Happy Wednesday Friends! Last night KC and I watched The Hunchback of Notre Dame, which neither of us had seen since childhood. It was pretty fun to go back in time. I remember having several Esmerelda play sets that I loved. One including her little buggy. The other with a tent and lots of fun props. heheh
Today I'm sharing some new thoughts on my 2017 ECLP, if you were around here last year you probably saw my thoughts on my first ECLP at that time. I'll link them below if you haven't and are interested. :)
Mid-2016 I was on the fence about ordering a new ECLP, but I'm mostly glad that I did.
Pros:
- Still loving the vertical format!
- Still loving the "neutral" version! Pretty fonts and less loud colors!
- I liked that there were more custom options this year when building the planner.
- I'm using the stickers that come standard in the back of the planner more, and I love that they are flag shapes instead of rounded rectangles this year!
- I'm still loving using it to track my goals! (check out this post for my methods!)
- The covers are still beautiful!
- I LOVE LOVE LOVE that this year's planner includes a 2018 at a glance with little lines underneath each month, so you can make notes on what you might want to do next year! Last year I had a mess of post-its at the end instead!
-I'm really liking the designer stickers that I purchased with it this year. They make each planner spread just a little prettier - while still being able to use the planner for functional reasons!
Cons:
-The coil clip this year is of horrible quality. It breaks nearly every time I adjust it. Last year's is still mostly intact after an entire year + of use. Check out the video below for a better look.
-I don't like that you have to attach the clear pocket using the coil clip this year. I'm sure some people do though.
-In relation to the clear pocket, this year it has a zipper instead of a press and seal type of seal on the pocket and my zipper piece broke several months ago. :(
-I still wish it had an address section. I know the perpetual calendar which is included has a small one, but I need more!
-I still wish the pages were a bit thicker.
Video Tour & Review:
Overall:
This planner still keeps me organized and on top of my goals, and I have the added fun element of decorating it a bit more this year as well, which is fun. I'm sad about a few of the changes in the 2017 planner, and a few things that are falling apart. I'm not sure if I will continue with it next year or move on to something else at this point... I made a big purchase with 1Canoe2 for project life items (see that haul, here) and I'm intrigued by their planner, mostly because it is beautiful! :) I'd also just like to see what it's like to use another planner again, but I'm still not sure!
What do you guys think? Have any of you tried the ECLP? What planner do you use? What do you think of it? Are you like me, feeling the need to try something new? XO, Alexandra
Happy Monday friends! I'm still waiting on my niece/nephew to make her/his appearance!! :)
I have been focused pretty solely on moving so far this year, but I'm still using my planner and enjoying trying out the new 2017 ECLP (neutral version)!
I filmed this video at the very end of 2016 or beginning of 2017... so there wasn't much in my new planner yet, but I'm always interested to see how planners change from year to year. Check it out to see what kinds of changes Erin Condren has made to her ECLP and ordering system. Pros and cons folks, pros and cons.
What are you guys up to?!
Any planner revelations I should know about?!
Are you doing anything exciting for Valentine's Day? (or do you hate it?!)
This post is for those of you who love planners & goal setting. As you guys know, I am big into both. I posted about my first ECLP 3 Months In, and 6 Months in, I also filmed a companion video tour of my planner and I saw that you guys were interested in this post. So here we go, feel free to ask questions if I leave something out! :)
I made a youtube video to explain this process, feel free to read/watch or both. I'm a visual person, so I figured I would get some videos into the world for other folks who are too. :)
Evernote:
The first thing I do when I make a list of goals, is stick it into Evernote. It's a program that you are probably familiar with, but it keeps little stacks of editable/sort-able notes in one place. You can keep the program on two devices and access it online anytime. I keep Evernote on my iphone and my computer. This way, I can ALWAYS see my goal lists. I like to use Evernote in combination with my paper planner - but it's also great because I can use it on-the-go... when I don't have my tote or planner with me. It also makes it easy to flip between one set of goals to the next. I have a lot, so it can be hard to keep track of! Planner Set Up:
The way the vertical ECLP that I am using works has a specific set up, so I will share that first. You might have to adapt this method depending on how your planner is set up.
