Getting Organized with a Planner

Nowadays, when we talk about organization, the current favorites come to mind: planners .

A planner is nothing more than an "organizing diary." Each one has its own unique style, but generally, they consist of a series of calendars, lists, tables to track habits, spreadsheets for expenses, work/study organization, and pages to record goals and dreams. The goal is to use paper (or digitally) to plan and organize your life so you can survive today's frenetic pace and still achieve your dreams. Sounds good, right?

Now the truth: it's super common for us to get excited about organizing at the beginning of the year and end up giving up later, leaving everything aside... With that in mind, I created my own planner, in a way that really worked for me, and until now (it's already August) I'm still using it, strong and steady! So I came to share a little of my experience with this type of organization and show you my planner, which you can also have.

Well, the first thing I wanted from my planner was for it to be practical! I love the idea of ​​things like bullet journals, where you hand-draw and decorate your week, but I know my routine and I wouldn't have time for that. On the other hand, I wanted the freedom to decorate and add more pages whenever I had free time, just for fun! Without having to repeat the same thing every month. Furthermore, it was important for me to only have the essentials, which I would actually use and not have leftovers (blank pages really annoy me lol) .

That's how I created the Secret Planner with Raíssa Medrado ! 

A digital product designed to be practical, accessible, fun, and complete. When you purchase our planner, you'll automatically receive a series of files (there are many options) by email to print at home or at a print shop, allowing you to create your own planner just the way you need it. I use mine in a binder (just print and punch holes), but you can also attach the pages to a clipboard, store them in folders, and carry only the essentials... it's up to you!

Want to know everything that's in the Secret Planner? I'll give you a tour...

The theme I chose for this year was “Secret Planner” inspired by spy cartoons and movies (I LOVE them) and also by the idea of ​​taking over the world lol After all, if I’m getting organized the least I expect is to conquer this big world!

That's why I designed a super fun gadget to be the cover of each month! I created everything from stylish, souped-up sneakers to a lip balm that prevents scams, haha. It's super fun to get to the next month and read the descriptions of these objects that seem ordinary but are super amazing! And then it's time to REALLY organize, so here's the list of everything it includes:

• Agent identification form (planner introduction)
• Pages to write down foolproof plans, crazy ideas, missions (goals) and secret dreams
• Gratitude journal (a sheet dedicated to giving thanks and also recording what can be improved)
• Daily Missions (agenda to write down everything about your day)
• Monthly archives
• Weekly Archives
• Small colorful calendars (they can be cut and pasted in the planner or used on the sheet itself)
• Clean monthly calendars
• Illustrated covers for every month
• “Envelope” style covers that can be used as dividers
• A world map
• Organization of studies (class schedule, list of test and assignment dates, list of bibliography)
• Financial control (weekly and monthly expenses, annual balance, credit card)
• Tasks
• Cutouts for decoration (dividers, flags and post-its)
• Envelopes to cut and assemble

Now if you want to understand even better how each one works, you can either read Raíssa's post or watch my video:

I can stay organized with the Secret Planner because all it requires is for you to fill in the information! It comes in pretty pastel colors, and when I have time, I use some pens and the included cutouts to decorate... since I made the accessories in the same colors, there's no mistake; I can do it in a hurry and everything still matches ;)

My favorite materials for decorating the planner.

I also think it's great to remember that you can experiment and discover the best way for you to organize yourself. Just print what you need, and it's much easier to fill out and keep track of. This flexibility is what made me stick with it! I personally use the weekly page , which allows me to write down what I need to do each day while also seeing the entire week. I also use the clean calendar , which is where I write down important monthly commitments as soon as I know about them.

Also, my favorite thing to do is sit down at the beginning of each month and fill out my gratitude journal. Every now and then I go back and read what I wrote in previous months, and it's amazing to see how everything has reflected in my life… the things I'm grateful for show what my priorities and happiness were that month, and by reading what I wrote down as "things I can improve," I see how little by little I'm changing and becoming better. I can't wait to read it all at once at the end of the year and have a retrospective!

If you want to purchase yours, just buy it using the button below, it costs only 25 reais and the files will be sent to your email:

The “Secret Planner” is a series of digital files and is updated for use in 2019 and 2020.

If you're looking for a more minimalist and affordable option, there's still my previous planner! It's all in black and white (which saves on printing) and is also updated for 2020. You can learn more in Raíssa's post here .

With love,
Faith