Productivity Archives - Page 22 of 36

Productivity

Why knowing your Myers-Briggs type can help you become a more successful individual!

Why knowing your Myers-Briggs type can help you become a more successful individual!

Perhaps you’ve heard someone mention the Myers-Briggs test before. Maybe it was mentioned in a class you took in college or you heard it on a great business scope. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is a personality test designed to help people identify their dominant predispositions when it comes to the way they think and interact with the world, based on the writings of notable Psychiatrist, Carl Jung. When you take a Myers-Briggs test, you are asked a series of questions meant to determine which 4 dominant traits make up your personality from a possible 8 total traits. The result is that any given person can have one of 16 personality types and knowing your type, as well as the dominant traits that make up your personality, can really help you to understand yourself, your tendencies, your strengths and weaknesses. I also believe that it is helpful for you to understand the personality type of those closest to you, specifically people you live or work with on a daily basis. For this reason, many companies will have their teams take a test like this to get a better understanding of how each individual works on a physiological level, and will make sure the teams understand the personality types of each of their co-workers for harmonious and fruitful interaction!

When it comes to my Myers-Briggs type, I am an ENFJ, and I have come to memorize that personality sequence as though it was my blood type because in the online business community, more and more, knowing and understanding your Myers-Briggs type is important and you never know when you will be asked about yours!

What does that sequent of letters even mean?

Let’s talk a bit about the personality sequence and the options there are that make up the 16 total possible personality types you can score as in the test. Like I said, there are 4 dominant psychological traits and those are expressed as 4 letters in your personality type.

The first letter, in my example, E, refers to your overall focus as an individual. E stands for extroverted, which is my outward focus, the other possible option for this trait is I, which means introverted. You may already know whether you are an extrovert or introvert, introverts prefer to be alone, and aren’t necessarily the most outgoing, and extroverts enjoy being in a crowd and feel comfortable as the center of attention.

The second letter, in my example, N, refers to how you process information. I process information with my Intuition (N) but the other possible option for the second trait is to process information by Sensing (S). Because I process with my intuition, I tend to be idealistic and see the greater possibility in situations, always focusing on the bigger picture, but someone who processes information through sensing prefers to look at cold hard facts of reality and really pays attention to the nitty gritty details!

The third letter, in my example, F, refers to how you make decisions. I make my decisions through Feelings (F), which means I let my personal values guide my actions and draw upon empathy and how to bring harmony to a situation when I make a choice. The other option for this trait is to make decisions by Thinking (T) which means you use logical reasoning to strike a balance that is just and fair, as opposed to emotional reasoning.

The fourth and final letter, in my example, J, refers to how you live your life and interact with others. My natural preference in this trait is Judging (J) which means that I like to have rules, deadlines and general order in my life. The second option, Perceiving (P), means that you live life with a more flexible set of rules and tend to be more of a spontaneous person who enjoys surprises and likes to improvise as you go along.

The important thing to understand when determining your Myers-Briggs type is that no one personality or choice is better or makes you a more desirable or successful person. When you take the test or determine your dominant preferences, which you could reasonably do based on the explanations I have provided here, it is very important that you choose which trait comes natural to you, not the trait that you wish you had more of. As people, we all have dominant elements of our personalities and sometimes it’s important for us to suppress our dominant urges in certain situations. For example, someone with the Perceiving type in their personality would need to learn to follow rules and regulations at work or in certain scenarios and not act on their first impulse, but it is important to know exactly what those first impulses are. Said person would probably want to implement planning into their daily tasks to ensure they were following along with what was expected of them so that they didn’t get distracted as per their free spirit nature and fail to complete their work! If you get honest with yourself about which tendencies are your dominants, it makes it much easier to understand how to best control yourself for your own success!

What are the next steps?

So, if you want to learn more about your personality type, I suggest heading over to this website and taking their Myers-Briggs test. Once you know what your personality type is, you can do more research on their site to see your strength and weaknesses!

