If there is one thing I’ve always loved and cannot get enough of it is planners and notebooks and office supplies. Even with the rise of technology, I still resort back to physically writing things down a vast majority of the time. There is just something so rewarding when you physically cross something off your to do list.

I’m also very specific in what I look for when getting new planners at the beginning of the year or new notebooks, pens and more. It is so important that these tools work for you so that you can stay on track and as organized as possible.

Organization is going to be key for me this year so I’ve rounded up the different ways in which I’m doing so plus some of my favorite items I’m using to do so. No shame in my organization game!

PLANNERS
When picking out a planner, I typically look for something that has both a monthly and a weekly view. I don’t like lines or times listed on any of the days and look for something with lots of blank space for me to write notes, to do lists or reminders. This year I also opted for a separate just monthly view planner to keep all of my concussion therapy, doctor appointments, tests, biopsies, etc organized separately in one spot.

To no surprise, I got both of my planners at Target. They are May Designs for Blue Sky - I love the simplistic yet modern style and they are SO incredibly affordable. I used some of their monthly planner last year and loved it so I was excited to score these again this year. Here what I like about each planner…

• Monthly-Weekly Planner ($9.99) - I love that the design of this is so simplistic yet modern. There are no frills inside taking up valuable space, just all the room for notes and lists galore! I love the size of it, too, and typically go for planners this size (8.5” x 11”). Anything smaller feels too cramped for writing stuff IMO. I also really like the pages at the back for notes and am fully taking advantage of them! My first plan of attack is writing out my goals for 2019. This is something I’ve never actually done before and to be honest, it is a bit stressful writing these things out and seeing them looking back at me. But it also feels like an extra push to get out there this year, not let anything get in my way, and accomplish these goals!

• Monthly Planner ($6.99) - the geometric pattern on the front of this planner is what drew me in and I couldn’t say no! I had this style planner last year and loved it so I was excited to see the same style back again this year. I also love that it matches and coordinates with the monthly-weekly planner - must have coordination!

PENS
You’ve got the planners to stay organized, now you need all the pens to do the writing! I like to use a regular black ink pen to write all of my notes and to do lists and then use colored pens to accent important things and to cross items off my to do list once completed. I’ve been using these Paper Mate Flare Marker Pens (16ct - $18.29) for as long as I can remember (probably since college) and absolutely love them. They come in so many great colors and write so clean and smoothly. I’ve also been using these Pilot G2 “Gel” Pens (3ct - $4.39) for just about as long and are a staple. I love the deep black ink and how smooth the pens write; they are also a comfortable pen to hold (the little things you don’t consider!). I like the .7mm ones and find they are the perfect point size.

GOOGLE CALENDAR & DOCS
Although I love the “nostalgia” of writing things in a planner, I find it easiest to use Google Calendar and Docs to keep all of my blog related items organized. With Google Calendar, I have the flexibility and freedom to move posts around based on content, season, new ideas and even my mood without any scribbles or things crossed out with arrows in all directions . I started doing this when I got back into blogging this past fall and it has made a huge difference! I use Google Docs to keep track of blog topic ideas and to write out some general points for different blog topics. I use Google Spreadsheets to keep track of analytics. I’m such a numbers person and love to see how things performed and figure out the why.

New this year, I’m going to be taking my finances to a new level. Last year I worked on saving receipts and this year I want to track my spending by category in a Google Spreadsheet to see where I’m spending my money each month. I’m hoping this makes me more financially responsible and see areas where I can cut to save money. I will definitely be sharing more on this financial journey on the blog throughout the year on the blog so stay tuned for that!

And there you have it! The top ways I’ll be staying organized throughout 2019. Do you have a favorite planner or way to stay organized? Share below in the comments!

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