I’m a forgetful person. If I don’t write things down, I probably won’t remember it. If you look in my school notes, they’re color coded and contain as much information as I can feasibly write down. If you look at my planner, you’d see the same thing.
When it comes to organization, I don’t slack off. I remember the days when I use to rely on my failing memory at the decrepit age of 13 to keep track of all my events and deadlines. It was a disaster — I would forget that there’s homework or a test until the teacher would announce for us to hand our homework in, or to put our books away and take out a number two pencil.
I started to take my organization seriously my senior year of high school, when I started running a club, spearheading fund raisers, writing college applications, studying for APs and classes, and keeping up with my job at a national student-run organization. Call me crazy, but I love being busy. When I’m busy doing the things that are worth-while, I feel important and powerful. I learned something very important during that time: when you’re a powerful woman kicking some major butt, people are going to ask a lot from you and you’re going to demand a lot from yourself. You have to understand what you can and can’t handle, what you have to do and when, and when you need to give yourself some R&R time.
In short, every powerful woman needs be in control of her situation — not the other way around. A great planner can help with that.
In my quest for the perfect organizer, I found Emily Ley’s Simplified Planner. At $58 a pop, it’s certainly not cheap, but boy is it worth it. I honestly brag about it more than anything else in my life. I’m also frequently complimented on it, which, to me, is an open invitation to talk about how much I adore it. I’m like the old lady who doesn’t hesitate to take out pictures of her grandchildren whenever the opportunity presents itself.
This is one such opportunity! So, my dear readers, here are pictures and reasons why I love my planner:
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It’s made by a woman who understands you can’t live life perfectly, but you can live it with grace.
Emily Ley founded her company shortly after she became a mother. She was frustrated because she expected a lot out of herself — she wanted to be the perfect mother, wife, and business owner. “As a creative, driven and passionate woman, [she] wanted to do it all.” She quickly realized that trying to achieve perfection only resulted in disappointment, so she decided to hold herself to a different standard: grace.
Grace, to her, meant focusing not on making every moment perfect, but making every moment count. Instead of worrying about “getting it right” and “making it perfect,” she’d rather focus on “the moments of pure, imperfect bliss found in the white space of our days.” To do so, she needed to simplify her day and refocus her efforts. From there, she created her planner which she continues to share with women who also wants to live in grace.
2. It’s chic.
Emily Ley’s planners are not only practical, but also really chic. Her designs are neither gaudy nor boring, and she comes out with different ones every year. The ones pictured above are the ones for this year!
3. The details!
Details such as the inspirational quotes on every page, the spaces to fill a “happy memory from the week,” the laminated tabs, gold finishings and the blank list of “things to do in 2016” truly make this planner one-of-a-kind and such a delight to use. Filling in a happy memory at the end of the week is my favorite feature because it reminds me appreciate the sweet, silly, heart-warming, profound moments, instead of concentrating on the bad ones or the ones that could have been better. It’s the small things that make the biggest difference, both in this planner and in life.
4. It has both the big picture and immediate picture.
What’s great about the Simplified Planner is that it offers both the bigger and immediate picture. I use to carry around a planner that only had a monthly view and a plain notebook to write down my daily to-dos. Even though this system worked, it definitely wasn’t efficient. I couldn’t have one without the other because my immediate day-to-day plans depends on an understanding of the bigger picture (tests, due dates, appointments, events, etc). For example, if I know I have 3 exams one week, I can plan to start studying on a week that is less busy.
If you’re a busy woman looking for a chic way to organize your hectic, demanding life, Emily Ley’s simplified planner is your saving grace. I highly recommend it for keeping your life organized!
Image credits: Emily Ley, Pinterest.com