Once you know your type you can identify areas of sensitivity in your life where you think your dominant tendencies may be inhibiting you from being the most successful and productive version of yourself. Remember, your dominant tendencies should be honored and whenever possible it’s important to let those dominant tendencies have their moments, however, if your tendencies conflict with certain priorities in your life, understand those limitations will help you make better choices and become accountable to your own specific needs!

Finally, grab your spouse, children and perhaps some of your closest co-workers and share this information with them. The test is free to take online so this could be a fun bonding activity to see which personalities those around you have and how to best work together going forward for greater success and harmony!

I’d love to know what your Myers-Briggs personality type is, as I find this whole topic incredibly interesting! Leave me a comment down below and tell me your personality and what you’ve learned about yourself just from taking the test and reading this article! I do hope it brings you some clarity and self-awareness so motivate you become the best version of yourself possible!

xoxo,

organization

5 Kate Spade Office Supplies I’m Drooling Over {Office Oasis September 2015}

In my Youtube video about How to Get a Fresh Start, I explained that one of the ways I like to motivate myself to start fresh is by purchasing a few new accessories for my home office. Nothing motivates me to work like office supplies and decor, and I’ve been eyeing some lovely items that would fit right into my office space. Since you are also equally obsessed with stationery, I thought I’d share these items with you in this months installment of Office Oasis to give you some ideas of some items you may be missing that you could purchase to reward yourself for making a fresh start this fall! Be sure to check out my video here when your done with this post if you haven’t seen it. I give some great tips on how to make the most of the last few months of the year and provide you some actionable steps you can take immediately once the video is over. Enjoy!

1. Chic Happens Notebook: I really love the Kate Spade journals and this pretty light blue number has actually already made it’s way into my home office. It’s currently acting as a bit of decor in my new shelving unit, but I have plans to use it as an entrepreneurship journal as well.

2. Top of the Line Pen Set: If you know anything about me, you probably know I’m obsessed with stripes, so when I saw this pen set, I had to have it. Again, these guys are currently at home on my desk, and I have to admit, they are almost too pretty to use, but I am committed to putting them to work.

3. Telegram Notepad: I admit, I have way to many notepads! This one is just darling though and the perfect size for jotting down notes and thoughts. I am currently using a large jotter style notepad on my desk or else I would totally purchase this one.

4. Crown Point Frame: It took me a white to realize that these beautiful silver frames were actually from Kate Spade, but I guess I really should have known! I plan to upgrade a few frames in my house to this lovely flourish style because I find them to be very elegant and in line with my overall home decor.

5. Start Something New Scented Candle: Hello! Stripes + turquoise + my motto for fall = this exact candle! This is such an adorable addition to any desk or home office space, and I do already own the black striped version of this candle, but the more the merrier, right?

What do you think about these picks? Anything tickle your fancy? Let me know about it in the comments and don’t forget to check out my Fresh Start Video on YouTube for my tips and tricks for ending your year on a high note!

xoxo,

Productivity

How to Be Productive when Working from Home!

Working from home is a concept I am all too familiar with. Even before I left my job to go full-time for my own business, I was a home based employee. Working from home has a certain allure that many office goers are often curious about and sometimes envious of, but trust me, working from home is no cake walk! I’m often asked about how I stay productive when I work from home because to be completely honest, working from home can be a total productivity killer. Unlike working in a structured office setting, home based workers are faced with many different obstacles that often cause them to be less productive. This may not translate to all at-home workers, but I know I have experienced challenges working from home and I know others who have as well. The way I see it, there are three main issues that home based workers face.

Isolation: Working from home often times means working alone and this issue often caused me a lot of grief even when I did work for a Fortune 50 company and technically had co-workers. When I worked in an office I often felt like my co-workers were a major distraction to me because they would pop in and out of my office all the time, but when I transitioned to working from home I realized that those interruptions actually forced me to take a break from my work every so often. You see, when you work from home you don’t have the same pressures and excuses to get work done that you do when you work in an office. There is no “Oh, I really need to finish up this report quickly before my co-worker stops by to chat about our project.” Although many of us dilly dally when we work in an office, we also have some institutional pressures that actually help us get our work done!