My planner has:
a spread for yearly goals in the front.
monthly spreads where you can view the whole month, with a small side bar for monthly goals.
a weekly spread that breaks up each day vertically into three sections. I divide these sections into "Brand" - blog and stationery brand, "Home" - chores and errands, and "Self" - personal goals and chores.
The weekly spread also has a left hand side bar that I use for my menu and a spot for a "thankful thought" - great for gratitude journaling.
The weekly spread also has blank lines below each day, that is where I add in anything that has a specific time, like an event, appointment, etc.
Paper Planners & Goal Setting:
Yearly:
When I make a list of yearly goals, I put it in the front of my planner. The ECLP I bought last year has a spot for yearly goals in the front, however, you could write yours out or print them and tape them into the front of your planner with washi tape. However works for you. :)
Monthly:
The next thing I do is break down my yearly goals into monthly ones. For example, in 2016 I want to read 50 books. So in January, I added a monthly goal to read 5 books. In my ECLP there is a spot for monthly goals on the month overview page. However, if your planner doesn't have a spot for this, feel free to add in a page with tape, or go straight to writing them on a weekly page. Repeat with each goal. Sometimes my monthly goals are not related directly to my yearly ones, but are other things that I really want to get done. Like a cleaning or organizing project, or planning out a future trip. I add these in at the same time - generally at the end of the previous month.
At this time I also write in any birthdays, events, vacations, etc. into the monthly format. Because one of my goals often relates to movies, dates, concerts, etc. etc. If it is already planned I might write it on the page in ink - or add a sticker. For travel I like to use strips of washi tape to mark off the days on my monthly view. I also look at my FB saved events, and websites for theaters, etc. and place a post-it note in the monthly pages of my calendar to mark an event we *might* go to. The post-it includes, title, location, time, time range (if it runs for a week, etc.), and price if I can find it. - that way I have all of the info. KC and I (or sometimes just I) narrow down those post-its and buy tickets for things that we really want to go to. Sometimes we have to narrow more than others, and recently we've been trying to plan only one event per weekend on our own, because we know we'll end up spending time with family or friends - or both! This keeps us from being so busy. However, things tend to be clumped, for whatever reason there is always quite a bit happening at the same time, and nothing happening at other times... and so it goes.
I also mark our pay days as well. This is helpful in general, but also for goals related to making bigger purchases or extra purchases. For example, I had a goal to buy new bras every month in the first few months of the year. Knowing when we would be paid helped me to order them at a good time.
Weekly:
When I add planned events (not possible ones) to my monthly spreads, I also add them to my weekly spreads. I write those events (including time and place) on the lines below my vertical daily section. That way I never forget because I wasn't looking at the monthly page. I also will add them in as needed, it's not always done way in advance. I also add washi tape for vacation days over the full three sections of the vertical weekly spread for each day I will be gone. I don't schedule out vacation activities in my planner, I just block those days off. I shouldn't be blogging, working, or worrying about chores when I am on vacation. For events that are re-curring or planned for just that week, like a dinner with a friend, or KC's "guys night" - I also write those in on the blank lines.
At the end / beginning of each week I look through my monthly goals and try to place them into my weekly page. For example, if I have a goal to send out a birthday gift for my dad, I go into my planner and add to pick it out several weeks in advance, package it up a week in advance, and send it - all within time for it to get to him.
Other goals, like reading 5 books per month are put into my weekly format in a simpler way. I just write "read" in my "self" section of my vertical ECLP daily. That way I am reminded to read daily. I also track my goal completion/progress in my planner which helps as a motivator. (more on that later).
For goals like trying 5 new recipes within a month, I try to put those into a blank side column where I keep my menu notes. I write out each day of the week for lunch and dinner and then fill in the blanks. This also helps me keep on top of knowing when we'll need more food or what night will be good to go out to eat. We typically try to plan going out to eat around other evening activities on the weekly schedule. If we need to get a second set of groceries later on in the week, I also write that in on my weekly schedule under the "home" section of my vertical ECLP where needed.
There are a few things that I write onto my weekly spread under the "self" section every day. I write "Read. Create. Move. Floss" - so I remember to do those things - or can track easily which days I did not do those things. I just cross them off as I complete them. If you use a cleaning schedule or schedule out when to pay bills, etc. etc. you could easily add those into your weekly spreads in advance.
