Intro to Functional Planning: 5 Reasons You're Not Finding Planner Peace 

FINALLY ANOTHER FUNCTIONAL PLANNER PERSON! I've been looking for someone who actually uses their planner to get things done rather than to overload with stickers. I personally use a Passion Planner and I can't wait to see the rest of this series!

I been trying to watch videos for planning inspiration and I get so down bc they are all decorating and Etsy shop sticker entire sets this n that yessss all those dang stickers are adorable who wouldn't want all them but to me if your spending 30 bucks to decorate each week in your planner that's just rediculous I mean even if your rich and can afford it what the heck.. I mean I'm not lying I love stickers but this is nuts... I still tried with washi tape and some stickers and used functional stickers too and I feel like I'm still not doing this correctly... When I was in middle school and high school and I write everything down in my agenda and doodled and even put pictures of all my friends in there it was great and sticker themes wasn't a part of it and it worked great. So I'm trying to tell myself I don't need Etsy to have a beautiful functional planner

.... that last point reminds me of an old saying about planning ... "too much saddling up - not enough riding"

oh my goodness "pretty planner" overload - I am such a functional planner and was beginning to feel abandoned by the youtube planning community - so thank you thank you thank you 😊😉

Planner peace was elusive. I did want to just buy something and have it work. But I had to figure out which pieces of the puzzle would actually fit together and work for me. I wanted my planner to be pretty. But I didn't want to decorate it. So I just printed it on beautiful paper. People have to fit the pieces together that work for them. planner peace is like a puzzle that each person has to figure out for themselves. Each person needs different pieces.

Great video! I think you're right... sometimes we see other people's planners and think "omg so pretty" ... then I realized that I don't like decorating that much and that I don't like binders either... so I ordered a personal planner... small and functional :D

Shiny object syndrome = nail on the head! Great vid!

I’m just now finding this, but this is exactly what I needed to hear! I just got into planning in June and went crazy with sticker books, punches, washi, a laminator, etc. I have WAY too much and have started to destash already. But I found that the more I accumulated, the less I enjoyed planning. And I got into it for it to make my life easier, not harder! Thank you for the tips.

I used to use my planner as a diary, financial organizer & planner, keep track of Medical, my home improvements & plans, my family including cat. It worked GREAT, it was a Franklin, and I have a bookcase full of History. I used a few small stickers to mark extremely important things I may wish to look up in future ( stickers were new & limited in the beginning to Mrs. Grossman tiny colorful hearts, stars, & birthday candle ), I used rapidograph superfine line drafting pens with a different color ink in each...each person had a different color ink, and medical was blue, very serious of any sort was red...I was pink of course....it worked GREAT for me....then I retired and felt I did not need it anymore, my kids were gone, I had no personal income from a job. Now I realize that my memory is not what it used to be, and time goes by so fast now....I feel the need to keep track again & be able to look stuff up again !!! I like the decorated planners, but no place to document events ? All the space is taken up with decoration, except lists ? Planning is important, but so is documenting the events of your life, it factually comes in more handy when you need to know when you did something, like get your cat or had your car serviced, bought the whatever ! Anyway, I did not buy a Franklin, I got a Carpe Diem...but no place to document Expenses, Medical / Fitness, car repairs, etc. Will have to create my own I guess, it is pretty :) but not as useful :( Thank You for sharing, but do not forget the importance of documenting the important things in your life...it comes in very handy !

My "planner peace" is in the fact that I can change my mind and my planner at any moment.

Hey I am just starting out as a planner addict after I found out that digital planning is just stressing me out. The plinning and the ringing from different apps reminding me to do stuff was overwhelming me for me so now I am trying to find paper planner peace where I can fit everything into one place and feel in control. I loved this video because it gave me something more then just "look at my pretty planner". Thank you so much :D

Hello! I think you were spot on when identifying 5 reasons preventing planner peace. After a few years of using planners, I've recently found planner peace. Over time, I experienced each reason and found a solution you that worked for me. I went from no planner at all (missing assignments, forgetting due dates on bills, etc) to a planner that works for a single, working female like myself. In particular, focusing more on what other people are doing or what is the newest trend, rather focusing on your own priorities, were my biggest impediments to planner peace. I discovered these were issues and quickly identified- I mean a written list- my goals and how I wanted to keep track of those goals in my planner. For example, so folks decorate their planners to the point where they are closer to scrapbook-diaries of the day rather than a planner. I realized this wouldn't work for me: I'm a lengthy writer (as you can see, lol) and needed the space to jot all my thoughts down.

my struggle is finding a planner that will allow me to put everything I need in it. This will keep me focus on just one planner.

