How I Plan - Using a paper planner + a digital calendar

Prior to discovering decorative/creative planning in 2017, I was in a pretty weird place as far as planning. Ever since I can remember, I've always been obsessed new writing instruments, stickers, notebooks, and journals/diaries. I always looked forward to getting a new agenda at the beginning of each school year in grade school; I still have a couple of them and love looking back on written conversations between my dad and my teachers with things like, "Cassie did a great job on her project!" and my dad writing, "Thank you! She is a special little girl."

During college, I had a hard time keeping up with my assignments. Once I started working more and juggling several college courses, I found myself having a hard time finding an enjoyable way to keep up with everything in my life. I started using Google Calendar because I already had a Google account, so it was a logical step to take. I also remember going to my college bookstore and buying a little planner to write assignments in for when my phone was dead or just not near me. The planner wasn't very cute, and I used it for about a month before it just ended up buried in my book bag for eternity. I continued to use Google Calendar, but really missed that feeling of physically writing on paper. I kind of gave up on it and used random notebooks I thought were cute to jot down random to-do lists. That was until 2017 when I found out about decorative planning and the discbound planning system. I had finally found something that helped me stay organized while also flexing my creative muscle.

When I started to very quickly become engrossed in the decorative planning community online, many of my friends and loved ones asked me why I still used Google Calendar if I had a paper planner. It seemed redundant to them that I was putting events in my Google Calendar and then writing them down in my planner. I thought I would explain how I use both a digital calendar and a paper planner to get (or at least feel) more organized.

What is your planning process?

Every week, usually on Saturday or Sunday, I sit down at my desk with my planners and my phone/laptop to begin planning the upcoming week. The first thing I do is decide what I'm "feeling" for stickers and washi that week. My spread is largely based on how I'm feeling, so that's why I don't like to do my spread too far in advance for the upcoming week. I then begin laying down stickers and washi and creating my layout for the week. Now, the actual planning part. So many people ask me how I use my Google Calendar and my paper planner. Once my planner pages are in front of me, I open up my Google Calendar either on my phone or my laptop and see what I've got going on during the upcoming week. I use my Google Calendar to track bill due dates, birthdays, holidays, paydays, events, and meetings. I put everything in Google Calendar first, and then in my planner second. Almost everything in my Google Calendar ends up in my planner. However, what my Google Calendar doesn't track is tasks and goals, and that is something that is essential for me to track in my paper planners. And ever since I discovered decorative planning and the incredible online planner community in 2017, I have found planning to be an incredible creative outlet in addition to being a great way to help me get stuff done and stay organized.

Why not just use a digital planner? Do you really need a paper planner in 2020?

You've probably heard that you have an easier time remembering things if you physically write them rather than type them, which is why many people use an Apple Pencil or something equivalent (check out this article on the subject of writing and memory). For me, I simply love the process of putting ink and stickers onto paper; it is extremely therapeutic for me and always has been. I've tried journaling by using the Notes app on my phone, but it doesn't have the same therapeutic effect that journaling on paper does, at least for me. When I was a student in college, I would record audio of my lectures and then listen back to them and write down key points in a notebook. I know not everyone needs to use a paper planner, but I recommend trying it out if you haven't - especially if you love notebooks, pens, stickers, and all that fun stuff!

Do you still forget things?

I wish I could answer "no" to this question, but I'm a human being, and we all forget things from time to time. This largely depends on how busy I am and where my mental health is at the time. I would say that 95% of the time, I don't forget about events or obligations I have made. There are obviously times when I get busy and something just slips my mind, but I can confidently say that I remember a lot of things that I wouldn't if I didn't use a paper planner. Plus, as I mentioned earlier in this post, using a paper planner is a huge creative outlet for me and is great for my mental health.

How do I know what's right for me?

Like many things in life, the only way to know if a certain planning style or method will work for you is to simply try it. My first "real" planner was a Classic Happy Planner with a vertical layout, and it didn't take me very long to realize that vertical planning is just not for me. Thankfully, there are endless options when it comes to planners and layouts. Some people are hourly planners, and that is not for me. The only way I know that is because I tried it. You have to start somewhere! I highly recommend checking out the #creativeplanning hashtag on Instagram for some ideas and inspiration.

l hope this was helpful! Check out my accompanying video below:

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