By: Harper Lane
Updated: September 17, 2020
Originally Published: January 18, 2017
I tried to resist, but it seems I’m not immune to the influence of my peers. Well, I can say no to cocktails, but when it comes to stationery? That’s where I falter. My fondness for paper goods, office supplies, and notebooks is hard to deny. One time, I may have embarrassed my partner at an office supply store when I gleefully brandished sticky notes the size of my head. Eventually, I succumbed to the allure of the Erin Condren Life Planner.
What’s not to adore? Fun designs, an excuse to buy washi tape and colorful markers, all accompanied by promises from friends that it would transform my life. They swore I’d finally achieve organization, find inner peace, lose weight, and even sport a “My Kid Is on the Honor Roll” bumper sticker—all thanks to this planner.
I bought one. I gave in. After spotting one at Staples, I splurged a bit too much. I also purchased all the extras—the markers, dividers, stickers, and washi tape. I scoured Pinterest for ideas on how to utilize this so-called magical planner. I even designated colors for each family member, only to forget who matched with what and ended up jotting everything down in my daughter’s assigned color.
I bought a white-out pen, but soon decided that color coding was more trouble than it was worth.
I genuinely tried. I devoted a morning to mapping out my week, aiming for a realistic to-do list. But then I set the planner aside and did whatever caught my fancy. My tasks remained untouched; things I intended to accomplish on Monday were shifted to Tuesday, then Wednesday, and eventually forgotten altogether.
“But it’s life-changing!” my planner-obsessed friends would insist, their eyes glazed over and high on marker fumes. “You just need to give it a fair shot! You’ll become just as addicted to planning as the rest of us!”
So, I made another attempt. I sat down, planned my tasks, and tried to be less ambitious, taking small steps toward a more organized life. Yet once again, I neglected the planner until I remembered I had a doctor’s appointment noted in it that I hadn’t transferred to my phone.
“Maybe I should give this planner another shot,” I thought, but ultimately, it remained untouched on my desk.
Now, it sits buried beneath a heap of paperwork. I knew this would happen. This isn’t my first rodeo with planners promising a more productive life. I’ve never managed to keep one for an entire year, and the idea that a pricier planner with colorful stickers and color-coded family events would magically change my habits was naive.
Have I learned my lesson? Not quite. But perhaps next time, rather than giving in to the temptation of the most luxurious option, I’ll just use the one I already own. After all, there are still 13 months left in this planner, providing ample opportunity to either master it or let it continue gathering dust beneath my other notebooks. Place your bets on which outcome is more likely.
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Summary:
This article humorously chronicles the author’s struggle with organization despite purchasing an expensive planner, highlighting the challenges of sticking to a planning routine and the allure of trendy stationery. Ultimately, it reflects on the common experience of many who fall into the trap of believing that a new tool will solve their disorganization.