54. How to Plan for a Wonder-Full Life with Crystal Reynolds
Jul 15, 2024
Serena Low, Introvert Coach for Quiet Achievers and Quiet Warriors
In this episode, I interview Crystal Reynolds, a graphic designer with over 27 years of experience and the owner of My Life Planners. We discuss the importance of planners, scheduling, and structure, especially for creatives who might find these concepts challenging. Crystal shares how her journey in creating her own planner started from a personal need and evolved into a business, offering valuable insights into how planning can enhance productivity and creativity.
Key Takeaways:
Crystal's Background and Business:
Crystal's journey from being a graphic designer to creating My Life Planners.
The inspiration behind starting her own line of planners.
The Importance of Planning:
How planners help in juggling multiple responsibilities and tasks.
The concept of planning for wonder and creating space for rest and creativity.
Overcoming the guilt associated with rest and non-traditional productivity.
Unique Features of My Life Planners:
The structure of the planners: undated daily and weekly formats.
The design philosophy: light, non-intrusive layout to highlight personal entries.
Flexibility and customization in using the planners.
Using different tools like pencils for flexibility.
Challenges and Benefits of Planning:
Addressing the resistance creatives might feel towards planning and structure.
The balance between being productive and allowing time for creativity and rest.
Scheduling non-productive time to recharge (“Empty Days”).
Writing down tasks and schedules for better retention and clarity.
Love what you hear? Subscribe to The Quiet Warrior podcast and leave a review to help others find our show.
Share this episode with friends who might benefit from Crystal’s insights on planning and productivity.
P.S. If you’re an introverted professional woman who feels unseen and unknown in the workplace because of your quiet persona, my new online program The Visible Introvert Academy will help you gain the courage and confidence to speak up – take action – and be your authentic self.
In this episode, I interview Crystal Reynolds, a graphic designer with over 27 years of experience and the owner of My Life Planners. We discuss the importance of planners, scheduling, and structure, especially for creatives who might find these concepts challenging. Crystal shares how her journey in creating her own planner started from a personal need and evolved into a business, offering valuable insights into how planning can enhance productivity and creativity.
Key Takeaways:
Crystal's Background and Business:
Crystal's journey from being a graphic designer to creating My Life Planners.
The inspiration behind starting her own line of planners.
The Importance of Planning:
How planners help in juggling multiple responsibilities and tasks.
The concept of planning for wonder and creating space for rest and creativity.
Overcoming the guilt associated with rest and non-traditional productivity.
Unique Features of My Life Planners:
The structure of the planners: undated daily and weekly formats.
The design philosophy: light, non-intrusive layout to highlight personal entries.
Flexibility and customization in using the planners.
Using different tools like pencils for flexibility.
Challenges and Benefits of Planning:
Addressing the resistance creatives might feel towards planning and structure.
The balance between being productive and allowing time for creativity and rest.
Scheduling non-productive time to recharge (“Empty Days”).
Writing down tasks and schedules for better retention and clarity.
Love what you hear? Subscribe to The Quiet Warrior podcast and leave a review to help others find our show.
Share this episode with friends who might benefit from Crystal’s insights on planning and productivity.
P.S. If you’re an introverted professional woman who feels unseen and unknown in the workplace because of your quiet persona, my new online program The Visible Introvert Academy will help you gain the courage and confidence to speak up – take action – and be your authentic self.
Hi, I'm Serena. If you're used to hearing that introverts are shy, anxious, antisocial and lack of good communication and initiative skills, then this podcast is for you. You're about to fall in love with the calm, introspective and profound and specific, and I discover what's fun, unique and powerful and being an introvert.
Speaker 1:
How to make the most of your transition from quiet to cheerful and quiet warrior in your life and world. Appreciate. But Crystal's going to tell us why it's a great idea and how she uses it to support her business. So welcome Crystal. Thank you for coming on the Quiet Warrior podcast Anytime you want.
Speaker 2:
It's great to see you, thank you.
Speaker 1:
So, crystal, you run a business called my Life Planners. Tell us a little bit about this and what got you started.
Speaker 2:
I've been a graphic designer for over 27 years so and that, you know, pays the bills right now. But through that I became a mom and a couple of kids and being self-employed it required juggling a lot, multitasking, doing a whole bunch of things. And I had a really massive explosion of inspiration, inspiration, empowerment after attending a creative conference and out of that I had met so many amazing creative people that I followed and I got to meet them and chat with them and really the only difference between me and them they just did the work right. They just had an idea and they brought it to life. So after that, kind of through the process, I've always loved planners.
Speaker 2:
I do the Franklin Covey, I try other things out there, but nothing really fit me for what I needed and for myself. It was like an opportunity to try create my own little planner for myself. So doing that, I pretty much just kind of came up with an undated daily system so I could kind of track and keep notes and just have something on my desk all the time there, as I kind of needed it and I got. I figured, oh, I'm just actually going to get them printed, I'm going to actually make it live, and the feedback I got and I use it as a self-promotion piece, basically and the feedback I got was how these are amazing, can I buy them, like I was actually getting inquiries about that.
