and don't mind spending a pretty penny then I would use those planner to start out. If you are looking to step up your game and use a planner that is a little bit more intentional in helping you build out a productive day, I would recommend the Plan Pray and Slay planner created for the woman who is trying to manage juggling it all. I have used both the Day Designer and Plan Pray and Slay planner, but it was through the Plan Pray and Slay planner that I was most inspired to create my own (Because the creator Elaine Johnson always encourages me to reach for the stars). Through creating a planner just for me I was able to capture monthly goals, creative brain dumps, and tasks that I needed to create for spiritual development, gym goals, and home necessities. So find a planner that works best for who you are and if you don't know where to start, take a look at my recommendations and see which one works best for you.

I love waking up in the morning, grabbing my planner, and seeing what awesome goals I'm going to work on for the day. Right after I read my daily devotional, I look over my planner to see what I'm going to accomplish and then I head to the kitchen and grab a cup of coffee for some much needed fuel to jumpstart my morning. Think how different crushing your goals would be if you knew ahead of time what you were determined to accomplish instead of just aimlessly going through the day filled with activities that don't necessarily yield results! What if, at the end of each day you were able to see goals you were able to crossed off your list of things to do that actually moved you closer to crushing some of your bigger goals? Of course there are days where I can't cross everything off of my list. But there is a simple solution to that, I just move it over to the next day and get it done then! So before you settle in and fall asleep to whatever show that is going to be more likely watch you than you watching it. Dedicate some time to setting tasks that are going to allow you to move forward in your goals 2019!

LOL! I know I know.. Who has time for that but I have to tell you I'm beyond addicted. I use pen tabs to hold my favorite diamond pen in place and securely on my planner, monthly tabs to easily access months ahead, stickers for reminders on important tasks that I can't afford to let fall through the cracks. Not to mention a magnetic book mark so I know which page I'm on for quick access to my day when I need to cross off completed tasks or jot down new ones! This helps me get excited about planning my day, or even writing down new goals! Check out a picture of my how I use stickers bookmark and washi tape and pen tab to accessorize. Now, before you judge me know that I use the crap out of my planner so yes there are make-up stains, real questions that I ask myself when planning my week, annnnndddd... because I rushed to create my own planner for my own personal use, I realized that I had printed Sat twice instead of Sun. so don't use this image to see those discrepancies but more or less to see how I accessorize my planner. If you ever want planner inspiration to see just how really organized plannernistas organize their planners then I would suggest two profiles I follow, The Happy Planner and Posh Plans.

Let's Get You Planning

I know when starting a new habit, it's all about taking baby steps and easing into the habit with care. So no worries I have the best solution for you! Elaine Johnson of Mogul Mami has a 21 day Plan Pray Slay challenge! What a great way to get motivated as you move into your planning journey! If you are interested in signing up please do so now and get started with planning your 2019 to ensure you reach your crave-worthy goals!