"One planner should be enough." Yes! I bought a cheap mead planner at Target to get my feet wet and I'm beginning to feel like I need a separate planner. So, I'm looking into a planner that will better meet my needs for the next one.

I am right there with you! I MUST have a functional planner to keep me on target at all times. The "prettiness" of a planner is not as important as what a planner helps me accomplish in a day, week, month, year! Even though I have been retired for some years, I incorporated new "work" into my life. Having a 100% functional planner is essential to being timely, tracking, tweaking goals (when needed), planning projects, and, most of all, staying on target to produce. Bravo on your new series!

I also feel that the whole reason why my planning system has been in such turmoil is exactly as you described in the intro (yes I'm watching this video again & the rest in series & taking notes!!!) is that my whole life changed, once I started residency & everything changed with having 14 hour work days, needing to somehow find time to study, home chores, take care of my dog and myself, time with my boyfriend, & time for myself! I had a pretty great organizational system down, but found myself floundering initially. After my planner journey & what I've learned about myself & planner needs , & watching this video...I've found the purpose of finding my system, tailoring materials to my needs, finding some way to organize each of the different roles I have, & stick with it! Sorry for the personal over share, just had such a huge ah-ha! moment that you inspired! Now off to get back to my note taking. Keep up the awesome work, I'll be eagerly awaiting future videos, Alexis!

I am so glad I found your channel… I have been looking for someone who can help me along with functional planning. I see so many beautiful planners that look more like a scrapbook… But with my life, activities, and many more things… I need functionality :-)

Some excellent points, Alexis. I'll be honest, I was one of those quirky kids that loved paper so I've had a planner since 4th grade. As an adult, I got swept up in the planner community and watched some of the "planner famous" ones with their layouts and stickers (that probably took hours). But I don't have hours to work on making my planner pretty and not even functional. I'm a mom and work in the corporate world. I ended up unfollowing the forums and focusing on a few planner leaders who go beyond the "buy me" content. I'm much happier.

Thanks for this post. The take away comments that I got from this was about having a functional system that works for me and my priorities and having sections that "talk to each other". I'm now re-designing and designing new inserts to do just that. I hope that my new system which is not really based on what other people use, just based on what I want to get out of my planner and my priorities, will actually work.

Thank you for this video! It explains so much to me! Years ago, before all the pretty, trendy planners, I used a Daytimer and it worked very well for me. Then along came Erin Condren and I started watching PWM videos and joining FB groups and was instantly thrown into shiny object syndrome, buying all the washi and stickers. I’ve tried to make so many different things work for me only to realize that I know what it takes for me to have planner peace and it is not what other people have or are doing. It is what has always worked. Functional planning.

Alexis, yes! So excited about this video. I'm thrilled that you are tackling the topic of using planners to actually...plan! As an adult with ADHD, my planner has to be functional above all else. Its role is to make information external, because my memory cannot be trusted. This means I need lots of trackers for daily, weekly, monthly, yearly tasks, bill trackers, areas to capture all the creative ideas that speed in and out of my brain at Warp 10. I struggle with the need to take all my tasks and actually schedule a block of time during the day to accomplish them & to actually follow through and do that. I do like to make the planner a little pretty, because that keeps me opening it cheerfully and using it daily, but it is a challenge to find mentors who are doing much functional planning to the level I need to cope with my ADHD challenges (ie, lack of executive functioning skills). Thanks so much!

I'm so glad I found this. I couldn't understand why I was having such a hard time with my planning. This is the best piece of planning advise I found so far. Thanks for sharing....

My main issue is that I tell myself that the mundane task are worth writing down or I judge things based on importance and instead of organizing things in my planner based on importance I simply don't write down the unimportant things which in turn completely throws me off track. Then I end up looking back at the week and feeling like I haven't accomplished anything. So I am working on writing down everything, regardless of how small or insignificant I may feel the task is, I am forcing myself to write it down. So we shall see how it goes. Oh and I also have Shiny object syndrome to the 25th power! Work in progress. ;) Great video, very informative!

