Planners Are the New Video Games for Women!

I've found the adult version of video games for women, it's planners.

I guess I never realized this before because I was one of those girls who actually plays real video games, but if there is a "female" equivalent to an addictive activity that sucks up all your time and social life while pretending to bring you productivity and friends (my very harsh definition for video games) it's planners.

I should note that this is using generic terms, obviously not all women like planners and as in my case many like video games, but there is a trend for many guys to play video games late into adulthood and their women counterparts sometimes don't get it. Video games seem like a waste of time, and who really cares if you build your base and reach level 160? How does that make your life , your real life any better?

Well women have the same weakness, we just mask it with a "real life" facade. That is planners. On the surface planners seem to be meaningful to real life because they are where you keep track of productive things. Heck we even do legitimately need them at times and use them to achieve real life success.

But we have taken it waaaay beyond that of utility.

I have to say at first that I personally love the adorable planners out there. I am totally ecstatic about all the accessories and cute fonts with hearts. I just also scare myself when I realize how obsessively I really do enjoy it, how obsessively a lot of women enjoy it. The rabbit hole of planners runs deep in the hearts of women. 

It's no secret that many women love crafting and DIY, but I didn't realize just how many were actually DIYing their planners. And if you are reading this thinking, planners aren't that big of a deal, well you know nothing John Snow.

PLANNERS ARE  THE LATEST OBSESSION.

How far does it go?

Well I recently got a new teaching job and I decided I needed to learn how most teachers keep track of their stuff and things. So I googled "teacher planner" and the rabbit hole began. There are no less than 1000 videos on YouTube by women about their planners. 

Don't believe me ? Try searching "DIY planner" on YouTube. 

Or check out this article on tech insider : Planner Videos are All the Rage

#planneraddict! 

I know!

Now I would assume most good people would find themselves thinking, what could be more boring than watching a video of someone talking about planners and how to plan in them?

Well that's what I thought until I found myself 3 hours later on my 12th video excitedly watching the un-boxing of a new "Erin Condren" (apparently the goddess of planners) Teacher Planner.

If you travel down the rabbit hole you may never return from Wonderland, or Plannerland.

You don't just buy a planner, you invest in one. The top brands like Erin Condren will cost you about $60 #whyareplanerssoexpensive?. On top of that you will need accessories like laminated dashboards where your stickies go, sticky notes to make your weekly planning more colorful, colorful pens, bookmarks, special planner pen attachments and yes even a planner stand to hold your planner nice and open on your desk. It's all so cute, so expensive and I want it ALL!

There is even a subscription box for planner addicts that will send you accessories like stickers, paper clips  pens and other cutesy things each month for your planner. So now instead of $20 a year you cans spend $20 a month on your planner! 

Literally Ridiculous. I need it . Wait, why? I just do. 

At one point I found myself watching a 30 minute long video of someone who had purchased an Arc kit. It's a special kit from staples where you can hole punch and create your own spiral ringed planner. 

The person customized the pages on Adobe and made her own planner. It looked AMAZING. I just thought to myself , well I guess I better go back to college and study graphic design so I can make my own planner.

Yup, I literally am considering returning to college and spending thousands of dollars so I can learn to make my own book that's should cost no more than $15. I understand it's crazy, but I don't care- I need it. 

Watching those planner videos and seeing how different women arranged their lives was all so entertaining. I felt excited, then inspired, then overwhelmed , then pathetic , then excited again and then I went and bought a freaking Erin Condren planner on sale for Memorial Day. And I rejoiced that I only spent $40 on a freakin P-L-A-N-N-E-R! I guess this is womanhood.

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Maybe it's because I grew up with brothers, but I just think there is something pathetic about my finding so much entertainment in planning. My husband is playing some video game where he tames dinasours (so typical ) and I am deciding whether I want the meal planner dashboard accessory or the to do list dashboard. It's the adult version of playing Barbies!

So after years of "maturing" into adulthood I am still accessorizing life-size Barbie and my husband is still playing Dinasours. Maybe playtime when we were 5 was more important than we realized?

Any rate I have a wii, a pc, iPad and PlayStation and I enjoy all the cool games, mainly retro like Mario, Pokemon, Smash Brothers and new like Plants vs. Zombies, but I just find myself choosing to spend more time on planners. Planners are my video games. 

Is it too much?

The scary thought: 

The whole point of planners is so you can manage your time well , presumably to free up more time for doing what you love and enjoying life. But what if what you enjoy is planning? Is it a sickness? An obsession? Addiction? Or just harmless fun? 

It just seems ironic. You plan so you have more time for planning?

My time and money might be better spent with friends, family and oh yeah actually getting things done rather than just writing the things I need to do down in my planner in the perfect hand lettering  I just learned on YouTube. 

It may just be our version of video games- yes mindless fun that appears to be productive because you are accomplishing little tasks, but in reality has no effect on your life to get you closer to your goals and can ostracize you from the people you love. At least those are the things I tell my husband when I think he's playing too many video games. Luckily he hasn't figured out my secret about planners yet. 

I was going to end it there, but I thought at least let me offer a solution. If you just want a simple way to keep track of things without having to invest $ every year on a planner, but you still like to accessorize and keep thing neat, then try this tattoo method. 

All your to do's for the day right on your arm when you need it and then at night when you shower it all washed off leaving just the blank to do list for tomorrow ready to do. Very convenient and practical, while also looking stylish. And this planner will actually spark real life conversations so you'll never be locked hours in a room "planning" again. 

Problem solved. 

To be continued....well once I receive my Erin Condren planner I obviously have to share the coveted "un-boxing experience" with you. P.S. Get $10 off yours with my link here.