I’m terrible at organizing my thoughts. It helps that I’m an obsessive list maker, but when it comes to long-term goals or things a week away, I’m not great about planning ahead. I’m more of a work-in-front-of-me kind of girl, rather than a set-monthly-goals one. I’ve tried every kind of notebook, planner, and journal to get more on top of tasks, but nothing really stuck except making lists. I sometimes would make a list of work to-do’s in a notebook, paper clip a list on top with things I need to finish for the week, AND have a post-it lingering nearby with errands and personal tasks. While this helps me wade through my weekly goals, a lot of longterm plans fall by the wayside and I find myself no closer to that bigger thing I wanted to accomplish.

So when my sister alerted me to the Get To Work Book she just bought, I perked up. Not only is this sis a super busy, get-it-done, NASA funded, telescope builder, but she seems to have time to run everyday, read a mountain of books and also make dinner most nights. She completely maximizes everyday, and that’s without a planner. Now that I’m working hard to brainstorm and schedule posts, photograph everything and write on a deadline, I need to be on top of planning ahead so I’m not caught scrambling at the last minute to complete tasks.

I’ve read a few articles about this planner (here’s a good one), and what I like most of all is that The Get to Work Book is meant to be a workhorse. It’s not supposed to be pretty and small with gold foil, it’s supposed to be a place where work is done. As a former stationery designer I tend to only have nice paper products, which can be a hinderance to getting actual things accomplished. My cutesy stationery, while I love it, really gets in the way of putting pen to paper for fear of making errors. That’s the opposite of what this planner is all about.

The planner breaks down each day, leaving plenty of margin for writing little notes or important tidbits. It’s heavier than most notebooks, and it’s meant to hang out by your desk as a work companion, to reference regularly. What gets me really interested is at the end of each month there’s a place for reflection. Places to write in “last month’s wins,” things “to let go of,” and items “to work on.” I think for myself, simply paying attention and being accountable to how I meet work deadlines will help me improve efficiency.

The icing on the cake is that it’s made by creative blogger and designer, Elsie Joy, who uses it herself. Not only is there a lot of thought about what goes into the book and it’s design, but buying one supports an independent creator who makes great things.

After a few days of reading reviews, checking out @gettowork on Instagram, and taking a hard look at how I plan ahead (or rather, don’t), I’ve decided to order one. The notebook is a little steep at $55, but if it improves the quality or quantity of my work, it’s worth it!

Check out the Get to Work Book for yourself, available for $55 + shipping. For a full review of the best planners, check out Your Best Digs’ The Best Planners for 2017 (the Get To Work Book was rated #1).

P.S. Creatives out there, what kind of planner helps you stay on top of everything?

Images courtesy of Get to Work Book.