My Planning Essentials

Want to get more organized but not sure where to start? Today, I am going to give you my list of top 10 planning essentials that will make planning a breeze and lead you to be your most productive self. I swear by each of these items, they truly make planning easy and fun and keep my productivity system in tip-top shape. Ready to learn more? Let’s dive right in! 

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Planning Essentials #1: Planners

The most essential piece to planning….is, well, a planner. However, picking a planner is way easier said than done. There are countless options out there. Size, brand, shape, hardcover, softcover, spiral, bound, binder, daily spreads, weekly spreads…vertical, horizontal… it can be overwhelming if you don’t know where to start! I’ve learned that you can only be as efficient as your planner – so you have to find the right fit for you.

Starting out I found it easier to go with more affordable brands of planners like Blue Sky and try out different layouts (daily, weekly, and monthly) to see what my planning style was. Once I was able to figure what worked best for me, I then invested in a more expensive brand. My first planner was actually a dollar store planner. Then I graduated to the Happy Planner. I stopped using my Happy Planner when the discs started to break on me. That’s when I looked into getting a ring bound planner.

My Current Planner

About 6 years ago I purchased my first Erin Condren Life Planner (I currently use the 7×9 Vertical layout). I cringed at the price initially, even though it was on sale. But honestly, when it came in the mail I knew it was worth the money. The quality of the paper was and still is unmatched. I love the layouts and customizable covers that you can take off and change throughout the year. Again, you don’t have to buy a $60 planner, the key is to find the right planner for you – so I suggest trying out different ones to see which one you like and works the best for you.

You can check out how I set up my 2023 EC planner, here. If you do wish to try out Erin Condren, you can use my referral code to enjoy $10 off your first order.

Planning Essentials #2: Quality Pens

I think aside from your planner, the other important piece to planning is the right pen. I have a handful that I rotate through regularly. My current favorites are these colorful Paper Mate InkJoy Gel Pens, Paper Mate Flair Pens, Sharpie S-Gel pens, or Sharpie fine point pens. I like matching my pens to my monthly spread and will write my monthly dashboard in colored ink. I will also match my ink to the stickers I use.

Some people use different colored pens for color coding (blue = work, purple = family, red = school etc). Whatever way works for you, finding a great pen makes writing a joy. Yes, colored pens make life fun. But they are also a crucial part of a functional and organized planner.

Planning Essentials #3: Highlighters

If you are really a fan of color coding, then highlighters are a great tool. I highlight my work planner for when I am paid for sessions. If it is not highlighted, I know I am still awaiting payment. If I am not using a sticker kit or stickers at all in my planner, I will use highlighters. You can use highlighters in your planner for decoration, highlighting deadlines, and color coding tasks. My personal favorite are the Zebra Mildliners. They are much milder than regular highlighters, come in some beautiful colors and have two different sized tips to use. Perfect for color-coding, marking important events, and more.

Planning Essentials #4: Sticky Notes

Sticky notes are amazing for so many reasons. Before I plan out my month, I have sticky notes all over my planner of important events, dates etc. Random thoughts or reminders get placed on the sticky notes until I find a place for them in my planner.

There are so many uses for sticky notes (my oldest uses them a lot for studying and general reminders in her room) and now they come in so many colors – they even have clear sticky notes! I could go on and on but you get the point. They’re a major planner essential.

Planning Essentials #5: Bookmarks

These cute little bookmarks are so useful. You can place them in your planner to hold the current page if you want, or even space them throughout an Erin Condren notebook to create subject sections. Students can greatly benefit from having these to move around in class notebooks to signal the current page, a new section, and even hold the place of study notes.

Planning Essentials #6: Washi Tape

Washi tape is a fun and useful essential for your planner. You can use it to decorate, highlight certain areas like if you are going on vacation to block off the days, you can make tabs for easy reference to a particular page or add some pizzazz and color to your spread. It’s versatile and comes in so many colorful, coordinating patterns and colors.

Washi tape also comes in a variety of thickness – there is thin, thick and everything in between. I even add washi to my envelopes when I mail out cards to friends and family. This washi tape bundle comes with different sizes and fun colors and is a great way to get into using washi in your planning.

Planning Essentials #7: Erasable Pens

I’m just going to say it… I make a lot of mistakes in my planner. Sometimes I am wrong with times – or the times change. And it pains me to waste a sticker. So if I’m not sure of times, I will use my Frixion erasable gel pens. On a sticker, you can’t even tell – they erase beautifully. So if you make a lot of mistakes or are just not sure of something but want to make sure it’s in your planner, erasable pens are the way to go.

Planning Essentials #8: Stickers

I did not know planner stickers were a thing for a long time – but once I found out, they are one of my top planner essentials. Using planner stickers is my FAVORITE part of planning. When I got my first Happy Planner I saw someone using stickers in their planner and fell in love. I felt like the stickers just added something to the planner that made me want to achieve my goals. I know that sounds strange, but it just makes everything more fun and aesthetically pleasing. I WANTED to open my planner. It wasn’t just an endless to-do list, it was fun, cute and encouraging.

Once I started using stickers, they rapidly became one of the planner essentials that I absolutely need when planning. You can get cute and functional planner stickers on any budget. Amazon, Hobby Lobby, Michael’s, even the Dollar Store and Target have great options for affordable prices.

Stickers are a quick and easy way to add notes in your planner, highlight special dates and pretty things up. If you’re looking for a sticker set to try the Happy Planner value packs are a great place to start because they come in a variety of themes and you get so many stickers for a great price. They have stickers for every person, theme, and season. Use a coupon if you buy them from JoAnn’s or Michael’s and you’ve got a ton of stickers for a GREAT price.

Planning Essentials #9: Pen Case

Finally, having a sturdy and high-quality pen case to add all your planner goodies to is a great way to stay organized. I use this accordion style zipper pouch from Erin Condren so that I can keep all of my favorite selection of pens and highlighters with me at all times. It keeps them separated but portable and the colors are so cute.

Planning Essentials #10: Slice Retractable Slicing Pen Tool

Although not necessary, I find the slice retractable pen essential when I do my planner spreads. I cut washi tape and stickers with it if they don’t fit in the box. It’s precise, portable and has come in handy almost every time I sit down to plan in my planner.

So there you have it – my top 10 planning essentials that I guarantee will making planning easier, more fun, and increase your productivity. Let me know in the comments what your essentials are for planning and as always – Happy Planning!