Categories vs Brain Dump | Planner Life Transition
I just started a new job in July and it's been taking me some time to get in a groove with organizing my time and using my planner effectively. To be honest, while I'm getting things done I feel more disorganized than I have in a long time and I'm literally using a bunch of different planners, sticky notes and pieces of note paper. I'm pretty confident this is just a transition and I'll find my way soon because this randomness is simply not working.
What I've been doing/using:
- Randomly using my Cloth & Paper Undated daily inserts sometimes (mainly for work) to track meetings and tasks
- Sort of but not really using my new Ink + Volt Today planner for the same purpose as my Cloth & Paper inserts. I bought it thinking it would be exactly what I need, but nope (great planner but I don't know if its for me).
- Wishing I just had a good old fashioned notebook.
- Using Asana to try and stay on top of my job work tasks
- Using Google drive to share things with my team
- Using Google Calendar for work meetings
- Maintaining to some degree my routine/systems I have in place for the print shop
- Struggling to figure out if I need to go back to a vertical or horizontal planner or if daily is what I need
- Missing my pre-planning sessions where I prep my planner
- Realizing I need to stop and create a new routine which means I need to get back to my planner life LOL
- Wavering back and forth between wanting to just brain dump and wanting task categories
All of this brings me to the following conclusion I thought I'd share...
Buy a notebook, brain dump, organize & categorize, create systems, kick butt!
What I'm realizing is my trying to fit my new life into my old planning style and routines/systems and it's not working. I need to stop and start at square one - which is buy a damn notebook and brain dump. I need to get messy and get it all out of my head before I put everything in perfect categories and create new systems. I'm basically trying to start at the middle but I haven't created a structure plus my head is spinning with all the things related to home, work and our business.
I'm sharing this all to say - if you are going through a transition too and can relate to my experience my advice is pause and then get it all out of your head first - make it "pretty" and "perfect" later. Yes we need structure and organization but if we don't brain dump first we may miss essential pieces.
So as the 2022 Planner Launch session quickly approaches and I try to figure out my go-to planner for this coming year my first step in revamping my planner system is to have an epic brain dump session. With that said...I'd love all your notebook recommendations - head to our Facebook group and share yours!
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