Creating an Intentional Planner
We here at Golden Coil want you to get the most out of your planner. There are so many possibilities to choose from, and by making intentional choices about which pages to include, you can really make your planner work for you. Rather than just choosing pages you hope you’ll use, here are some tips for creating an intentional planner that fits you.
If you’ve created a planner before, then the process of choosing pages that are right for you is probably a little easier. With hindsight you can see which pages got a lot of use, and which ones didn’t, then adjust next year’s planner accordingly.
Purposes
If, however, it’s your first time creating a planner or you’re wanting to expand its uses, ask yourself: what are the main purposes of my planner? How would I like to see it used?
Is it mainly professional? For example, are you a wedding planner who wants to keep track of events, venues, schedules, budgets, etc? Maybe you’re a media content creator who wants to keep track of ideas, brand deals, and schedules.
Perhaps your planner is more for personal use. Is it to keep you organized as you manage a family and home? Do you homeschool? Are you a crafter? Maybe it’s a mix of both.
Whatever you use Golden Coil for, there’s a page for your needs. But which ones to choose?
Priorities
After nailing down the main purposes of your planner, ask yourself what are your top priorities? This may seem redundant, but by getting into the details of how you intend to use your planner, you’ll be able to narrow down the many helpful options to the best ones for you.
Some questions you could ask yourself to pinpoint your priorities might be:
What are some things I enjoy doing?
What’s important to me? If you’ve put family and relationships at the top of the list, but want to go deeper, try to set those aside and ask yourself: Outside of family and work, what is important to me? You may come up with some surprising insights about yourself!
What do I spend my free time on? As the saying goes, “We are what we repeatedly do,” so looking at our habits is a pretty good indication of where our priorities lie.
Plan
Armed with your purpose and priorities, you can now start creating the perfect planner. For example, if I’m a working parent who values quality time with my children, being financially savvy and staying active, I’d want to choose pages that can help me in all those areas. The Year at a Glance and Month at a Glance pages can help me stay on top of my children’s various activities, holidays, and time off. The preset “fun holidays” could also be a creative way to connect with my kids! If I like to keep track of finances, there are the Expenses and Budget pages, as well as Subscriptions, so no forgotten charges slip past me. If I like to stay healthy, the Fitness and Meals page is a great one-stop shop for keeping track of exercise and diet. Here are some other examples:
Person: A new mother, freelances, enjoys sewing and values creativity
Pages: Baby Chart 1 & 2, Freelance Finances, and Project Planning or Story Board 1, 2, or 3.
Person: A social media marketer, values mental health and enjoys cooking
Pages: Social Media Planner 1 or 2, Wellness or Mood pages, and Recipes 1 or 2, or Meal Planning pages.
These are just a few examples and there are endless variations as unique as you are. The beauty of Golden Coil is in how customizable it is and how you can truly make it work for you and your life!
Ponder
After you’ve used your planner for some time, re-evaluate what you’ve liked and disliked, how you’ve used it, and what you can add or remove next time.
We understand that there’s a person behind every planner, and with a little introspection and trial and error, you can create a planner as unique as you!