Well, the last time I sat down to write a blog post was about 3 weeks ago because the first few weeks of class are by far the most chaotic and exciting weeks of maybe the entire year. Tuition is due, schedules are in a disarray, and my room doesn’t look Pinterest worthy yet; yikes. I could not have survived these first few weeks without my BFF: My Plum Paper Planner. So, I figured I would talk about how I organize, decorate, and plan out my life in this glorious little agenda.

RULES OF PLANNING

1. You do you. (aka There are no real rules of planning. The whole point of owning a planner is to organize and prioritize YOUR life. Functionality trumps copying/conforming. If my system doesn’t work for you, tweak it or don’t follow it at all. Again, you do you.)
2. Cute supplies are a must. Trust me, you WILL want/need:
   • Washi tape ~at least 6 rolls * Pro-tip: Use a Gift/Debit Card to help rip your washi! *
   • Stickers ~Etsy or DIY
   • Notepads
3. Have fun. [I realize this sounds lamer than it did in my head.]

How I Organize My Planner

1. I always “pre-plan” for at least two months by laying out certain activities and events that always happen monthly using cute little To Do Lists I picked up from Micahel’s for like 50 cents!
2. When I plan at the beginning of the month, I always include a cute little quote sticker, my monthly budget–an attempt to be frugal– and my goals for the month! Here are my complete pages from September and August. I try to pick quotes that describe what I want to get done for the month or how I’m feeling in the moment!
3.  I’m not gonna lie my monthly spread is pretty boring, the only things I really mark on there are my breaks/weekend long plans and exams. The occasional hair appointment or really big event will also be on there if I’m feeling fancy!
4.  The weekly spread is where the gold is! Here is where you can find all my class assignments– shoutout to MareBear Crafts for these super cute class box stickers! Go check out her Etsy shop! I include all of my reading assignments, exams, Zumba classes, meetings, and dinner dates–This thing is my life! I use the remnants of last year’s Lilly stickers as well as some other packs from Hobby Lobby and Michael’s to jazz it up a little bit!
5. I’m not a huge decorator person especially since I really don’t have time to turn it into a daily scrapbook project in the midst of all my classes and club meetings and what not. So, honestly, the minimal amount of decorating with washi and Lilly makes my planner a little bit more joyful! I’ve already seen a huge increase in the use of my planner from last year!Oh and by the way… I don’t color code. I literally don’t have time nor brain space to memorize a color coding chart. So, I threw out that popular fad from my planner life. Instead, I have the colorful class stickers to make my planner super vibrant! In each square, I simply list:
   • HW for that day
   • Reading assignments/notes to review
   • Future due dates of projects/quizzes

So there you have it, This is how I organize my planner! It doesn’t change much week to week so I would say the system works pretty well so far! Here’s a pic of my current weekly set up! I’m kind of obsessed with this month’s teal and orange washi combo! *Oh and spy the blue star for this blog post!*

Looking for even more great planners and planner organization tips? Check out our reviews of the Erin Condren Life Planner, the Lily Pulitzer Planner, and see how Hannah organizes her organizes her planner!

P.S. Pin with me 😉 pinterest.com/theswirlblog