Confession:
My husband doesn’t buy me flowers. He buys me stationary supplies.
As techy as I try to be, I can’t not have a paper/pencil planner. I have tried a variety of digital tools (google calendar, todoist, evernote). I have tried to quit cold turkey and only use my Outlook calendar so I can use my phone.
It never sticks.
Consider this.
Forbes reports a pretty incredible +study about goal-setting carried out in the Harvard MBA Program. Harvard’s graduate students were asked if they have set clear, written goals for their futures, as well as if they have made specific plans to transform their fantasies into realities. The result of the study was only 3% of the students had written goals and plans to accomplish them, 13% had goals in their minds but haven’t written them anywhere, and 84% had no goals at all.
Where would you fall?
So then after 10 years, the same group of students were interviewed again and the conclusion of the study will blow your mind as an educator. The 13 percent of the class who had goals, but did not write them down, earned twice the amount of the 84 percent who had no goals. The 3 percent who had written goals were earning, on average, 10 times as much as the other 97 percent of the class combined. People who don’t write down their goals tend to fail easier than the ones who have plans. Oh my lizard!
I use my planner for more than just tracking my days. I reference and compare the previous year to my current year, regularly. I add a lined sticky post it each month, where I record thoughts and notes about the events that had occurred each month. For example, we had a “chalk the walk” event last year. We invited our Wolves to join us for an hour the day before school started to write positive, encouraging messages on the sidewalks to welcome our staff and students back the next day. While I had remembered plenty of chalk, it would have been really nice to have water on that hot August afternoon. Now…while I would like to think I would have naturally remembered that this year, I wrote down LAST year to remind myself we should provide water. When I was filling out events in the current calendar, that note on last years August page served as a great reminder for me to make sure it was on this years to do list. Simplistic? possible. Effective? Definitely.
Goals are recorded on my monthly pages. They carry over until they are done. I am determined to be in that percentage that ACHIEVES their
personal/professional goals.
This year I cheated on my favorite paper planner. I have an entire shelf dedicated to my Erin Condren planners. They’re not cheap. It’d be much simpler just to run down to the Target and grab one. So I thought….why not? How different could a planer be? Shoot, this year I went to Michael’s and bought one that I could “construct” myself. It was half the price even!
It lasted two weeks.
I couldn’t handle it and had to order another Life Planner from Erin Condren. <<head smack>>
What’s the difference?
- Quality thinker paper, tighter coils, firmer cover that doesn’t get scratched/faded
- Large monthly spreads with a place to record “to do’s” or reminders
- POSITIVE happy quotes spread throughout- I’m a firm believer in think happy, be happy. These bright encouraging quotes make me look forward to opening my planner each day.
- Hourly day spread- With two girls and a fireman to keep up with, I need as many details to keep me straight as possible
- Seach #erincondren on Instagram for fun ideas for planning. My partner in principal crime, Melinda Miller, loves starting her week with an incredible layout! I’m going to start posting my weekly spread as well to share a glimpse of what my #fabulousyearfour looks like!
If you’re a NEW customer (or have a NEW email address!) you can use this link to get $10 off!!
Stationarily excited &
Great blog! Looking forward to following your Journey!
Am I in the first two by any chance? ???? Nevef had an EC!!
Email me at amberteamann@gmail.com, you were one of the first two!
I would love to try one of these planners!
Hi Dee! Email me at amberteamann@gmail.com, you were one of the first two! woohoo! 🙂
This planner sounds like just what I need while planning for next year over the summer.Hope I’m one of the first two!
I totally understand the need to plan on paper. I have a paper calendar, calendar on my computer and phone, AND make a daily To Do list
I was just looking at these today! I bought another planner but there is not enough room to write all my stuff.
Great post! Would love an EC planner. I’ve heard great things but have never ordered one.
I love shopping with coupons! Especially if the discount helps keep me organized!
Great job, as always! Thanks for the advice on planning.
Just received my first EC teacher planner in the mail and am in love!
I NEED to try something different…
Loved your thought, ” People who don’t write down their goals tend to fail easier than the ones who have plans. Oh my lizard!”