The whole New Years Resolution thing can be so overwhelming. I’ve found that my goal setting process has changed A TON since last year. Here are some helpful tips to get you started and help you reach your 2018 goals!

1. Pick 1 to 5 focus words that you want your New Year to reflect meaning, when you look back, how do you want to describe your year to your friends and family – and most importantly -to yourself ? Was it productive? Was it focused? Was it meaningful? These words (or phrases) can mean anything to you, but it’s important to focus on a few key words, and build your goals around them.

If one of your words is “purposeful” and you find yourself doing things that have absolutely no purpose …. stop, reassess your goals, and get back on track!

2. Write out your goals and include why they are important to you. Whether you jot things down in your agenda, in a notebook, sticky note, in a Word Doc, on your phone, list out your goals and make sure to go into detail. Add ‘why’s’ into your goal setting process, this way you make a meaningful connection to your goals right away. Even imagine what your life will be like once all your goals are accomplished, and I promise, you will be that much more motivated!

This is for YOU, so don’t skip any steps or cut corners. Take the time to sit down and make a plan towards each of your goals and keep this list somewhere you can reflect on it thoughout your journey.

3. Tell someone about your plan . You don’t need to go into detail but it’s important to share some of your goals with friends and family. If you have to start out by only telling your dog- do it! Say what you want out of life, out loud, for someone else to hear.

If you tell your person what your goals are, odds are they will support you and help you stay on track, and if they are judgey, shake it off, stay focused, and prove them wrong.

4. Measure your success. Take your list of goals, and break those down into smaller goals that you can measure and accomplish within a designated period of time. This is where a planner comes in handy.

If your goal is to “get healthy” in 2018, unpack what that means, and set mini goals that are realistic and attainable. Make sure you are able to track and measure the process, whether that be reaching a goal weight, fitting into a pair of jeans you own, or seeing muscle definition.

You might plan a one week cleanse, and then schedule 10 short workouts into your first month of the New Year. Track your progress so you know when you have reached your goal, and from there, keep setting small goals that will keep you moving in the right direction.

5. Celebrate your victories! There is nothing more important than recognizing your success. Any accomplishment you make deserves celebration, no matter how small.

 Treat yoself- Get your nails done, pamper yourself with an at home spa day, buy yourself a little gift, anything you want that shows appreciation for yourself and for your hard work! Ideally your reward won’t conflict with any of your other goals (such as your budget) but allow yourself some wiggle room, and celebrate those tiny victories!

I have been loving the Pocket Size and decided to purchase a  more expensive planner. The Croco style is my absolute favorite look for an agenda. It’s chic, luxurious, and gives total #GirlBoss Vibes! I had being eyeing the Black Gillio Croco, the Van Der Spek custom Black Croco, and the Filofax Croc. After looking at the pros and cons of each brand, I decided on Filofax and I’m super happy, so I wanted to share some of my decision making criteria!

Ring Size: I was previously using the Filofax Holborn with 16 mm rings, and knew I needed larger rings in my next pocket planner. After researching ring sizes this is what I had to compare.

Gillio- 15 x 12 mm

Van Der Spek- 20 mm

Filofax- 19 mm

Gillio definitely lost a point for the rings size, but VDS and Filofax would both work fine for me.

Wait Time: Gillio did not have a pocket black croco in stock, or in production, so who knows how long I would have to wait. VDS has about a 4 week wait time for custom items, and about a week or 2 of shipping time. Filofax was in stock and ready to ship right away! That was for sure a plus!

Leather: Gillio has AMAZING, buttery soft, leather. I own the grey croco and it feels like suede, and each agenda has a unique piece of leather, so you have that one of a kind, custom feel.

The VDS is of course custom if you purchase the croco, so again you will have that one of a kind item, but I have never ordered from them before and I have no personal knowledge on the leather, which made me hesitant.

Filofax leather has more of a practical feel than a luxurious feel, and what I mean by that is, to me, the leather feels treated and not as supple and smooth. All of the croco’s I have seen from Filofax look very similar (mass produced look) so you don’t have that custom luxury feeling to your agenda, but on the bright side, your leather is less likely to be damaged with everyday use

Features: The Pocket Gillio Compagna has a really nice pocket configuration. In the front cover there is a secretarial pocket and 3 card slots. The inside of the back cover has a secretarial pocket and a zipper pocket. It also has the large, full length back pocket which is a MUST for me!

The VDS has nice pockets as well, and options for customization. There’s 4 card slots in the front cover, and it looks to have 3 larger pockets as well, and the back cover has maybe 2 large pockets and one smaller pocket (it’s hard to tell from the picture) and you can add the large back pocket for an extra charge.

The Filofax has a small zipper pocket in the front as well as a large vertical pocket. In the back over there is another vertical pocket and 4 card slots, and has the full length back pocket I need.

Price: So far there were a lot of pros and cons to each, so it really came down to price, and if it was worth the cons to me.

