I like to run a tight ship and with two children and a business I find being organised is the only way to make sure everyone is where they should be, with what they need and that all calls are made and deadlines met in good time. It doesn’t hurt that I’m something of a planner tart, with a slight obsession with stationery, notebooks and especially planners, organisers and diaries.
Last year I had no fewer than six diaries as I simply couldn’t find a system that worked for me. This year I’m being more pro-active about finding a set up that does what I need it to and brings with it the planner related joy I crave.
I started the year with my old faithful Ranger Personal Filofax and a page a day diary insert. I’ve been using this as a bullet journal of sorts for work tasks, calls and emails with a section at the bottom of the page for appointments and reminders.
The page a day insert meant that all of the other papers in my Personal needed to be removed as there simply wasn’t room and so I did what any self-respecting planner-fiend would do, I bought a new Filofax.
My second planner / organiser is an A5 Identity Planner in Black. This is my first A5 and so far I like it. I’ve set this up with client information, business “stuff”, goal setting pages, my A-Z, finance and more. I’m still tinkering with getting the format right although have started to customise it so that it looks and feels like something I want to use, not have to use.
Between these two you’d think I’d be set however the page a day diary just isn’t enough. It doesn’t inspire me, it looks messy at times (although not so much since Roy bought me Frixion pens that erase beautifully, damn that man knows me so well) and it just isn’t right. After spending days searching the net, reading reviews and watching stationery porn on YouTube I’ve bitten the bullet and bought myself an Erin Condren Life Planner. This is a big step for me because firstly it isn’t a Filofax and secondly it wasn’t cheap and I have to wait for it be custom printed and arrive from the US. Honestly, I think it will most definitely be worth it and look forward to it arriving in time for me to start using it in May.
I will of course be doing a full write up and maybe even a video (maybe) of how the Erin Condren I’ve chosen looks and feels so keep your eyes open. In the meantime I’m setting up my poor discarded Ranger Filofax as a finance / budget planner with some extras. I can’t bear for it be left in a drawer abandoned as it’s been a faithful friend for many years however I’ve simply outgrown it as a diary.
For those wondering what Frixion pens are they are fantastic! These are “proper” pens and yet are easy to rub out using the Frixion rubber on the other end of the pen. Well worth investing in for me.
Fingers crossed the Erin Condren tick all the boxes! What do you use as a diary / planner? Feel free to comment below and make me jealous!