Lack of Accountability: Depending on the type of work you do and whether you work from a home for a company or for yourself, you may feel a lack of accountability looming over your head to keep you productive. This is something I felt as a home based employee and something I struggle with now that I work for myself. When your supervisors or co-workers aren’t watching, you feel like you can slow down your pace, engage in more distracting behavior (like turning on the TV or doing the laundry) that can waste much of your time when you should be working.

Distractions: As much as a formal office setting has its own unique set of distractions, nothing is more distracting that working from home. Seriously, your bed in never more than a few steps away from you at all times which is a very tempting trap I often fall into! Working from home gives you a lot of freedom, many of us think that if we work from home we can get all our work done and clean the house and make dinner as well, but in my experience that isn’t the case. Unless you are highly disciplined it’s going to be hard for you to get your full 8 hours of work in and then a bunch of extra personal items as well. Other than the time you get back from your commute, you really don’t get anymore hours in a day when you are a home based worker!

So, what can we do about this very common issues that at home workers face? I have a few tips that I use to keep myself productive and I suggest you put these into practice for your own home/work balance!

Create a defined office space: It’s very important as a home based worker to have a defined office space. Your bed cannot be your office! Get a desk and a chair, set yourself up an area of your bedroom or home to be your office. I am lucky enough to have a dedicated room in my apartment that I use as my office space and I feel drastically more productive when I work from it. Make sure to add personality and decor to your office or workspace as well by adding inspirational artwork to your walls, keeping a supply of stationery and office supplies on hand and of course, having all the necessary office gadgets you need to get your work done like a printer, fax machine etc. Now, although you may have a defined office space, I also find it helpful from time to time to get yourself out of your space and work from another location. Take your laptop and some paperwork and head over to a local cafe or library to get some work done at a remote location. I have a very close friend who actually books a private room at her local library to work from about once a week just to shake things up and to give herself a distraction free space to work from!

Engage in a morning routine: For a long time I woke up, got out of bed and went straight to work in my office. Since I didn’t have to get ready to go into the office, I thought there was no reason for me to establish a morning routine, but I find that having a morning routine and getting dressed and ready in the morning is a major boost to my productivity. Although no one sees me when I work from home except my dog and husband, I find that I actually get more done on the days where I actually wake up, put on a cute but comfortable outfit and do my hair and makeup just a bit! The ritual of getting ready establishes a sense of accountability for me that really helps me to stay focused and productive during the day.

Connect with other at home workers: To combat the isolation that comes from being an at home worker, I highly recommend connecting with other at home workers to create a support system. These workers could be other home based employees as your company, or friends and family members that also work from home. I think it’s a great practice to have an instant messaging application open on your computer and connected with these individuals so that throughout the day you have people to talk to. You can even schedule lunch dates to meet up with a friend during your lunch hour or have a Skype date during lunch time with another virtual co-worker!

Set a consistent work schedule: Another issue I have is that since I work from home, I end up working at all hours of the day and night. Usually I do this when I haven’t felt particularly productive all day and feel like I need to make up for my laziness by working well into the night to complete a project or tasks, but it is a terrible practice that I highly suggest avoiding. To combat this, I think it’s important to set a work schedule for yourself. Set your start time, breaks, lunch and end time for the day and try to stick to it. It will be hard at first, but if you can set yourself alarms to remind you to start and stop working that may help you build the habit.

Define an end of day routine: Like your morning routine when you get up to go to work, I realized that as an at home worker part of the puzzle I was missing was also an end of day routine. When I worked in an office I had this end of day routine where I would stop working on my projects, organize any in-progress information for the next day, clean up my workspace, and then shut down my computer before I left. As an at home worker, I think it’s very important to establish an end of day routine like this that works for your own situation. It will help you prepare your mind to shut off from work for the day, and leave your space ready for you to pick up and get back at it again in the morning!