This is sooo good and so true it makes me laugh at myself a little! I definitely have a case of shiny object symptom! The funny thing is that I fell in love with the Erin Condren planner because the weekends have the same space as Monday - Friday. I didn't buy the EC (because I discovered it in february and didn't want to waste two months) and haven't yet because it's a big price to pay, so I ordered a cheaper planner ( that off course does not have the same space on the weekends... grr) just to see if I would stick with it. The thing I can see if I look through it is that I'm a really messy girl (lol), because I preplan the week but then I add things every day too. I ordered some stickers from some shops and went total apeshit but it still looked messy.. BUT THEN!!! I got some "heart checklists" as a freebee from some kit and looking back in my planner, I notice that the week I used them my planning was so calm! Maybe you should bring that up "If you look back... Did you do some week better? What was different then?" because that really helped me :) Thanks for this vid! Looking forward to the others! :D

I bought 3 planners, lol. And I don't know where to start. All of it seems pretty overwhelming to me. But I want to be more organized with household chores for me and the kids, school stuff, appointments and budgeting.

I am definitely a number 5 my planner is all laid out and would work well if I just followed through. I think also where I keep my planner might be an issue may move it from bedroom which would make it more accessible throughout the day.

I love coming back this video. I have achieved functional planning and I'm trying to figure how to now add stickers without loosing the functionality of it all. This always helps me remember that no matter what I do it has to work for me.

So glad to see this! Decorative planners are useless to me. My planner is basically my life, so I need functionality. Now if only my planner could help me be in 2 places at the same time. It's simple and it works great until my job schedules me a mandatory meeting at the same time as a court hearing. 🤦

Omg!!!! It's like your speaking directly to me. Im in planner chaos right now. I have two planners but like you said it's not a complete system. This video really broke it down to help me realize that I wasn't in planner peace. Thank you so much for this video. I'm new to the planner community but this video makes me feel like I still have a chance to recreate my planner to work for me. Thanks again I love your videos.

Thats exactly what I ask myself when I'm putting something in my planner: _ 'am a planning or documenting?"_ If you're documenting then many of the accouterments of planning is perfectly fine - but if you want to merely mark out the hours of my day to establish the times you will complete certain tasks you need to get done, then i remind myself that I'm allotting time. My compromise is that my planner starts out plain; black pen and/or pencil. Then when I have completed the task, THEN I may allow myself to put a little sticker here and there ie if i went to the gym, then i get to put a little treadmill sticker or dumbell sticker next to the time-slot for 'gym' - if i didn't make it to the gym - then no sticker and maybe an ugly cross through! I also have to ask myself "am i just spending time planning in order to avoid doing?" I think spending an hour planning or making some inserts or something gives us the ILLUSION that we're going something '...but i'm planning!' - but really, you're just avoiding the task. If it takes you a few hours to make little gym themed stickers and a beautiful habit tracker insert, its useless unless you're going to the gym! If you're spending more time planning a task than doing the task, your'e doing it all wrong.

I just bought a new planner yesterday and I have been eyeing this planner for some time now. When I began using a planner it was because I had a stroke a year and a half ago and this effected my executive functions tremendously. I'm still young at least in my eyes (45). I have many things to get done. When I brought this planner home I was all excited about it and the accessories and had been watching videos of how other people used there planners and was thinking "oh that is so pretty I can't wait until I can get my hands in there." After using one week on two pages layout I realized that I have to rethink this. I HAVE TO have functional planning in my life in order to realize many goals. As much as I love the pretty, I need to spend the bulk of my time worrying less about the "things" in my planner or not in my planner and concentrating more on achieving a functional life for me and my family and my sanity. Your video hit home and was exactly where I was at last night. Thank you for such a great video to reflect on.

A friend of mine gave me a lovely A5 filofax (Saffiano). A bright, bold and very purple filofax. Finding templates for pages to it, is a nightmare! And with a printer that can only print black I'm a bit limited ;-) But after looking at this video I realize that my aproach to it all has been the "shinyobject" one and now I'm going to make my own pages for it. Who needs a lot of colors when you actually need to get them pages working to get your routines to work! Thank you for pointing me back at where i need to be!

Your shiny object syndrome point is so relatable, not just about planners but just about everything about in life. I always tend to find other people's stuff "shinier" and it makes me spend a lot of money, finally learned what I would call what I have. Thank you Love your channel!

