Do You Have a Planner for the New Year?

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plannernewyearaddwomanA Planner is Essential

For those of us with ADHD, we absolutely must have a planner of some kind. We try (and fail) to keep it all in our head, so some sort of backup plan is essential.

A planner, whether paper or electronic, is vital.

Do you have yours yet?

I Heart Planners

I really do.

It’s an addiction.

I love planners and all that they represent. The perfectly ordered life. Knowing when things are going to happen and being prepared for them.

Not to mention all the cute stuff you can get: colored pens and markers, stickers, extra pages for things you didn’t know you needed.

But the bottom line really comes back to this: that perfectly ordered, well prepared for life.

That doesn’t exist.

But one can dream.

Paper or Electronic?

As you might have guessed by now, I am a paper planner girl.

I’m like a small child being excited by new school supplies.

But anyway, here’s the thing: paper planners are, for the most part, on the bigger side. The smaller ones are typically too small to write in.

And the ones big enough to write in are big and heavy.

So I have decided that this year I am going to try and embrace both sides of the line: paper and electronic.

This does present the challenge of making sure that both are identical when it comes to appointments and things, but since most of my planning is centered around my blog, that shouldn’t be a problem.

The important thing for you is to choose one that works for you.

Electronic planners are easily portable since they live on your phone, which I’m assuming you have with you most of the time. They also have the advantage of alarms and reminders, and it’s easy to change things out if plans change.

They are also neat. It’s hard to shove random pieces of paper and post-it notes in them, as you would a paper planner. (Although you can get a post-it app for your phone.)

The thing about paper planners is that the act of writing something down (as opposed to typing it) is that it helps us retain the information better.

But then, that’s what the planner is for, isn’t it?

Setting Up Your Planner

If you opt to purchase a paper planner, now is the time.

Actually, it might be a little past time. You may find it hard to get the exact planner you were hoping for, but the good news is that they’re probably on sale.

Another option is to make and print your own. Canva is a free (and easy) service that you can use to create graphics. And they have a lot of templates all about planners. Many of them are for use as a daily or weekly planner, but it’s worth a look.

An electronic planner requires very little setup, other than adding in dates you are already aware of, like birthdays, weddings, and any appointments you have made in advance.

And by the way, I don’t use what they call a planner in the app store. I’ve tried a few and just didn’t like them.

I use a Google calendar and the task app that comes with it, along with a few other things. Sounds like something worth sharing in detail in the future.

In addition to adding your appointments and special events, you should also be thinking about your goals for the year. Start with a couple of yearly ones, then break them down into monthly, then weekly goals. Maybe more on that to come too.

Bottom Line

This time of year I know that we are all busier than usual, but take some time for yourself to figure out what you’re going to use as a planner, and then get one and start using it.

What is that they say about failing to plan?

Picture of Lacy Estelle

Lacy Estelle

Lacy Estelle is the writer of Lacyestelle.com and the Podcast host for An ADD Woman.

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