There’s precedent for being fashionably late, but there’s no excuse for “fashionably forgetful”. We juggle many roles and must plan accordingly. Nothing beats prepping for upcoming events like a visual spread of the entire week or month, especially when starting a business or blog, planning a wedding or otherwise keeping numerous appointments per week including managing a busy household. And our favorite new tool to schedule our professional and personal lives is the Abrie James 2018 Planner Book: a fashionable, chic planner that looks so good you’ll want to carry it everywhere.

WHY A FASHIONABLE PLANNER

When was the last time someone complimented your day planner?

For me, it was my 8th grade Lisa Frank homework planner. No shade on Lisa Frank, for she’s the undisputed, reigning queen of aiding tween girls to get stuff done. But it seems like we grew up and most planners didn’t.

The majority of planners aren’t much more sophisticated in appearance or function beyond that which we used to remember when to bring our gym uniform and for keeping track of Algebra homework due dates. And, these “whimsical” patterned planners look silly in the hands of any woman who wants to be taken seriously while actively adulting.

Most appointment books are either stodgy, pretentious, boring leatherette books or have overly kitschy or froofy patterns. Neither will do. When a client looks at your attire, including your accessories, what do they see? I want clients to find me elegant, creative, reliable, innovative and intelligent. Why should my weekly planner look out of place with that image? Abrie James appointment books are inspired by fashionable runway looks and come in colors and patterns of a feminine, fashionable, creative, stylish and intelligent grown-up.

THE ABRIE JAMES PLANNER AESTHETIC

My Abrie James planner matches much of my work attire. It comes in shades of deep grey and black, with a pop of feminine yet sophisticated rose-colored 2018 text. Other Abrie James planners have elegant graffiti, colorful lines, marbles, and metallics.

But don’t judge an appointment book entirely by its’ cover, no matter how fashionable it may be. Abrie James Planners help organize tasks to the tune of the needs of a busy adult, and if I may say, even us A-Types.

WHY A PAPER PLANNER BOOK IS LIFE-OPTIMIZING MUST-HAVE

Recording appointments on tablets and phones are useful for short-term reminder prompts of where we have to be and when. But these do little for helping us visualize our time or to prepare for these events. A paper planner helps us do just that.

ABRIE JAMES DESIGN FEATURES

LAYOUT

• Durable divider tabs separate each month’s section for quick-access

• MONTHLY VIEW Each month has a two-page overview with large spaces for multiple items, detailed explanations, and instructions

• WEEKLY VIEW Each week is spread over two pages, with a full length lined sections per day that give enough room for planning, scheduling or journaling in detail. I find this daily journal section ideal for keeping personal and private goals separate from business schedules. It’s a good spot for detailing personal fitness or beauty goals such as water drinking, exercise and beauty treatment schedule for hair or skin, and other personal goals.

• OVERVIEW Each month has a full page blank lined paged for reviews, overviews, goals, journaling, or even sketches and schematics.

• SUMMARY SECTIONS for decisive action

CONSTRUCTION

• STURDY CONSTRUCTION strong black poly cover that’s more rigid than other planners while being flexible enough to fit into your bag.
• THREE YEAR OVERVIEW (2018-2020) for long-term planning
• PERFECT SIZE At 8.5 x 11 the planner fits into a laptop case, briefcase, purse, tote, or backpack or bookbag.

• BLEED-RESISTANT ACID-FREE HIGH-QUALITY PAPER: Not only is the feel of this paper lovely, but it resists pen ink bleed, including permanent bullet journaling markers, which not only makes for cleaner writing but less fade.

UNIQUE SECTIONS IN DETAIL

GRATITUDE SECTION

When we were young, our father said to us “How happy you are in life is directly related to how appreciative you are“. I’ve found this to be very true. But as a busy person who always has a to-do list longer than my arm, it’s difficult to pause and reflect on the good things, accomplishments and the people who were involved in them.

This planner enhances gratitude in two ways: with a section at the end of each month for writing down the things we are grateful for and a lovely set of thank you notes. In a world of memes, texts, and emails, a handwritten thank you note is a lost art, but an important one to best sustain personal and business relationships.

Using this planner to contemplate areas of your life to be grateful, such as a kind or encouraging word from a friend, a favor done, an opportunity offered, a mentors’ advice, or for a colleague, friend or serviceperson who went the extra mile for you, is a worthwhile investment in both them and yourself.

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES

I also liked the inspirational quotes along the page footers, including words of wisdom ranging from the Ancient Greek Philosophers to Robin Williams.

A PLANNER HELPS TO ACTUATE ONESELF FOR DECISIVE ACTION

Feel like a flip-flopper when it comes to making big decisions?

Many of us organize tasks by the Bullet Journal method. Prior to Bullet Journaling, GTD, AKA the Getting Things Done method, as popular. According to David Allen, author of Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, the critical success factor to GTD accomplishment is what he calls “The Weekly Review”.

The Weekly Review consists of an analog review of all to-do lists and agendas on a weekly basis, where one gathers and processes all of their stuff, reviews their system and updates lists, revising and cleaning out old items, and moves forward. This Weekly Review helps us make decisive, quick decisions because we have clearly in mind what’s needed to advance our agendas.

Regardless of the method used, I find the Abrie James organizer an outstanding tool in this capacity.

ABOUT THE DESIGNER

Abrie James Founder Crystal Sides is a working mom of two who created a fashionable line of planners for the A-type Organized Divas amongst us who plan and do all the things we can pack into our hectic schedules. She also designed a line of accessories that are bound to kick-start your creative flow while making your meetings more productive and fun!

CONCLUSION

A fashionable and elegant way to convey your professionalism without compromising your style, the Abrie James 2018 Monthly Weekly Planner Appointment Book helps optimize your schedule with the efficiency of GTD planning combined with the inspirational flow of Bullet Journaling all in a quality paper, durable, stylish journal that easily fits into a briefcase, laptop case, or tote bag.

WHERE TO BUY IT

Find the Abrie James 2018 Planner Book at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078RWKGL7

Style Chicks received Abrie James 2018 Planner Book in exchange for our unbiased review and received compensation for our time and effort. However, our experience with the product and the opinions expressed in this review are 100% ours.