Setting Up a Planner: Set Up a Simple Blogging Planner

Setting up a planner is so different than it was when I was in high school or university. Back then, we just had a diary and you penciled things in like, essay due, doctor’s appointment 2:30 and what not. Now, planners come with to do boxes, a spot for goal setting, stickers and goodness knows what else. Is it more organized? I don’t know. Is it more useful? I don’t know. But I do know that I have been blogging for over a year now without any kind of planner and that I want to try using a planner for my blog to help step up my game.

So I bought a planner. Since I’m semi new to planner, I went with a nice Happy Planner and bought an 18 month planner, only to get home and discover after I had written my name in it, that the planner started in July 2021 and extended into 2022. I mean, I realized it was a 2021-2022 planner when I bought it but I didn’t check the start month and didn’t give it much though. Smh. And I want to start using the planner now, not later. So I created some pages to add to the planner to start using it now. Thank you Canva.

Decide What Kind of Layout Best Suits You

When you set up a planner, decide before you buy a planner which kind of layout best suits you. You have choices between vertical and horizitional, some have times pre-written in, some have big blocks under a date, some have smaller ones. It’s a good idea to have an idea of what kind of planner you find easy to use before buying one. Then, consider your options. I went with a Happy Planner because I have some experience with the brand; I have a Happy Planner for teachers and have used that for a few years now.

Check out the Extras

What kind of extra features does the planner offer? Does it have goal setting boxes? A place to jot down your to dos? A spot for meeting times? A section for daily reflection? Before purchasing, check these out, consider if they will be useful as you set up your planner, and go with what feels good. Don’t overanalyze it too much, I tend to find going with my gut the smarter way to make a decision for items such as this.

Related Article: How to Create a Writer’s Notebook

Setting Up A Planner

I went with a planner that is relatively straightforward because I am a little old school when it comes to planners, and because I’m kinda new to this “fun” planner world. So at the top of the page, I write out my appointments for the week so as to not clutter up the daily goals I am listing in each day. On the opposite page, I thought the extras included were practical as I could actually start planning errands, jotting down calls or emails I need to make or reply to, and for the focus section, I might list things to be grateful for.

As for the sections bills to pay, or to buy…these sections could come in useful, but I’m not sure they’ll get used much. In each day (i.e Monday, Tuesday etc), I write the goals I want to hit that day. I am aiming for three and that might change if it’s too much, or not enough. So far, this is how I set up a planner for my blog work.

Keep in mind, this is is how I’m setting up my planner, simply and functionally. It is likely not the only way to set up a planner. I think key is following the layout of the planner as much as possible and adding in as much as you need to keep you organized and on task.

Add in Stickers When Setting Up a Planner

I’m so glad stickers are in and not still perceived as childish, and that people have begun to repurpose stickers to be useful as well. I love decorating with stickers and did this right into my mid-twenties, and then just stopped because I couldn’t find stickers that weren’t babyish. There are a TON of stickers out there that offer inspiration, reminders, a spot to highlight a goal or meeting and I plan to sticker up my planner. Once I have stickers. Because the store was completely out of stock when I went. Hmm, that might be something to write down in the to buy section…

Be Creative and Have Fun

Don’t forget to have fun with this! Yes, it’s a tool to keep you organized, but you can be creative and draw a little doodle and have some fun while you pencil in that day creating pins, or the interview with the guest blogger. Make your planner entirely your own.

How do you set up a planner? Share your tricks and tips in the comments below.