Hey Lovers, 

I don’t know how but a couple months ago I came across the #PlannerAddict #PlannerCommunity #PlanWithMe hashtags and videos on Youtube and Instagram. Those pictures and videos hit the OCD spot of my soul. Throughout most of school and 2015 I used At A Glance planners. Cute planner with monthly and weekly spreads. What else could I need, right? Wrong! Those #PlannerWithMe videos opened my eyes to a whole new OCD planning world. In the “planner community” the Erin Condren Life Planner is the most popular by a mile. 

The popularity of the Erin Condren planner made me want one but I’ve never been a bandwagon type of girl. I decided to do more “research.” The Passion Planner, the Plum Paper Planner, Kate Spade, Filofax, and the Purposeful Planner were the most popular. I also came across the Bullet Journal. I ultimately decided to go with May Designs. Why? I did not like the hourly break down of the Passion Planner. I didn’t want a ring system like the Filofax and Erin Condren, Plum Paper and Kate Spade planners would be too big to fit in my purse. I really loved the idea of a Bullet Journal but due to my membership in various organizations sometimes I get things scheduled for weeks (or even months) in advance. The Bullet Journal does not lend itself to the type of long term planning I like. I love that the May Designs Planner is small. It’s thin and smaller than a paperback book. What I really love about May Designs is that their products are fully customizable. You can choose your covers and what they say on the front including font, monogram and ink color. You can also choose the inside. They have so many options. You can have a regular calendar year or an academic year. They also have many add on options. There are choices of graph paper, blank pages, meal planners, budgets, and many more. I did decide to use the key method from the Bullet Journal. Using the key from a Bullet Journal within an existing planner does provide uniformity I like especially since the May Designs planner only has 1 week per page. 

Of course I’m still using the calendar in my phone like every other person in the First World but I love being able to quickly jot down notes on a Post-It and stick them on a page for later. I also love that a paper planner helps me focus on actually planning without using my phone or iPad and being interrupted by phone calls, text messages or any other random push-notifications. Check the gallery for pictures of my 2016 planner, 2015 planner, pens and DIY stickers. 

Do you use a paper planner? Which one did you choose? Comment below and let me know!