Paper Planners & Goal Tracking:
So you know how I set up my goals, but here's a bit more on how I visually track them. It definitely helps me to see my progress as I flip through my planner!
I obviously cross out or check off goals that I have finished within the yearly and monthly goal formats. I check them off on the daily sections as well like a to-do list. But there are other ways I track my goals in my planner too.
When I don't meet a goal, or I need to move it to the next month I mark that on my monthly goals by putting a "N" for "Next Month" or a marker of progress in the box instead of a check mark. For example, if I wanted to plan out a trip in advance, but didn't make it, then I might put in an "N" for "Next Month." In which case, I then go ahead and write it down on the next month's goal area - even if it's not time to set all of the goals for the next month yet. If I had a goal to read 5 books, but only read 4, I might put a 4 in the check box instead of a check. Did I complete it? No. But seeing something there helps me look back on how close I got, and what I DID achieve. You could use any sort of color coding, symbol coding (ala bullet journal), etc. to code these types of things. Whatever works for you!
Another thing I do to show my progress is to mark things that I have finished/done in my weekly pages. For example, if I finished a book on a given day, I mark that into my "self" section of my vertical ECLP or below that. Ex: "Finished Dumplin'" This way I can easily see while flipping through that I finished a book on that week/day. I do the same thing for my goal about watching Disney movies.
For menu planning and cooking goals specifically, I use the left hand blank space for my menu, and below that I make another box that says "New Recipes" - I write the ones from the menu that are new in the new box, and continue that total weekly at the bottom to see how close I am getting to my goal for the year.
For workouts and healthy eating I mostly just add little notes on my daily spread. Under the "self" section of the vertical layout next to "Move" I put what exercise I did and how many minutes next to it. I often circle it so it's easy to see. Other times I put notes to myself like, "No soda today!" etc. You could use the sections to write in little circles that represent cups of water and check them off as you drink them, whatever works for you and whatever you are wanting to track.
The last way that I track goals in my planner is by utilizing the blank pages at the end of each month and also at the end of the planner itself. Things I have used those pages for:
checklists and ideas for KC's bday week
random notes
books I have read so far this year
book challenges and my picks for them - which I check off as I finish
keeping track of my "book ban" progress - more on that later
lists of books I've been meaning to read - for when I need an idea
lists of shows to start watching & catch up on with KC - by genre
ideas for food when people come over - just in case!
I also keep addresses in the back of my planner. If someone moves I add a post-it with the new address until I know what it will be long-term.
I keep track of the new things I have tried each month - new foods, experiences, etc. etc.
I think the longer I use this, and the more time I have to continue organization within my life and goals, the more things I will use my planner to track. Up ahead I am hoping to focus more on cleaning schedules and all things healthy living within my planner.
Bottom Line:
Use your planner in a way that works for you, and track the things that you care about. If you don't have a goal to read, you don't need to track your books, etc. Don't use it for things you don't care about. Make what you have work for you! It doesn't have to be expensive, extensive, fancy, pretty, etc. It just needs to be what works for you. If you can write in sections of a $5 planner and have the space to track what you want to, do it! :)
Whew! This is the longest post in existence... but it should give you a good and specific idea of how I use my planner, how I keep it organized, and how I create and track my goals within my planner. I hope that this helps some of you and gives you ideas on how to use yours.
Do you have any questions?
Did I miss anything?
How do you track your goals in your planner?! I'd love to know! Any new strategies you are trying for 2017?
Hello Everyone! I hope that you had a great weekend! Ours was busy, but full of celebrating with friends. :) And we got to see Fantastic Beasts... which was fantastic. #obvs (anyone else want to live in that 1920's apartment?! Adorable!!)
You may have seen my poll about Youtube videos a few posts ago... well, I decided to go ahead and re-film them. I just thought of a way to do overhead videos quickly... and I ran with it! Thank you for the feedback if you gave it. :) I filmed several planner related videos, and several Project Life / photo album videos that I can't wait to share with you guys!
