It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year — Planner Time
In which I geek out over setting up my planner for the upcoming year
It's that time of year when the days get shorter, the air is crisp and filled with the scent of hearth fires and damp earth, and when visions of new planners and fancy fountain pens dance in my head.
Yup, I'm a planner junkie, and the end of the year is my favorite time. This is the time of year when I long to curl up under a blanket on the couch with my ruler, pen and blank notebook and start the dreaming process.
I'm a bullet journaler and have used a some similar system for years. And each year, I experiment with different layouts and time modules. I ask myself questions like "Should I use a weekly log or just stick with the monthly?" "Dot grid or lined or blank pages?" "3x5 inch or 5x8 inch planner?"
Decisions, decisions.
One exciting part of having a new journal is it's a blank slate for the year. Part of my planner set-up includes determining my goals for the year and figuring out how I'll achieve them, or if I even can. I have a tendency toward optimism, and that often ends in December with me not having achieved even half the things I set out to do.
I also set up my creative goals, which lately have been edging out everything else. For instance, I've been choosing to spend less time on certain other creative pursuits so I can spend more time on my writing. That has meant less knitting, less spinning, and unfortunately, less novel reading.
Of course, it's just a season, and next year, my priorities may allow me more time for other interests.
But this time of year is bursting with potential. As I sit with my blank journal, I know I can make the upcoming year into anything I can dream of. It's exciting and a little terrifying. After all, I only get to live this year once, and I don't want to mess it up.
So during this glorious planning time, I'll make calendars and different layouts, transfer over important information, and do the best I can to get the planner all set for the upcoming year.
I'll also spend some time browsing the internet, Pinterest and bullet journal Facebook groups for the best ideas that will surely get me organized. This time.
Do you succumb to the siren call of blank journals at the end of the year?
Thanks for reading! If you liked this article, please clap so others can see it.
If you’re interested in simplifying your life but don’t know where to start, I’d love to send you my FREE 7-day challenge to get you going down the simple-living path. Sign up below to get one e-mail a day for the next seven days with activities to help you start living simply.
