Planner Switcharoo – The Tools You Need

Change is always welcomed in my life as long as it is methodical and thoughtful. Sudden major changes leave me feeling rattled and out of my element. With me wanting to keep things as simple and as easy as possible, I tend to find the thing that works and stick to it. So I was very surprised to find myself switching my planning method to something that I did not ever think I would.

Not too long ago, I found myself struggling with my current notebook planner. As beautiful as it was, it was not able to contain the added workload that had become part of my life as of beginning of this year when I decided to become a professional blogger and devote my time to making my platform as beneficial as it can be. From the multiple spiritual memberships to products in the shop to the new podcasts and everything else, the notebook planner was simply not functioning. I had to find another way.

These were the requirements for the new planning method:

• Be customizable – It needed to be able to add pages and remove them as needed.
• A lot of writing space – Some days require a lot more writing than others, so I needed a proper sized space for daily tasks.
• Multifunctional – In addition to just jotting down to-do lists and daily tasks, I needed to also plan my spirituality using the planner inserts that I was working towards for the shop and the Sweet & Simple membership.

There was only one answer to this conundrum and it was to finally switch over to the Ring Binder system. I remember seeing it a while ago and I was not at all interested. Yet, here we are. Now I have two binders – one for personal + spiritual planning and the other for business planning – and I could not be happier.

Just a note, if you are on a budget but are desiring quality planners then head over to online thrift shops like Poshmark where other people are selling theirs. I was able to get a very good deal for a new Kikki K planner.

This blog post is for you if you are thinking of implementing the ring binders as well. Let’s discuss some basic things you need to know.

Which size should you get?

This was probably one of the most confusing parts for me so I asked my planner friend Nadia on instagram who directed me towards this post. It helps to know that the standard US paper sheet is considered an A4 size. That is a pretty big size for a planner! I knew that I did not want anything too small or too big so I opted for an A5 size for my personal + spiritual planner. It has more than enough room to write and it offers ample space to create printables which I wanted to do in order to really hone in on my spiritual planning (you can take a peek at my weekly layout here).

For my business planner, on the other hand, A5 was too big. I needed more of a to-do list format where I can flip open the section and write down the things needed to be done specifically for one subject. The personal size ended up being a great option which is quite a surprise as it was a desperate purchase after a futile search for a pretty, used planner of a different size. Alhumdulillah this one ended up being exactly what I needed. For instance, if I have to work on the Matcha Talk podcast, I sit on the computer with my co-host, flip over to the section and jot down anything I need to do for it. Then, if I need to work on one of my dhikr programs, then I simply flip over to that section and work on my to-do list there. Simple and effective? Check!

What tools should I have on hand?

If you are content with purchasing inserts, there are endless options available on Etsy.com and several other independent sellers that are shipped right over to you. However, if you are like me and are truly looking to customize how the planner is used, then let me share with you the things you need.

• A Printer. You can find a collection of printable inserts specifically for your planner size online in various shops. Simply type in your planner size and you will be amazed. A5 is a very common size and inserts for it are very easy to find. Personal and half letter have been easy for me to find as well. It is important to take that into account if you have made up your mind about having a custom planner.
• Printer Paper. You can use regular, every day 20lb printer paper or you can upgrade it a little for a lux feel. I prefer to use this 30lb paper for my planner pages. It adds just a little bit more thickness and is more enjoyable to use while not allowing that much bleed through. For planner dashboards, dividers, cards or anything extra, it is very useful to have printable card stock on hand. I ordered this 80lb card stock paper and have already used it for multiple things.

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• Paper Trimmer. In order to convert those printable inserts into something that you can actually insert in your planner, it needs to be a size that fits. Fortunately for us, everything is easily available online including this paper trimmer. You can use a scissor but it might get tedious very quickly. All printables contain a guideline where you will make your cut to make the pages fit your planner perfectly. Just remember that you do not want to cut a huge stack at once – this was a costly lesson for me. The stack ended up being very uneven and it was a disaster, to put it bluntly. Now I only cut one sheet at a time without any regrets. Also, it helps to do it in day time as the light allows you to see exactly where the cut is being made. I have marked the trimmer with washi tape to know exactly where to place the paper to get the right size every time.

• Hole Punch. And lastly, the reason ring binders are great is because you can remove or add pages to truly make the planner work for you. Some ring binders have six rings and some have more. I have six ring binders only and this adjustable hole punch has been amazing. It can punch several pages at once, saving you time. One thing is important to note that some times, the location of those holes can vary between planners. For this reason, I had to adjust the hole spaces by marking it for my personal size planner. A little wahshi tape indicates where the adjustable sliders should be which takes all of the guess work out and gives consistent results.

That’s it! These are simple additions but are powerful tools to take planning into your own hands. The ring binders have been game changers for me and I want to tell my past self to switch to them much sooner. Since I can not do that, I hope this convinces you to give this method a shot.

-S