Speaker 2:
So there was interest, so that sort of started it. Through the process, though, I did learn and evolve, not just the daily version but then a weekly version, and I really kind of leaned into that. And really, when I think of it, my love of planners and stationary really started in high school when I got my own, because for myself it was an opportunity to really see, literally see my accomplishments on the page, literally see that I was doing something. It was like affirmation of my experiences about kind of like my life on the page. So that's sort of where it all started.
Speaker 1:
I love that. As a fellow stationery fan myself, I do remember high school days. The highlight of the week was actually going to the shopping center nearby where they had this beautiful Sanrio store selling all the Hello Kitty merchandise and pink pens and purple markers, and just collecting as I went. Oh, those were the days. Yes, lecture notes were made much more bearable because of all the pretty pastels.
Speaker 2:
Right, and it's still true today, exactly.
Speaker 1:
Yes, collections just grown. So I love how you started by doing it for yourself and then you got interest from people and that's how you started your business. Now tell me, how do you plan, or wonder, at a time when a lot of people are really busy and stressed and distracted and coping with so many different things going on in their lives? The idea of planning I get it, that we plan, you know, we write our to-do lists and our tasks and all the things that we do as part of being a responsible grown-up adult. But what is this concept about planning for wonder?
Speaker 2:
Well, first of all, like the fact that how do you do it when you're busy and stressed? Well, that should be the one red flag, or that one trigger that tells you it's time to take time for yourself and create space. When you have a scarcity mindset and you're overwhelmed, you don't really do your best. Work anyways right, work anyways right. So the idea of planning for wonder, basically it's just making time that you need to make space for it, really kind of re-experiencing.
Speaker 2:
I keep thinking back to my Gen X days when I didn't have digital technology and literally you could just sit down around a fire we go camping and just stare at the fire, no one really had to talk, and you just sit there and hours go by and you didn't feel a lack of you just were in the moment and you were just in yourself in that moment, allowing thoughts to process, and we don't really create space for that anymore. So these days that's why I say like you do need to it's a step in the right direction to start planning it right. Because here's the thing we know if we don't write it down and we don't schedule something, it won't get done. So actually planning for you know, blocking something off in your schedule and to be in that space. You also got to be okay with not being traditionally productive. You need to allow your space to be free of that, to be lifted up that stuff. And, yeah, just being grateful, awareness, creating a mindset of just kind of being in a moment.
Speaker 1:
I think a lot of people who are listening to this may find that challenging the idea of being not traditionally productive, especially people from perhaps cultures or backgrounds, or who have grown up around role models who are always busy doing something, and perhaps this is something that affects women much more. I can certainly remember my grandma always busy with doing something more. I can certainly remember my grandma always busy with doing something, and I can never think of a time when she was just sitting, as you say, staring into the fire or not doing anything and just resting. I think to her resting seemed like laziness and I feel like we might have picked that up unconsciously, and so there's a little bit of guilt just to be sitting and doing nothing and then for what you say to schedule that deliberately and intentionally, that I'm not doing anything for the next X hours or half a day or whatever.
Speaker 2:
It just triggers a lot of guilt. I think it also depends on where you are trying to quote rest. If you're trying to sit in your, you know, by your kitchen table, in the kitchen the dishes got to get done and there's, you know, the floor's a little dirty and it's staring at you in the face. That's a struggle to really try to be restful and mindful. Sometimes it's just planning to get out of the house, whether it's going for a walk or I like to actually take retreats in, like you know a little. You know I go to Canmore. It's a small town, mountain town. You know, get a small Airbnb or something and I don't have to clean, I don't have to do, there's no projects around me that need to get done. So it's so a lifts that, that urge to try to always be doing something. It's really ingrained in me. Like I totally understand. Like weekends I would, and that's why the unique thing about my planners the Saturdays and Sundays get as much space as everybody else.
Speaker 1:
Cause I'm like I want to do something right.
Speaker 2:
And I want to plan for getting whatever it is that I want to get done in my life. And the weekends are just, if not more important and I need to like, at the end of the day, if I didn't see something completed, I feel incomplete. So why don't you just write down do nothing day, or how many hours did I sit with my cat, like? There's just different ways that you can really type. You know, embrace the idea of wonder and you have to understand wonder isn't I'm not, I'm not anti-productive, but it's not anti-productive. But wonder is when you get your ideas. Wonder is when you recharge, and if you don't create space for that recharging, then you have nothing to give and to continue on.
Speaker 1:
That makes so much sense, especially, I think, from an introvert perspective. The idea of the battery running down is very relatable. The idea that we need to recharge, we need to make time to replenish ourselves yes, that I think we totally resonate with and, yeah, I'm really glad that you mentioned it. It almost feels like we need someone else to validate that need. Yeah, to make it sound normal. It's not me trying to be special and I need more care than other people. We all do, actually.