I hope these tips gave you some inspiration and ideas for how you can be more productive when working from home. Being a home based worker isn’t always as easy and care free as you might think so if you are an office based worker that is considering transitioning to home based, I highly suggest giving this some thought before making the leap and establishing good habits from day one that will make your transition easier! Of course, let me know if any of these tips helped you or if you have any more tips to share with the community!

xoxo,

Productivity

Recap of My Productivity & Planning Master Class Webinar!

This past weekend I had the most amazing opportunity to teach my very first Productivity and Planning Master Class Webinar! It was two hours packed with theory, strategy and my personal tips to being more productive and the key role your planner plays in keeping you productive and organized. Here’s what I covered in the webinar:

Why Productivity is important to me and how I approach it.
The important relationship between Productivity and Planning.
What Productivity is and what it is NOT.
The things you need in order to be Productive.
How to find Focus.
Learning how to prioritize and my strategy for handling conflicting priorities.
How to define and track your productivity objectives.
Digital and Analog planning tools, their pro’s & con’s and how to choose between them.
What to use your planner for.
Choosing your planner style
Choosing your planner size and why the size planner you carry matters.
The different options of calendar styles.
Different trackers to use to organize your tasks and items.
Pretty planning.
My personal productivity strategies.
Specific productivity strategies to consider .
How to avoid burnout and overwhelm.
To-Do list strategies to help you get more done and see your progress.

And then, of course, after my two hours of teaching, there was an hour long Q&A that went into even more specific topics that were brought up by the audience. Here are a few of my favorite questions from the Q&A session:

How to organize your planner as a college student?
How I evaluate my processes to ensure I am as productive and efficient as possible?
How to keep up with a planner and productivity if you have trouble sticking to your plans?
How to stay productive when working with a team?
How to be productive if you are constantly interrupted at work?

Those were just a handful of the many great questions and topics we covered in the Q&A in addition to all the content I covered above! Overall, the event really seemed to go over well and the attendees on the live call were so wonderful and thoughtful in their questions and insights that it truly made the event a joy to host!

Thank you to all who signed up for my first event and for all your support and encouragement in my endeavors. You are truly all wonderful people and I hope I can rise to the occasion to serve you to the best of my ability!

Did you miss out on my first Productivity & Planning Master Class Webinar? I have received emails and messages from many of you asking if and when I will be hosting another event or making the reply available for purchase on my shop. At this point, I haven’t decided how I want to proceed with this, however, I have gone ahead and added an interest list to the info page for the webinar so if you want to be the first to know how you can get access to this awesome webinar, sign up for my interest list and if I see that there is enough interest, I may open up the replay or even schedule a second webinar event!

Thanks again to all those who signed up for the first event, and of course, get your name on that interest list if you missed the sign ups and want to attend in the future!

xoxo,

Productivity

Productivity Playlist: The Best Guided Meditation!

I decided to do a little something different today for my Productivity Playlist! Last week I learned about this hysterical new video that was making it’s way through YouTube. It’s a guided meditation for people who perhaps don’t normally find guided meditations to be useful! Seriously, if you have not listened to this video yet, you absolutely have to stop what you’re doing right now, put on headphones and spend a few minutes listening.

I happen to be a big fan of guided meditation. I’ve shared numerous resources on the topic of meditation and using music to help you boost your productivity and brain power, check some of those resources out here if you missed them! I do believe that these sorts of resources can be pretty helpful for you if you use them regularly. For example, whenever I start getting a headache while I’m working, I take a short break, pop on my eye mask and listen to some easy listening tunes or use one of my many meditation and brainwave boosting apps!

Just a warning this guided meditation isn’t safe for work or children, but I still hope you find some clarity from it or at least get a good chuckle!

