OVERTHINKING: Finding the Perfect 2013 Planner

Just a  few weeks more before 2012 ends. While many people are now contemplating about the perfect giftsssss that they will be giving their families, friends, and uhm... fans, I am also deep in concentration, but about something else... Finding the Perfect 2013 Planner...

Call me shallow, call me crazy, but that's it. The quest for the perfect planner for the coming year is one of the things that are keeping me up at night. Really. Add in the fact that I'm a compulsive paper-holic and that I cannot seem to transition into the electronic version of managing my life, the hunt for the perfect planner is something that I look forward to and at the same time, dread, at the end of each year.

My 2012 Planner is a Belle De Jour (Thanks to Ms. Patty!), my 2011 planner was a pretty pink one, which S chose for me (and was sweet enough to craft a protective case for it!), and the one I used in 2010 was a twin of the planner I gave out as a present for my former officemate during our party. Truth is, I can't even remember a year in my life, from when I was twelve to present, when I didn't have a planner. Thanks to my Mom's influence. 

There's a common problem though - I can't seem to stick with it for the entire year. For various reasons, I end up not using my planner, between the months of May and September. Then when October rolls in, I start using it again because I realize that I've been wasting it all. By December I buy a new one for the next year. And the cycle simply repeats itself. Tsk tsk.

This time, I am determined to do it right. I still have several weeks before I decide and I must NOT PANIC. A million and one questions have already scampered in my brain on the factors I need to consider in choosing the right planner. And that doesn't even include the price yet! 

Wanna here a few of those questions running around in my head? I tweaked them a bit for you so they won't come out as jumbled. Here goes...

1. PURPOSE
Why do I need a planner? Do I really need a planner? Or maybe I'm just being swayed by all the beautiful and attractive ones that are out on the market nowadays? Perhaps, a notepad will suffice?

2. LIFESTYLE
What do I do for a living? Am I working now or still in school? What activities and routines do I have each day/week that I have to plan out? Will having a planner help make my life a bit more organized or maybe I just have to cut down on lots of "useless" activities and tasks that I've been wasting my time on?

3. LAYOUT
OK, assuming I really need a planner. As a visually stimulated human being, what schedule layout will inspire me to accomplish more? Do I prefer to see my schedule lined up on a Daily, Weekly, or Monthly layout? Do I want a planner which has ready-to-fill-up pages or would I want to DIY the exact layout that will perfectly fit my lifestyle?

4. SIZE
Given my stated Purpose, my kind of Lifestyle and preferred Layout, how big (or small) should my planner be? Would I expect the need to bring it everywhere I go? Or will it just be a mainstay in my headquarters (wherever that may be)? So... how BIG or SMALL should my next planner be?

5. STYLE
What color should my planner be in? Am I a fan of certain cartoon characters or movie stars? Am I willing and able to chug down a few gallons of coffee just to own a particular planner? Would I want it hardbound or softbound? With a cover made of leather or thick, hard board paper? Do I really care if the paper is acid-free or recycled? Blah blah blah...

6. COST
And finally... the million-peso question... Because I was not born swimming in money (or gold bars? gold dust?), how much am I willing and able to spend for my next planner? Yes, it should be something that will last for the whole year but how much is too much and how much is too little? I have to answer these two so that I will know the optimal price point for my next planner...


Yes, I overthink these kinds of things. Haha
Have you chosen your 2013 Planner yet? Tell me about it...




Photo Source: Western Mich Univ

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