My Amazing 2016 Planner

On Facebook a few weeks ago I asked friends and family members for planner printables, I wanted the perfect planner.  2016 feels big to me, I obviously don’t know what’s going to happen but I’ve been excited about this year and really wanted to create a great planner.

For the last couple years I’ve used the ARC system from Staples.  I love it because it’s totally customizable, lays flat and can flip back like a spiral- AND you can reuse it every year.  Unlike traditionally bound notebooks which you have to get rid of the spiral, this acts like a spiral while being totally reusable.  I also love that there are no binder clips to deal with and nothing to open/close when I want to change a page out.  I just have to lift the page out and then pop it back into place.

So- here’s what I included in my awesome 2016 planner!  For the most part they’re all free printables and I’ve included links for you.

“Everything Is Awful and I’m Not Okay: questions to ask before giving up:

I’ve  been focusing on stress management lately.  When your adrenals and thyroid are out of whack it makes stress a lot worse.  Someone posted this great “Everything Is Awful and I’m Not Okay: questions to ask before giving up” and I knew I needed it in my planner.  When I’m overwhelmed or stressed it’s right there, the first page- next to a couple fun stickers 🙂

 

Jen Hatmaker’s new book For the Love had a promo going that you got a free adult coloring book themed around the book when you purchased it from Target.  I had been wanting the book for a while and had a Target giftcard, I’d also been trying to find a coloring book I loved so this was perfect for me.  I’ve stuck the coloring pages in throughout my planner and am loving taking little breaks throughout my day to color and refocus.

 

My 3rd page is this year in review- I like to have the whole year in one place for scheduling blog posts and whatnot.

Then I have another zipper folder (the ARC system has all kinds of accessories and add ons for your planner).  This is for recipes, photos, etc.  I also have these great laminated Bible verses.  My husband made them for me for the 1st Christmas after our son was born, I was really struggling in my walk with God so he made me these encouraging scripture cards.  I love having them to flip through and rotate out to work on memory verses:

Now we get into the “meat” of the planner.  At the beginning of every month I have these two pages:

On the left is this amazing free Pinterest planner from Simple Pin Media.  I love it because it includes action items for each month, reminders about which boards to update/remove and tips for what’s typically trending in that month.  This makes my job as a Virtual Assistant MUCH easier- I currently manage Pinterest pages for 3 companies and I love having this!
On the right is the “Praying the Scriptures” monthly page from His Mercy Is New. Each day has a scripture to pray and they’re all themed for each month (for example, May is verses for/about Mothers).  This was the last thing I found and I’m so happy I did!

The main part of my planner is The Confident Mom’s 2016 Weekly Household Planner– this is the 3rd year I’ve used this planner and it’s seriously one of the biggest assets to my time and household management.  Every day has different cleaning tasks, and there are weekly friendly reminders for upcoming holidays and organizational tips.  Plus you can customize it for your life (and it’s FREE)!

I also printed this Gratitude Journal from His Mercy is New and stuck the pages in throughout the planner so I can write in it all year.  This is the coloring page I started last night 🙂

Next I have this ARC slotted folder.  There is a pocket on each side- one side has my coloring pages that I didn’t want to punch because I want to hang them. The other side has documents and other papers I might need.

The slotted folder separates the sections of my planner.  The second half is all for work.  As much as I try I am still largely a pen and paper girl- I like having my notes, To Do lists and information in paper.  I’ve tried to go all digitial and it just doesn’t work for me.  So, the second half of my planner is all kinds of great infromation, tips, tricks, etc that I’ve printed out or designed for work.  I have a tab for each client I work with, a To Do sheet and then any notes and information I need for that client.  I also have their contact information in case my husband would ever need to reach them for some reason.  I love that I can pop notes in and out so easily with this system.  When I’m working on a project or taking a class I can easily pop out the information when I’m done.

There you have it- my super awesome 2016 planner.  The last few years I’ve just had the Confident Mom’s Planner and nothing else.  I was really inspired by all the great planners I’ve seen lately but I wanted to make it all my own.  Hope you enjoy and find some things you like!