We’ve been staring at a fresh batch of planners for some time now and got to thinking why the heck is it so hard to start with a new planner? It shouldn’t be the hard, really! But when you’re staring at something that’s supposed to give structure to your life or day-to-day projects, the anxiety starts to kick in. There’s that fear of messing up something beautiful.

Planner anxiety. It’s a thing!

So… we took a deep breath and discussed with each other what exactly is holding us back from putting the pen or pencil to untouched pages. After getting the details lined up, we then went over some tips and tricks to conquer these pain points and you might find something useful to conquer your planner anxiety! Take a look.

TIP #1 | Find the Right Writing Utensil

PAIN POINT: This pen (or pencil) doesn’t fit my vibe or write the way I want it to.

Okay, okay. This isn’t the immediate answer but it definitely factors into the anxieties surrounding what’s holding you back from planning to your heart’s content. 

We each have a pen or pencil preference. Each make writes differently. You might have a certain writing style that matches with a certain amount of ink flow or narrowness of graphite. 

Writing Utensils Examples
Standard Office Pen	Ink Gel Pen
Standard #2 Pencil	Mechanical Pencil

We recommend finding one of each and testing on a sheet of paper similar to the planner you’re using. Whatever speaks to you most, go for it!

TIP #2 | Draft Away

PAIN POINT: Planners don’t have an undo button and I don’t wanna junk it up.

You can’t undo pen writing… well, that is if you aren’t using pens that were made to be erasable. Because of that, you’re probably hesitant about breaking in the new planner because you’re worried about mistakes. Your concern is primarily with ruining the pages. 

If you can’t be rid of the worry of how things are arranged in your planner, consider having a notebook paired with it that acts as a scratch pad. By doing this, you can draft the plans before making them permanent in your planner.

TIP #3 | Find Inspiration & Develop Your Style

PAIN POINT: My writing is inconsistent and I’m afraid it’ll make my planner look messy.

Another factor that could be playing into your New Planner Anxiety is that you haven’t found your writing style yet. It could be your handwriting, how you log times, notes, appointments, etc. Bullet points, dashes, or numbers? It’s your choice!

There are so many places you can draw inspiration from. We suggest hopping over to Instagram or Pinterest to take a look at how others are using their planners. Take notes on styles you like and styles you want to avoid!

Now that you’ve reviewed our tips, take a deep breath and remember why you picked up that planner. You’re well on your way to alleviating stress from your daily schedule, and we’re rooting for you! For more tips and content from Shop Lovet Agency, make sure you’re subscribed to our newsletter. The signup form can be found at the bottom of our homepage. Happy planning!