DIY Planner – 4 Things to Consider Before Setting It Up

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4 Things to Consider Before Setting Up Your DIY Planner

If you are thinking about creating your own DIY planner next year, this blog post is for you! In this blog post I am going to the top 4 considerations you need to make before you start purchasing the supplies you need for your new DIY planner.

Consideration #1 – Choose a notebook for your planner

  • First, you want to think about binding. Do you want a spiral bound? Do you want it to be thread bound? Do you want it to lie flat? Are you okay with glue? 

  • Think about size.  Is this a planner you’re going to throw into your purse or bag to take with you or do you want something large like a desk planner? 

  • Consider paper quality or paper weight. So the most common paper that you find in planners is usually in the range of 20 lbs to 32 lbs. The only reason this matters is if you’re going to use a lot of markers for artwork or writing. Pens and markers can often bleed through thin pages so having a heavier paper weight is going to help prevent that from happening. (Also important to choose your pens and markers wisely! Read reviews online to get a sense if they are prone to bleed through or not.) 

  • How many pages do you want in your planner? There is a broad range of pages in notebooks so if you can have a clear understanding of how you want to structure your calendar layouts and how many blank pages you need beyond that it will help you identify the right planner for you.

  • What kind of cover do you prefer? Do you want a hard cover or do you want a soft cover? Do you want to have artwork on it? Do you want to be able to create artwork on the cover yourself? 

  • Lastly, what page style do you prefer?  Do you want a notebook full of blank pages? Grid lines or graph paper?  Lined?  Dotted grid pages? 

Here is a list of popular DIY planner notebooks to check out (these are paid links):

Consideration #2 – Decide your calendar structure

Next, you want to think about your calendar structure and what layouts will be supportive to you. The calendar layouts you choose are going to be the “backbone” or the “spine” of your planner and nd there are different layouts that are gonna help you with different things. It’s really important to think about how you enjoy working and how can you lean on your strengths and your true nature? 

For example, if you don’t enjoy working in your planner on a daily basis consider only having monthly or quarterly views. If you LOVE working in your planner on the daily then reconsider whether or not you need monthly views.

Different Layouts to Consider 

  • Year-at-a-Glance
    • Forest view or High Level – great for tracking pay dates or kid weekends at a glance
  • Quarterly
    • Great for goal setting and tracking success, pivots and updates
  • Monthly  
    • Tracking appointments, monthly goals – you don’t like to be In your planner every day
  • Weekly
    • Appointments, to-do’s, habit trackers – you like to work In your planner often
  • Daily
    • Journaling, gratitude, to-do’s – you like to work in your planner daily

Consideration #3 – Extra layouts – the practical stuff

What are the practical layouts and tools you can add into your planner? Thinking about this before you actually go out and buy a notebook will be key because you will want to make sure you have enough blank pages in that notebook to build all the layouts you want. 

Here are a few ideas for practical layouts

Consideration #4 – Extra layouts – the fun stuff

So what else can you put in your DIY planner that’s fun, but also super supportive to you and the work that you’re wanting to do?

  • Pens, markers and ribbons oh my!
    • Decorate, high-light, reference
  • Vision Board
    • Dream and manifestation work
  • Manifestation Layouts
    • Lunar cycle, tarot, spell or witch work
  • Venn Diagram or Authentic Code
    • “Authentic Code” is a term by Lacey Phillips used in her manifestation method from To Be Magnetic.
    • Create a Venn Diagram or your “authentic code” to identify your core values to guide decisions and ensure alignment with authentic self
  • Tarot or Oracle Card Layouts
    • Annual, monthly, weekly, daily
  • Bucket Lists 
    • Travel, experiences, restaurants, national parks

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