6 Reasons to Be Using Planners

Planners are a many splendid thing, they can make life so simple and bring so much joy. I don't know how I ever managed to get dressed and leave the house before my planner, never mind do anything else. Here are just a few reasons why planners are wonderful and should be being used.

1. They come in a vast variety of shapes, colours and sizes.

Whilst I appreciate a gold A5 isn't everyone's taste, there is enough diversity out there to satisfy most requirements, whether it's small and sophisticated or large and pretty, there is something out there. Having multiple is great because I can switch them depending on my needs: my saffiano has come on every house visit with me, but it's the malden I'd take into work.

2. They're not just a diary

I spent way (and I mean waaaaaaaaaay) too long believing a planner was just a glorified diary but more expensive, until one of the girls at work walked in with a lush purple Paperchase planner. Watching her utilise her tool to get ready for her day made me realise I could do the same, it's not just a diary. It's a time management technique, it's a record of interesting things, its a valuable source of information.

3. Paper doesn't fail.

If you punch it and put it in your planner, its there, exactly where it needs to be. Before discovering my first (well second first, I'm not counting the one I had when I was 15) planner, I used a variety of apps to keep track of everything I needed. Cue one accidental phone reset after freezing and suddenly, every birthday, anniversary and medical appointment were gone. It could not have been a bigger disaster. I now keep copies of this information in at least two planners at any given time.

4. You can chop and change easily.

I tried a new layout at the beginning of the year, and it really didn't work for me, but it wasn't the end of the world by any stretch of the imagination. Instead of being stuck with a diary I didn't like or worse still wouldn't use for the rest of the year, I just changed one insert for another. Easy. Yet I've still got the planner I love.

One of the things I really love about the planning world, is that there is such a broad spectrum of planner inserts available there really is something for everyone and if you still really can't find what you want, the inserts are easy to make.

5. Custom content.

Something I've really grown to love is the custom content for my planner. That's not to say that if you don't customise your planner and use it fresh out of the box you're doing it wrong, there is no such thing as a wrong way to use a planner. Instead, I love having the option to customise, whether its through patterned paper to make dividers and dashboards and all things pretty, paperclips or simply adding a bit of washi or some sticky notes to your weekly pages. The options are endless and it's a great creative outlet to boot!

6. The planner community

Now I've deliberately saved this one for last, because one of the greatest things I have discovered since getting my first planner is how great the community is. You can reach out to like minded individuals all over the world who share a love of planners. Not only that but they are a rich source of support and advice whether it's what to do when you've dropped/scratched/soiled your planner or which planner they might recommend.

Watch out though, some of the community are total enablers and you might end up with a few extra planners after reading reviews, watching vlogs or admiring the pretty on your instagram feed! It's great!

Hope you have a great day!