Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

To preface this review, I've been on an intense self-discovery journey over the last 5 years of my life; trying to understand what it takes to be truly happy and to have that happiness stem from the deepest workings of my being. As someone who is frequently overwhelmed, suffers from anxiety, bouts of depression and mania, this book has provided me with one of the key tools I needed for my set; a simple intuitive organizer where I can keep my personal and professional life in sync while not overwhelming myself with planning (crazy right?). I've tried multiple planners in the past, in digital and analog format. I'm a systems/network engineer who lives and breathes on a computer and the internet in general, and for me, this PAA(personal analog assistant) is second to none. This said, this planner has been integral to my most recent round of growth and success over my mind and self. I opted for the full-size planner and also opted to use one planner to encompass work, social, family and personal responsibilities. Since this planner has come into my life on 10/13/18, it's had 8 solid weeks of engagement from me. Truth be told I haven't watched the video from mypandaplanner.com, I dove right in based on the quick intro page, but regardless, this book has helped to reinforce a solid work-flow for organizing the constant clutter that is my brain and helps to ensure all aspects of my life are nourished. That, in turn, helps lead to self-growth in one aspect by being able to set yourself up for successful mindful habits. I'm fully aware this book is not a miracle cure, but when used as part of a balanced suite of tools to help set you up for successful endeavors - no matter how big or small - it's probably one of the most profound tools for your set, right alongside meditation and physical activity. Top-to-bottom and back up approach - The planner is broken down into Monthly Weekly & Daily sections. At the start of a month. I begin at a high level with a monthly layout, This helps me put a visual together of what my month is shaping up to be. From there and at the start of every week I move to the weekly section where I put a mid-level weekly plan of intentions together, but not before reflecting and reviewing on the previous week a being sure to re-assess where last weeks unaccomplished goals, tasks or projects fit in this week in conjunction with scheduled events for the current week. Once that's laid out & at the start of every day (or sometimes a jump start the night before) I move into the daily section and begin to pull items from my monthly & weekly layouts into my daily priority list, which granular tasks are then generated from. At the end of the day, I spend about 15-20 minutes reviewing my day, what I've accomplished, what still needs to be addressed & where/when/how to keep those unfinished tasks on the docket in some way. That usually leads to working my way back up into my weekly and sometimes monthly sections to ensure where I can fit these items in to be re-addressed if neded. Don't overwhelm yourself with tasks! Another key to success when it comes to planning & using this book - be sure to plan time for yourself. You're a priority. Make sure 1 of the 5 daily priorities you list in your Daily section is something to help build you up on a personal level. If you're like me sometimes you get so caught up in the feeling of accomplishment and completing tasks, you forget to take time to rest. Being overworked and exhausted will get you no-where fast. Unless you're Elon Musk, we're all human and need rest & recharge. Be sure to limit your daily tasks and priorities as to not inundate yourself & be sure to deliberately schedule a time to rest, meditate, participate in physical activity, cook a healthy meal, or even get lost in a good book - whatever helps to make you, you. Lastly - good luck! The journey to success is not linear! Remember that! Hill and valleys, peaks and cliffs. That said, it's OK to screw up, forget something, or even fail at a task. It's all about how you compose yourself during those times of screwing up, and how you rebound from those shortcomings. Practice your recoveries. The nature of applying organization methods using this book has helped me to be more OK with my shortcomings than ever before, because now I have (what's proven over the last 8 weeks to be) a very effective way of keeping tabs on those mistakes and finding ways to address them effectively enough to learn from and grow positively out of them. Be well, Carl