I tried to resist, but it seems I’m not immune to the allure of trendy stationery. Sure, I can pass on that extra shot of tequila, but when it comes to paper goods? I’m a total sucker.
I adore all things related to stationery—office supplies, notebooks, you name it. I may have even revealed my slightly obsessive side to my partner once at a local store when I squealed at sticky notes the size of my head. Eventually, I succumbed to the Erin Condren Life Planner phenomenon.
What’s not to love? Adorable designs, an excuse to splurge on washi tape and colorful markers, all accompanied by enthusiastic promises from friends that this planner would transform my life. They assured me it would lead to ultimate organization, world peace, weight loss, and even a “My Kid is on the Honor Roll” bumper sticker—all thanks to my newfound planning skills.
So, I caved. I found a planner at Staples and spent far too much on it. Naturally, I also purchased all the accessories: markers, dividers, stickers, and washi tape. I scoured Pinterest for tips on how to use this magical tool. I even assigned colors to my family members, only to promptly forget who was associated with which hue and ended up jotting everything down in my daughter’s designated color.
I bought a white-out pen. Then, I decided it was simpler to abandon the color-coding system altogether.
I dedicated a morning to planning my week, aiming for a realistic to-do list. But soon enough, the planner was set aside, and I did whatever I felt like instead. My tasks remained untouched, and plans that were intended for Monday got pushed to Tuesday, then Wednesday—until I completely ignored the planner.
“But it’s life-changing!” my planner-obsessed friends would chant, their eyes glazed over from the high of marker fumes and washi tape. “Just give it a chance! You’ll become addicted to planning, just like us!”
Determined, I tried again. I sat down to plan, taking tiny steps toward a more productive life. But once again, the planner was neglected until I stumbled upon a doctor’s appointment I had jotted down, which I hadn’t transferred to my phone.
I thought to myself, “Maybe I should give the life planner another shot,” but I didn’t.
Now it sits buried beneath a heap of other items on my desk. I knew this would happen. This isn’t my first encounter with the enticing call of planners promising a more organized existence. I’ve never made it through a full year with any of them. A more expensive planner filled with stickers and color codes wasn’t going to magically fix my chaos.
Have I learned my lesson? Not really. But perhaps next time, instead of falling for the most expensive option, I’ll actually attempt to use the one I already own. I mean, there are still 13 months left in this planner—13 months to either master its use or let it collect dust beneath my stack of notebooks. What do you think is more likely?
For more tips on home insemination, check out this post from our other blog.
In conclusion, planning can be an adventure filled with ups and downs. Whether you embrace or shy away from it, there’s always room for improvement and a chance to try again.