There's a Planner for that!

When I was growing up, my mother always had a planner. It was actually one given to my dad every year at work, but it didn't work for him so Mother got it.  Mother could make ANYTHING work (well, except for us kids...but that's another post).

This year our baby graduated from college.  While she has been living away for several years, she is now completely on her own and so we had to cover "planner 101 for post grad use".  This, of course, reminded me of my own struggles.  If you have a student who is soon to be an adult, this is probably a topic you want to cover the same way you cover budgets and changing a tire.

Mother never showed us the magic of planner use.  Maybe she thought we got it from osmosis, I don't know.  I do know that her organization gene skipped a generation...at least for me.  I spent years chasing her mad skills and finally developed a system of my own.  It's not as good as hers, but it works well enough!  My mother actually never had an overdue library book!  That's how good she was!  Here is what I learned from her--

1. Different planners work for different folks.  Some people LOVE a daily planner for all the details.  I prefer a weekly or monthly planner so that I don't overload several days in a row.  Don't invest a ton of money until you know what style works for you.
2. If you love office supply stores like I do, you take a BIG chance every time you go in one!  Every single little supply that feeds your planner crush will end up in your cart.  You may even end up with 12 planners because you see something new and exciting every time you go in.  You may want to avoid stores like the plague while you dial in your system!
3. You may be a person who does well with the planner on your phone.  I need something that is "in my face" and where I can put my "to do list".  However I also put appointments on my phone so that I can carry my calendar with me.
4. "Upload" all the minutiae of your life into your planner.  That's what it's for.  It will remind you of when library books are due, when you get paid, all of your appointments.  Then you don't have to use your brain cells for that!  
5. Get in the habit of "feeding the monkey" regularly.  Your planner is only as good as the details you put in it.
6. Lastly, get in the habit of looking at your planner daily.  If you don't look at it, it can't help you.

I have been through many planners.  They frequently change when life goes through change.   Currently, we're looking at retirement, so we need a calendar that works for both of us.  Because of that, I have gone back to the monthly calendar on the fridge.  I have post it note strips for our menu choices, so that I can plan the menu for the week right on the calendar.  Additionally, I loaded all the dinner menus we currently use into my phone calendar on a 4 week cycle.  I use that as a tickler to keep me from using the same menu every week and to help me remember what choices we have.  This week I used 4 of this week's choices and added the 3 that I didn't use last week, since I already had those ingredients.  I also use post it note strips for tasks that repeat like the dog's heartworm meds or air filter changes.

I also use colored (and actually erasable too) pens with a different color for each person for appointments on the calendar.  This enables everyone in the family to see what everyone else is doing.  And...the erasable pen concept speaks for itself.  I discovered that, like my mother, I was the hub who knew what everyone was up to.  If I wasn't able to tell everyone who had what scheduled, the calendar is a good stand in.  Even moms get sick days!

I'll let you in on a little secret.  I put my to do list on a post it note too.  Why? Because I rarely complete all the to do's for any given day ON that day.  It's easy to bring the list forward if it's on a post it note.  Cheating?  Perhaps, but it makes my life easier. :D  And the point is to have a system that works for you, not your neighbor!

Lastly, you'll see a little orange post it at the bottom.  I have one for each month with the family/friend birthdays for the month.  Every year, I move them over to my new calendar.  I may still be a few days late, but at least I'm remembering people's birthdays.  Of course, Mother was never even late...but it's a goal to aspire to!

Feeling blessed, how about you?