This post is specifically written for those of you who, like me, embrace paper for your planning.

I love this time of year when all the calendars and planners for the next year start appearing in the stores. And on the blogs

There is such a wide selection that the choice can get really overwhelming.

So how do you choose the best one for you?

Here are a couple of factors to consider:

1. Paper or electronic?

Do you prefer paper or electronic? Don’t feel pressured to use an electronic diary just to keep up with your friends if you’re actually a paper gal.

I love Outlook as much as the next person but I need a paper planner for 95% of my planning.

That said, if you are techno-savvy, use it happily. Please just remember to back up your data regularly.

2. Size

Your planner has to be portable if you’re going to use it most effectively.

Decide on a comfortable size and stick to that. If your planner is HUGE, no matter how cute it is, you’re not going to use it unless you’re physically strong!

I scaled down a size for 2012 and I’m very excited to be carrying less.

3. Space per day

Do you like a week-at-a-glance or a page-a-day format?

I like the weekly format because I do weekly planning. And there’s just enough space to jot down your 3 – 5 Eat the Frog tasks every day.

But more than that, I like space for notes, not just appointments.

4. Monthly tools

Do you need a monthly event calendar and a budget form? What about a monthly goals form?

Or is that not an issue for you?

I’m giving out a goals form every month to all those on my newsletter list.

5. Other tools

Do you need lots of name and address pages? Or note paper at the back?

My advice to you is decide on your non-negotiables and make peace with the rest. And make sure you LOVE your planner so that you WANT to use it.

I actually don’t think there will ever be a perfect planner for me because I’m quite fussy. You’d never think, right?

My non-negotiables are size, space per day and I like lots of note paper at the back for all my personalised lists. I actually schedule time during this last week of the year to personalise my planner.

Next time, keep these points in mind before you go shopping!

Marcia Francois is a time management coach and speaker who inspires busy women to break out of overwhelm, make the most of their time and take purposeful and focussed action so they have the time and freedom to live life to the full. Visit http://purposefultimemanagement.com for your free Time Management Purpose Pack.

This giveaway is now closed! Winner will be announced later today.

It’s an honour for me to feature my friend, Laura’s book on my blog.

We actually go way back – we both started our blogs in 2006 but of course, hers is a TRILLION times more popular than mine – and we both hear baskets calling out to us

Actually, when she blogged about how the baskets call her name, that’s when I knew we were kindred spirits!

Of course I’m talking about the Organizing Junkie, Laura Wittman, and her book, Clutter Rehab.

I finished this book in just *two days because of the following:

1. it is small (only 128 pages so you won’t get overwhelmed)
2. it was so easy to read because this is a real person using her own tips, not just theorising about organising
3. it has big, bright numbers to the tips and is a visually appealing book with great pictures
4. those 101 tips are really simple and doable – anybody can use them

* Confession – I could have finished it the same day but unfortunately, I had to get up and go to work

Laura and I have very similar viewpoints, like you don’t need to spend a lot of money to get organised and it’s not about having a perfect home, but a comfortable home for you and your family.

So…. I have good news.

I’m giving away a copy of Clutter Rehab on my blog.

They will post it to wherever you are so this giveaway is open to EVERYONE, anywhere in the world.

There are three ways to enter the giveaway:

1. Leave a comment on this post and tell me either your favourite organising “tool” (mine is the common spiral-bound notebook and pen) or your biggest organising question.
2. Tweet this giveaway (and come back to tell me you tweeted)
3. Share this giveaway on Facebook (and come back to tell me you did it)

The giveaway will be open for ONE WEEK until Thursday 28th 12 pm EST (6 pm South African time). I’ll choose a winner through random.org, announce it on the blog and you have one week to send me your email address, so make sure you’re reading.

And…. go comment!

PS I’ll be giving my own copy away at my Inspired workshop in Johannesburg next month. I know someone else would love it and my copy is as new (I’m a book freak).

Do you want the free recording?

I interviewed Beth Dargis in January on 5 Steps to a Saner, Simpler Life.

We really had a GREAT call and I’ve been quoting Beth non-stop ever since. I’ll share just one thing with you to tempt you to listen to the call…

Just because choices are HARD doesn’t mean you don’t HAVE a choice.

I love that quote!

You’ll find useful ideas you can use to simplify your life right now and get beyond the tips to the mindset of living a simpler life.

http://www.mysimplerlife.com/simplerlifecall.htm

Only one week left to register for…

F-r-e-e Teleseminar
How to organise ANY space
Thurs 19th March 11am – 12pm EST/ 6 – 7pm South African time

I know I’ve been quiet but I’ve been working on THIS and I’m so glad I can finally share with all of you.

Beth and I will be hosting the August Declutter Challenge for the month of August.

We are each committed to decluttering at least one thing every day and will each be writing a post showing what we’ve decluttered.

The idea came to me after I wrote these posts on taking pictures to honour the sentimental in you but still decluttering.

So are you in on the challenge?