Let me know how you enjoyed this video and if you’d like me to share more meditation resources in the future!

xoxo,

organization

Office Oasis {August 2015}

Last month in this series I gave you all the original concept I had for my new home office! Now that we have moved and we are in the space, I have been piecing together my office bit by bit and I wanted to share with you all the new direction I’m going in with my office decor. Although not much has really changed stylistically with the new pieces I’ve chosen, now that I am in the new place I have a better sense of the types of furniture would work best in the room. I do already have my desk and credenza, and this weekend I’m heading back over to IKEA to check out options for pendant lighting and simple shelving. Here’s where I’m at so far with my office concept!

1. Spacious Credenza: I knew I was going to need a lot of storage in my office and when I found this lovely credenza from IKEA, I knew it was meant for me! It was a complicated piece of furniture to put together (thanks dad for the help!) but now that it’s in place, I love it and it really does give me most of the storage I need for my office plus additional counter space for photography and displaying my favorite office knick knacks!

2. Tufted Swivel Office Chair: I am still on the hunt for the perfect office chair! I really love the idea of a tufted swivel office chair, but this gorgeous choice from PB Teen may not be my winner. Unfortunately, the back support isn’t exactly what I’d like it to be, so I may have to find one elsewhere or go back to my original concept of a more traditional and modern looking office chair!

3. Flowery Pendant Lamp: Unforuntaly, the office in my new apartment doesn’t have a built in light in the ceiling so I am going to use a pendant light to brighten up my space! I love this lotus inspired Knappa light from IKEA. It’s been a favorite of mine for years and I’m actually very excited that I finally have a need for one in my life!

4. High Gloss X Leg Desk: The last desk I was eyeing was a similar style as this Pangea modern office desk that I eventually settled on. Once I saw the high gloss finish and the chrome legs, I knew I found the desk for me and I’m currently loving and using this beauty!

5. Metal Frame Shelves: Like I said, I need a little bit more storage for my new office, so I am on the hunt for some simple metal frame shelves to store just a few other bits and pieces from my office!. I think this IKEA option may be the right style for the right price!

Well, what you do think of how my new office space is coming together? I can’t wait to show you the final result once I have the room in order and can film a room tour! Let me know in the comments what your favorite piece of office furniture is, because I would love to know your thoughts on how to style my room!

xoxo,

organization

How to Personalize Your Planner On a Budget!

Let’s be honest, loving and playing with planners isn’t always the most affordable hobby! Luckily, there are a number of free or low cost planner supplies that you can DIY or print yourself at home to help keep your planner organized and beautiful at the same time. I love planner printables because once you have a file, you can use it over and over again, saving you tons of money on repeat purchases, which are especially helpful if you love to decorate with stickers or washi!

Suggested Supplies

Printable PDF files
Access to a printer
A laminator (I love this one!)
A paper trimmer (here’s mine!)
Full sheet sticker labels (I use clear and Trueblock)

Step 1: Customize your planner cover and dividers

Making a custom cover or dividers for your planner are super easy. I recently released a set of free planner covers that you can use for your own planner or you can follow this tutorial and design your own. If you’re not sure how to make your own dividers, this should help you get started!

Step 2: Find a printable planner dashboard and calendar inserts

I release a monthly dashboard in my shop for free that you can use to organize your month at a glance and while you’re there check out my many printable planner inserts. You can pick and choose the inserts that work for you or purchase my Charmed Life Planner, a continuous planner that includes month at a glance, week at a glance, monthly master task lists and monthly expense sheets all bundled together!

Step 3: DIY some planner accessories

I love a good planner DIY! Two of my favorite things to make for my planner are custom paper clips, including these beautiful bow clips and extra file folders to store away my stickers and extra planner goodies.

