It’s time to optimize your organization plans and achieve paperwork perfection!

In simple terms, it’s time to update your planners, calendars, financial binders, journals, Christmas folders, address books…

The list is endless! But don’t worry – Productive Pete is going to guide you through the entire process. Day by Day. Step by Step.

Today we are going to start the new year off by talking about what I consider my most important organizational tool – my Big Happy Planner!

 

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Setting yourself up to be Productive

The first step in getting organized is setting yourself up for success.

You need a system you are truly going to implement.

I use the Cozi App on my phone & my Happy Planner as my physical organization tool.

These two, I check DAILY to keep up with my crazy schedule. Actually, my boys’ crazy schedules, but it all kind of blurs together eventually.

The Cozi App can be shared by family members so which provides me with a “mobile calendar”.

When I’m scheduling something, and not at home, it’s easier to have my phone than my planner. T

he app is super easy & records all of our “scheduled” activities. However, my Happy Planner is what keeps me truly on track and organized.

Big Happy Planner

This post is going to focus on the BIG Happy Planner because that is what I currently use. However, it’s important to pick a planner that works for you.

TIP – if you have tried planners before and never made it past February… this might not be the right “organizational path” for you. And that’s OK.

Not everyone is going to benefit from using a planner. However, if you want to give planners another go, the Happy Planner is a great one for any level of organizer.

NOTE – If you look up Happy Planners on Pinterest you might be overwhelmed by all the creative ways people have used these planners. Do not let a lack of creativity stop you from becoming organized.

Feeling overwhelmed leads to being unproductive.

It’s more important to start on the path of better organization than to spend hours making your planner “pretty”. Minimalism is cool; it’s ok to have a simple planner if it helps you stay organized!

BONUS – If you love borrowing creative ideas (and aren’t fearful of being overwhelmed) follow Productive Pete on Pinterest & check out my board called “Planners and Supplies”.

Hopefully one day my planners look as creative as some of the ones I have pinned!

Happy Planner Design

It’s time to go over a few areas of the Big Happy Planner that have made it my go-to planner. There are three main reasons I love this planner: sturdy construction, open-ended format & the ability to be creative with it.

 

Monthly

The Big Happy Planner has your classic monthly calendar set up. It has large boxes for numerous appointments and reminders, as well as a Notes section on the side.

Each month has a Highlights type of page as well. This is a great place to record important dates, goals, things to remember, etc. I like to use the “Top 3” section as my place to record my biggest goals for the month. You can also use the decorative page on the right side to add notes or pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These pictures are of the BIG HAPPY PLANNER. I’ve never used a smaller one, so if you are thinking of using the mini or Classic, you might want to research those pages more thoroughly. Amazon has pictures of the insides of each planner on the left hand side.

Weekly

The weekly set-up of the Happy Planner is truly what makes this an appealing planner for many. It’s divided by the days of the week, starting with Monday. I’ve had planners that start on Sunday and it always just felt “off” for me.

There are 3 Sections for each day. In my next post, I am going to help explain what these three sections can truly do to organize your life. The best part – they are completely customizable. There are no pre-set bullets or generic to-do lists. You can make this planner work for you even if you have several areas you want to organize.

I originally used the Big Happy Planner because I didn’t want to fold any papers when putting them in the planner. Now, I couldn’t live without my weekly planner sections for schedules, menu prep, ideas, reminders, blogging, the list goes on and on.

Extra Pages

There are also these extra pages that you can order and easily insert into the planner. They have lined and grid pages. The grid pages are similar to a bullet journal-type page. There are also Daily inserts. These are great if you want to schedule your days by time or events.

Folders

These Folders are sturdy and yet easy to add and remove from your planner. They have pockets on both sides and they don’t stick out past the months tab. This is great because they don’t hinder the flow of you searching through the monthly tabs.

 

Sizes of the Happy Planner

So if all that seems like more than you need, there are 3 sizes of The Happy Planner: Mini, Classic & Big. Do you want a place to simply keep your schedule organized? Try the Mini. 

Are you currently surrounded by sticky notes, school papers, apportionment reminder cards & millions of other things you are probably going to lose? Go with the Big! All of the photos above were of the BIG Happy Planner. Click on the photos to go to the Amazon site to see what the insides of the planners offer.

So if you loved all the information above and think a Happy Planner is the right one for you, it’s time to choose one! There are tons of different covers for each size, so choosing one that is going to be pleasing to look at every day should be easy. They are also heavily laminated, so they can withstand some wear and tear.

If you don’t like the cover and color designs of your planner, it probably means you will stop using it! So find one that you can handle seeing every day for the next year.

TIP FROM EXPERIENCE: I live in a fairly rural area so unfortunately I don’t have a lot of shopping options close to me. This means I find myself ordering online frequently for the things I am wanting. If you order a Happy Planner and accessories online – make sure you order the CORRECT SIZES!

One of the things you will see is the word BIG used frequently, and sometimes it is just the company’s phrasing for that line of planner products. Other times, the descriptions are vague, so you want to double-check the sizes of anything you are ordering to make sure it is the correct size for your planner.

Accessories

This is where the creative-loving people start to see the enjoyment in this planner. There are so many options to make this planner your own. There are stickers, sticky notes, inspiration cards, pouches, notepads, expander rings, and more! This could quickly become a novel, so if you are interested in accessories check out the links below. Also, click over to my next post on Organizing your BIG Happy Planner!

Hopefully, you now have the ambition to start utilizing a planner as your “go-to” for organization! Or maybe you are thinking this planner system is one you’ll enjoy more than your current set-up.  Either way, Happy Planning!