The Gillio Pocket Compagna in Black Croco retails at 168.80 euros which is $200.83 With the rings being small and not knowing the wait time at all, I gave up on that one.

The custom VDS with Black Croco leather on the outside and inside, black stitching, and the large back pocket came out to 194. 21 euros or $231.06 (not including shipping). I loved this planner and was just about set on it. I love custom things and will always pay more for a “custom” piece because I love the feeling of having a special one of a kind item just for me.

The Filofax Pocket Croc in Ebony is $165 with free shipping. I have plenty of Filofaxes. None of them have ever given me that special feeling like I have with my Gillio, knowing that there is no other identical planner out there. But taking into account the all the pros, I was leaning towards the Filofax brand.

I finally made my decision on a whim, one day I was looking at the Filofax website, added it into my cart, and bought it. One I received it I knew I made the right choice. It was delivered so fast, didn’t cost me an arm and a leg, and I LOVE the look of it. The fact that is is the croc style leather automatically gives me the luxurious feel that I was looking for, and I don’t regret not ordering a custom VDS at all.

Overall I am IN LOVE with it and I have a feeling this is one of those planners I will always keep with me!

My TUL disc bound is my daily planner where I keep my schedule, to-do’s, and some project planning info. This is my MAIN agenda I have set up for college to help keep me on top of due dates and school related commitments.

TUL Junior Size available at Office Depot

My first section is for running to-do’s / brain dump. I jot down quick notes and to-do’s that I will schedule into my daily pages at a later time. Making lists helps me get ideas from my head onto paper & I refer back to these lists weekly.

Minted Sugar 1/2 letter size Month on Two Pages

My month on 2 page spread is from Minted Sugar on Etsy. This is where I schedule in any due dates or school related appointments.

I use the Daily Capsule planning pages from Cloth and Paper for daily to-do’s and to make sure I stay productive. These are my FAVORITE inserts for staying organized.  They include a week-on-one-page (mine are undated) with a water tracker, and 7 daily pages that follow.

Each daily page includes a place to write in the date, Mantra, a to-do list with 16 checklist boxes, an appointment schedule that runs from 6 am to 9 pm, Memoranda, and Victories/Gratitude.

I love the simplicity and the space provided.  It is a clean slate for me to map out my day, and is extremely functional. I usually split up my to-do list between school and home to-do’s in the morning, and schedule out my ideal day in the appointment section.

I LOVE the font. It reminds me of Vogue. The minimalistic look helps me to see only what NEEDS to get done.

Normally in my planners, I like to cover white space with stickers/ random writing, but in this particular agenda, the enjoy seeing white space. It means I don’t have too much on my plate that day and I rarely get overwhelmed using this set up.

Being a total planner girl, I definitely do SOME decorating. My fav stickers to use in this planner are from Mae Bad. I use her Office Essentials + Life Essentials stickers (these are digital downloads you print and cut yourself)  that include appointment stickers, icons, lunch date stickers, and some functional stickers. The chic vibes go PERFECTLY with this agenda.

Other shops I use in this planner are GP Sticker Studio and Fox and Pip, both on Etsy.

My last section is for project planing. I jot down blog notes, IG posts, and school related projects as well.

This year my main focus is to stay consistent and well organized through the entire semester. I usually end up changing things around, or decorating excessively so instead of using one planner, I will be using 4 in total (3 functionally).

The reason behind using so many planners is to separate different aspects of my life so they don’t become jumbled and stressful! Hopefully this post will help explain my reasoning for using multiple planners and answer a lot of questions.

These are the three planners I have picked out to help keep me organized.

From left to right: TUL Junior Size Discbound, Medium Gillio Firenze Mat Grey Croco, A5 Filofax Original Patent in Nude

Each of these will be used differently, but there might be some overlap. For some, having multiple planners can be difficult and overlap may seem redundant, but I have found when it comes to school, I don’t mind writing some things twice. One example being due dates. Writing assignments in twice helps me remember due dates and helps me stay on top of things.

DAILY My plan is to visit these planners at different times of the semester. My TUL disc bound will be my daily planner for to-do’s, checking my daily schedule, and planning meals along with a few other sections to help me keep aspects of my school life and social media life in order. This is the planner I will take with me to class and decorating will be to a minimum.

WEEKLY My Gillio Compagna will be my weekly planner. This will stay at home in my desk drawer and I will check it after class to make sure assignments are being completed, and that my home tasks are getting done as well. I have a weekly spread from Kate Spade that I use for home to-do’s, personal appointments/obligations, and to make sure big picture school items are being checked off of my to-do list (order books, make appointments, study for exams, etc.) This also doubles as my home binder. Keeping track of bills, health, and other home items I may want to reference later. I decorate my weekly pages with a few functional stickers and deco stickers for fun. When my planner looks pretty, I am more inclined to use it.

