Back in January I impulse-bought a Happy Planner, and it’s kinda changed my life.
This is unexpected. For years, I didn’t really “get” the whole planner trend. In fact I was a little annoyed that some of my favorite scrapbooking companies were pivoting more toward planner accessories. I can store my appointments in my phone, aren’t paper planners obsolete? I barely have time in the day to finish my to-do list, who on earth has time to decorate one?
But here’s the thing. Apparently decorating a planner is exactly the thing I need to motivate myself to USE a planner. As a Disorganized Person, I have attempted all manner of methods to make myself better, and none of them have worked. The closest I ever came was about a year ago when I did a short stint with a bullet journal. I thought the minimalism and versatility would work for me. I managed to stick with it for about 6 months, but it was a slog. I never kept up with indexing, so flipping through to find stuff got to be a chore; having to draw my own calendar layout was not fun for me; and I never found a method of future planning that worked for me.
So when my crafty friend/enabler Sara–who used to share my anti-planner opinion–revealed to me she was newly obsessed, it didn’t take long for her to convince me to try it. I literally went out that night and bought a Happy Planner.
Obviously, not a lot of research went into this decision. They were on sale for $10 at Michaels. I picked a pretty one, and I got really lucky because I love it. I think the thing that makes most people hesitate about the Happy Planner is the disc binding, but I have not had any problems with it, and so far any cons are far outweighed by pros. I loooove that I can add or remove pages or snap in cute little accessories, and I love even more that I don’t have to lug around a massive binder. The discs make Happy Planner as slim and portable as a notebook, but as versatile as a Trapper Keeper. It’s the best of both worlds.
Now I’m one of those crazy awesome people who buys special pens and a million stickers, and is considering getting additional planners for…other stuff? Yes, it’s only been 3 months, but I can already tell this thing is going to be with me for the long haul. Since I started using it, I haven’t missed a single appointment, due date, or deadline. I’m no longer constantly worried that there’s something I’m forgetting to do. I’ve even gotten better at keeping up with my laundry.
All because of a glorified sticker book :)