finding a planner that worked for me;

My whole tipsy life segment is really the result of my planner. I needed a change. While a daily planner worked wonders for me in college and the first years out of school, over time in this “real world” thing I’ve come to realize that my days are much more regularly scheduled, and my free time revolves around a never ending to-do list.

As a Type A completionist, you can imagine what this has been doing to my sanity. It’s been overwhelming to cross 4 things off my to-do list only to realize I’ve got 6 more I forgot to jot down. Fundamentally that shouldn’t negate the progress of successfully completing the 4 items, but I have been buckling under the weight of the growing list.

Here’s a look into my journey with planners over the years:

1. In college I used a very simple, very cheap Weekly Appointment book, and it was exactly what I needed.  It allowed me to schedule my time around classes, work, and extra-curriculars and let me know when I had time to myself!
2. When I graduated, I “upgraded” to the more expensive but adorable and good quality Daily Simplified Planner by Emily Ley.  It still had daily appointment slots, but was colorful and bright and had some added bonuses like meal planning.
3. Last year I decided that now my life revolves less around scheduling (hello 8 to 4 job), and I tried switching it up to the Weekly Simplified Planner by Emily Ley.  Unfortunately, I didn’t find the daily blocks to have enough space, and I found myself sticking 6″ post-it notes into pretty much every week with long term to-do lists and weekly to-do lists.
4. In researching and trying to find a better solution for me now, I came across the Dokibook Discagenda.  While I haven’t had a lot of time with this option yet, I’m excited about the flexibility of a discbound planner that allows me to use both pre-made refills as well as create my own.

The thing that really drove my latest planner solution was this post by Scattered Squirrel where she created center lists for her weekly planner.  I thought it brilliant.  Finally a way to track weekly items without taking space up from specific days!  In order to use these inserts though, it meant I had to look at ringed binders or discbound planners that allowed easy customizable inserts.  I eventually decided on a discbound version since it’s easier to add/remove pages and doesn’t have annoying rings to snap open or closed or pull apart until you have that annoying gap. I even recreated her center lists in my own printable that you can find below! It’s designed to be a good size for an A5 planner, though they can be scaled up as needed.

CenterLists-PrintLayout_blank[Print this Printable]

I didn’t immediately reach for the Dokibook–I put in some research.  I looked at the happy planner and kikki k planners, among others.  But what I liked about the Dokibook was (1) the durability of the faux-leather cover, (2) the price-point/free shipping option, and (3) the inserts immediately available directly from their site.  Some downsides to this particular choice?  (1) I didn’t really want a snap or zip closure, and they only had one cover pattern available with the the elastic band, and (2) they ship from China, so it took approx. 2 weeks (10-15 business days) to get to me.

Unboxing my planner was so exciting!  Some minor concerns I have with it are that the elastic band already seems to be bending one corner in.  Not exorbitantly, so, but a little disappointing for a brand new journal.

The other concern I have is how full my planner already is.  I’m pleased with the paper quality, but the thickness means I don’t have quite as much room for both my yearly calendar and all the inserts I was hoping to include.  Currently since it’s April, I’ve removed the weekly pages for Jan-Mar.  As I start to create more of my own printables for next year, I think I may opt for a slight decrease in paper weight which should help.  Additionally I might be able to cut down on the weekly sheets until I actually need them, and just keep the monthly spread to jot down appointments and such ahead of time. But more on that will come as I figure it out!

What I like so far is the 2018 vertical refills I’m currently using direct from Dokibook are really helping me feel organized.  With 3 sections “must do”, “would like to do” and “work”, I can really focus on prioritizing.  So far I’ve found the space reasonable for my days.  And I love that I can tune out the work box when I get home, but I don’t feel like I’m going to forget what I was working on by tomorrow!

I also enjoy the pockets in the cover.  The one in the back is perfect for envelopes and bills when I want to get to them during the day, and the front has ended up being a perfect size for sticker sheets and standard 8″x11″ papers when folded in half.

The other thing I’m digging is having everything in one place.  Yes it is thicker and heavier than my last planner, but the peace of mind I’ve already experienced this first week makes me super optimistic about the future!  And browsing bullet journal ideas means I have a dream of so many future printables…in the pipeline already is a party planner and a goal planner I hope to share with you soon!

[Print the Center Lists Printable Here!]

Curious about my habit tracker?  Check out the personalized printable I use!

Related posts:

a 3-month review of my new planner; 4 tips to find a planner that works for you; the planner tools starter kit; introducing the tipsy life!