Love this. Took notes while I was watching because I knew I was about to get educated -- in the back of the planner that is giving me great peace! Tried any number of pre-laid-out systems over the years, realised I had to go full bujo because I need the flexibility to throw layouts at the wall and see what works, THEN repeat. :) Am now in a Moleskine gridded hardcover with planning in the front and collections in the back -- once I hit middle, I'll review and see where I go. And yes, I acknowledge that Shiny Object Syndrome is real! What helps me is staying honest about my circumstances and my needs. What am I really longing for? The pretty shiny planner or the kind of life that lets you a) put everything you need into tiny boxes, b) afford the stickers and washi that go in the tiny boxes, and c) achieve domestic vlogger bliss? I'm pretty sure the longing is for the bliss et al. [edited to add] Also! Executive dysfunction is not something a lot of people take into account, yet that inability to get something done except when broken down into baby steps, that is a large part of everyday, garden-variety mental illness. I don't know if people are reluctant to admit the spectre of said mental illness into the shiny happy planner world, but hi, it's part of my world, and since I can't get rid of it, I'm learning to implement solutions that let me work with it. Like breaking things down into baby steps.

#5!!! All the way!!! Until I found my current planner, I could write so much stuff down and just not do it. Now I feel like my system is complete (thank you ring binder and the ability to customize), and I actually WANT to check things off, and track things, and actually work toward achieving my goals. I love this video and completely agree!

Thanks for being real. I just got my first planner in years. I like your system. I really just want to focus on being more organized with self care, task' s and budget. I'm also drawn to cute layouts that are functional. This video has helped me out allot. I was getting overwhelmed by the planner videos that were scrapbooking a planner. I think I would only enjoy a few functional stickers and a few silly or positive ones in my planner.

This was such an informative video! Thank you for sharing! You've helped me sort out a lot of my planning issues!! I'm definitely a shiny object syndrome type of gal! But..... I also like the structure of functional planning as well. My goal is to marry the two. I want a healthy balance between pretty and functional!!

I've watched several videos regarding why people don't find planner peace and I've got to say - this video really hits the nail on the head! It did make me think about why I've been switching in and out of planners recently. I think the last point is absolutely a brilliant one that a lot of people overlook - sometimes it's NOT the planner but whether the person actually has the discipline to stick to the tasks allocated for the day/week.. some people over-plan and overestimate themselves and end up not feeling productive at the end of the day too. All these are in fact, productivity/goal-setting issues rather than an issue with the planner per se. Looking forward to more of such videos!

I am very interested in function planning. GTD system sings to my soul. But finding ADD friendly videos is hard. Would you be able to make a series that leans towards us?

Thank you, just discovered this and perfect timing. I prefer function especially as I have a busy life but I always felt like my system was boring and not good enough. Thank you, just subscribed and gonna get back to planner peace x

Thanks for the video, as always! If you're reading this and you're on the fence, I highly recommend the Productivity and Planning course Alex mentions with #5 ... It really helped me clarify what I'm looking to get out of planning, and how to get myself moving in that direction.

I know this video has been up for a while but- OMG so helpful. I'm having an end-of-year freakout after receiving my 2017 ECLP and realizing most of my weeks in the 2016 ended up blanking out on wed/thurs! I just couldnt stick with it, and it ended up making me feel bad instead of basking in the planner peace I crave! My biggest problem is lack of structure in my life and I think I need to focus on building my skills before I buy one.more.sticker. Now on to the rest of your series.....

You totally captured my Planner peace issue (which I didn't know I had) with this video. I had all 5! I have been captivated by wanting a planner but overwhelmed by which I should get vs. wanted. (Form over function, SOS, other people's ideas, etc). Got one last year and never used it. Got another one this week and am ecstatic to use it. I looked up videos on ideas and guidance for a new planner user...after 5 video's, yours came up and you are SPOT ON! Thank you for creating your videos. Can't wait to watch more. You have a gift and talent. Sharing with my new planner friends, because I think more lack "Planner Peace" than they know.

I would say I'm still on my search for total planner peace, but I had to actually break away completely from using my planner for a couples months because I got so caught up in trying to make it look nice, that it was no longer functional for me. I'm back to using it and still have to rein myself in from time to time from buying all these accessories that are available. I have to remember what my needs and priorities are as a planner. I feel like your series will be a big help in the process!! Thanks so much. Thumbs up!

