Around the new year, it’s tradition to craft countless resolutions; whether it’s to go to the gym more often or spend more time with family, the start of a new year has a way of instilling hope of change and growth in us — regardless of if we truly plan to stick to our resolutions. This year, I really wanted to commit to keeping my schedule organized by using a planner; and I’m happy to report that so far I’ve kept up with it. Granted, it’s still January, but I’m hopeful that I have the willpower to update it every week.

The planner I’ve been using is from Pipsticks + Workman, and it is by far the best planner I have ever used. I’ve had issues with planners in the past. It’s hard to find a layout that works perfectly for your schedule, and this one is so open and versatile! In addition to your month at a glance, there are also daily spaces with more than enough room to write out everything you plan to do. There are little monthly challenges and fun questions to answer throughout the month. It also comes with cute sticker sheets to spice up your pages!

As for pens, I have fallen in love with Zebra Mildliners. They are dual-ended (chisel and bullet nib) and are the most beautiful pastel colors. They don’t bleed through the thick pages of the planner, and they help me color-code all of my activities. I like to have a different color for school assignments, work, and rehearsals for theatre, and I use them mostly for highlighting. For writing, I have been using the black Pentel EnerGel pen. It writes so well and the ink flows so nicely. I love how quickly it dries; it’s so convenient to not have to worry about smudging while you’re writing!

These three things have been super helpful for my organization, hopefully they’ll work for you as well!