For a while there I was pretty fickle with planners. I jumped around like crazy and every few months I was using something different. Thankfully things have settled down and I’ve fallen into a planner routine I’m quite happy with lately. All thanks to the addition of this Rifle Paper Co. Midnight Agenda.
I’ve been on the hunt for something to keep my to do lists in for ages. I feel like I’ve tried everything too. Sticky notes in my Erin Condren Life Planner, erasable dashboard covers, personal sized planners whose only purpose was to do lists, etc. This is the first system that I’ve stuck with for an extended period of time because it ticks all of the boxes.
The book itself is small (around 5×7) and incredibly portable. The hard, gold-foil cover keeps everything protected and makes it so I don’t have to worry about it bumping around in a bag. It’s much easier to tote around than my ECLP so I find I take it out into the world more while leaving my ECLP at home to be the more prettier, memory keeper of the two.
The layout is fabulous as well. All the monthly views are up at the front for easy scheduling while the weekly to do lists all fit on a two page spread. A lot of the downfalls of my other to do list planning methods were that I couldn’t see the entire week at once. I like to spread my to do list out over the work week so I don’t feel overwhelmed at the start of it and constantly trying to catch up as the week goes along. This way I know exactly what I want to accomplish for the entire week, but it more manageable daily pieces.
The weekly view also makes it great if I happen to not finish or complete a task for a particular day. I can still see that unchecked task for the rest of the week and can get back to it at a later day. I’m not constantly moving a to do list item from one day to the next so it leaves things less cluttered. The weekly spread acts as my entire to do list, just spread out over the days.
Of course I still add stickers. That’s what I love so much about this little guy. It still lends itself incredibly well to adding cute stickers. I tend to buy a lot of decorative stickers without really having a plan for what to use them for, so this gives me a reason to pop a few cute ones here and there to snazz up the weekly spread.
As for events I use these skinny labels to write down anything that’s happening that day above the to do list. That way I know what’s going on without it taking up too much space. It helps me rearrange my to do list for that day to make sure I’m not over-reaching on my goals since there’s something else that’ll take up some of my time.
This planner is a fantastic addition to my planning routine and has made me much more productive and organized. Plus it’s only $15 right now! Score!
