Getting Organized for 2021

I can’t believe it’s already February.  Here we a month into the New Year and I feel like I’ve just started to get things back in order from the chaos of the holidays and all of the January birthdays in my family.  I find myself finally getting organized for 2021 and getting all of my proverbial *stuff* in order.  I should probably start by admitting that I am a “school supply” junkie.  I LOVE shopping for notebooks, pens, craft supplies, etc and I am also super picky about my planners.  It’s not uncommon for me to spend hours picking one out only to return it a week later after spending another few hours in other stores finding one I like better.  My husband thinks I’m totally nuts.  But not only is it thrilling to pick out a new planner each year, it’s essential for me to stay on top of life.  This year I discovered a few new tools which are helping me to better juggle all of the mom responsibilities that I have to keep straight – ie managing 3 other people’s schedules plus my own and somehow coordinate them all gracefully into an efficient and functioning game plan – NOT a job for the faint of heart believe me!

Let’s talk planners first.  I’m a paper and pen kind of girl.  I’ve tried digital organizational tools but for me, there’s just no replacement for a good paper planner.  Not only do I find it easier to use (and gives me a break from the constant screen time) but I also find it very satisfying to be able to cross things off of my to-do list and literally SEE everything that I have and haven’t managed to accomplish.   That said there are a zillion different types of planners.  They come in just about every size and color that you can imagine and they all have different features.  I feel that planners are a very personal item to the user so it’s nearly impossible to pick one out for someone else.  As such, I am not trying to tell you that the one that I use is the best – but I do want to share what works for me in the event that it helps you too!

The first thing that most people decide on when selecting a planner is to decide if you want one that runs by the school year or calendar year.  I have tried both in the past and for me personally, it doesn’t make a huge difference because I work in schools and also have children.  For some moms though this could be an important factor.

I need my planners to start on Monday – not Sunday.  For me, Monday is the beginning of our week and I really need my planner to work that way too.  A dated planner is also a must…. I often need to plan and book my baby’s medical appointments MONTHS in advance and an undated planner just doesn’t work for that unless I am going to sit there and fill out every day of the year in advance – which I DO NOT have time for.  I also prefer planners that have lines to write on versus just blank spaces. My handwriting isn’t terrible but I can’t seem to write in a straight line to save my life without help and while I can make it work, I find lines helpful in keeping my notes neat and tidy.

I also prefer planners that have both a monthly spread to show the month as a whole and space for planning each day.  Having monthly tabs to quickly navigate between months in the daily section is ideal but not always a deal-breaker.  Side note- you can actually purchase and add monthly tabs to planners that do not automatically come with them (more on this in my next post!)

Another feature to consider is whether or not you want your planner to have times listed on it.  I’ve tried planners with time demarcations but they didn’t work for me as well as I had hoped.  I found that I prefer un-time marked spaces so that I have more room to make notes and lists of what I need to get done.  I found that with timed versions that I ran out of space where I needed it and had a lot of wasted space in others which was frustrating. On the other hand, my sister swears by planners with time markers so decide what works for you and run with it!  Planners also come in a variety of different physical sizes so that is also a factor to consider.  Do you want one that will fit in your purse or work bag or do you plan on using it primarily at home and need bigger spaces or bigger print?

This year I decided to go with a new planner that I have never tried before – The Momagenda.  I love that it is geared towards moms and that it is a small mom-owned company based right here in Connecticut.  What makes this planner different?  Each day is dived up into spaces that allow you to separate your personal to-do list from the things that you need to keep track of for your kids!  It did take a week or so for me to get used to this new format but I find that it helps me keep both boys’ schedules neat and tidy while also letting me balance them with my own to-dos without everything getting all jumbled up in the mix.  It also comes in a “myagenda” version that doesn’t have a space for children notated and I have seen women use the spaces for workout plans and daily motivations instead.   It comes in a few different sizes and bindings and goes from July to December so it can be used for both school and calendar year planners.  I don’t love that I have 6 months of wasted pages before I began using my planner but it seems to be a minor con in comparison to the pros.  The edition I chose did not come with monthly tabs but the company does offer add-on ones for purchase.  They also offer a few other accessories such as pen holders and stick on pockets.  The other downside is that this planner is pricier than other options but I have found so far that the cost has been worth it – especially since I bought it on sale…  I finally have separate spaces for each family member’s schedules and a dedicated space to meal plan with no excuses.  Want to try this planner too?  You can find them HERE!

What is your favorite planner?  Share in the comments to help other moms find their best match!

Here’s a sample of what the Momagenda looks like inside!