What to do when your planner stops working for you…

For the longest time, I loved a vertical planner layout. I needed to see everything that was going to happen that day, in the order it was happening. I was the keeper of the schedule, after all, and my planner was a master calendar of sorts, which included all of our family’s activities, plus my own personal planning.

Then, I moved to another country.

The focus of my planning shifted from scheduling to logistics. I had very little control over what happened day to day, but I had a ton to organize in regards to planning the travel and paying all the things.

I tried staying in my trusty vertical layout, but it just wasn’t working for me anymore. I needed less room each day and more room for all-the-notes.

It was time to make a switch!

Printable planning has a myriad of advantages, not the least of which is the ability to switch out your layout whenever you want! (Psst… this is why our SOS planner has 24 different layouts plus a variety of available add-on packs, making it ultimately customizable.)

But with all those decisions, you also get the very real possibility of decision fatigue. It can be overwhelming to know which layout to start with, let alone which one would work best for you.

And that’s where we’re here to help!

Start simple

The best way to start is just to start! Take a look at the available layouts and pick the one that most appeals to you. (Taking our Planner Quiz is a great place to start – we match you up with a few key options for your perfect layout!)

Need a way to narrow down those options even further? Ask yourself…

• Do you prefer daily or weekly planning?

• Do you need the whole week on one page or can it be spread over two pages?

• Do you need more structure or more space to write?

This is where I beg you to just start – don’t overthink it! One of the best parts of a printable planner is that you can change it up at anytime – you’re not married to your decision. 

Start by printing out just one week, in one layout. (We always recommend starting with our Classic Weekly – it’s a great combo of space and structure for every kind of planning!) Think of it as a getting-to-know-you-week, or a coffee date with your planner! 

During that week, you might find that you love that layout and choose to print out the whole month. Or you might decide to try something new, in which case, you can just print out one week of another layout!

In my case, I tried a few different layouts, week by week, to see which one would suit my life better during that season. I found I enjoyed a dashboard-style layout, but still wanted a visual representation of the week, so that’s what I went with!

Take Notice of Your Season

Once you’re more familiar with the planner layouts, you’re better able to determine which layout will work best for you in the season that you are in. 

Need some help figuring out what season you’re in? We’ve got a freebie for that!
>>> Click here to download our Name Your Season Guide.

You might find that you need a lot of space for notes and appointments, so a bullet journal or vertical layout would work best for you. 

Or, you might find that you need to keep track of many moving parts, so the family manager layout is a better fit.

But how do you know if it’s time to change your layout? 

The easiest answer is when the layout you are using is no longer serving your needs (as in my case), but sometimes it can be tricky to tell if it’s a planner issue or a user issue and might be resolved over time.

Here are a few signs that it might be time to try something new:

• You find yourself running out of room in your current spread – try using a spread with more white space, like our Weekly Rows or Weekly Boxes layout. Alternatively, if you need more space, but also like a little bit of structure, our Classic Weekly layout has room for all-the-things and guides you on where to put them.

• You end the week with too much empty space and unused areas – try a more streamlined layout, like Weekly Split or the 1 Page Bullet Journal.

• You find yourself drawing in elements that you need, like trackers or meal planning areas – you might consider a layout with more structure, such as the 2 Page Bullet Journal or the Weekly Productivity layout.

• You feel stuck or unproductive – your planner is a tool designed to serve you, not the other way around. If you feel stuck but you can’t put your finger on why, try making a bigger change, like changing from weekly to daily or changing from vertical to horizontal. 

• You’re just not excited to use your planner anymore. Let’s say it louder for the people in the back – this is a perfectly valid reason to change your layout! In fact, it’s probably the biggest advantage of using a printable planner! I have found that the ability to change my layout at a whim is more than worth the price of admission.

It took me about a month of fiddling around to discover that I actually really enjoyed using a horizontal layout. The Weekly Split layout has become a favorite, giving me just the right amount of space for planning, with plenty of room for lists. 

But who knows? Next month, I might try something different. I love that I have the freedom to change layouts for the sole purpose of changing layouts! I have found that if you take your time, play around with the options, you are more likely to design a planner that you will not only use, but love using.

Ready to check out our newest planners? We’re launching our Spring Collection on May 7th! RSVP to our planner party below to get the best scoop and enter to win our giveaways!!