July is typically the month where I start a new planner. I know most people start in January or maybe August if they are a student. Well, I start in July.
So why did I pick July?
There are a few reasons I picked July over January or August. First, I have been in the academic world since kindergarten and so academic year planners make perfect sense to me. I also hated the one year I did not use an academic year planner and had to worry about changing planners while also worrying about Christmas. That did not work for me.
So then I have the decision between the summer months: August (what most people choose), July (why I chose), and June.
August is when most student/academic year calendars begin. I could have picked that, but I didn’t. I actually didn’t pick June or August for the same reason: they are too close to busy months.
I don’t like having the added stress of having to transfer my planner when the month is stressful as it is. So June is out because it comes right after May (typically a busy month) and August is out because that is during August most school districts around here begin and business schedules get changed from summer to fall.
There you have it. I picked July. But you don’t have to start your planner in July. You can pick the month that works best for you.
How to pick a start month for your planner?
Think about the time period/season where it would “feel right” for you to transition planners. A lot fo people pick January (winter) or August (late summer). In the Catholic world, quite a few start with Advent in December.
For me, I knew that summer made sense for my current life path. Someday that may change. It all depends. And change is okay. You can always change your planner start month whenever you want.
Picking a planner start month isn’t something that needs to be stressful. Sometimes this is entirely dependent upon what brand of planner you want and how they start their planners. Other times you find a planner brand that will let you pick whatever start month you want.
I tend to lean towards the planner brands that let you pick your own start month. This is because one of the features I look for in choosing a planner is the ability to pick whatever start month I want without having to find a completely different planner brand.
My personal favorite planner brand is Plum Paper. They have so many customization options, including picking whatever start month you want. This is definitely a plus.
What month do you like to begin your planner? Why did you pick that month?
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