Recovering from Planner Addiction

As a self-proclaimed recovering planner addict, this post is one I thought I’d never be able to write.

Planners used to be my “thing.” I was always buying new planners, buying new notebooks to start bullet journaling in, buying new organization systems to help me get my life together, watching Youtube videos highlighting specific planners and organizational systems. I was doing all the things to find the best system for me.

But the thing is - these new systems never worked for me! After a week or two, I would be back to the drawing board having accomplished nothing, my life still in disarray, and still with no set planner or organizational system that worked for me yet.

Reasons why your systems aren’t sticking

• You’re trying to force a system that isn’t for you

• You’re only half-trying out a system instead of being fully invested into just one

• You’re not giving the right amount of time to know if a system will work for you

• You’re trying to make your planner or system perfect

• You’re not setting aside time to plan

• You’re using your planner as a calendar, but not a planner

What is planner addiction?

Planner addiction is when you’re committed to planning and organizing BUT are constantly flipping through different systems, planners, and organizational systems without ever finding one that works for you and your lifestyle. It’s when you are constantly addicted to finding the next best system to try and have come to believe that the systems are the problem, and not you.

Let me put this nicely.

When you have a planner addiction, the problem is likely always you.

There are many reasons why specific planners and organizational systems don’t work for our lifestyle or way of planning but when you have a planner addiction, it’s safe to say you’re likely not giving the time and effort required to actually find out if that system or planner is right for you and your lifestyle. This can be for a variety of reasons.

Why am I failing at planning and organizing?

Planning and organization takes commitment.

It takes commitment to find a planner and style that works for you and your life specifically.

But being committed to planning and organization is a lot more than just being committed to trying new systems, it’s almost exactly the opposite, it’s being committed enough to stick to and try one system long enough to give it a real shot at working for you.

This means putting away all the planner and organization ideas that aren’t this specific plan (seeing them will definitely give you doubt about the system you are currently trying). This means going ALL IN with one planner or organizational system for a SET period of time. This means giving the systems you try a real chance at working for you!

Needing your planner or system to be perfect.

What is that saying?

“Perfection is the enemy of progress.”

The idea of perfection when it comes to our planners and organizational systems can come in many different forms.

Perfection surrounding the “look” of our planner or system. Perfection surrounding a planner or system’s details before actually giving that system or planner a respectable chance to organize your life.

Sometimes I think we forget the REAL goal of planners and organization systems. That goal is for the planner or organizational system to help us effectively manage our lives in the simplest and best ways possible, regardless of style, complexity, or popularity. Sometimes the systems that work best for our lifestyle and goals is the one we are the least attracted to visually and that’s okay!

Avoidance.

There’s another pesky part of planner addiction that we tend to not like to think about. And that is avoidance. Avoidance of actually doing the tasks that are in our planners.

For whatever reason, we are waiting to find the “perfect system” to actually start DOING the things we need to do.

Instead, we need to be actually DOING the things we need to do NOW.

You can only effectively try out a planner or organizational system when you’re actively USING that planner or organizational system to help you manage your life and daily needs NOW.

If you are waiting for the perfect planner or system to finally get to work, you’ll find your goals and priorities are quickly passing you by.

Acknowledging you have planner addiction.

It’s time to acknowledge and accept that the system you have for finding the perfect planner or organizational system is just not working.

It’s time to acknowledge that you’ve likely become addicted to the many possibilities out there and have let the appeal of each different one keep you in a spot where you have no idea which system or planner would work best for you or your lifestyle.

Acknowledging what you’re doing wrong is the first step to finding a way to do it right.

How to break out of planner addiction!

Be honest about what is likely to work best for you.

Try going into trialing planners and organizational systems with an open mind.

We often have a set idea or thought about what we WANT our planner or system to look like or function like and sometimes that it is in direct conflict with what would work best for our lifestyles or skills.

What do you need your planner for? What parts of an organizational system are essential for you? Which planner or organizational system meets those criteria, regardless of how pretty it is or how attached to one system you might be?

Commit to one planner or organizational system that you are going to try for minimum of two weeks.

When you decide on a planner or organizational system that is likely best fit to work for you and your lifestyle, give it a real chance to transform your life.

I strongly suggest giving each system or planner a month to really work its magic. But keep up with using the planner or organizational system for a bare minimum of two weeks to really determine whether this system is designed to work with your lifestyle best.

Keep the planner and organizational system out in areas where you can’t miss it. Put apps on your phone in your busiest page, put physical planners in a spot you’re always visiting during the day, and keep computer apps up on your screen and easily accessible so you don’t forget or push off using your new system.

Plan daily, at the minimum.

Each morning you should be looking at your planner or organizational system and planning out how your day will go.

Ideally, in the beginning, you should be checking in with your planner or organization system multiple times per day. This will help make sure you are utilizing them effectively and giving them a good chance at working for you.

If you miss a day or two, don’t let that distract you from your ultimate goal. Pick up where you left off and KEEP GOING.

As you become more confident in your system, you will figure out what times specifically work best for you and your day.

Rework the planner or system as you go.

Break out of perfection by acknowledging that you can change and tweak the planner or organizational system as you go.

If there is something missing, something that doesn’t fit right with your lifestyle, or any other small thing that comes up - you can make the necessary changes while trying out this new system.

Don’t stay stuck with something that isn’t working for you. But also, give each piece a chance to work for you with an open mind.

Recovering from planner addiction…

Recovering from planner addiction is about finally putting in the time and consistent effort to find a planner or organizational system that works best for you. It’s about giving each system you try a real shot at helping you transform your life and planning habits.

Having the right planner and organizational systems means we are more likely to be focused on the right goals each month, it means we are more likely to be accomplishing those goals, and it means we are more likely to have a projected path that helps us create the life we are dreaming of ultimately living.

If you’re unsure about where to even begin, watch out for my next post coming next week, A Guide to Self-Organization!

If you have a planner or organizational system that has really worked for you, leave a comment below with your experience!