D.I.Y. Planner / Organizer / Agenda

Hi!

So i've been inspired to come up with this blog post due to my rekindled love for planners! :)

Ever since high school i've been a huge fan of planners/agendas. They kept my class schedule, extra-curicular schedule, my social and family life, all my school work and even the leisurely pleasures I kept!

I think it's quite right to say that my planner was my life line. This is by the way in no means an exaggeration. I remember when ever I accidentally left my planner or misplaced it I would just be lost for the most part of the day or just crying in frustration. (My good friends could testify to this.)

Being a student council president, an honour student, a performer, and being part of about 8 organizations all at the same time took a toll on my time and sanity, so it was essential to keep everything in place and in order. I found that the best way to do that is by writing things down and being able to see just how much work I needed to get done, when they needed to be accomplished and all that jazz.

Now that I'm in college I tried living off the calendar and reminders of my phone but personally it just doesn't seem to be as effective. I'm not motivated to do work and I tend to get lost in all the different things I need to click in order to put in a certain reminder. In my opinion it's just way easier and faster to pick up a pen and writing something down on a designated page then just go back to it whenever.

So here are the photos of my previous agendas. (Fair warning i'm quite addicted to them so I have them in all kinds of colours, shapes and sizes. Hahaha!)

As you can see I have the current Starbucks planner and even the previous one. But the thing with these ready made planners is they aren't customized to my exact needs. Therefore I resorted to my old ways, which is to create my own planner to suit my every need and whim!

Some people may say that it's way too much work but I think the end result and benefits of having a custom made planner is worth every labor you put into making one.

So here is my new planner! Complete with monthly and daily views. I'm treating it as my idea book as well so I especially included a blogger agenda in it.

(*All the pages are not my original design below the photos are the links from which I got the .pdf or .jpg file.)

This is what my actual planner looks like. I just bought it in a local bookstore's office supplies section.

This is the inside of my planner. Those page markers came in those cards that fit right into the planner rings.

The first page is this GOAL PAGE just so that it will be a constant reminder that these are things I need to accomplish this year.

Behind the first page is the legend for all colour coordination and symbols for the different markers or post-its i'd be using within the pages.

This is my 2013 Calendar on a page.

Behind the 2013 calendar is this calendar including 2014 and 2015. Then after are just the miscellaneous pages that most planners come with i.e. conversion tables, world map, time zones, etc.

After all the preliminary goodies is my blogging planner section. This page starts off my blogging planner because it is a page about your blog goals, inspiration, and the what not.

The blog analytics is a strong visual reminder of how your blog is going. It would also serve as a motivational page because it tells you what kind of topics and posts interest your readers and what brings in more views.

This is a very helpful page because it will give you a quick glance of the days you are due to post something, where have you advertised them and if you were successful at keeping up with the schedule.

This is the weekly blog page. I love this layout because it has 3 sections for post ideas and for someone who does things other than blogging I believe that 3 posts a week is just the right number.  I find it very helpful to see your blog topic, content and tentative posting date for the week in one place.

So this page starts off the personal and school section of my planner. This page is a monthly list of important dates, there's a total of 4 months per page, 2 on each side. I incorporated this so I can section off my year into three parts and  monitor my progress per trimester.

I start every month with this Master To-Do List to remind me of the tasks or goals I need to accomplish for that specific month. I think it's just nice to have them in list form and have them crossed off one by one. It gives me this nice sense of accomplishment.

This is my month in 2 pages. I still keep this grid before every month's daily pages because it makes it easy to see just how busy I am during a certain week or for the month. Plus I find that it's still the easiest way to plot important events.

Lastly, this makes up for the most bulk in my planner. This is how my daily pages look, they are very detailed and to some it might even be too crowded but it works just fine for me, specially since I do have such small penmanship.
I particularly love this layout because it already has a designated space for important reminders, people to contact, an hourly grid and space for some notes.

I'm sure some of you might find this quite excessive or tedious to compile but trust me when I say that customizing it to your specific needs is worth every second and effort spent on a project like this. I really scoured the internet (specifically Pinterest) for the different pages that would make up my planner, and I'm more than happy and over joyed with the outcome.

Here are the files I used for this planner, just incase you like this format and would like to copy it.
Zip FILE Download (SendSpace)

Here are some sites I stumbled upon which have great planners, printables, and the like.
Home Life Weekly
Organized Home
WORLDLABEL
Your Way
Fab n' Free
Contented at Home

Pinterest Boards:
Printables, Binders, Planners,Oh My by Andrea McGough
I Love These Printables, Ideas to Help Organize My Life by Maajida Coleman

Scribd Collection by Jenni Bost


Here are a couple of YouTube videos that could help you organise your Planners.
Ways of a Filofax
Calendar Organization: Update
How to Organize a Planner - 2013
Flags and Mark It Dot System

I hope this post inspires you to get your life organized! Go pick yourself up one planner or better yet, make one to suit your needs!

More to come!

-smart aleck

MUSIC

Hello.

I know it's been forever. As usual I fail at life. I feel, like with most things, that I only write and express whenever there is something momentous happening in my life or when I'm almost or actually in rock bottom and there seems to be no other way to address it than to create a world of myth and words and colour or melody.