Great video! I definitely need my planner to be functional - and I feel like I can be creative in other areas of my life. At this time I am re-structuring my small business and I want more structure than creativity. I find that the "weekly 5 and the Daily 3" really help me to stay focused on what needs to get done in order for me to move forward with my goals. I gravitate towards what needs to be completed, and put some thought into how I can get it done. I am still learning this process, so there are times when I list things in the wrong sequence, but I am finding that I am more productive. I found the video to be really helpful and am looking forward to the next one! Thanks, Alexis

This sounds like it will be a great series Alexis. Very well thought out with your 5 points. I would have to say that I have SOS! ( funny how that also stands for HELP!) But like you said, if you know it and it works for you, it's all good, in moderation I think. I know that if I did not enjoy decorating my planner I would most likely never pick it up on a regular basis. I would just have a few sticky notes here and there and call it a day. No fun in that. So, I enjoy keeping track of everyday, things that can be boring or ordinary and surrounding them with something that is enjoyable for me to look at. It's the artist in me and I like how the two can come together. Looking forward to part two.

I have Shiny Object Syndrome. Like, Total addict! My life is a road of abandoned, half used planners. I'm still searching for the system that works for me. Great video!

Thank you so much Alexis for this video. All that you said is so true ! The 5 reasons ! The most difficult for me is to build my planner according to my priorities : blog (Articles, ideas, publication on social networks, diverse obligations), sport... To find useful inserts and the most effective presentation for me (lines? Compartments? Months? Weeks? To do lists ? A5 ? Personnal ?)

Oh gosh! Shiny object syndrome is so so accurate. It took me foreeeeever to come to terms and focus with my own and be confident in my planner situation. Then I realized I needed to split my life into two different planners (one for etsy and one for life) and stop watching plan with me videos. Those fed my SOS soooo much! Even though I stillll love my pretty things! 😍

I love your vlogs. so thank you. It is my recurring dailies, which I keep at the bottom of my weekly to do chart in a block, rather than write them out x7, that are dragging my planner down and not bringing me planner peace. I have a weekly to do page with my 5 areas of focus, my day by day week to dos for work and home- separate work and home tasks, and my daily tasks at the bottom in a box, which repeat, like Groundhog day, like Bible Study, RADs-room a day, charge phone, next day clothes, etc etc, not trivial like make the bed, but important to me, meds, vitamins, CTM, cleanse, tone, moisturise. I have culled these to the most important.The dailies are bogging me down though by volume. Most else gets done from my weekly chart, but because I have so many daily repetitives I can get to the end of the day and think NOOOOO, I've forgotten my meds, or not done Bible study YET AGAIN. I don't know where I'm going wrong here. Maybe I should time slot these into my daily do1p page, so meds for example get a time slot. Feel drowned in daily repetitives at the mo. I'd sure love YOUR advice as I respect it. Thank you. xxxx

Girl, nail on head! I struggled all last year with finding PP. I think I've finally found with my EC vertical...love this video!!! I agree, you should be able to use one planner, there is NO WAY I could keep up with more than one at a time. I plan for productivity too so this was so good!

Yasssss this video was so needed!!! I am trying to find a balance between the two. I love the form, I love pretty and I love new and pretty. I am the type to get distracted by the shiny chicken, but I have to have have function. I fought for years anything that has to do with structure, but when I started opening my self to it. I NEED... No I HAVE to have structure in my life. This video is such a relief.

Thank you. You hit all the nails on the head. What made your video sweet is that you confirmed my suspicions about what my problems really are. Again, thank you. I'm looking forward to your next videos in this series. In the meantime, I need to think about what my priorities are at present, not what they were when I owned a store.

Great video! Totally agree with all reasons you mentioned. Especially 'what works for others can not work for me'. After trying several type of inserts and looking though like all bazillion what etsy offers - I ended up making my own. With my own design. with my own layout,with sections that I need. I cannot declare that I'm in 100% planner peace but definitely my planner now is most helpful then it even was. Although for me having just one planner with one complete system won't be comfortable. First - I carry it with me all the time. Even a5 size full of pages for the whole year is much more then I can handle commuting in a crowded train car. I have separate planners for crafts, self-improvement, home and family records, holidays. And don't need this information all the time in my basic planner. Even if I was working from home - I'd still keep that data separately.

Awesome video Alexis! I used to have a few of these issues myself but I finally have a complete system that I'm actually using. Funny thing though - I still buy new planners every once in awhile but totally acknowledge when they aren't part of the system. 😉

I'm so happy to come across your video as a new planner. This video shed so much light on how to create MY system. I appreciate you.

I loved and enjoyed this video so much! Great content! I like all your videos but since I am not an entrepreneur, I prefer videos about planning and vlogs or tags. It was so inspiring!