Here are the “rules”

1. The idea is to declutter at least one item a day for the entire month. If you can’t commit to an entire month, then commit to at least 7 days of decluttering.
2. Then every Friday starting 8th August everyone who’s participated for the previous 7 days writes a post on their own blog with their pictures and links that post to the Mr Linky on my blog to get their entry in. You don’t have to write a post a day although you can if you want to. Just trying to make it easy for you guys.
3. Beth is donating a Simplicity ecourse every week and I’m giving away a Household Organising File and a Christmas Planner every week. So there are 3 chances to win something clutter-free to reward you for decluttering your home.
4. You may only link up if you’ve done 7 days of decluttering and written a post with the 7 items. So the more you declutter, the more chances you have to win. It’s win-win-win (less clutter) whether you win a prize or not.
5. And then, at the end of the month, I’ll put up another Mr Linky and one person who has done 31 days of decluttering will win one of my bestselling Organise your Home ecourses. Besides of course, being crowned the Decluttering Queen Another declutterer will also win a $25 gift certificate from Stacks and Stacks – woohoo!

I hope I’ve covered everything. But please ask me questions in the comments and I’ll answer them there too.

Otherwise, ARE YOU IN?

Get those cameras ready and start snapping away!

P.S. You’re very welcome to grab the button and put it on your own blogs too so we can have lots of people participating!

I got together with 3 awesome business owners and we put together this 40-page book in record time. Nothing like group excitement and accountability to get us moving!

I am so proud of how this turned out and I know you’re going to LOVE it!

You can get your copy of this gorgeous FREE book at http://organiseyourbusiness.com/.

Let me tell you a little bit about my co-authors:

Beth Dargis has been my accountability partner since November 2006. We chat every Friday night (Jhb time) and set weekly goals for our businesses. Beth is a Simplicity Expert and helps us all get rid of the crazy! Beth and I are exact opposites (she centres me when I want to go off on another hare-brained scheme) so we complement one another very well.

I met Suzanne McLoone last year through blogging and we’ve been blog buddies ever since. I call Suzanne the Outlook Whiz because seriously, she knows every little tip and secret you would ever wish to know about Outlook

And then last, but by no means least, Ariane Benefit. Ariane writes for a gazillion blogs and is my fellow contributor on Clutter Control Freak —>> Ariane is a professional organiser who specialises in ADD and ADHD issues. Ariane is SO busy but I will not rest until I convert her to my Eat the Frog philosophy. Yes, Ariane – only 6 things!

So, go meet my co-authors, browse around their sites, sign up for their tips (they’re all good, I promise - I am also signed up) but before you go…

Don’t forget to get your copy of the book.

Last night I wrote my to-do list for today and when I was putting my planner on the pile mountain of books, I grabbed it again to add “tidy bedside table”.

The things on my bedside table have been multiplying slowly over the last week because I’ve been spending such a lot of time in bed. I used to only have the one basket before but I have so much stuff – notepads and stuff – that I brought one of these pink baskets out to contain the extra stuff. It helped a lot because I didn’t have to stretch for a long time to find things; I just grab the basket and find what I need.

Here’s the before, just after I finished my muesli and yoghurt this morning.

and here’s the after

And here’s the pile of books that went back to my bookshelf. I need to finish that time management one before I get the goals one!

What else am I tackling today?

Because I have to be sedentary, I made a master to-do list of 19 computer things I want to do (some of them, like writing a new e-course, has multiple parts, so is going slowly) and so far (yesterday and this morning) I’ve done 6). I’ll keep you updated.

What does your to-do list look like?

Have you ever checked out my sidebar?

I have a link under my Organise your Finances heading called Simple Savings. It’s an Australian site but the financial principles talked about are applicable all over the world!

I have a fair amount of Aussie readers (hello Tina, Kin and Ali) who might know about this site already but if you don’t, go over and get their Simple Savings newsletter. That’s for everyone, not just Australians!

Just based on my own experiences when we visited Australia in 2004, the Aussies are way more advanced than South Africans with regard to eco-friendly programmes. I’m by no means the most eco-friendly person but I do my best with what I do know.

As an aside, Oprah did a “going green” show that was aired here last week and I was amazed at the simple things we can do, like switching appliances off at the wall, using less serviettes (napkins), using those long-lasting lightbulbs, etc. The one lady said she saw an electricity saving of US $50 in one month (that’s R350! or Aus $58).

I’ve just received my October Simple Savings newsletter and as well as the great savings tips, there is also a link to their free going green 2008 Simple Savings calendar which they have said we can freely pass along to others, hence this blog post.

Each month talks about how going green will save you money. For example…

1. Limit your impulse buys. Impulse buys are always things we can do without.
2. Only buy essentials. Leave the extras on the shelf.
3. Learn the difference between a ‘need’ and a ‘want’.
4. Re-use everything. Before you throw anything out, try and use it one more time.
5. Fix things when they break. Don’t buy a new one.
6. Be a creative cook. Learn how to cook from basic ingredients. [there are some great vegetarian recipes in this month's newsletter too - I can't wait to try the vegetarian chilli (yum)!]
7. Live in the smallest space possible.
8. Buy in bulk for better value and less packaging.
9. Grow your own food. Food is free when it comes out of the ground.
10. Reduce your power consumption. No need to pay more than you have to.
11. Reduce your water consumption.

Please go download the calendar, sign up to the Simple Savings newsletter and start saving money! I’ve already downloaded mine and it looks great!

For more WFMW posts, head on over to http://rocksinmydryer.net

I made a form for you to use

Download here: http://takechargesolutions.org/2007goals.pdf

it’s a two-pager – the first page has my categories and the second is blank so you can do your own categories.

Enjoy!

Hi all

Kimberly Fulcher just sent out a free e-book called Holiday Survival Guide. That ties in nicely with 3 of our challenges this month, so here is the link.

You can download it here.

Enjoy and have an organised week.
Marcia