End of the Year Planning Tip #4 – De-clutter, Organize and Update Your Planning Supplies

With Christa, the Christmas Elf with a Plan – 4 December

Christa dove right in to this next tip: End of the Year Planning Tip #4 – De-clutter, organize and update your planning supplies. She pulled out my big box of sticker pages, sticker books, extra dividers and various add-on pages, and seems to be really enjoying all the washi tape. She doesn’t know there’s a lot more washi tape to go through yet.

Before we jump into the discussion of today’s tip, if you missed the previous tips from Christa, you can jump back to the first tip from a few days ago by clicking right here.

Managing Your Planning Supplies

De-cluttering your planning supplies seems like a fairly logical step to following yesterday’s tip. Following that tip you have just evaluated your planner system and have a good idea of what is working (keep) and what isn’t (change/remove/replace). So it should be fairly easy to de-clutter, organize, and update your planner supplies.  Then you’ll be ready to set up your new planner and create your plans for an amazing year.

For the sake of discussion, let’s divide planner supplies into several categories:

• Covers, dividers, bookmarks, discs, binders
• Paper – Calendar pages, notes pages, special use pages/forms
• Functional stickers – headers, dates, boxes, check lists/boxes, tracking stickers
• Decorative stickers – images, quotes, washi tape
• Writing instruments – pens, pencils, markers, highlighters
• Other – hole punch(es), paper trimmer(s), scissors, ruler(s), stencils/templates, stamps/inks

This list covers typical supplies used with loose leaf planners – those bound with discs or placed in binders with 3 or more rings.  For traditional bullet journals and planners with book bindings, only a sub-set of these supplies apply.  The same is mostly true for planners with spiral bindings.  Digital planners have covers, all sorts of pages that can be added, and stickers. These digital supplies can still be de-cluttered (archived) and organized on your digital device.  Another difference is that physical supplies can usually be “de-stashed” and shared with other planners who may be able to use them, digital files are usually for use only by the original purchaser.

De-cluttering Your Planning Supplies

I like to start any de-cluttering task, by removing the obvious clutter and identifying the obvious “keepers”.  Then it’s a matter of sorting through all the rest.  I recommend keeping your planner open to a blank notes page handy just in case you think of something you want to write down for later.

Step 1 –

Look at your various supplies and set aside anything that you are not using, do not have a plan for using, or is beyond reasonable repair.  These items go into a de-stash or toss pile, as appropriate.

It’s ok to have a collection of covers if you like to switch it up from time to time or create temporary project journals/notebooks sometimes.  But if you know, you’ll never use a particular one because you really don’t like it – let it go. 

So you have a stack of meal planning pages that you tried and discovered that meal planning was not your thing.  Let them go.

Do you have writing instruments that you never reach for because you don’t like the color of the ink, the ink smears, bleeds through the paper, or shows through to the other side (ghosting)?  Let them go.

Step 2 –

Pull out and set aside the items you do use.  These items go in your keep pile. 

But don’t say, I use washi tape and automatically put all the washi tape in the keep pile.  The same goes for stickers.

Definitely grab any notes pages, because they can become any sort of page you need them to become.  And if you have a stack of meal planning pages that you tried once and it didn’t go too well, but now you want to try again because you have goals about eating healthier, cooking more, and/or managing your food budget in mind for the new year, you may want to keep them for now.

Pick out your go-to writing instruments (if they aren’t already tucked into or next to your planner) and add them to the keep pile, too.  Grab any tools you use: hole punch, rulers, stencils and such … but only if you actually use them.

Step 3 –

Sorting out the rest.  I have been mentally de-cluttering my own planner supplies as I have been writing this. I imagine I have the same sorts of things left that you might have, so I’m going to explain why they were not immediately put into the de-stash, toss, or keep pile and how I’m going to decide now.

What I have left to sort is: 

• A set of re-purposed monthly divider tabs that I have been using for several years. I’ve been planning to make my own from some laminated file folders I picked up a month or so ago.  I am going to put them in my keep pile, but on the notes page in my planner, I am going to note that I need to make those new dividers and then toss the old ones.
• Forms for project planning and goal planning that I never really used because they do not define projects or goals and how you break them down into tasks and habits complete or achieve them. I have kept looking at them thinking I could somehow personalize them.  But I have recently drafted my own versions for a digital planner I created, so I am going to note in my planner that I need to convert those from the digital planner format to pages to fit my printed planner.  These are going to the de-stash pile.
• A large stack of sticker books.  Part of my problem here is that I want to separate functional stickers from the purely decorative stickers.  I think removing the pages from the books will enable this for the most part.  But some pages are half (or less) stickers I do use and the rest stickers that just don’t fit in my current season of life.  Some/most were bought before I started making many of my own.  I think I need to separate the pages and then decide keep or de-stash/toss on a page-by-page basis.
• All my washi tape … yes, it’s all waiting to be sorted.  I will start by picking out the narrowest tapes.  I do like these for creating structure and boundaries on my planner pages.  If there are colors I don’t really like, they’ll go to the de-stash pile.  I’ll continue working through them by width and culling out any that aren’t “creating joy”.  I may keep a few of the ones that are about ½” wide even if I’m not in love with them because they would be good for reinforcing the punched page edge for pages that get removed and replaced in my planner often (like my pantry and freezer inventory pages).
• Most of my writing instruments are still here.  Not because they aren’t keepers, but because it’s an opportunity to test them and see if I need refills or replacements.  One of the first things I do with any new planner paper or any new writing instrument is to test their compatibility.  If the ink smear, bleeds or ghosts to the other side, it doesn’t stay in my planner supplies.  Any refill or replacement needs, I will note in my planner.
• My paper punches, trimmers, scissors, tweezers (for placing stickers), rulers, and thicker hard plastic stencils all went immediately to the keep pile.  Only my old, thin, flexible stencils and my planner stamps and inks remain to be sorted.  I think the stamps and inks are going to the keep pile. I need to start using them with my planner, or repurpose them in my paper crafting.  This means they would be removed from my planner supplies and stored with the rest of the stamps and inks for scrapbooking and card making.  The thin, flexible stencils are really too thin and too flexible; I am going to toss them.

