Plan With Me + Planner Giveaway

Hi Loves,

Edwin Cole once said, “There are dreamers and there are planners; the planners make their dreams come true.”

If you are not using a planner (like what?) … today we are going to discuss why you need to and which one to get.

To set the record clear, planners are not just meant for college girls, teachers, and moms. They are literally for anyone who wants to get their stuff together and be organized — which hopefully is YOU.

Psychology Today says there are great benefits from using a planner. Obviously it helps with time management, but it also does things like improve your productivity, act as a stress reliever, allow for more creative activities, and a way to track your diet/exercise. It’s a perfect place to tell your story, keep track of your records, or journal your thoughts (also known as a brain dump).

Let’s talk about my planner (it’s really special):

Where it’s From: Emily Ley

I believe her planners are THE BEST – specifically the Day Designer. I have tried so many other brands, and none of them compare to Emily Ley’s. This is my third planner designed by her. She uses super thick paper. Her planners sell out fast, and the restock takes forever because of the quality. She releases planners twice a year — a fall release for those beginning school and a January release for those starting a new year, new you.

Price: $58

I’m not going to lie — $58 is a very high price for a planner but it is 100% worth every penny. I use this planner almost hourly and sometimes sleep with it (not even joking). This is an investment for you, and if you use it, it will change your life. FYI this is NOT a sponsored post. I was NOT ever gifted a planner. This planner made such a difference in my life that I’m sharing it with hopes it will ignite a fire in you.

Why I LOVE it:

1. Hourly schedule.
   • First off, the FACT THAT IT BREAKS DOWN EVERY SINGLE DAY BY THE HOUR. This is KEY for me. I cannot function without planning out what I’m doing every hour of the day. The planner breaks down your day into two columns — one side with an hourly format and the other side for tasks to fill in your times.
2. Spiral binding – which is a MUST.
   • I have had so many different styles of planners … from fabric to chipboard. Having a sturdy wired spiral binding is my favorite. I am really hard on my planners, and these always hold up and they lay flat when opened.
3. A place to write notes.
   • I use this as a base for my vision board. I figured that if I’m looking at my planner every single day, it might as well have my visions in it. I want my days to reflect steps that I am taking to reach my goals. This planner even has a spot for your bucket list items.
4. Full month views.
   • I once had a planner that didn’t show the full month — safe to say I am no longer using it. The feature of being able to see your entire month and having squares large enough to write in each day is a favorite element of this product. The large monthly tabs make it quick to find the full month page.
5. Protective corners.
   • I absolutely cannot stand it when papers bend and crease. A lot of flimsy planners do this as well. The protective corners on the Day Designer help keep it from bending and reinforce the sturdiness of the planner.

The key about using ANY planner is that you physically have to use it. When I first started college, I had a planner, carried it around with me, but I never actually wrote anything down in it. What’s the point of that?

Everything changed for me whenever I had cheerleading practices, classes, traveling, and sorority events happening all at once. I would sit down every morning (I still do this) and take 5 minutes to really plan out my day.

Here’s my planning breakdown:

1. I write down the events with times that I have for that day. For example, I work from 7:30-4:30pm so I time block that out. Next I write down my lunch time and any other scheduled events for that day.
2. The second thing I do is write down everything that I want to accomplish within the day. The key for success in using this list is to actually cross off each item and be real with yourself on how much you can accomplish that day. My list normally looks like this:
   • Freelance work
   • Write blog post
   • Create header
   • Take Sky on long walk
   • Cook dinner
   • Plan out weekend
3. Next I delegate my time for those activities. My freelance work I will do over my lunch break depending on how much I have to do. Writing a blog post will happen at night. Walking Sky (our Great Dane) happens as soon as I get off work.

Taking these steps everyday has helped me tremendously stay on top of my game. I feel like I am using my time efficiently and achieving what I want to accomplish.

In honor of the new year, I am giving away an Emily Ley Weekly Planner!

All you have to do is share this post on Facebook or Instagram tagging me, subscribe to my blog, and leave a comment DONE on this post once the blog has been shared. The WINNER will be announced Thursday, January 23rd at 8:00pm CST in the comments section of this post. I’ll ship the planner to you!

Happy New Year! Let’s make 2020 the best one yet!

See you here same time, same place next week.

Until then, spread kindness!

HW