The one thing I just love to do is make lists! There is something special about putting pen to paper and I know you agree if you’re in a paper planner. When it comes to staying motivated and brainstorming ideas I need that imperfect relationship between the paper, pen and my hand. In this lesson I’m going to talk about ways to stay motivated in your planning and get your thoughts on paper where they can’t be forgotten.
Brainstorming
To me brainstorming is more of a brain dump. Sometimes I find myself thinking of so many different things at one time I find it hard to really focus on my task at hand. I love using my Daisy Dori to get my thoughts down! It’s incredibly portable and the list pages are perfect for organizing my thoughts. In the picture above I made a packing list for an upcoming trip and a clothing list for fall shopping. These two things were clouding my thoughts for weeks before I decided to just “dump” them into my book. Boy I felt better after getting them in here.
Another thing I like to do when Brainstorming or “brain dumping” is title my page. Now that I have a title on my page I can continue to dump ideas, lists and thoughts under my subject title. Here I used the die cut tabs from the kit with some of the alphabet stickers to title my page “puppy”. I plan on using this page for all things puppy related whether that’s a shopping list or jotting down vet appointments.
Make your Brainstorming work for you! It doesn’t always have to be pretty, just functional. Try to title your page to help keep your thoughts organized by theme. There is something very therapeutic about writing down your thoughts so don’t be afraid to dive right in and start scribbling.
Motivation
There are many ways to stay motivated when planning. These can be as simple as writing a few quotes on your weekly spreads or making a list like you see here. I decided to make a Fall bucket list in my OCT Daisy Dori. Turning to this page made me smile every time and gave me that little bit of motivation to try and finish my entire list!
The front of my November insert had these great lined sections I knew would be perfect for my Gratitude list. This time of year is perfect for starting a gratitude list or even an entire journal dedicated to it. Pages like this in my planner keep me motivated and really just in a joyful mood!
I also made a work related motivational section. For me putting a little check mark next to any task is incredibly satisfying. I wanted to have a place where all my work related tasks were together and easy to see but also allowed me to get my pen out and start checking things off. I feel more organized and ready to take on my tasks with them all together and looking good.
Again I used my tabs from the kit to make my page easy to find. A simple “W” lets me know this is for work. I abbreviated Cocoa Daisy with “CD” and starting listing out my responsibilities. Not only is this page functional but it’s nice to look at.
I also filmed a video to go along with this lesson! Take a look at it below. I hope you got some inspiration from my ways of brainstorming and keeping motivated.
Tips and Tricks
Start a “Brain Dump” page in your planner, don’t be afraid to scribble out your thoughts.
Title your pages to keep your thoughts organized
Use motivational tools like check boxes and eye pleasing pieces to keep you on track.
Happy Planning
xoxo
Tricia