MONTHLY The A5 Filofax is something that I am still working on and setting up. This will be my Academic and Professional Binder that I plan to keep track of grades, important info, set goals, track student loans, keep on top of my job hunting, and keep a running list of professional to-do’s such as building my resume, places to apply, jobs to look into, etc.

The 4th planner I will be using (most likely) is my Pocket TN from Chic Sparrow.

Chic Sparrow Classic Pocket Plus Pemberly in Angel

I love the planner community and have made so many amazing friends through Instagram and YT, and I want to continue to be active on my accounts. I will set this up seasonally and use it as a creative outlet

I can display all my fun happy mail and do some memory keeping/ journaling in here on the weekends. This is where I can use all of the cute stickers I want and not feel like I am distracted.

I am currently using my Medium Gillio Compagna in Mat Grey Croco and my Chic Sparrow Pemberly Angel for my everyday planning.

I have found that a ring bound system works best for me. I can easily print my own inserts and make my own dividers. I love to DIY and I ALWAYS move things around inside my planner. Ring bound, for me, is the easiest way to customize my layouts and keep information handy, while being able to add new info or take out old pages that can be thrown away.

This is where I keep my school assignment schedules, weekly spread, home information (online orders, passwords, vehicle maintenance & lists), and my finances (bills, expense tracker, tip tracker, checks & bank deposits).

My Traveler’s Notebook on the other hand is for fun!! This is where I can be creative and use all my cute planner accessories I have collected through shopping and friends. I do some planning in here when I am super busy. I use the Annie Plans Printables (on Etsy) timed dailies to do memory keeping or plan out a busy week.

Choosing an agenda is the most difficult part of planning. It’s hard to know where to start. These are some questions you may want to ask yourself before purchasing!

What system will work best for you? There are several different types of planner systems out there. The best way to figure out which one you may like the most is to check out YouTube videos or Instagram posts. There are a TON of Youtube set up videos out there on planners.  There are several different types of planners and agendas including disc bound, ring bound, leather notebooks, spiral bound, and many more different mechanisms to try. If you like to move things around within you planner I would recommend a ring bound or even disc bound. That way, you can take out single pages and move things around as you please.

What are you planning for and what inserts will you need? I personally like to keep track of everything that goes on in my life in my planners. I keep appointments, schedule my assignments, keep track of food, make lists, finances, etc. You can keep all of this in one planner or split up your sections between planners. I would recommend keeping one planner at first, it can be overwhelming to have multiple agendas at once! Figure out if you prefer planning on a monthly, weekly, or daily spread- or all 3! I personally prefer using a weekly or daily schedule depending on the day so I keep both in my planners.

What is your planner budget? It is easy to get sucked into buying an expensive planner. I have purchased super expensive planners before and now they are sitting in a drawer untouched! Start with something simple!! Target has a really nice selection of planners for and inexpensive price. The Sugar Paper line is chic and simple to use. Try to use it consistently for a few months and if you like the system, you can try a more expensive planner with a similar layout, and if you don’t like it, try another one!

What is your agenda aesthetic? I am very picky about how my planner looks. For example, my sister uses a simple planner and maybe a highlighter or two and it works for her and she stays organized just fine. Since this has become such a hobby for me, I use a specific pen for the paper I use in my planner, I have custom dividers, tabs, stickers, pictures, several inserts, and artwork from Etsy and Instagram friends. I find that if my planner doesn’t look pretty to me, I won’t use it! Find your aesthetic through inspiration from insta or YouTube and make sure you keep up with planning! Personalizing your planner will help you to be more inclined to use it consistently, which is key!

I wanted to make this my first official post because this topic  is something that has changed my life! I cannot express ENOUGH how much organizing my thoughts and feelings has helped me become the person I am today. Even as a young girl, I have always LOVED planners, or anything with paper, really. Other kids would spend their birthday money on candy, and I  would spend mine on post its, page flags, pens, and any cute notebooks I could get my hands on.

Planning has become an everyday activity for me, you could even call it a hobby. I’ve always used a planner for school to keep assignments and due dates in, but when I got to college I realized I had a lot more to plan than just assignments. I wanted a place to keep track of all my school assignments, vacation dates, finances, passwords, appointments, etc. The free University planner wasn’t going to cut if for me. Being EXTRA, I decided to purchase an expensive leather ring bound planner from Filofax, and that is where my obsession began.

I’ve tried out spiral bound, ring bound, traveler’s notebooks, disc bound and I’ve owned several different brands including Sugar Paper, Filofax, Gillio, Louis Vuitton, Chic Sparrow Foxy Fix and Tul. If you aren’t familiar with planner brands yet this may not mean a lot to you right now. These are some of the more popular and more accessible planners out there, but very different in terms of size and binding mechanism.

When I first began I wasn’t sure what I liked and didn’t like. I had to go through several different systems before I found my #plannerpeace. I can finally say that with the help of the planner community I have a system that works for me and inspires me to do better in life. To me, planning is about thinking for the future and mapping out a way to get there quicker, which is what I plan to do.