You can get organised at any time of the year but to me, January always seems like a nice time to get organised and make plans and set goals for the future. However, if you are reading this at a later date, it is all still relevant.
I love lists, diaries and notepads as I think that there is nothing better than writing things down if you want to get organised. It may take a little time depending on which methods you choose, but in the long run you save yourself so much stress, time and even money.
So here are some of my ideas for an organised new year.
Wall calendars
In the past, we would always have a family wall calendar in the kitchen. However, I must admit that for me, I would sometimes forget that it was up there. It is no good having a pretty calendar up on the wall if you never add anything to it or refer to it again!
When I was at the BlogOn conference in September, I was gifted a Disney calendar in my goody bag which is really cute. It is one that you can use to write different family members names on. If you like the sound of using a calendar for an organised new year, than one like this from Danilo may be just what you are looking for.
For me, I am using it a bit differently. I am using headings of ‘family’, ‘blog’, ‘personal’, ‘dinner’ and ‘other’ in my boxes instead of family names. This is because we do something differently which I will talk about in the next section. I will be using this in my office for a at a glance view of what is going on over the month.
Planners
Family planner
Over the last few years, instead of having a wall calendar, we have been using a simple page a day planner which we keep in the kitchen.
Once a week we will sit together and talk about the upcoming week. Adding in anything that anyone is doing and tasks that need to be completed.
We all know where it is kept so people can look and remind themselves as to what everyone is up to. People can also add any last minute plans if they need to. This worked really well when our two oldest daughters were also living at home. It could be confusing trying to keep track of where everyone was and what everyone was doing!
Personal planner
Everyone has a different style of planner that they feel comfortable with. If you are someone that uses a day planner each year then you will have most likely already found what makes you happy. However if you have still not found planner peace or if you are just starting out, then it may take you a few planners before you find what works best for you.
For me, it is my happy planner. I love it and it works well for me as it is big but as I work from home and home school I do not need to take it anywhere. Over the years I have tried many planners but this is the one that I personally love the best. Having said that, if I had to leave the house everyday with my planner then I probably wouldn’t use the happy planner. I would be too worried about it getting damaged and it would also take up way to much room!
Bag planners
It can also be helpful to have a small bag sized planner for when you are out and about. That way, if you are caught on the spot, you can quickly scan and see your availability on different dates. This is one that my dad brought me for christmas to put in my bag and keep myself organised.
I only write a time and one word to show the time that I am unavailable. It does not take more than a few seconds each week to keep up to date alongside my happy planner.
Specific planners
Cruise Planner
I was gifted a cruise planner from PortExplore which is absolutely fantastic if you have plans for a cruise this year. I have always wanted to go on a cruise and after looking at this planner I want to even more now, just so that I can use the planner!
Cathy Rogers really has thought of everything in this planner. There are sections on booking the cruise, packing lists, planning pages, recording your trip, puzzles to keep you entertained and loads more. I especially loved the little tickets you can cut out at the back of the book. You can add your contact details and give them to any friends that you may have made on the cruise who you would like to keep in touch with.
This planner has been well thought out and is a ‘must’ for being organised and making the most of your cruise if you are going for the first time or even if you are a regular. I can not recommend this enough, it really is great.
Cleaning planner
I am sure that most people have already heard of this one by now! However, I had to include it as I really feel that it has been helping me stay more organised around the home. It is also packed full with great activities for mindfulness and self-care too.
The Mrs Hinch Activity Journal (affiliate link) has lots of space for you to write your own ‘hinch lists’ as well as journal questions for each week. There are lots of activities that I have been having so much fun completing along the way. I follow Mrs Hinch on Instagram and she really seems like a lovely person too, which makes the book even more great for me.
The most important tip!
Find things that you enjoy using. I love using my Mrs Hinch planner and that reminds and inspires me to clean my home. I love using my Happy Planner (affiliate link) and that keeps my tasks and appointments in the front of my mind so that I do not forget to check what I need to do.
To finish, I hope that I have inspired you to have an organised new year! Do you have a planning tool which I have not mentioned which you love? Have I inspired you to try one of the planners i have featured or have I given you a good idea? Please do let me know, I always love to hear from you.