Step 4: Keep inspired with printable stickers

So now we’re getting to some serious money saving techniques! Stickers are one of those simple planner decoration items that seem innocuous but end up costing us hundreds of dollars on repeat purchases! If you love using stickers to decorate for their simplicity, but hate waiting for Etsy orders to arrive and stress out over running out of a cute set, I have a solution for you: print your own! I have a whole DIY on how to make your own printable stickers! I love stickers because they can be decoration, inspiration or add extra organization. Check out this free printable sticker set I made if you want to give printable stickers a try or feel free to browse my collection of printable designs that you buy once and can print hundreds of times over! It’s like having a never ending supply of stickers!

Step 5: Wrangle your tasks with printable PDFs

At the end of the day, using your planner isn’t just a hobby, but also a method of organizing your life, tasks and priorities! Never forget that when you strip away the stickers, washi and colorful inks, your planner is just a simple tool that you can choose to use however you see fit. If task management is a priority in your planner, you have plenty of options for organizing the information that matters to you. Plan your projects, build a meal plan and manage your social media all with printable inserts and yes, stickers! Of course, I have another great freebie for you to break down and organize your planner that is an editable PDF that you can use to create custom labels and task items for your planner! Enjoy!

Which of these steps to personalization do you enjoy most? Let me know in the comments!

xoxo,

organization

Planner Resource Guide: Pick Your Planner

Are you currently looking for a new planner system but aren’t sure where to begin? Perhaps you are overwhelmed with all the options or are looking for a planner that is discontinued and have no clue how to begin tracking it down? If this sounds like you, then you are in luck because I have assembled this planner resource guide to give you one place to review the most popular planner systems so that you can choose what works best for you!

6 Ring Binder Systems

I happen to be a big fan of 6 ring binder systems because of the beautiful variety of binders available and the fact that these planner systems are reusable year after year. These aren’t cheap planners that you buy for a year or 17 months and then toss out, these are durable planners that often last years when well maintained. Here are the top brands that I see most often, this is by no means an exhaustive list, but these brands are pretty popular and I have experience with many of them.

Filofax
Kikki K
Franklin Covey
Kate Spade (Kate Spade may no longer be making binder style planners, however, you can find them used online.)
Webster’s Pages
Louis Vuitton
Gillio
Paper Chase

Discbound Systems

Currently, the discbound system is my preferred planning method. I like that it combines the personalization of a reusable binder system with the physical flexibility of a spiral or coil bound planner system. Unfortunately, there are only currently a few manufacturers that I know of for this system, but as I have seen them grow in popularity, I have hopes that more will crop up eventually!

Arc
Levenger
Martha Stewart Discbound (This system is discontinued but you may be able to find pieces of it on clearance at Staples or online via Amazon or Ebay)
MAMBI Happy Planner

Coil Bound Systems

Coil bound planner systems are also a very popular option in the planner world. They are one of the spiral bound options, however, they are distinctly known for their heavy metal coil that is extremely strong and durable. Now, these planners are not reusable, which is important to keep in mind, and many coil bound systems can run you the same price as a reusable binder, but many folks rely on this style of planner and find it worth the money!

Wire Bound Planners

Like coil bound planners, wire bound planner systems are also not a reusable option because they are spiral bound, however, these planners are slightly different from coil bound planners because their binding is a cinch style wire, instead of the heavy duty coil. Generally speaking, these planners are less expensive because of the lower cost binding method used, but that isn’t the rule!

Book Bound Planners

As the name suggests, these planner systems are bound like books! Again, they are another non-reusable option, but generally speaking these planner systems are much more compact, which gives them a certain advantage! For years I actually used a Moleskine squared notebook with a modified bullet journal system as my planner, and that is actually the system my husband uses to organize himself at work as well. So this is a serious option for those of us who prefer simplicity.

Travelers Notebooks

Traveler’s notebooks are a planner system type that I have very little experience with, however, they are incredibly popular in the planning and crafting world! These notebook based systems are based on a unique binding of a reusable cover with a string band system that holds a variety of small cahier style bound notebooks together within the cover. In part this is a reusable system because you can use one cover over and over again, and in part this is a non-reusable system because the bound notebooks inside tend to be smaller notebooks and are easily filled up and need to be replaced depending on the frequency of their use.