🙋🏻 Hi, my name is Shannon and I have SOS (Shiny Object Syndrome) with secondary FOMO. I do have to give my head a shake and ride around my favorite online planner shops with things in my "cart" until I talk myself out of it. Having said that, last week I purchased a Filofax Domino Personal pine with spots to use as a health journal. I have a chronic illness (no, not my planner habit, but a real medical issue ;) that needs tracking, so I was able to justify to myself my purchase. 😉

This is really what I've needed recently because my personal planner has become less functional recently and I needed a personal refresher and reflection for it. And you are always so great at helping sort out thoughts and laying down a process. Productivity Queen! 💖🙌 Also, sidenote, your hair looks great!

Love this! I've been struggling with planner peace for so long but now I know that I haven't built myself a complete planner system and I haven't defined my planner style so it's all over the place. Thanks girl hope you had a great vacation and I bet Starbuck is happy to have you back home!

Thank you! I did get caught up in the shiny object syndrome. I thought I was "left behind" because I didn't have all the stickers and washi and charms. Oh my! But as an assistant and constantly keeping someone else on track with their schedule and everything, having a pretty planner wasn't helping me be successful. Thanks for sharing.

I have decided to make a planning/ life binder. I have made printables for the daily plans, and will be doing downloads for the rest of it. I want certain things in my planner. I want budget/ meal planning/student (college) worksheets/home management and of course schedule sheets that have space for gratitude and water intake and I also included a section that keeps track of my min 20 min of working out a day. Also i want reflections and goals for the year, the month and the week. With being a full time college student, working 32+ hours a week, and managing my first apartment and expenses I must stay organized and I need a all encompassing planner in my life.

I definitely have not found planner peace. You listed several reasons why I may not be. First I don't have a system. I'm trying to figure it out. I have a family of 6...4 girls & my hubby & I. Plus I'm a college professor & author. I am using a personal size Louis Vuitton...so yes I like the shiny things. I think the size may be an issue as you mentioned. I ordered a Happy Planner 365. It's bigger which may help. I admit I like cute planners. I like Erin Condren system but don't like the expense. I thought of using 2 planners...one for my personal life with my family, my doc appts, their school schedules, extra-curricular, etc. Then one for my academic life...test dates, when I need to grade, book deadlines. Thoughts? You mentioned that one planner should be enough. So I'm second guess this. Thank you!!! Love your videos!!!

Awesome video! I was wondering what was wrong with me, why I could never be satisfied with any planner, and you've nailed it! Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you!

Sometimes I use my planner for functionality but then I lose the motivation to actually keep using it. I've done so much research on the "perfect planner" and trying to find the best planning system for me where its not too busy but helpful for school and keeping up with my life responsibilities.

Well done, Alexis, as usual. One thing you didn't cover is the difference between "desk / life planning" and "on the go planning". As an active retiree, my system needs to encompass both, so I have 8x11 binders at my desk (with lots of reference info - health, courses, music, finances ), but a personal planner in my bag (with calendar, day plans, motivational stuff). Also a kitchen calendar for husband & I.

Yes, yes, yes. One thing that messed up my functional planner peace is my season of life changed... This year 2 out of my 3 are in school, so we have more "appointments" after school and such, plus PTA, and I have been able to expand my easy shop and take on more at church... so how I plan is all different, but my planner is the same... which means no more peace. Still on the hunt ; (

Great video. I actually feel like part of this for me is that every single day is so different from the next with me that I almost just have no idea what to have in my planner. I know I need one (and I do have one) but things change so much on a day to day basis that it's hard to know what to keep in my planner and what to plan.

Oh gosh! I have shiny object syndrome! Glad you put a name to it! I just started planning with The Happy Planner and there are so many items that you can buy for it. I'm getting off the planner train and getting stumped by wanting it to look pretty. Thank you so much for this video!! I love your videos and have learned so much! You rock girl!

I feel like my main planning issue sits somewhere around, I see what people are doing so I feel inspired to plan but it's so exhausting to create something that would be tailored to what I need that I just put it off. I feel like I know what I need, but I don't want to use other people's systems [inserts, whatever] to achieve it because it doesn't exactly fit my visual/ functional desires. I'm fussy. Suuuuper fussy. This is my problem. Awesome videos!

Thanks, Alexis! Great video and thoughts around functional planning. I went away from "pretty planning" a while ago and feel much closer to planner peace now than ever before. I still love and admire pretty planning but just find it doesn't work for me when it comes to getting things done! Looking forward to the rest of this series.

Love your videos. You really explained the challenges with planning and planner systems very well.