Keep in mind, I'm new to video, and often my cats are trying to topple everything that I'm using to film. #catprobs - LOL So if you hear meowing, collar jingling, spray bottle spraying... that's just life for me.. hehe The volume is best on a device that has a large volume range. I am a quiet talker... so you'll need the volume up a bit. It works best on my phone and my laptop. Also, these videos are detailed. Mostly because I like the detail when I am watching videos like this... but feel free to skip around! :)
Anyhow, the first video here is a tour/review of my ECLP. If you love planners, even if you have read my previous posts, this video will give you an in depth (~25 min) look at my current planner, as well as some of the accessories, and how I am liking it.
If you would like to check out any of my written reviews of this planner, check out my 3 Month Review, and my 6 Month Review.
What did you think?
What do you want to know, or see related to planners?
Any other visual people/learners out there?
Anybody else have #catprobs ?
I will likely post more videos on this blog, but if you'd like to follow me on youtube I'd love it! :)
Hi Guys, I know a lot of you are into planners like I am... and I shared my 3 months in post about my ECLP, so I thought I would share how things are going 6+ months in. :)
Backstory:
I was not initially going to purchase the ECLP, they are a little bit bright for my taste, and obviously on the pricier end.... but they got me with the new rose gold design. (which of course was more expensive). So I made it my, "Christmas Present" to myself... and here's what I've got to say 6+ months in! Planner: ECLP - Rose Gold Cost: $75 (YIKES) Time Using: 6+ Months
Extras Purchased: (... it was cyber Monday.... don't judge ....) budget book, activity log, pen holder stick-on, set of bands to hold closed, multiple covers...
6 Months In Pros & Cons: Pros:
- I am still loving the vertical layout, which divides each of my days into "brand", "home", and "self" sections. It is still a great way to keep myself organized!
- I like the extra cover I bought. The watercolor and quote are lovely. For whatever reason it seems to be holding up better than the original cover! Which is great! A lot happier about this!!
- I am still using the stickers, I like them for organizing, and to make it prettier.
- I like how it is organized to include yearly goals, monthly goals, etc. and in general how easy it is to keep everything together. I have been using the blank notes pages to keep track of reading challenges, shows I want to start watching, etc.
- I like how many add-ons there are to customize your planner even more without actually ordering a custom planner.
- The post-its are very pretty, they look really cool on the monthly pages, and I like that they clip onto the spiral.
- I have been using the zipper pocket for stamps in addition to my stickers, it's pretty handy!
- I've definitely been more organized, and more into my planning since trying this planner and method. It's been very helpful!
Cons:
- Quality Issues mentioned in previous post, related to spiral and original cover.
- The paper seems a little thin, and my pens and markers are easy to see from one side to the next... so it's hard for me to "decorate" it in fancy writing, etc.
- No address section! As someone who sends lots of snail mail, I was bummed to find no actual address section in this extensive planner. There is a small one in the perpetual calendar (which was included with the rose gold planner). But it holds maybe 10 contacts. We send 30+ postcards every. time. we travel. So this doesn't work for me... I have copied them into the notes pages, which works fine, but I would have preferred a few sheets of contact pages. Erin Condren does sell a separate full sized address book... but that seemed like more of an investment than I wanted.
- The stick on pen holder does not stay in place - I did not attach one to my new cover. It's easier to clip them on the spiral.
- I'm still disappointed with the metallic post-it notes, which were one of the pricier accessories on the site... and the first one ripped when I pulled it off. Overall the paper must be really thin... because they rip pretty easily. Not great quality. (you can see how some rip when you take them off in the previous post). They also tend to not stick super well right away in the planner. They curl up a bit too. But if you shut the planner with the band they flatten out and stick better later. I DO like that the post its clip onto the coil. That's very handy.
- While the do-it-all dot stickers are cool... they aren't the most practical for me. Who goes to the Dr. 6 times per year? Unless you have kids or frequent appointments it just doesn't make sense to have that many. Yet, I used the $ ones to mark pay days... and I ran out half way through the year... I have no idea what to do with the makeup ones ... ? Then some of the cleaning ones make sense... but others are really specific. For example, the spray bottle could mean cleaning as a generic activity. But then there is a recycle sticker, and a washing machine. Why not a dish cleaning or vacuum one then? The logic doesn't quite work for how I plan...You get the idea...
- The cost!
