Interested in jumping into the world of decorative planning, but you don’t know where to begin? Let’s jump back to the basics and discuss the art of decorative planning.
If you are here, then maybe you have heard of the term “planner” or “planning.” If not, let me ask this: have you ever heard of Franklin Covey or DayTimer? Those are the processors to the modern planner. Planners and planning, interchangeably, have become a popular trend over the past few years. More refined, the art of decorative planning has really blossomed into a full-on thing thing.
Decorative planning can be defined, in my humble opinion, as:
Using decorations such as stamps, stickers, doodles, etc., to create decorative spreads within the pages of a planner.
So, what is a planner, and how do you go about using one? Let’s dive deeper.
What is a Planner?
A planner is essentially a paper calendar book or an agenda. Planners typically have monthly and weekly pages, sometimes including additional elements such as year-at-a-glance pages, notes pages, etc. Some people may refer to a planner as a binder or calendar book, but the term planner is the most common term used. You can Google it.
A planner is a paper calendar that comes in various sizes, types, models, and more. If you think of makeup brands and car brands with all the different makes, types, and models of each within those categories, planners fall in the same boat.
Why Use a Planner?
In the age of technology, you may be wondering why this is such a trend and what purpose does it have if you already have a Google Calendar or some other smart calendar on a smart device. Trust me, you should meet my husband who has asked such questions. Well, the purpose of using a physical, paper planner is, at its core, to physically write down the important information within your day to day routines and schedules.
There is science behind the connection of physically writing something down to the act of imprinting the information in order to recall it at a later time. Again, Google it. I’m no doctor, but I know that when I write something down, pen to paper, I can remember it and recall it much faster than something I have typed up or added to a digital calendar. It literally sticks with me if I write it down.
When you use a planner, you can track just about anything from week to week and month to month. To get some ideas, you can browse my list of 118 things to track in your planner. Planners are great for staying organized and staying on schedule.
Why Decorate Your Planner?
Outside of using stickers, stamps, washi tape and many other forms of decorations, decorative planning provides many people of all ages a creative outlet combined with the monotony of writing down schedules and to-dos. Many people, including myself, love the art of decorative planning because it allows a few moments in an otherwise crazy, hectic, busy lifestyle to sit down and create something.
Also, with decorative planning being so on-trend right now, there is a whole community built around it. Yes, it’s almost cult-like, but it’s a fun, inspirational kind of cult! The people in the planner community have built just that, a community, in which like-minded individuals lift each other and inspire one another to blossom in their own creative journey.
Nonetheless, decorating your planner pages also provides you something beautiful and fun to look at all week rather than just jotting down the appointment and to-dos here and there! If you are new to the planning game, don’t worry! You can learn how to create your first planner spread here.
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I have really enjoyed being a part of the planner community and using my own planners, and I hope this will encourage you to try using a planner, too! Until next time, wishful planning and happy planner hunting!
