The Flexible Planner is a simply designed planner that bridges the gap between traditional planners and notebook, bullet-style journaling, giving you a place to plan the simple homemade life you want instead of letting the days just pass by.
Ready for the planner that can help you move towards the life you want?
Then you'll want to check out The Flexible Planner©!
This is the planner that will help you do all the things you want and believe are important to live a simple handmade life.
It can help guide you to make good use of the time you've been given.
If you've always wanted to:
- Have a guiding plan for the next year - and beyond - to help you say "yes" to what you want and "no" to what would get in the way.
- Feel excited about each day, knowing the little steps will get you that much closer to your goals.
- Let go of disappointment if the day doesn't go like you thought, since you know that the next day is a new opportunity.
- Live a life you design with confidence instead of just reacting to everything that happens to you.
Then The Flexible Planner© is for you!
What is The Flexible Planner?
The Flexible Planner© is a time management and goal-setting guide that also has a journaling/note-taking section that will become your go-to place for ideas, thoughts, questions, and things you'd like to remember.
The pages are printed on dot grid paper so you can use your own symbols to list and remember, add stickers, add blocks or specific times, or even color and create pages with the blanks in the Lists section.
It's totally up to you!
The Flexible Planner© is available in two formats:
- PDF files for instant download - you print the files at home or take them to be printed with a new green gingham cover for 2024.
- Coil-Bound & shipped physical product - a "print-on-demand" product that will be printed when you order and delivered to your door in a small dot or solid green cover.
AND two sizes:
- Full size, 8.5x11 inches (also known as letter size - close to A4).
- Half size, 5.5x8.5 inches (close to A5).
NEW FOR 2024: all versions of the planner are now UNDATED for the most flexibility to be able to start any time you want!
The 2024 Covers
The PDF instant downloadable planner comes with a green gingham cover - which coordinates nicely with the 2024 free printable monthly calendar!
The coil-bound, shipped undated planners from last year are available in your choice of multicolor small dots on a cream background or a solid green cover.
Flexible Planner Contents
All formats have 190+ pages, including:
- Contents & Key Page
- Yearly Planning (Simplified Goal Planning Guide; Year Review, Goals & Goal Action Steps)
- Year-At-A-Glance
- Monthly Goal Planning Pages
- 2-page Monthly Calendars
- 2-page Weekly Planning Pages
- Lists Section: Index Page and blank dot-grid pages (this is where the planner shines!)
- Interior dark gray color scheme to use less ink and help any colored markers, tape, or stickers you use stand out.
What Others Are Saying About The Flexible Planner:
"FLEXIBLE is indeed the correct term for Jami's planner! Having the 2 sizes on PDF gives me ability to use desired pages for needs outside the book. I love the space for making my notes and lists, as each page is not completely filled with print. The evaluation page is also a highlight. After trying many others, The Flexible Planner truly fits me! And (I can see how) it is easily adaptable for other approaches." -Carolyn
"I just purchased your Flexible Planner, which I’m very excited about. After using the BUJO method for a few years now, I’m finding myself stalling out on the setup, which has lead me back to writing lists on scraps of paper instead of using my planner. I think you’ve captured what I love about bullet journals while eliminating my stumbling points and adding in some cool features." -Lauren
"I am enjoying the use of the Planner. Wish I had this a long time ago."
-Carole
"I really love this planner and I have used a lot! It gives me so much room to write everything...from our meal plan to events...homeschool tasks and general to do stuff. I was looking at planners while shopping for school supplies and none of them really compare to what you have designed in the Flexible Planner." -Debbie
If you're just finding out about the planner, read on for a little background on how The Flexible Planner© came to be and what it may do for you.
Why a planner for a simple life?
Over the years I've shared my goals, talked about menu planning and how important it became for my sanity, how to make time for cooking, and even my top 5 time management strategies.
Yet I struggled to find a planner to help me.
I mentioned in this goals recap that the reason I'm passionate about at least some planning is to guard against just letting life happen to you.
I want all of us to be able to look back at the last year - and last 5 years - and see progress towards our priorities.
As simple homemade life advocates, we have shared goals of...
- Wanting to find time to cook healthy, from scratch food and to serve the food in a relaxed setting to the people we love.
- To dig in the dirt to grow food and flowers.
- To take time to read and feed our minds.
- To do something with our hands, whether it's painting a room or crafting a Christmas ornament, and relish in that sense of accomplishment.
These are the things that feed our souls.
But no matter what your list looks like, the one thing they all have in common is:
TIME
It's the thing I hear most from people that they struggle with.
Yet it is also the ONE thing in this crazy world that we can control - to some degree.
Taking the time to plan - even a little - and make goals that we sometimes reach - and sometimes don't - keeps us making progress forward.
When we write things down, we can look back and see if our lives look a little more like we envisioned a year ago or even five years ago.
But that writing it down part!
If you're like me, you have tried so many planning systems over the years - and whatever stage of life, we never seemed to fit into all the planners boxes.
It's with this in mind that I started creating a new planner - one that was different, but not too different.
The Flexible Planner©
It's called The Flexible Planner© because it's a combination of traditional planner and the Bullet Journal® system, including a dot-grid background, blank pages, and a lists section with the all-important contents page to find your lists when you need them.