Overall:
I love the layout, I am glad I am trying it out. I am unsure if I will re-order in the future. The quality isn't amazing for the price (original cover especially!), and the design is a little too loud and colorful for me. It looks like she recently released some more neutral ones... but I am unsure if that includes the inside of the planner, or just the covers. I do have several covers now... so I may consider buying an address book... to keep at home... so I can still use the covers, and have one larger address book around to reference. If I did purchase an ECLP again, I would go for the cheapest option with the clear coil.. and probably wouldn't buy a lot of add-ons.
Last Thought:
I am really loving how easy it is for me to keep track of my yearly, monthly, etc. goals in this planner. I have a system and it is working pretty well. Is anyone interested in posts for "planning" around your goals?! If you are interested in purchasing the ECLP or any of the accessories use my referral code to save $10 on your first purchase: https://www.erincondren.com/referral/invite/alexandraconsolver0703
What do you guys think? Have any of you tried the ECLP? What planner do you use? What do you think of it? XO, Alexandra
Hi Guys, I know a lot of you are into planners like I am... so I thought I would share how things are going with my first ECLP. :)
I was not initially going to purchase one, they are a little bit bright for my taste, and obviously on the pricier end.... but they got me with the new rose gold design. (which of course was more expensive). So I made it my, "Christmas Present" to myself... and here's what I've got to say 3 months in!
Planner: ECLP - Rose Gold Cost: $75 (YIKES) Time Using: 3 Months
Extras Purchased: (... it was cyber Monday.... don't judge ....) budget book, activity log, pen holder stick-on, set of bands to hold closed.
Pros:
-I chose vertical layout, I like it a lot. I divide my day up into, "brand", "home", and "self" - which works really well for me!
-It's pretty. I love the rose gold, I love the lavender.
-I like the stickers.
-I like how it is organized to include yearly goals, monthly goals, etc. and in general how easy it is to keep everything together.
-I like how many add-ons there are to customize your planner even more without actually ordering a custom planner.
-The post-its are very pretty, they look really cool on the monthly pages, and I like that they clip onto the spiral.
Cons:
-Quality Issues:
-After just 2 months of use, the rose gold started coming off of my spiral.
-Also at 2 months, the top right corner of my cover (that it came with) has started to separate from itself, (you can see this in the first picture, top right hand corner.)
-The paper seems a little thin all things considered. My pens and markers are easy to see from one side to the next... so it's hard for me to "decorate" it in fancy writing, etc.
-No address section! As someone who sends lots of snail mail, I was bummed to find no actual address section in this extensive planner. There is a small one in the perpetual calendar (which was included with the rose gold planner). But it holds maybe 10 contacts. We send 25+ postcards every. time. we travel. So this doesn't work for me... I will have to copy them into the notes pages I guess. Erin Condren does sell a separate full sized address book... but that seemed like more of an investment than I wanted. I just wanted a few pages tucked into this planner... : /
-With the pages, and the bookmark clip, and the pocket with my budget/activity trackers it seems really full. The band is helpful (and pretty!) but it still seems like it might be part of the problem with the cover splitting.
-The stick on pen holder does not stay in place.
-I've only used a hand full of the metallic post-it notes, (bought later...), which were one of the pricier accessories on the site... and the first one ripped when I pulled it off. Overall the paper must be thin... because they rip pretty easily. Not great quality. (you can see how some rip when you take them off in the photo above).
-While the do-it-all dot stickers are cool... they aren't the most practical for me. Who goes to the Dr. 6 times per year? Unless you have kids or frequent appointments it just doesn't make sense to have that many. Yet, I used the $ ones to mark pay days... and I ran out half way through the year... I have no idea what to do with the makeup ones... ? You get the idea...
-The cost, especially for the quality
Overall:
I love the layout, I am glad I am trying it out. I doubt I will re-order in the future. The quality isn't great for the price, and the design is a little too loud and colorful for me. I do have several covers now... so I may consider buying an address book... to keep at home... so I can still use the covers, and have one larger address book around to reference. I'm not 100% sure I won't re-order... but I'm leaning toward no right now. If I did... I would go for the cheapest option with the clear coil.. and probably wouldn't buy a lot of add-ons.
If you are interested in purchasing the ECLP or any of the accessories use my referral code to save $10 on your first purchase: https://www.erincondren.com/referral/invite/alexandraconsolver0703
What do you guys think? Have any of you tried the ECLP? What planner do you use? What do you think of it? XO, Alexandra
