My Franklin Covey Planner

I would like to share my current planning system. I do share monthly and weekly planning videos on my YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJuWbC7-oQ_qAl205tIrGzA, so if you want to check those out, I have a huge playlist.

So my very first experience (if you can call it that) with Franklin Planner was reading a series of books in 2011 by Karen Marie Morning. In it, the protagonist’s sister, Alaina was a Franklin Planner user. The way Karen Marie Moving described all the planner goodness, I got all giddy and excited to try and find this brand. Unfortunately, it was available only in the states and I did not have the money at the time to purchase one. I was also into really pretty, girly planners so needless to say, it took awhile before I came back to the brand.

Last year, 2021 I came across a channel on YouTube, BuySellPlan (otherwise known as Marcia). You can check out her channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOhlU5_coFsm_zuRzgcVHVA. She had been using Franklin planner for a number of years, however, she is a realtor, so she uses her planner a little bit differently than I do. Regardless, she is the first person that I came across on Youtube that uses the Franklin Covey system. So, I started following and soon enough found a whole community in my niche.

I was soon set up with my own Franklin Planner. My very first binder was the Teresa Collins collab with Franklin Covey; the Beautiful Life Collection binder in blush.

I have always been someone who gets bored really quickly with the same thing day after day, so the adaptability of this planner is quite lovely. You can change the rings (this does void the warranty of the binder). You can also add any number of inserts, as long as you can create it in half letter size which is what the classic Franklin Planner takes. It’s quite simple to cut a US-sized sheet in half to create half-letter, so it’s really easy to print inserts yourself if you like to customize.

I personally like to try a variety of different inserts from shops on Etsy and stand-alone websites. Since I have a small business, I understand how hard it is to get started so I like to support other small business owners as well.

I consider myself very lucky as my Youtube Channel and my business revolves around my planners and planner setups. So for me, it makes sense to be able to change my binder every month. Regardless if I change my binder out or not, I love to mix up the dividers and switch out for different inserts. This all depends on my current projects and needs. Currently, my planner is set up to include a small business reference section, but I will be moving my business and social media planner to a Planners Anonymous Melody Planner in the near future.

As you can see, it is easy to collect many binders. I collect because I appreciate high quality products that I will be able to use for years to come. As many of you may already know, Franklin Covey has been around for quite some time. They actually have a free online course available to you if you wish to learn more about the system itself. You can access it here: https://shop.franklinplanner.com/store/certifications/.

The basics of the Franklin Covey Planning System begins with knowing your values and your roles. These can be determined using the Franklin Covey start up pack. You can fill out journaling prompts to determine what these are for you. Of course, yours will be different from mine. These roles and values form the basis of your goals.

Personally, I have multiple planners that I use in conjunction with my Franklin Planner. These are the Cultivate What Matters Powersheets Goal Planner, The Budget by Paycheque Method Budget Book by the Budget Mom, my bullet journal, a passion planner to keep up with my 12 Week Goal Plan, and lastly, my classic Happy planner which I currently use for work, but I will be switching to a B6 Melody by Planners Anonymous.

I use a variety of inserts in random ways to keep myself organized. I use monthly calendars to keep track of my month and (currently), my social media posting schedule and blog schedule. I also use two different weekly layouts; one as an overview, birds-eye view of my week, and the other for more decorative purposes. Lastly, I have my dailies which I use for daily appointments and my to-do list which is normally quite large except on Sunday which is my “day off”. It’s hard to schedule time off when you have your own business. Entrepreneurship is difficult when you run everything yourself. However, time off is important because you need to recharge in order to function well and be productive.

I also use the compact size Franklin Covey planner for my ‘everyday carry’. When I first started budgeting, my cash envelopes fit this binder perfectly. This compact binder takes personal wide-sized inserts. It’s the perfect size to carry on the go, or if I am travelling. I keep expense sheets in this one along with note paper so I can transfer important information into my main classic-sized planner when I return home. I recently found out that B6 sized-rings are the same as personal wide rings. Inserts fit both rings, but are slightly different in size.

Whether you are a long-time user of Franklin Covey, or have just recently discovered this great company, you will be amazed at how you can customize your planner to your needs. Planning has never been so much fun, and I like how my planner feels so classy. My Franklin planner is the mainstay of my life…it is the one tool that I would never want to live without. It helps me stay organized and increase my productivity by keeping my entire life in check. I keep track of every single life category in my planner, which helps me to maintain a productive and balanced life.

Sandra