By Tania Lopez

I have always been the type of person to have an organized chaos. I don’t do well with routine, with the exception of my morning coffee, plus I lack the attention span to be able to commit to a specific ritual for an extended period of time.

That is the reason why your regular planner just does not work for me, on top of the fact, that I always feel that they have more sections or categories than I need. Don’t get me wrong, though, I do think that a planner is beneficial and as an entrepreneur or business owner, having a system is definitely a must.

Now, in 2022, I took the time to make adjustments in the way I run my home business. Instead of running things how I BELIEVED it should be ran or how someone else runs their business, I allowed my practice to shift and evolve without inhibitions, in order for me to see what really works for ME and my lifestyle. I am now more confident in the way that my mind works and feel that 2023 will be the year to implement a more productive system. This process starts with a new planner.

I decided that for my 2023 Planner I would create one from scratch. A printed one by the way because I am very much a tactile person. In doing so I couldn’t help but think of all the benefits there are when you choose to do so. Allow me to list them for you.

A MEDITATIVE PROJECT

The process of creating a planner from scratch forces you to sit down and contemplate about what you wish your planner would help you get accomplish. In having to think what your ideal day, week, month or year, would look like, you would have to reflect on your current day to day, and what the previous year has been like. Plus, when the trimming and assembling moment comes in, the monotone task is a great stress reliever, in my opinion.

ALLOWS YOU TO PRIORITIZE

When you are creating your own planner, you can’t help but to analyze what tasks and goals are important to you. For example, my planner focuses on my art business. I know that for my business, my goals are to be able to organize my tasks in a way that promotes productivity, exposure and financial growth, but I must keep in mind to discourage burn out. Also, because I am a single mom of two and hold a full time job as a nurse, I know that creating a daily tasks planner it’s just not sustainable for me. My business schedule must be flexible enough to account for anything that may pop up with my children, my job, even my commute.

INTEGRATE YOUR INTERESTS

The variety of planners you can find now is absolutely astonishing. From a financial planner, a daily tasks planner, bullet journals, student planners, health and fitness, etc… If you can name it, it is out there. But our lives are so much more complex and I personally can’t keep track of all that. Now, if micro planning is your thing, hey go for it. But when you BUILD your ideal planner, you can create it in a way that integrates all aspects of YOUR life. As I mentioned above, my planner is focused on my business, this means my planner integrates all aspect of said business. From social media planning, financial logs and projects. Now I like to simplify my life, so I break things down quarterly.

RECORD YOUR MILESTONES YOUR WAY

Because I divide my planner quarterly, I find it easier for me to record and review my milestones since the time passed is long enough to see progress but short enough that it is not overwhelming. Every 3 months I can go back over my finances, my social media content and projects. I can also take a step back and have a year in review so that I may see the big picture and make sure I’m on track.

INCREASES PRODUCTIVITY

Regardless of the frequency of which you like to do your tracking, having a written form of your tasks and goals is a great way to remain productive. Setting deadlines create accountability and having a clear path allows you to remain focused. Now when you create your own planner, you can then set up the sections and/or aspects of your life depending on your priorities and lifestyle.

CREATE YOUR OWN PLANNER

If you are curious of how I create my planner, I’ll list it here.

• First, I use Canva in order to design my planner. They do have templates for planners or you can design it from scratch. Select a size that fits your needs. My personal preference in size is approx 7.5 inches by 9.5 inches. It actually comes out slightly larger after I laminate the covers. The inserts are 7 inches by 9.25 inches.
• Pages included are
  • A front and back cover.
  • 1 Yearly Overview
  • 4 Quarterly Overview
  • 12 Monthly Overview
  • 12 Monthly Content Creation (Social Media Planning)
  • 4 Quarterly Financial Overview
  • 4 Income Streams Tracker
  • 4 Expense/Mileage Tracker
  • 52 Weekly Goals or Overview
  • Plus Dotted Sheets for note taking or doodling. (Again I’m a fidgeter)
• I love using the BINDING DISCS because they allow me to add, move or remove with ease. Plus, they are re-usable.
• For the paper, my go to is Epson Premium Presentation Paper Matter- Double Sided
• In order to use the binding discs, you will need a MUSHROOM HOLE PUNCHER. I found this one to be perfect for me because it is compact and saves space.
• I use the SCOTCH HEAT LAMINATOR and LAMINATING SHEETS.
• And if you are wondering, I use a Canon PIXMA TS702a Wireless Single Function Printer and Ink

The above list contains affiliate links.

I’ll be posting a video on my YouTube channel in a couple of days if you are wanting to check that out HERE.