Do You Need a DIY Planner?

I have loved calendars and planners since I was a teen. Perhaps I knew early on that I was the type of person who needs a planner to get & stay organized.  However, I never, ever, could find one that met all the my needs and preferences. So frustrating!

Do you have the same problem? Wanting to use a planner but can't find the right one? Or, using a planner but frustrated at times because it doesn't allow space for the information you need to get things done each day? Or perhaps using a planner and finding it OK, except that it is kind of . . . um, ugly?

Perhaps you need to DIY!  (Do It Yourself!)  I've been 'doing it myself' before I even heard of the term DIY, and I am so thrilled that materials to make my own planners are so much more readily available than ever before.

The best part of making your own planner is that you can customize it to be whatever you need it to be. And it isn't very difficult to do.

Now that I have learned to really customize my planners, I am finding that I am able to tackle new challenges in my life more smoothly than ever before, because I am able to add a new component to my planner fairly quickly.

If you don't have the 'perfect planner', consider making your own.  Here are five things you could have if you make your own planner:

1. it can be whatever size works best for you

2. it can contain pages that have layouts that are most useful for you

3. it can have the look that you like, or love!  (cute, pretty, funky, whatever!)

4. it can contain all the pen loops and pockets that you need (for index cards, receipts, money, business cards, and ALWAYS have a pen handy!)

5. it can help you to be more efficient and productive in your life, to achieve more in your life

Making your own planner can be very rewarding, because it can help you be so much more organized and effective. And being able to add your personality to your planner is a very nice touch. For me, it makes me want to use my planner even more!


If you are considering making your own planner, you may want to begin by thinking about these things:

1.  What size would work best for you?  Would you need to keep it with you all the time?  Does it need to fit into your purse?  Pocket?  Tote bag?  Do you write big or cannot see small writing?

2.  What are all the kinds of information you need to keep track of in one day?  Will you need 'week at a glance' pages?  Or will you need an entire page each day?  Do you plan meals?  Do you homeschool?  What does your job require?  Do you go to school?  Do you need to track your health?  Exercise? Do you have projects you need to track?

3.  Are you visually motivated?  Do you prefer a pretty planner with cute graphics, or do you prefer a more sleek design with lots of white space?

I will share more details in another post on the different kinds of planners, the materials and tools which can be used, and why some of them did not work for me.

Happy Planning!