I don't know if you've noticed by now but I love almost all types of ART form. I'd like to say and believe that I myself dabble in a few such as singing, painting, sketching, writing, and performing. I love the form of self expression and freedom art provides us with. I think it's a gift to humanity from the spirits in order to put us in our place. It grounds us and makes us realise that beyond our problems and everyday musings there are things far greater and magical.

Music has been one great part of my life ever since I was a child. My mother loves to sing and my father is a musician. Music played a concrete role in my life. Music stood as a figure, somethingI looked up to, something I adored, something that nurtured me and kept me safe. It is also a curse because of how critical I am with myself. I respect this particular art form very much that I tend to never be satisfied. I look back and forth through the musical greats of human history and I can never seem to find my niche and my "voice" amidst all the greatness. I doubt my ability to transport people with my music. I want my music to put people in a momentary trance. A place where for a few precious minutes they forget where they are and what they are most terrified about and just let go the way I let go. But when I listen and watch the people I admire I shrink into nothingness.

I think it's because I NEED to grow more. I NEED to feel and experience more in order to be able to GIVE MORE. I don't know if this makes sense to any of you reading this, but if there's something you are so passionate about you'd know how I feel. Yes some might say it's a fear of being judged or criticised, but beyond that is the fear of failing MYSELF more than anyone else. We all know ourselves are our worst critics and that's one sad truth.

Hopefully someday I will grace the glory of the world's finest stages. Hopefully I will be able to deliver performances and create music that will touch souls.

Hoping you have a magnificent and inspired day!

-smart aleck

Perception Distortion

I saw this. I loved it. No other words needed.

ENJOY! :)

Fuck Fear by WRDBNR

-smart aleck

Bright Like A Diamond

Ola amiogs and amigas!

I know it has been almost half a year. I've been out of it because I wasn't able to find the perfect balance between a life and my school work. Over the past couple of months so much has happened to me. I've been very blessed in almost all aspects of my life except for my personal growth and artistic nook.

Now my mantra is to be ambitious and bold. I will try to balance all the things I have on my plate to the best of my abilities. This inevitably includes maintaining this blog. I will post an update post once I'm back on the groove of blogging. 

Hoping this finds its way to your computer screen.

"UnFuck the World"

Isn't this just the best way to swear? I wouldn't mind cursing if it was in this way.

This blogging thing, it will be second nature. :)

-smart aleck

KINETIC Rain

Hi!

Look at this video I came across. It's most likely that a good number of you guys have seen this. But in case you haven't, well you are in for a treat.

Enjoy!




-smart aleck

Why “I” Blog, Why YOU Blog, Why We Read Blogs

Hi.

It's been forever since I last blogged. I've probably lost almost all of the very few readers I have, but it is hard to keep a life outside the online community if I constantly reside in this world. But enough about pointless excuses and pathetic apologies.

Every time I return from a long lag in blogging, I make reflections and empty promises on trying my best to blog but I never succeed. In all honesty it's because I'm truly not a writer nor do I fancy being one, I just simply think that I have much to share. Then again I think most bloggers are probably the same.

I'm taking up classes on new media this semester and I've come across a reading in one of my classes, it's by Andrew Sullivan, “Why I Blog?” It is a very interesting and inspiring read for all the new, veteran and struggling bloggers and blog readers out there. He has wonderful insights that personally put my view on blogging in perspective. Please follow the link to his essay, I promise it won't disappoint. To further encourage you to read this essay, here are some of my favorite lines from his piece:

“It was obvious from the start that it was revolutionary. Every writer since the printing press has longed for a means to publish himself and reach—instantly—any reader on Earth.”

“It renders a writer and a reader not just connected but linked in a visceral, personal way. The only term that really describes this is friendship. And it is a relatively new thing to write for thousands and thousands of friends.”

To wonderful connections and inspiring words, cheers!

-smart aleck

a leap of faith..

Hi.

A few days ago I was the brink of giving up. It had something to do with my studies and just leaving everything behind and trying to start over. I initially thought that I wasn't giving up instead I was simply moving on. But who was I fooling I just really lost hope. But today something happened to me. I took a leap of faith and said to myself I'm no longer going to sit back and watch life pass me by, I'm going to get up and do something. I auditioned for something and I got in! At first I didn't really want the post being offered. I just thought to myself if I got it then all is well and if not then it just isn't meant for me. But when I started talking and explaining and actually telling them why I wanted the position it suddenly hit me, I never would've known how much I needed and wanted this if I didn't even try.

I'm currently watching "Letters to Juliet" (2010) starring Amanda Seyfried and it made me reminisce about my own love story and how everything is magical when you simply believe that there's something better waiting out there for you. I realized that whenever I feel like I'm stuck I should look at the the amazing journey I've traveled to get to where I currently stand and that in itself would give me enough encouragement to move forward and face everything head on.

What lesson did you learn today? What odd yet congruent and complementary events have happened to you these past couple of days which made you reflect and realize certain lessons? Have you recently taken a leap of faith? Cause I strongly believe that a leap of faith a day will keep your heart racing and your soul dancing. :)

Lovely day,

-smart aleck