The Problem With **Store Bought** Planners Just say no to "Pink it & Shrink it"

I absolutely loved reading all your responses to my question "what do you HATE about store bought planners" It seemed we all had so many of the same issues which leads me to wonder...WHY ON EARTH HASN'T THIS ISSUE BEEN ADDRESSED! Alright then...if no one else is going to handle this...I will. I am going to take some time over the next few weeks to really get down to the root of the problem with common store bought paper planners and help you understand how a MOMager system could be helpful to you as well as hopefully helping you understand what your specific time management and agenda organizational needs are. Quit beating yourself up with the thoughts of "Why can't I just make this work!?" Sometimes you just have to realize that your not a round peg and your just not going to fit in that hole................but that's ok, some of the best people I know are as square as can be :)

Source

A couple years ago I was doing some research on Mom planners and I came across an article that talked about the "Pink it and Shrink it" design form that most large scale calendar and agenda companies used when making planners...they just figured "lets take our standard issue "man planner" color it pink with pretty flowers and make it cute and small....that outta satisfy female buyers!" And unfortunately...it kinda did... we took the bait. We were so excited to go in to the office supply stores and find pretty planners "JUST FOR US" lined up right next to the cold utilitarian man-planners. "LOOK!! the cover is PINK" we said! "Look at these inspirational quotes from influential women in history!" we proclaimed! "and LOOK there is a side bar for a "grocery list!" "and it even fits in my purse!!" we just couldn't contain ourselves. so we plunked down $35 on this new planner...got it home full of buyers joy and thoughts of "this is going to CHANGE.MY.LIFE....I'm FINALLY going to get it together!" then when we sat down and started to fill it in...and that's when our dreams of organizational calendar bliss went down the tube.

THE BOXES AND LINES ARE TOO SMALL

 Shrink it? Really?? why! on average, women have larger "bubbly" hand writing so the small lines and boxes can never fit all our appointments...what should be one appointment taking up one line with "place & time" now takes up two, or your handwriting spills between the two and it all looks messy......their solution? Take away the lines! stopppppppp! why on earth would that be helpful? now our handwriting is slanty since it has no clear guide...and still the box is no bigger!

THE MOMager SOLUTION

 The boxes in my monthly calendar that I keep inside my seasonal planner have 6 lines that are spaced to accommodate a 24pt font which is more than large enough for a bubbly hand writing.

The calendar also spreads across 2 full pages so the boxes are large enough to get all your info for one appointment in on one line: "Dentist 4:00" all right there!

A MOMager Tip:

 When thinking of Monthly Calendars think of it as the place holder. You are simply booking the time there so you don't double book, when given an item that needs to be scheduled it should always go in your monthly calendar first in a very simple form: Item, Time, Person. 

If there are more details needed, make note of these in your ramblings book. Then when you are stocking your folder for the week, grab your monthly calendar, and put any of this weeks happenings on your week at a glance page...this is now the space to add detail. 

So in Thursday's square we now write "Dentist 4:00 - cleaning w Cheryl in Rockwall" now I know exactly what is going on. 

BONUS TIP!

 I MOMage 4 people in my household; as well as my home, small business and volunteer positions. This means that I have a lot of stuff to keep track of...and the absolute best way for me is COLOR!

 I will go in to more detail at a later date about my really intricate highlighting system but basically I have a color for each individual in my family as well as the other items I handle. So instead of having to write out "Jason Dentist 4:00" which might be a bit squishy in that space...I simply highlight "Dentist 4:00" in light blue and I know that he is going to the dentist. VERY easy. 

  

Have you checked out The MOMager Shop? If you are wanting your very own MOMager system you can now order a completely custom planner system in either Digital OR Printed form! Go Check it out!!