If you’re an ambitious individual like me, you live by a fixed schedule. I’m a university student, creative writer, mother of five fur babies and a content creator for Odyssey. My time is stretched to accommodate my many responsibilities. As such, a New Year's ritual of mine is to pick out a new planner that will work with me to meet my monthly milestones and yearly goals.

Typically, as I shop around for that special scheduling companion that will accompany me for the new year, I go with what’s familiar, what I know is good, or what others have sworn by. This year, however, I decided to do things differently. Instead of relying on trusted recommendations, I sat down to do a self-examination, reflect on the achievements and failures I had accumulated during 2016.

I had spent the first half of the year attempting to plan and prepare, but eventually it became more convenient to take every day in stride, meeting the inevitable head on. That said, my search for a new planner renewed my desire to look forward to the future by learning from the past. Thus, I returned to my planning roots.

During my reflection, I realized that several areas of my life had been thrown off balance due to lax planning habits. Then I considered why at times I had strayed from my routine. Was it because planning had become too much of a chore? Had I stopped prioritizing my goals?

After much deliberating, I concluded that my harmony had been disrupted on occasion, because I had not yet achieved planner peace.

I first heard this term while following a Youtube personality and productivity guru, Alexis Giostra (she has a ton of great advice to impart to those looking to get into the habit of planning).

Reaching planner peace is all about discovering what works best for you; it doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time to find the perfect balance between planning and doing. The tedious process is a struggle which, most busy people will have a hard time overcoming. When the chaos becomes manageable, there’s no going back. That sense of liberation sinks in, and suddenly the journey to reach planner nirvana was worth all the effort.

Some people who are introduced to the planner community, become overwhelmed by the amount of hardcore decorating that goes into creating the perfect planner set-up. At the core of this enthusiastic group of hardworking individuals, is the desire to get things done. Planners are essential to the beginning of that process. Planners can help establish order amid chaos, and help steer people in the direction of their dreams.

Now, I’ve had the opportunity to try out spiral planners, leather planners, binder planners and planners that double as journals. What I’ve learned from my experience with planners, is that no two have the same system even if at first glance they appear similar.

This is also true of people. Everyone is unique. So, when it came to choosing a planner for 2017, I went ahead and searched for an innovative system that had been designed to work for the individual rather than the masses. I wanted something that would feel entirely personal, but also action-ready.

It wasn’t too long after that I stumbled upon inkWELL Press. This small company is all about promoting the three P’s: planning, productivity and personal success. After browsing their website, I instantly fell in love with their liveWELL planners. They’re stylish, sophisticated and best of all, geared toward the individual.

Unlike the planner systems I was familiar with, inkWELL planners stood out because they had been designed to provide flexibility and encourage organization. Their contents include a year at a glance, month on two pages, weekly spread, monthly mission board, and daily habit tracker. Each planner purchase is accompanied by a series of setup videos instantly available to new members of the inkWELL Press family, to help them acclimate to the IWP system.

These educational videos served as an invaluable guide when I first received my packaged planner in the mail. They drew attention to the the importance of planning ahead and being prepared to expect the unexpected.

Instead of excusing ourselves from dealing with roadblocks that pop up on the pathway to success, we are all called to keep calm and carry on. That said, often times, life has a way of getting in the way.

There’s no pre-established blueprint to refer to when the going gets tough. There is a way to avoid crawling into a hole whenever things don’t go as planned. Having the proper tools at the ready as well as knowing how and when to take action, are what helps me combat life’s most unexpected disasters.

My experience with my liveWELL planner has changed the way I used to think about planning. I no longer feel tied down by my agenda. Now, when I sit down to a planning session, I see it as an opportunity to prepare myself to realize my dreams.

I have so many goals set pertaining to my personal and professional life. My 2017 mission is simple: Be ambitious. Be productive. Be successful.