Amen to all of the above! Thanks for the analysis Alexis! I am going to focus more on productivity and not so much on the "fancy" stuff!

Out of all of the planner videos I've watched (a bunch!), yours are the best for me. I'm not interested in turning my planner into a scrapbook (although I wish I had the time to do this). I need a strictly functional planner. Thanks so much for the great advice.

OMG! Shiny object person is me to the T! I laughed when you said it. And I found his video while trying to see how people plan. Ha! Since I'm a teacher I have to use two planners to keep work and personal stuff separate. Great video. I believe I'm finally on. Y way to planner piece after I've spent more money than I needed to.

awesome video, I was just in the "shiny things syndrome" until about two weeks ago when I bought the kate spade inserts. I tried verticle, "erin condrin" boxes horizontal and vertical, and I have tons of downloaded inserts ranging from A5 to even the pocket sized. I was getting to overwhelmed, as you can see. so when I bought the while system, I decided to put in the whole year in my new planner and I couldn't even remember when I did weeks before and because I was switching inserts so many times I couldn't find the most important dates and stuff I did for the last two to three months. now I'm back on track, I found I'm a horizontal planner and always have been. I just took myself full circle just to find that out, lol. but awesome video and wonderful tips :)

Alexis! I SO enjoyed this video and found it very informative! I’m a Newbie to “Happy Planning” (Although I’ve kept calendars as a type of Diary for MANY years). I can’t wait to see more of the Planner Wisdom you have to offer. 😊 Thanks so much for sharing your skill❣️

I know the size that works for me is the pocket. But while I need more space, I also need an efficient storage system. I am trying to work with Travelers Notebook, but I have already ordered a compact personal. I hope that in the end I can find a balance between space / portability / and storage.

Great video! You really have wonderful insight regarding planners, how they effect us, and how we use them. I saw myself in varying degrees with each point you made. Thanks for creating this!

I actually did find this helpful, had to listen to it several times to let things kind of set in as I reviewed each point as you talked. thank you for this, cant wait to hear more.

This was a great video. I love to watch videos that are about planning, more than just about how I set up my planner... I hope to follow the series.

Wow youre so RIGHT ABT ADDICTION AND SHINY OBJECT SYNDROME!!! I'M AN ADDICTIVE PERSONALITY.. WHICH HAS ITS PROS AND CONS. HUNNY. I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TRUTH, WISDOM AND LOVE !!!!

"shiny object syndrome" ... that's me totally - only i call it planner-envy. It's ruining my life!

So true...I have watched some many planner videos trying to get ideas and what not but you are so right those may not work for me.

omg SHINY OBJECT SYNDROME ahhhhh! THANK YOU FOR calling me out that's actually really helpful and helps understand my crazy artistic brain (and attempt to control it). going to check out your productivity program as well. You are so ahead of your time congrats on your success.

I think that I am combo of all of them but I think the last one is probably more me. I think I have a system that works for me but my lack of discipline sabotages my productivity.

thank you so much for sharing this info. I feel like my productivity may be the problem for me. I will be looking into your master class.

I have the Shiney object syndrome For sure! I have noticed I don't do well with too many options. I don't like certain buffets because they're are too many options, it like throws my brain into feeling overwhelmed.I am just going to learn to be happy with my planner I've put together. I just started my PM sized planner ( Louis Vuitton pocket sized). I'm thinking I should have purchased the MM size. I am not crafty or creative so I think I'm more of a functional planner. I never realized there is a " planner world" out here Thank You I learned a lot from your awesome video. I would enjoy taking your coarse .

This is so me. Shiny object syndrome, no productivity, form over function, trying to make the system of someone with different priorities work for me... I'm never, ever satisfied with my planners. It's near the end of March and I'm sick of the planner I wasted $70 on. The only thing I'm learning is what I don't want!

I so needed this video. My attraction to shiny objects had me buy a Kate spade wellsley. Granted I think it was a great idea because it's small enough to fit in my purse on the go and doubles as my wallet... But when trying to use it I just couldn't find peace. Then I found bullet journals, and while it doesn't quite have that glam planning aspect to it I feel like I could best customize I to the way my brain takes in information. 😪 but I can't seem to part with my Kate! 😫

Thank you for the video. I am close to planner peace and you just helped me realize that. It works so why do I keep looking? Ohhh I have shiney object syndrome. Yup that is me. :-) I do have to say I decorate with stickers because I like the pretty but it doesn't have to distract from being functional. The decorating gives me joy when I open to that day but it still allows me to plan for the day. Here is the one place I'm struggling though and why I keep looking. (I am a business owner and I do a lot for a fan association as a volunteer.) Each night I list my work and volunteer (and personal) tasks I plan for the next day. Some are due that day (not the problem) but others don't have deadlines so they are possibles but often get moved for things that come up that have to be done. Therefore, I find myself constantly rewriting things (without deadlines) from day to day. Or they get stuck on a sticky note list on a dashboard. The sticky notes may be my answer but I'd be interested in how you plan tasks without deadlines. (I keep a modified bullet journal separately of all tasks that I pull from weekly.)