Even if your remaining supplies to be sorted with different than mine, I think you can get the idea of the sort of questions you’d ask yourself to decide which pile it belongs in.  Now that everything is sorted, toss the toss pile and box up the de-stash pile until you can reach out to friends that might be able to use any of it. Now it’s time to organize the supplies you have kept.

Organizing Your Planner Supplies

There are several things to consider as you begin to organize and store your planner supplies.  You need to think about where you typically use them, how often you use them, how you store them and where you have the space to store them. 

Any supplies you use daily would need to be easy to access and possibly even portable.  Additional supplies that are used weekly, could be stored together, as could the items used less frequently. If there isn’t storage space in the location you do your planning, one of the rolling storage carts might be the answer. 

Measure Everything

Before you go out and buy any type of storage bins or a rolling cart, you need to measure – everything. If you do most of your planning at a desk and there’s space for storage in a cabinet or bookcase nearby. Measure the area(s) on the desktop and bookcase or cabinet in all 3 dimensions. For your desktop, available height would not be up to the ceiling. It would be below anything that might be above the space and within reach when seated at your desk.

Next, look at the items you would store there and the position in which you want to store them. For example, I like to store my extra pages in card stock pocket-folders that I make just for that purpose. I like them to be standing up so I can see the page or label. A single sheet can be pulled out when stored this way. I use a desktop organizer similar in size to the Happy Planner Accessories storage bin.

Measure the dimensions of the supplies in their storage configuration. Give yourself space around them for ease of taking them in or out of storage. And allow for the space to access them. For example: Say my desktop organizer sits under a wall-mounted shelf. There must be space between the bottom of the shelf and the top of the folder to put my hand in and pull out a sheet. Otherwise, I’d have to move the desktop organizer every time I need a new notes page.

Repeat this step for all your supplies before you start shopping. I usually “window shop” online first narrow down the possibilities by discovering what is actually available. Then I look at dimensions. Sometimes you get both outside and inside dimensions of the item. This will tell you if it will fit inside the storage space you have and if your supplies will fit inside. Often only one set of dimensions is listed. I assume the outside dimensions could be slightly larger; the inside dimensions, slightly smaller. Always make sure the container is a little larger than the supplies and a little smaller than the storage space.

If you choose to shop locally, take your measurements and a tape measure. Personally, I think shopping in thrift, second-hand and vintage/antique shops is a great idea. You may find a bargain. Or you might be able to repurpose or up-cycle a find into something very unique and special.

So Many Options to Choose From

There are so very many choices when it comes to storage and organization solutions for planners and crafters, in general. I tend to go with clear options that allow me to see what I’m looking for quickly. Storage solutions with drawers or that are stackable can minimize the footprint required. On the other hand, I like decorative boxes for storing “out of season” supplies. All my spring and summer prints and colors of washi tape should be tucked up in a decorative box. They aren’t because Christa decided to jump in that box and check them all out. You can also use decorative mugs for holding writing instruments. Use baskets instead of clear plastic bins. Make your planner supplies fit into your decorating style or let them be your decorating style – you do you!

Portable Planning Options

Taking your planning on the go means carrying along a pen or two. If a pen loop or small pencil case isn’t enough, you can go with a larger pencil case. If you travel much, you might want a “tackle box” style tote with multi-level storage so you have room for writing instruments, washi tape, stickers, and extra pages. There are also multi-compartment tote bags and zippered planner covers with some storage.

Summary

Christa’s End of the Year Planning Tip #4 turned was, I think, the biggest one so far. I’m late in posting this, I know. It’s a broad topic and I kept getting down and into the weeks and had to back up and start again several times. You see, I have this passion about planning …

In Tip #3, Christa had us look at whether our planner was working for us or was just more work for us. We want our planner systems to work for us, to assist us in managing our lives, focusing our energy on the most important stuff, keeping that important stuff in sight, being productive, being well, and just being our best selves. I see people comment in planner groups I follow that they wished they felt like all the planner supplies they continue to collect were actually making them more productive, but they didn’t think they were.

If we de-clutter our planning supplies, we also streamline our planning process. By getting rid of stuff we are not using or isn’t working for us, we feel less overwhelmed by the process. Being constantly reminded of what we aren’t doing when we believe we are “supposed to”, is stressful. Planning is supposed to reduce stress.

Keeping our planning supplies organized and accessible when we need them makes the planning process easier and quicker. Keeping our planning supplies updated and in good working also make the planning process easier.

I hope you find this tip useful. I know it has me thinking of about a dozen specific topics for future blog posts.

Happy Planning!

Linda