Planning ahead: How my Passion Planner keeps me on track

A+Passion+Planner+is+passed+from+one+person+to+another%2C+imitating+the+manner+in+which+free+Passion+Planners+are+given+away+for+each+one+that+is+sold.+Passion+Planners+are+useful+for+setting+and+reaching+goals+while+keeping+track+of+daily+events%2C+assignments+and+plans.

Bren Flechtner

A Passion Planner is passed from one person to another, imitating the manner in which free Passion Planners are given away for each one that is sold. Passion Planners are useful for setting and reaching goals while keeping track of daily events, assignments and plans.

Jessica Hernandez, Staff Writer

For some students, staying organized can be among the most difficult tasks when balancing homework, standardized test preparation, in-school activities and extracurriculars.

 

Need a simple solution? Invest in a Passion Planner.

 

During the summer before my junior year as I was preparing to enter the International Baccalaureate (IB) program, I applied for a free Passion Planner. Weeks later, I received one in the mail without being told I qualified for one, and my life has been different ever since.

 

Passion Planner is a planner that not only helps you plan your days, weeks and months, but also allows you to set goals, keep yourself accountable and reflect on your time.

 

The company was started by Angelia Trinidad in 2013, who at the time had recently graduated from UCLA and needed something to help her transition from her time in school to her time in the “real world.” In search of a planner that would fit her needs and help her set long-term goals, Trinidad set out to design her own.

 

The planner begins with a detailed explanation of how to fully utilize it followed by a Passion Roadmap, which is one of my favorite features. The Passion Roadmap prompts you to set a timer for five minutes and then set goals for the next three months, year, three years and your lifetime.

 

You then break down one major goal from each section into Passion Plans, which are more specific and feature concrete steps to take towards reaching those goals.

 

Additionally, after every month, there is a Monthly Reflection that asks you questions about how you spent your time, what you’re grateful for from the past month, how you changed from one month to the next and what you can improve on for the upcoming month.

 

Another major difference between Passion Planner and other planners is the weekly spread, which includes time slots from 6 a.m to 10:30 p.m. with 30-minute increments. Each spread also features space to write out a weekly focus, daily focuses, good things that happened and keep personal and work to-do lists.

 

In the bottom right corner of each week, there is also a special space titled the Space of Infinite Possibility, where you can tape in Passion Planner print-outs such as water and habit trackers, create Passion Plans or jot down notes and ideas. As the title suggests, the possibilities are endless when it comes to that blank space.

 

Typically, I fill my weeks with stickers and quotes along with assignments and events that are coming up. I usually pick a simple theme for each week, such as a color or holiday, and let my creativity flow as I do so. During stressful and busy weeks, filling my planner with lots of color and inspirational quotes always makes them much more manageable.

 

Passion Planner is a Get One, Give One company, which means that for every planner that is purchased, another one is donated. From schools and companies to individuals, Passion Planner is constantly finding ways to give back provide people with free planners. A few times a year, they release applications for planners and search for people who could greatly benefit from them.

 

Since I received my first Passion Planner, I have talked to numerous people about what it is and how they could benefit from using one. Without it, I would not be nearly as organized or put together, and I know that many other students could benefit from using one.

 

They also have a referral program in which Passion Planner users can give their email to friends and family who buy planners and gain credit for each planner purchased. It takes three referrals to receive a free planner, and in October of last year, I was notified that I had successfully referred over three people to Passion Planner.

 

By using a Passion Planner for over a year and a half, I have become a more productive and timely person. My planners have allowed me to document my day-to-day life, creating a scrapbook of sorts and have also helped me hold myself accountable as I work to meet goals. From doing a 30-day yoga challenge to applying to colleges, my Passion Planner has helped me follow through with goals and manage my time more effectively.

 

As a student, there is nothing more important to me than staying organized and being successful in my academics, and my Passion Planner has helped me do exactly that.

 

Passion Planner is a company that I fully support and a tool that I plan to continue using throughout my life. From their unique design to their vegan leather covers, I have come to love their planners and everything that they stand for.

 

Follow Jessica @jessicamh13