I’m one of those people who really, really, really likes it when my calendar is all neat and pretty. You know, green highlighted stuff for kid activities. Orange highlighted blocks for vacation days. Meetings, calls and plans all nicely written. Maybe a *little* bit of white out strips, because nobody is perfect. My handwriting certainly looks neater on the January pages than when you turn to later in the year.
When I started my new job in June 2019, one of the things that made me really feel like I was leaving my old one was my new planner. Instead of having old work meetings and deadlines scratched out, I had a FRESH planner that was devoted to my new life.
It’s magical.
You know what’s not magical? My 2020 planner. It’s a dang mess. Starting in March it is full of scratched out plans, scribbled out vacations that we had to cancel, and weeks and weeks where I’ve written “SCHOOL CLOSED – JACK AT HOME!” in increasingly frantic writing.
My office has been setting schedules every two weeks. So, every other Friday, I add more scribbles to my calendar blocks. In-person meetings are scratched out. Telework is written in. I have a whole section keeping track of doctor appointments that need to be rescheduled after coronavirus.
While I can’t control when the pandemic will pass, or if school will even start in the fall… there is one thing I can control. And that is me starting over.
I went out and bought myself a BRAND NEW CLEAN AND SHINY planner. For just $25, I get to start August 2020 with a clean slate. I don’t have to look at cancelled vacations, or work events that have moved and moved again. I get to start fresh. After 5 months of this pandemic, I get to determine my new normal and it gets to be PRETTY again. Because it makes me feel good.
One of my favorite parts of the new planner I picked is that it has quotes on most of the pages.
Your voice can change the world.
Barack Obama
If you’re lucky enough to be different, don’t ever change.
Taylor Swift
When you undervalue what you do, the world will undervalue who you are.
Oprah Winfrey
Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.
Maya Angelou
I’ve already gone through and added important stuff to my new calendar. There are even customizable habit tracker pages for each month, so I can try to stick with monthly goals like drinking more water, avoiding soda, and taking a daily walk. Rather than focus on the negative aspects of the last 6 months, I’m taking a breath and looking forward to how I want to live.
Oh, and you can find my fancy new planner here on Amazon. You know, in case you need a fresh start too.
Disclaimer: This post contains an Amazon affiliate link. This means that clicking on a link may help me earn a small commission at no cost to you.