For me, planning was always quite a private thing. I was initially attracted to the beautiful stationery (you will discover that I am quite a Kikki.K addict – actually all stationery!) but I became drawn to the process of writing things down, recording memories and details and then going back to dwell in those memories later. I also revel in the structure and routine of the planning process. It makes me feel more organised, and ultimately it leads to me being more productive.
As a child, I had a hardcover diary that my mum gave to me. I treasured it. It was made by The Australian Women’s Weekly magazine – note that the magazine is quite a bit different now compared to how it used to be! The diary was red with white polkadots and filled with images from Australia. It was your typical week-on-two-pages layout and I loved writing in there, running my fingers over the glossy white pages – such seemingly important things going on in my life back then. It was 1988 and we were going to World Expo in Brisbane. There was a cyclone. My grandmother came to stay many times. I don’t think I have that diary anymore, but I still remember those specific details, the large rounded letters etched in my mind.
I wish I could read it again.
Step forward to now and I have numerous planners and notebooks, and notepads, sticky notes, stickers, wash tape, pens (oh! the pens!!). I have, over the last couple of years, began planning again in earnest and it’s something that I now do every day.
So why do I plan?
Firstly, I find the process of writing, drawing, decorating, organising to be therapeutic as well as creative, and I love getting caught up in that.
Secondly, I have a lot of areas of my life to keep track of and I needed some way of making sure that nothing clashes along the way.
Since I’m a list maker (if you’re reading this, I’m sure you love lists as much as I do), here’s my list:
My 9 – 5 job is corporate and involves a lot project planning, monitoring of social media, analytics, preparation of spreadsheets (ohh my goodness the spreadsheets!).
I have a side business as a photographer. I primarily do product photography, specifically styled flatlay shoots, creating lifestyle shots for small local businesses.
I have a website for that photography business which I have to maintain and update.
I have a photography blog. I have been blogging for almost 3 years now and have a strong community of people there. I run some challenges and enjoy creating new content for that platform.
I am crafting planner accessories – paper goods centred around my photographs. This is in its very early stages and I need to focus a lot more time on this.
I create content for social media. I am addicted to Instagram. I have two accounts (one for photography and one for planning) and I really enjoy spending time there. The planning community in particular is a joy to interact with and I have actually had business come through via Instagram.
I have a dog and I have family and friends and I love spending time with them.
I have all of life’s little things – dentist, bills, shopping, all the usual things that we all have to handle.
In future posts, I will go into more detail for how I plan.
PRO TIP: Using multiple planners can help you gain clarity if you have a lot of things going on in your life, however it isn’t for everyone. You may find it too confusing to have your things separated. It really is a personal choice.
Until then, happy planning!