Midori
Fauxdori ( Fauxdori is a term used to describe the many non official Midori notebook covers available. Many small businesses online manufacture the covers and even the refill notebooks for this type of system, and because of this, the range of colors, materials and sizes for these systems vary greatly. Because of the simplicity of this style of planner, many people also enjoy creating their own covers by following easy DIYs like this one!)

Planner Accessories and Refills

If you purchase a reusable style planner from a manufacturer, for the most part your planner will either come with a selection of inserts to get you started or you will have the option to select your inserts from the manufacturer. However, there are a number of resources and shops online that sell an even greater variety of refills and other accessories comparable with many planner systems. Here are the online sites I recommend to look for refills and accessories for your planner!

Where to find discontinued planners

Unfortunately, when it comes to finding and buying your perfect planner online, it’s not always as simple as going to the manufacturers website and selecting your model! Many binder style planners are actually out of production and a little tricker to find. If you have your heart set on a planner and it’s discontinued, don’t worry, because there are places you can go to search for used planners for sale!

EBay
Facebook Groups (Many planner related groups on Facebook allow for the swap and sale of planners. In addition, you can search for dedicated Planner For Sale groups if you are looking for a specific planner.)
Philofaxy Adspot

So tell me, which of these planner systems is most interesting to you? Leave me a comment down below and tell me your favorite and why!

xoxo,

Productivity

Productivity & Planning Master Class!

Most of us within the planner community are searching for one thing. A productivity solution that will help us spend less time doing the things we don’t enjoy so we can spend more time on what truly matters. For me, this never-ending quest has brought to my attention a number of amazing philosophies on productivity, as well as planning solutions that have given me the flexibility to achieve some amazing things for myself and my business. I love being a self-proclaimed productivity guru and I have made it my mission to research, review and even create the best productivity resources available and share them with you, my community! Today, I’m pleased to announce that I have another awesome resource to share with you all, and this time, it’s not just a product, it’s an experience!

I have officially announced my first Productivity & Planning Master Class Event and tickets are on sale now! On Saturday August 15^th from 2-4pm eastern I will be hosting a LIVE webinar event where I cover two of my favorite topics; planning and productivity. During this event, I will teaching you my best tips and tricks for optimizing your planning system, whether you use a Filofax, an Erin Condren Life Planner, a Day Designer or even a digital app on your computer or phone. I will also educate you on the best productivity methods and philosophies I have found and explain how you can implement these methods in your own life immediately to begin achieving your important goals and plans.

Why a live webinar?

Over the years, I have taught and delivered content to my community over a number of different mediums, but there is just something special about a live event that brings teaching and learning to a whole new level. I want to teach to an active audience, not just to my camera. I want to take your questions, hear your stories and give you solutions to your productivity conundrums in real time. Most of all, I want you to engage, actively take notes and let your ideas and plans run wild in your mind from the stimulation of a live master class! There really is just something special about a live event that makes it that much more powerful!

What do we get with the price of admission?

As this is a live event and I want to keep the audience to a level where I can remain engaged with all my attendees, I am only selling a limited number of “tickets” to this event. When you purchase your admission, you get access to the live event, the event replay, and an exclusive set of downloadable worksheets and printables that will only be available to those who sign up for the master class. And of course, since this is one of my events, you can expect a few other surprises that won’t be announced ahead of time!

How long will admission be open?

Again, because I am trying to limit the number of people in this event, I have decided to close admission to the event at 11:59 pm on Sunday August 2^nd. This will ensure that I have the final number of attendees well in advance so I know who’s coming and have time to interact with you before the class begins!

