papertrey ink :: moments inked :: planning way ahead

As the holidays creep closer and closer, so, too, does the end of 2016.  With each year end comes a new beginning--and new Moments Inked Planner inserts from Papertrey Ink!  With the 2017 inserts in my hands already, I began to think about planning ahead.  Way ahead.  For me, 2016 flew by in a flurry of chaotic blur and many events sneaked up on me because I wasn't ready for them.  That led to  scrambling to complete projects or missing out on a few good opportunities altogether.  I'm not going to let that happen next year.  Read on to see how I'm getting organized for 2017 NOW.

I have two main concerns:

1. Trying not to overcommit and say yes to too many things, thus getting overwhelmed and burned out

2. Preparing for major projects/events in advance to avoid a mad dash to the finish line

It took some thinking about for awhile, but after a brainstorming and aggressive note-making session, I came up with a little system that I hope is going to work: Short monthly lists on 3" x 3" Post-It notes!

I'm focusing mainly on business/design team work here, but this method can easily be applied to family, household or personal tasks/goals, as well.

One other thing I took into account was the fact that I want to dress up my planner a little more than I did in 2016.  This was partly inspired by the new monthly first page of the month/quote in the 2017 planner.  I love the nearly full page of color which is a new feature and decided to match that with a facing page of bold florals.

If I was a patient, magnificent stamper like so many of you PTI fans are, I'd have stamped and colored each design, but I'm just not there yet so I used patterned paper instead.  I cut each page with the large Binder Page Die and I made 12 pages, one for each month of 2017.  I will probably go back and add 1 more page for December 2016, just because these same ideas apply.

For the actual organization and planning ahead, I put my planner stamps and 3" x 3" Post-its to work.  In trying to focus on a handful of tasks each month, I liked the idea of a short list.  If it doesn't fit on The List, it doesn't get done.  I think that may be the only way to stay sane each month and curb the inherent desire to say YES! to every thing and opportunity that come my way.

I used the list lines from the Posted stamp in True Black ink, along with the square boxes for ticking off each finished item.  I also stamped "THE LIST" and two tiny stars in colors that coordinated with that month's colors.  There are 6 lines so that means no more than 6 projects.  I don't necessarily have to fill each line, but going over is a definite no-no.  I'm going to try hard with that, anyhow :)

That Post-It list goes on the left-hand side of my planner spread.  On the right, I used the 1-2-3 memories list as a way to keep track of events that require advance preparation (birthday party planning, holiday shop inventory, classes I'm teaching, etc).  These will need to be started at least 1-2 months ahead of schedule, and by writing them down and keeping them here, I hope to avoid any last-minute scrambling.

I used different colored inks on this Post-it because the pattern of the page isn't as busy as that of the florals.  I also stamped "START HERE" to distinguish this list as the items that need to be on my radar, but aren't due yet.

Perhaps the best thing about this system is that I've already got 12 months of pages and Post-Its all set to go.  The only prep work is to fill in my lists as the year goes by, which I think will make it easier to abide by.  Plus, the page spread is so pretty to look at with the florals on one side and the bold PTI dotted pattern on the other.  The Post-its are neat and tidy and the monthly quote is always a nugget of sound advice.  I'm looking forward to a productive, less chaotic 2017.  How about you?

(PS: The 2017 planners are available here now!)

Supplies used:

Papertrey Ink:

Moments Inked Planner Binder

Moments Inked Binder Pages 2016 / 2017

Stamps:

Posted, Posted II, Planner Banners, Listed, Remembered

Dies:

Binder Page Die (large)

Ink:

Hawaiian Shores, Raspberry Fizz, Aqua Mist, Summer Sunrise, True Black, Melon Berry, Hibiscus Burst, Limeade Ice, Berry Sorbet, Winter Wisteria

3" x 3" White Post-It Notes

Other Supplies:

Patterned Papers:

My Mind's Eye, Crate Paper, Heidi Swapp, Dear Lizzy, Pink Paislee, Amy Tangerine

The entire line of Moments Inked Planner System products can be found here.

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