With The Flexible Planner© you do not need to recreate pages every week and you'll find gentle prompts and space to guide you through setting and working on goals.
And there's still plenty of blank space to create just what you need, with just enough lines to make it easy on you.
Flexible Planner© Video
Here's a video I made a few years ago of how I use the planner for my life and other than the updated covers and pages, it's still how I use it:
This planner truly helps me to make progress and work towards a simpler life!
With my goals in mind I know what my priorities are which helps me to say yes to the things that move me towards them - and no to those that don't.
To learn more details of all that's included and how to purchase, click the button below:
Have you purchased and used the planner?
If you're a Flexible Planner© user, I'd love it if you would share your thoughts with me!
It would also be wonderful if you shared with your friends on social media - just tag me @anoregoncottage on either Facebook and Instagram to let me know and simply pin the images here or on the Flexible Planner page on Pinterest!
Terri says
I have been using your Flexible Planner since 2018, and I really do love it. I was so happy last year when you came out with the Sunday start pages as part of your Extras folder. I much prefer that layout with each day of the week getting the same amount of space to write in plus having the additional Notes column. I don't care for the half columns for Saturday and Sunday in the dated version, and I prefer a Sunday start to each week. I notice the undated Sunday start pages are not included at all in this year's file. I still have the file from last year so I'll use that, but it would really be nice to have a dated version. I would love to see that included next year as an option. That's my only complaint about the planner. Otherwise, I find it incredibly useful and a definite improvement over the popular Bullet Journal concept.
Jami says
Thank you, Terri - I'm so glad you find it a useful planner! I'll add your comments to the list for 2022 to see about a dated Sunday start. 🙂
Rachel says
Thanks, Jami! Going to order your binder printables today! 🙂
Jami says
Wonderful - let me know how it works for you!
Rachel says
Hi! I love your Filofax binder and your flexible planner idea! I've been bullet journaling for a few years, but am also tired of having to recreate pages all the time. I bought a used Filofax binder (like new) on Poshmark, but my rings seem bigger than yours look in your video. Would you mind telling me what size your binder rings are? Thanks!
Jami says
Mine are 1-inch rings, Rachel, and I bought a special 6-ring hole punch to work with the filofax. Hope that helps!
Pam Grysban says
Is the academic planner for 2019-2020?
Jami says
I wasn't sure there was enough interest in it, Pam, for this year, but I've gotten some comments and so we're working to get it out asap!!
Terri M. says
I started using the Bullet Journal last year and found it very helpful. But your Flexible Planner is a definite improvement. I love having the printable pages ready to go so I don't have to get out the ruler and create the monthly grids. And there's plenty of room available to write in all my daily tasks. Plus I find using a binder with tabs is much handier. You've come up with a great product. Thank you for making my life easier.
Jami says
You have no idea how grateful I am to hear this, Terri! I had hoped there would be others out there like me.:) Thank you!
Mary Buzzell says
Just ordered! Haven't been using a planner at all. Excited to try to get organized! Thanks Jami for all your work on this and other stuff. Yours in one of the sites where I KNOW the recipes will be delicious! I've never had a Jami recipe fail.
Jami says
Oh, so honored you feel that way, Mary!! I hope it really does inspire you to be able to do all the things you want. 🙂
Lori Hill says
I bought the planner today! And I love it!! I just wanted to ask where you found your small binder? I saw some at the Target Dollar Spot but they are gone now! I really like that size so it can fit into the bag I take to work.
Jami says
I'm so happy you feel that way, Lori!! 🙂
Yes, the one pictured was from Target's Dollar Spot! But they do have more in this size with the other binders for only .99 more. I thought they were pretty cute, too. 🙂
Lori says
Great! I will check them out!
Lori
Kari J. says
Rats! I bit the “bullet” and dropped a chunk of change on a new 2018 planner at the end of last year. Like you, I have tried so many types and after a year of bullet journaling, I got tired of creating “spreads” every time I turned around. Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s a cool idea, but I don’t have time or inclination to do this every month. The planner I chose shall remain nameless, as it’s beautiful and practical, but way more money than I have ever spent! So, after all that hoo-ha I saw your Flexible Planner and I’m pretty sure we are related somehow .... I can’t afford adding another planner to my life (hello, spendy one), so is your wonderful $10 price just introductory, or is this your planned price for awhile? Your Flexible Planner is on my short list when I finish using my current one. Thanks for creating this — how exciting for you!
Jami says
Yes - my thoughts exactly, Kari - maybe we are related? 😉
I'm glad you want to try this and my plan is to always offer a lower-priced digital version that will never go above $15. The 2018 version will stay $10. If there is sufficient interest, I may look into offering a physical version for those who don't want to put it together themselves. But I will really search to find an affordable option at that, too - it's hard for me to think about spending $50+ on a planner, so I'm pretty sure there are others who feel that way, too. 🙂
Kari J. says
Your pricing is very fair for your digital version, especially with a non-dated version included. The Flexible Planner would be the first digital planner I’ve ever purchased. 😊 It’s definitely on my list for later in the year. Can’t wait to hear how your Flexible Planner is received.