The First Page of a Planner - What to do

So you have a planner or bullet journal, but what should be on the first page of a planner? We are going to look into it here and get past those first page panics that most of us experience.

Handling the panic!

The Problem

I absolutely know I’m not alone in this.

You’ve bought a lovely new bullet journal or planner that has blank pages, and you are beyond excited.

So excited in fact that you don’t want to touch it.

Yes, many of us have had this experience, because we want our lovely planner to stay just perfect, we might feel like we just can’t touch it.

Or maybe, you are starting a new planner and you are a bit unsure what to do, maybe you are a complete planner newbie.

So this highlights the issue what is the solution?

The Solution

What we really need is confidence. We need to know what we are doing and how we are doing it.

Try to remember that things don’t often stay perfect for long anyway. You will soon mess up in your planner, so try not to get hung up on the perfectness of your new planner.

Also, if you want to get it as close to perfect as possible, try using a pencil sketch first. Pencil is much more fixable than pen. So it’s good to get an idea of how it will look in pencil first.

Also remember this planner is YOURS. When you open the first page of a planner, remember it is your tool to do what you need. It can be messy, there is no law against a messy planner.

So your planner can be done in your style and you don’t need to compare it to anyone else’s.

What to put on the first page of a planner

Function

I think the first step in getting your perfect first page is to decide the function of your page. Here are some options:

Introduction – you could go straight in with a year cover page, or have an introduction title page like: This planner belongs to _____________.
Utility – you might want to have a practical first page of your planner. Some automatically have key information prompts at the start of a planner. But you might want an index page, a key page, or a dot grid spacing guide if it’s a bullet journal.
Motivational – Many choose to have a quote, or a verse or something that inspires them right on the first page. I did this with my first bullet journal and was so proud of it, I still enjoy going back and looking at it sometimes.

Picture of a first page of a planner - there is a checkerboard pattern on the page

Aesthetics

Once you have decided what the first page of a planner should contain, the next step is to work out your aesthetics, or style.

You want your perfect planner to have your own style all over it.

This could be a simple black and white functional page or it could be bold and colorful, it’s whatever speaks to you and means you will open it day after day.

Grab your supplies

Depending on your planner style your supplies might simply be a pen or a lot more.

You will need to decide if you will be a ruler or no ruler kind of person.

You might want to do some writing practices on a blank page to be happy with some neat writing.

Use markers or paint to decorate, and make it your own.

If you make a mistake

Don’t worry if it goes all wrong, starting a new planner is often accompanied with lessons of what not to do along the way.

Many mistakes can be fixed. Amanda Rach Lee has a whole video about it here. As I was writing this, that video had one million views, so you are in good company if you have made a mistake.

Summary

In summary – don’t panic.

I know it’s easier said than done, but try not to get too overwhelmed – it is just a planner.

Try to decide your function and your aesthetics.

Grab your supplies and you are on your way!

If you are starting a new planner you might want to read:

Sustainable Planning: Create Your Own Eco Friendly Planner [discbound]

Thanks for being here today, I hope it helped. By all means comment what you do with your first page below.

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The First Page of a Planner – What to do

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