Stay Positive and Organized

Is your goal to stay positive and organized in 2021? I personally love using paper planners and practicing journaling to keep me positive. Erin Condren just released a Hello Kitty line this January that includes not only planner essentials, but also a journal that has starter questions to help you keep positive thinking at the forefront of your mind this 2021. Below, I share some fun products that I will be using this 2021 to meet my goals.

This post is a collaboration with Erin Condren. I received promotional materials to share with my audience. However, I openly admit that I am a Hello Kitty lover and am addicted to planner products. This post contains affiliate links. A SoCal Way of Life earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through these links.

Why planners? Can’t I use a phone to stay positive and organized?

I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “A goal without a plan is just a dream.” This is so true, and I think paper planners are the absolute best for planning out how to reach your goals.

I’ll be honest with you. I use my phone alarms for EVERYTHING! This is great when I want to be sure not to miss a dentist appointment or when I need a reminder to return library books on time. However, I find that just inputting these things down on my phone is not enough to keep me on task.

I have personally been using a planner to jot down my schedule and goals since I was in middle school. Before that, I was writing things down with pen and paper (because I didn’t know that planners existed 😉

I find that writing things down in a planner is more helpful than jotting things down in my phone for a few reasons:

Goals cemented in my mind. The act of writing down my goals for the day/week/year solidifies my commitment in my mind.
A bird’s eye view. I can look at my schedule for the week at a glance. I don’t need to swipe from one day to the next to see what my day looks like.
Aesthetically pleasing. I can pick a planner that has any theme I want! Erin Condren planners are wonderful for this (and many other) reason. Something about seeing Hello Kitty on my planner just makes me happy and more willing to take a look at what needs to get done. You can also decorate each page with doodles and stickers if you like. Am I 12? No, I just like to have fun!
Portability. I can easily carry my planner in my purse and have my schedule at my fingertips.
It helps me stay positive and organized. Organizing your thoughts and tasks for the day helps you stay positive. In a world where chaos seems to be the order of the day, you have some semblance of control over your personal space.

What do you like about Erin Condren Planners?

Pictured here: Hello Kitty Planner, Hello Kitty Portfolio, and Daily Kindness and Joy Journal.

I love the layout and aesthetically pleasing nature of the Erin Condren Hello Kitty Planner. Aside from the adorable Hello Kitty covers available, there is also a monthly calendar, along with a weekly calendar in which you can write down your daily to-do’s. Further, there is the beautiful wire that keeps it all together. If you are so inclined, you can invest in some planner accessories and swag to make your planner that much more enjoyable.

Lets face it. When you have a pretty planner, you’re more likely to enjoy using it and therefore stay on top of your goals.

I received markers, a pencil case, file folders, and matching Hello Kitty paper block. I am already excited to sit down and start planning out this month’s duties.

Pictured here: Hello Kitty file folders, pencil case, dual tip markers, and paper block.

Is a Daily Joy Journal helpful?

Have you ever had a day where all you could focus on was how nothing was going right? How about a day where you “woke up in a good mood” and found that spilling coffee on your shirt or the rude person at the store just wasn’t that big of a deal?

The reality is, the way you talk to yourself and focus on things DOES matter. When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.

Some real talk here…Yes, keeping a daily joy journal is work. You’re busy and can’t imagine adding one more thing to your list. But trust me, you will find that taking 2 minutes to journal and keep a positive mindset is absolutely worth it. This pandemic is a positivity sucker, not gonna lie. You need to do what you can to make sure you work to stay on the sunny side of life!

Do I NEED to have a special Hello Kitty journal to stay positive and organized?

I am always about being 100% honest and transparent. Do you NEED a specially decorated journal? No, you don’t. But it sure is more fun when you do!

The Erin Condren Hello Kitty Daily Kindness and Joy Journal makes the process of journaling more enjoyable by having starter sentences and idea starters for you. There is a monthly page that has you jot down your focus for that month, along with how you would like to create kindness and joy that month. Each day, you will then focus on things such as moments of kindness and joy from today and write about it. I don’t know about you, but I love the idea of having everything already printed out for me and I just fill in my personal thoughts. Of course, having Hello Kitty and flowers on each page doesn’t hurt 😉

And one more thing…

Before you go down the road of, “Why do I need a planner? We’re in the middle of a pandemic. I can’t go anywhere or do anything.” I’m here to tell you that planning your days and goals is more important now than ever! Whether you have to work from home, help your kids during class on Zoom, or you are just trying to keep the household on schedule…planning out your day will keep you focused. Trust me, it is too easy to fall down the Netflix and chill rabbit hole. Plan for some Netflix time in between your duties (of course), but also plan for how to stay on task and be efficient that day. Schedule in self care, or learn how to grow a plant without killing it. Having a sense of purpose and focus each day will make your days that much better. You can’t control the situation we’re in now, but you can control how you go about your day!

The pandemic will not last forever. Be sure you’re planning goals for everything you want to do when we get released back in the wild 😉