You’ve got the planner…now what do you do? First, let me welcome you to the planner community and the world of Happy Planner! If you are a Happy Planner newbie this post is for you. I give you 5 simple tips to help you create the perfect Happy Planner for you.
The Happy Planner brand started in July 2015. I rediscovered paper planning during the release of their second generation of planners (April 2016). I love to be creative with my planner pages which is one of the reasons why the Happy Planner appealed to me.
As a Type-A personality and serial to-do lister it’s important that my planner system has structure, organization and is easily customizable. That’s why I love the disc-bound planner system!
I’m also a bit of a sponge. I soak up anything I’m interested in and I’ve learned a lot of planning tips and tricks. Now I want to share what I’ve learned with you so that you too can create the perfect Happy Planner for your needs!
5 Tips to Create the Perfect Happy Planner
I’ve already shared with you my 5 Reasons To Choose The Happy Planner Over Other Planners. That’s because it’s exactly those reasons as to why I chose this disc-bound planner system for my everyday and business productivity needs.
Now I want to share with you my 5 Tips to Create The Perfect Happy Planner For You. Before we get started I need to say something. It’s okay to be inspired by another planner, but, how they use their planner and page layouts are unique to their needs and lives. If you follow their lead you might find yourself unhappy with your planner setup.
Tip #1 Do Not Pre-Decorate
After you buy your first Happy Planner my first tip is do not decorate too far in advance. I did this and regretted it. When I first got my Happy Planner I was so excited I got a little carried away. I pre-decorated multiple monthly and weekly views.
Shown above is my September 2016 monthly spread…after I fixed it multiple times. What happened exactly and how did I fix it? For all the details check out How To Fix Pre-Decorated Happy Planner Pages.
How I Fixed This Corner
- First I stamped in the lower right-side corner of the monthly page with a bright pink butterfly stamp. Later on I decided I didn’t like it.
- Then I covered it with a big quote banner that read, “What you create does not have to be perfect.” Ironic, don’t you think?! Still didn’t like how it looked.
- The last fix came after I decided to use a planner sticker kit and I was able to match the kit nicely with some scrapbook paper and coordinating stickers.
Along my planner journey I’ve discovered I prefer to have themed weeks and months. I like how easily the pages flow together when it has a cohesive look.
Tip #2 Pre-Plan Using Sticky Notes
Using sticky notes is especially helpful when you don’t know exactly what your schedule will be or if you’re not sure if an appointment will be cancelled. It allows you to plan your schedule without the worry of written commitment to your pages.
Use post-it notes to enter in appointments, important dates, reminders and more. That way, if an appointment changes you won’t be faced with having to find a way to cover up the incorrect appointment.
My suggestion would be to always have on hand a colorful array of post-it notes or grab yourself one of the sticky notes dashboards that Happy Planner makes. That way you can pop it right into your planner!
Planning 101 Tips
Use the inside cover of your Happy Planner as a dashboard for post-it notes and sticky notes.
Tip #3 Join Communities
Some of the best inspiration comes from other like-minded people in the planner communities. Do some research and seek out planner groups or content creators on your favorite social media outlet(s).
Inspiring Planner Communities
- Creative Planning Expressions Community
- Me and My Big Ideas Blog
- MAMBI The Happy Planner Group on Facebook
- Check out your local Michaels store for planner classes or meetups.
- Come Plan with Me on IG! (@behindthedesigns).
- Finally check out some of these hashtags on Instagram to connect with other planners: #thehappyplanner #happyplanner #meandmybigideas #mambi #create365 #behindthedesigns #btdplans
Tip #4 Resist FOMO
As you get deeper into planning and the planner communities you will be bombarded with so much inspiration and great buys (pens, markers, organizers -oh my!). It may seem a little intimidating at first and you could easily get caught up in all the exciting products that others’ share. One such product is washi tape!
If you have joined a Facebook planner group, you’ve no doubt seen some of the funny quotes and cartoons on planners and washi tape (all are hilarious and sadly…true!). But, seriously…resist the temptation to buy all the washi tape! Trust me when I say that once you buy a few rolls -you’ll end up with 100’s!!
Another temptation…stickers! Don’t be tempted to head right out to the stores and clear your local store(s) of stickers. Equally so, don’t just head over to Etsy and start buying stickers. Don’t get me wrong there a ton of fantastic sticker designers and kits out there. But, one low cost way to introduce yourself to planner decorating and discovering what you do and don’t like is to do a simple Google search for ‘free planner stickers’.
Tip #5 Stay Organized
My final tip in this post is to stay organized. By that I mean keep all the planners, washi tape, stickers and accessories that you buy organized and purge them regularly. If you don’t you will quickly become overwhelmed and that could affect your planning and productivity.
Do some research as there are a ton of creative ideas out there to explore. Find the organization system(s) that work for you and don’t be afraid to adjust your system as your interest in planning grows.
Bonus Planning Tip
As you continue your planner journey your collections will undoubtedly grow. As well, as you become more and more comfortable in your planning style your planner itself may grow. Planner discs come in a variety of sizes and you may find you need to move up to the next size.
Save Your Discs
At some point you will either go up or down in disc size. When you do that, hold onto the discs you are taking off your planner because you can later use them to create a sticker book.
Looking for creative ways in which to store and organize your planner supplies? Be sure to check out our organizing archives as well as browse the BTD Pinterest Boards for inspiration.
I’d love for you to join the Creative Planning Expressions Community and be inspired by all the planner pages, tips and productivity hacks. Also be sure to share your own planner pages and experiences -we’d love to learn from you too!
Want to always be in the know? Be sure to subscribe to the newsletter to receive emails of all the latest blog posts and get the first scoop about any digital printables and freebies.
Join me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and the Creative Planning Expressions Community to see what I’m up to as I Plan One Beautiful LifeTM!
xo, Stephanie
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