Planning My Planner Plan

One of the many initiatives I have for this unprecedented free time is to get organized. I used to be more organized in terms of my schedule and priorities, but when I got my first Palm Pilot in 1999 I went cold turkey from a paper-based system to a digital system. Paper seemed "old fashioned." For a few years I've realized that I need and like to use paper, but I ended up making long lists that got lost in my notebook. And it just wasn't fun!

So I've decided to return to a paper-based system complemented by a digital system. After spent many hours reading about how others organize their schedules and lives and which methods and tools might be most effective for me, I've decided on the Circa system by Levenger.

Since Levenger's products are expensive, I purchased a new but scratched planner on ebay for about 1/3 the price of a brand new one. And I'm using templates from DIYPlanner for all the pages.
The unique feature of Levenger's Circa system are that pages can be removed and added simply by popping them off the plastic discs (as shown below).


In addition to the binder and rings, I also purchased the Circa punch. This enables me to add almost anything to the planner. Once I'm working again, I plan to print out my monthly and weekly calendars from Outlook and include them in the planner. I also made my own divider tabs by cutting a cheap plastic folder and punching holes in it. This planner is both flexible and cost-effective!

This is only the beginning of my new planner plan! Boring and nerdy, to be sure, but I'm confident that my ability to customize this system and merge paper and digital systems.