Guest Post: Mae Badiyan

I'm so excited to welcome Mae Badiyan today to the blog, she's sharing a guest post on planners. And trust me, if you've watched her Youtube videos you know this gal knows her organization and agenda stuff. Trust. Enjoy!!

I've always, always been a paper planner girl. Don't get me wrong I LOVE technology & my phone is practically surgically attached to me, but nothing beats pretty paper, cute washi tape and a smooth-writing pen. Plus technology crashes and paper lives on. So while I love my phone, I keep all of my appointments, to-dos and important information in a paper agenda. Now I've gone off the deep end with this stationery hobby of mine but I'll spare you that extreme. 

Let's talk about some quick & easy tips for getting started organizing with a paper planner. (If you do happen to fall in love with this wonderful world of paper goods and want to talk more in depth, feel free to get in touch with me. I can point you in the right direction!)

1. Find the right planner for you

There are 2 major decisions you'll need to make: size and form

Size

There are tons of available sizes but the most common are the standard ones you'd expect: small (aka pocket), medium (aka personal) and large (aka A5)

I prefer the personal size because it's like the Goldilocks of planners, portable yet roomy. But you may need to experiment with different sizes to see which is the best fit for you depending on how much information you'll put on your pages & how big your handwriting is. And also how much you want to decorate

Form

The second part is deciding whether you want a ring-bound or spiral-bound planner. The ring bound agendas like Filofax or Kikki-K offer endless options for customization. However, there are also fabulous (and beautiful) spiral bound planners from brands like Kate Spade and Lilly Pulitzer that are equally as efficient. 

Again, you may have to experiment with a few different ones to find a system that works best for you. 

2. Buy the right tools

If you're using a ring-bound agenda, I suggest you invest in a 3-hole punch so you can add your own note pages and custom documents. You'll also need pens! It's amazing the difference a quality pen makes. If you're into fountain pens, try the Lamy Safari. They just introduced a limited edition neon coral that is so beautiful. You can also get affordable pens from office supply stores and Target. I love the Staedler pens and they offer tons of color choices. The Sharpie pens also write very smoothly. Sharp scissors, a glue stick, and extra sticky notes may come in handy too.

3. Add some decorations 

Washi tape is all the rage right now and it is just so darn cute! You can literally get it from anywhere -- Etsy, eBay, Target -- even luxury brands like Kate Spade are designing washi tape. Definitely pick up a few rolls and use it to spruce up your planner pages, block out vacations on your monthly calendar, tape in important notes….there are a million uses. I find that when my planner is fun and festive, I want to look at it and use it more.

If you're feeling adventurous you can also get cute diary stickers to use in your planner. Again these come in a million different designs, you can get stickers to help you keep track of the weather, your water intake, hair appointments, date nights….you name it, there's a sticker for it! Just search diary stickers on eBay and you'll find tons of affordable options. 

4. Use your planner!

It's so much fun to decorate a planner, write in important dates and flip through the pretty pages but none of that is going to do you any good unless you actually use it. Your agenda should house your important dates but it can also be a place to keep track of daily to-do lists, financial information, wish lists, health information and daily routines. Think of it as an extension of your brain. Create sections for the major areas of your life and fill them up. Use the calendar pages for forward planning next month and even next year. 

It's amazing the sense of relief I feel when things are out of my head and on paper. I free up valuable space and energy to tackle important projects. I know that everything has a place and I know where to go when I need that information. If you're interested in learning more about planning or just want to join stationery addicts anonymous ;) feel free to get in touch via my website or twitter. There's a super fun community of ladies (and some gents) who love paper goods, pretty sticky notes and getting stuff done, and I'm happy to put you in touch with them! YouTube is also a fantastic resource for learning more about planning and organization!

Thanks so much Patricia for having me over today!