New Year, New Planner

Every now and then, everybody needs a planner reset. Some people do one at the beginning of the academic year, but I prefer the end of the calendar year.

When doing a reset, I think about what I like and don't like about my current planner and set-up.

I like that my Franklin Covey Boston is blue, is a compact size, and has a good system of tabs (Dashboard, Projects, Tasks, Calendar, Future, and Notes/A-Z files).

I hate that it is so heavy and that I am not keeping more of the information backed up somewhere. And I miss the beauty of my Franklin Covey Flourish. The Flourish is cheap, but it has a unique look, wipes clean (my Boston is filthy!), and has a small footprint while using the same size pages as my Boston.

So I switched back into my Flourish.

Yes, it's technically not a new planner. But I did do some new things, especially in the field of integrating the information (not the planning) with technology so that I can back it up.

First, I streamlined my Projects. 

*Completed projects were deleted from the index and filed away or discarded.

*Some projects are well suited to be tracked electronically. Those were moved to my computer.

For example, I always work on my novel on my laptop. Why not keep my notes for the book there, too?

NOTE: I have a Microsoft Surface Pro 3. With one click of a pen, I can handwrite the notes on my tablet. Writing instead of typing is important to me, so without my particular computer, I'd probably leave this in my planner.

TIP: Take pictures of the old planner pages or scan them and toss the pages. (On my Surface, I can then highlight or write on the images.)

*Other projects are best tracked in the planner. Those stayed there.

If I am planning a baby shower, I am probably more likely to plan that in my planner. And since it is a one-time event, there is no real need to make a record of it.

*Sometimes, a project is best planned in both places. If that is the case, a note that the project is a dual plan (paper and electronic) is included on my project index and there is a clear division between what goes on paper and what goes on-line.

For example, I can track my weight on-line better, but I need a list of workout classes at the local YMCA in my planner.

Second, I took the budget section out of the Calendar and am tracking it with an on-line app instead.

Third, I did the same thing to the Note section that I did to Projects.

By the end, I had removed a lot of bulk from the planner, while leaving the heart of the planner intact.

Here's what I removed:

Finally, I had to cut down the tabs some, as the Flourish is not as wide as the Boston.

My planner is so light now, making it way easier to carry around!

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Etcetera.