So, if you are as excited as I am for this Productivity & Planning Master Class, make sure to purchase your admission as soon as possible over on my Shop and then let’s get this party started in social media! Use the hashtag #plannermasterclass to connect with fellow attendees and make sure to tag me @MissTrenchcoat in your tweets and Instagram pics as you prepare for the event!

xoxo,

Productivity

The Charmed Life Planner & Vertical Planning Supplies!

Hey dolls! How is your July going? In case you didn’t know, I just moved this past weekend to a new apartment and I am slowly but surely trying to get my life unpacked and reorganized from the mess of boxes I am currently living out of. Thank goodness I have my new Charmed Life Planner inserts to keep me organized through this process! In case you didn’t hear, last week I launched a totally new set of inserts in my shop that I have dubbed “The Charmed Life Planner.” The planner is a printable PDF like all my other productivity inserts, however, this is my first continuous planner, meaning that you get one file with a rolling Month on 2 pages, week on 2 pages, master monthly task lists and monthly expense sheets dated from August 2015-December 2016! That is a whole 17-Months of planner inserts in one printable! The fun new thing about this planner insert is that I’ve designed a whole new vertical layout.

Vertical layouts have been all over the planner world lately and I have been personally obsessed with them. It’s a completely new way for me to visualize and plan my week, and one that I am enjoying immensely! Because this planner is a half letter or A5 equivalent size, you can use these inserts in a variety of planners. Mine is pictured inside my Martha Stewart A5 disc bound planner, however, these inserts will also work with A5 Filofax, large Kikki K, Franklin Covey Classic, and standard 3-Ring A5 binders! How cool is that? And of course, because this is a printable planner insert, you can print and reprint the pages of this planner as much as you need. Have more than one planner? Great, buy the file once and you can use it in as many planners as you’d like! Mess up a week in your schedule and no amount of white out will fix it? No problem, reprint the pages you need and you’re back in business! Or worse, make a mistake with your decorating and want to fix it? My printable planner inserts have you covered at every turn!

One of the best parts of this new planner is that I have a whole collection of new vertical planning supplies that I have also launched along side it that integrate perfectly with the planner to help you maximize and personalize your planning experience! I have a total of five new printable sticker sets that you can use in this, or any other planner. The stickers are what I like to call “vertical squares” and are 1.5″ wide, by 1.9″ tall. Yes, they will fit in the Erin Condren Life Planner, if that’s the planner of your choice, but you can also use them in a variety of different vertical or horizontal planner layouts or just decorate your favorite notebook or scrapbook with them. Included in this collection are the following sticker sets!

Vertical Square Planner Lists: a 2 page PDF with 6 unique planner list designs to help you organize your vertical planner.

#BLOGBOSS Set: 5 unique designs created by a #blogboss for a #blogboss. Get your blog and social media organized in your planner with this awesome set of printable stickers!

Everyday Hustle Set: Inspired by my Girl of All Trades journaling cards, this set of 5 designs will help keep you inspired, no matter which planner system you use.

Empire Building Inspiration Set: For all my online business babes, this set of designs inspired by my Empire Building program will help keep you motivated and inspired to build your business and hustle like an entrepreneur!

Charmed Words of Wisdom Set: This freebie set of 5 unique quote designs is inspired by my popular blog post 5 Things I Learned in my First Year in Business. Keep these words of wisdom close so you can persevere in all that you do in life!

Now, if you are feeling curious about all my new printable planner goodies, I have one more surprise in store for you! To give you all a taste of what my new vertical weekly layout feels like, I have created a one page sample week for you to download, print and test in your own planner! This free insert is dated for this week only so make sure to download yours now, take the layout for a test drive and of course, visit my shop before the week is out to download the full Charmed Life 17 Month Planner to keep your plans rolling through into August and beyond!

I hope you all enjoy these new planner supplies I have created for you! I’d love to hear what you think about them and, of course, see your pictures of how you are using these great productivity supplies in your own system! Make sure to tag me @MissTrenchcoat and use the hashtag #strangeandcharmed for any images on Twitter or Instagram!