DIY Organizer/Planner

In the past I have flirted with making my own planner. In fact, last fall a co-worker and I devoted many hours to creating the perfect planner that we would have printed and bound. We managed to waste quite a few hours on it before we both just settled on the Uncalendar I previously reviewed.

In August, I had purchased a Quo Vadis planner and used it for a bit, but I stumbled across a group dedicated to organizers and it rekindled my interest in creating the ultimate planner. This has consumed a lot of my internet browsing time and creative energy for at least three weeks.

I really wanted a planner that I could use a lot of color in, customize the pages and not be afraid to scribble all over it. I wanted to feel like the space could be used for more than just the standard to-do list or appointments. I wanted to blend space for doodles, assignments, memories, quotes/lyrics and space for to-do lists into one planner. But having the space for those things is only the first step, the next is actually using the planner to record those items and not fall into just the "to-do" trap.

I feel like I am relearning how to document all of these things, as I haven't done it as extensively in previous planners. Something about the rigidity of a preprinted planner is like a coloring book, I don't want to write outside of the lines or doodle. It feels like I am messing it up. So for this first week, I tried to think about what I want this planner to be and attempted to record items in a way that supports that vision. Hopefully I can become more creative with how I incorporate all of this as the weeks go on.

I used a large, hardcover Piccadilly notebook I had around the house. The first page is the standard "if lost" info, so I left that out.

Here is the first week (blank):

And here it is, after a week of use. I created and glued in the 4x6 index card to keep track of what jobs I have applied for and if I have heard back from them.

This is next week:

And the rough outline of weeks 3,4,5

As you can see, I am trying a different layout each week. I want to see what works the best and then I might stick with it for a few weeks in row.

Week three is a copy of a planner page I saw at Barnes and Noble, it is very hard to see right now, but once I get it completely filled in I think it will be pretty cool. It is the only one where I have used a two page per week format. Week four is a basically a copy of how a Moleskine planner is setup and week five is basically an outline of my ruler, seven days and one for notes.

Here are the pens I have used somewhere when documenting this week. There may be afew more, but these are the only ones I can remember using. I only used a few of the Staedtler Triplus Fineliner Set though.

Purple preppy sign pen

3 ink Hi-Tec-C, with orange *reviewed*

.25 Blue Black Slicci

Pink Le Pen

Grey Hi Tec C

Blue Sharpie RT Pen

Color Pencil Like Frixion Tea Brown

3 ink Slicci, used Lime Green

.3 Hi-Tec-C Venet *reviewed*

Sarasa .7 orange

Color Pencil Like Frixion Mustard

Sarasa .7 lime green

Lamy Safari, blue ink, extra fine fp

clicky eraser

Sarasa .7 cornflower blue

Pilot Color Eno .7 purple pencil lead

Brown Le Pen

Maroon Le Pen

Staedtler Triplus Fineliner Set

Also at the very back of the book is an area where I tested many of my pens to see how it would work with the paper before I started outlining. I wanted to avoid a lot of bleed through. I left several pages blank for this purpose, as I know my pen collection will continue to grow.

So, what do you think? Any advice on future layouts?