About Planning

Planning has been a habit I am trying to seriously acquire. Last year, I came across the world of planning and how there is a large community of people who dedicate their time to it. As someone who craves organisation and hates to feel lost in task, it felt like the next step. My Planner of choice is the Happy Planner, a disc-bound planner with Monthly and Weekly views. I got a 18-month version last year after being torn between getting this or getting a Webster pages. Another option was of course the super expensive (and pretty) Erin Condren. It is hard to get it in Europe - while there are already European stores that sell Happy Planner - and I would have to pay a really huge amount of money at customs (which is a nightmare...). I still have 4 months worth of planner and I am torn between getting another Happy Planner (perhaps a 12 month planner instead of a big 18 month ) or finally getting a Travellers Notebook. (which would allow me to customise it and take it with me)Nonetheless, I want to share my experience regarding planning and how I have been feeling about it. 

The good 

• Planning has been helping me get on track with tasks and due dates - for instances for essays I had to deliver and research I had to provide. Also with other tasks and important celebrations (like birthdays, events, etc...). I used to get caught with days and presentations because I would get confused with dates. Not anymore!
• Getting proactive was also a reflection of planning. I guess the fact that I've written down tasks that need to be done forced me to do them instead of procrastinating as much. Specially small tasks regarding my household. Nothing gets forgotten. 
• It also helps me to relieve my creativity. Many people use planing as a way of expressing themselves - trough sketches, lettering, stickers, washi tape...just to name a few. 

The Bad 

• Comparing my planning style to others isn't healthy. There are people who invest a lot of money in etsy kits and super luxurious washi-tape, and there's nothing wrong with that. In fact, I also really like that! (one of my favourite shops is the fellow Portuguese Hello Petite Paper! ) but I had to learn that it's okay to now own tones of kits. Although I'll admit that I am currently saving some money in order to get myself a nice etsy kit for my birthday week. This is only a problem because I am still a student and not fully independent. 
• Overthinking too much about the tasks and overloading myself. Although it's good to think about doing every single task, it can be problematic if I decide to overdo myself. It's important to do tasks, but I shouldn't try to do everything in a day when perhaps I can do it calmly in two. Patience is key. 

Have you been into planning too?