Great video. I think a big issue is deciding what size planner I need for planning and what I need for other things (memories, goals, home mgt., lister's gotta list). I am trying now to use a personal planner since I really don't have that much going on.

I liked this video very much. I am in the process of building a planner process that works for me. I have an issue I have to work around - and that is some cognitive disruption due to Multiple Sclerosis. My wandering thru various videos has led me to information for folks with ADD (helpful because the damage I have at times mimics that) and learning to track my time as well as other things I may never be a one book person (too overwhelming) and may need to use trackers for the rest of my days but the adventure has been helped with videos like yours!

I just found & subbed to your channel & I love this! You are super on point! Prior to discovering the planning community & fancy planners, I'd buy several planners BC my needs weren't met in 1 planner/1 insert type! Also finding the perfect size/easy to carry was another reason why I wasn't using mine. SOS is another drawback; in a way, it inadvertently led to me using my system less consistently, as I'd SOS during my downtime. I think scheduling specific "non-planning/planner entertainment time" is another thing I should do, to make sure I don't fall into a rabbit hole of procrastination which is no different from watching TV! It was important to realize NOT EVERYTHING needs to be in 1 book (as I tried to incorporate everything I liked in 1). I need my planner to be purely functional, geared towards productivity/work/study/personal/finances. Journaling/artsy stuff, meal planning/health tracking/chores, all need and require their own separate books as view them differently!

Awesome video! It is only March and I have tried 3 "cute" planners, but none of them have been right for me. I am focusing too much on pretty and not on function. I am a new subscriber and look forward to learning more in this series and in your class. Thanks,

Am I the only one who loved her use of the word, "extemporaneous?" lol

You make a lot of sense and obviously know what you are talking about. Xx

So spot on! I have Shiny Object Syndrome and this has kept me from moving ahead in my home business, wah! T_T I have several planners and tons of notebooks, but I have no idea what to do with them! I torture myself by looking at Pinterest and Instagram and drooling over other people's stuff! T_T I finally realized that I'm a DIGITAL girl and I started keeping a simple task list on a Google doc and it's been really helping me stay on top of my days. In addition, I've decided I need less of the paper agendas and more of just blank notebooks so I can record whatever else. If I have a pre-layed out insert it gives me anxiety because I feel the need to fill every box, even if it doesn't apply to me! Thanks for this grerat vid!

You never stumble on a word! Very nice.

I have to admit this is one of the first videos I've watched of yours. It was very helpful and informative. You don't have to read this whole comment, I just realized I rambled on for awhile. I definitely have "shiny object syndrome," I think is what you called it, and it's weird because it came on all of the sudden. I was scanning through etsy looking at scrapbooking stuff and found myself in more of the "planner part." Next thing I know I have three different planners and continuously buying accessories from etsy. I also constantly find myself watching planner videos on RU-vid, which is what I do for scrapbooking for ideas, however it's different for planning than for scrapbooking. For instance if I like a scrapbooking technique that someone used I can use it on a layout and be done and then use a different technique that I like on another layout, however, with planning if I like a bunch of different techniques I can't use them all in one planner or it would be chaos. I know I definitely need at least two planners because I have a work planner that I use and keep at work and so I don't want any of my personal planning in that. I have a personal planner for home that I just recently bought, so I'm going to wait until April to start using that one because it would annoy me to much to start it in the middle of the month and I have a small planner for my purse, which I more so use to write down grocery lists or things I need to pick up. Unfortunately I like things to be decorative but I also want it to be functional (for my personal planner, not my work or purse planner I could care less how those things look, which probably doesn't really make sense but since my personal planner will be at my house the whole time I would like it to look pretty if someone were to look through it, but also want it to be a functional planner). I'm a little lost on how to make a planner pretty, without spending so much time on that, that's it's not really functional. P.S. where did you get those pictures in the background?