Speaker 1:
Yeah exactly so tell me what's different about your planner the way I design them there's I love.
Speaker 2:
From the first I would did a pop-up store and a woman came by and she looked at it and she's like this is actually it's like bullet journaling, but easier because it's a structure. So there's a bit of a structure to it, but nowhere in it am I telling you what to do. So there's a structure, there's space. If you want to say, put a schedule in, add meetings, there's a structure, there's space. If you want to say put a schedule in, add meetings, there's a space for you know, tasks or to-dos, blank spaces for like whatever's important, just kind of sections, so you can kind of whatever's happening in your life, there's probably a little shelf like look at like little shelves, right, little things that you can kind of put in. Um, the other thing about them is I need boxes. I don't like being in a box. So the design of them, um, like my, my task list, it's light circles and there's no real like it's kind of dashed lines between things but there's no real boxes which just allows a flow. So it allows you to see flow from day to day, task to task. You're not like, you're not rigid in the design of things. And I get comments too, because you know visual accessibility. It's a really light print because what I'm writing, what the design is, isn't what matters. What matters is what you're putting down on the page and that is what should be showing up in your eyes, the first thing. So that's kind of the key thing.
Speaker 2:
I have kind of two structures. I have a daily structure and then the new one is the weekly structure. The weekly is unique in the sense of it's four pages for a week. Normally in a weekly planner you kind of get, you know, open the spread on the right and left side and you've got a week all in one, the weekend, everything. But because mine I have the first page, like on bling, is, um, I call it my download page. So it's a space where you can kind of like there's a total of six, six kind of columns, um, there's top three and they're just buckets, um, you can kind of categorize them however you want to categorize them.
Speaker 2:
It could could be work, it could be planning a birthday party, it could be oh my God, this stuff has to get done today, like emergencies, or this week. You can make it what you need and then when you go into the middle spread. It's just Monday to Friday. There's a sidebar with a little more space for notes. But that's my work week right. It kind of gives me that division. And then when you flip to the back page, saturday and Sunday get just as much space as a Monday and a Tuesday.
Speaker 2:
And what I love about that is when you're on that page and you're on the weekend, you know whether you're planning a birthday party or doing errands, your brain, right, is always coming up. Your brain is always full. You need to clear it out so you can think, and while you're kind of on the weekend, things might come up. And then what's right, on the next page, the download for the following week. So you can just take it out of your head, write it down and then you can worry about it or focus on it another day, but you just know that you got that out of your head.
Speaker 2:
It's something that was on your mind. So that's sort of the unique thing there. Um, I mean, basically the layout isn't trying to solve your problems. Um, it's giving you the space so you can figure them out yourself. I really call them kind of worksheets for life and that's that's how they're unique. Um, and as far as you know, as the realities of things, I literally, at this point, when I make one, I'm making it with my own hands, outside of getting the printers to provide some of the printed sheets, but I bind them all and I use quality paper so it's durable, so it lasts enough for the life of what it needs to be.
Speaker 1:
I love all the attention to detail that goes into this. It's like a work of art. You've put your heart into this. You've thought about it from so many angles, from how you would like it used and what suits you, which might suit a few other people as well. I love the aesthetic element of it because I just realized yes, you know, the old style journals always had that very stark black font for the days of the week and you know the things to do, and that would be the thing that sticks out. And then, of course, you would have to lighten it or enliven it with all the colorful pens and markers, but what you've done is to put that in the background so it's more muted, and so the content and what you actually write, which is important to you, that's the thing that stands out. I really like that perspective and also the fact that you hand make things too.
Speaker 2:
I've had. Some people have gotten it and they're all excited about it, and then they're anxious about even writing in it, right Cause it's like the fresh blank page and the great thing about the way I structure it because it's undated, so there is no predating on it. I do provide a niche planner like a month, but they're at the beginning. I don't know when you're going to start this or end it, right? So there's nothing differentiating between one month to another. And sometimes I've even done I'm like I did start writing in it For some reason. It just irked me. I didn't like how I just scribbled something, I just rip it out. I can rip out that week and go to the next one, I don't. It's not going to interrupt anything. So it allows me to kind of start fresh all the time too.
Speaker 1:
So and I think we all need that fresh start. I think it's it's terrible when you can't rip things out and you feel haunted by the things you haven't done, or the things you've done badly or not up to your own standards. So it's wonderful and that's perhaps um an analogy for life that we need to borrow the power to start again, to start fresh.
Speaker 2:
Yeah every minute of every day is an opportunity to do something or choose something new.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, and you mentioned that it's important to schedule and to plan because things don't get done. What about the creative types or the types who believe in going with the flow and being intuitive and who just have this internal resistance when they hear things like plan and schedule and structure?
Speaker 2:
Yeah, Well, with mine specifically, use it or don't, it's always going to be there. You don't have to use it, but it's there for you when you just need to process out what's going on in your day. And I just it was like structures as a constraint. As a creative myself, the smaller the box, the more creative I get. The bigger the box, the more overwhelmed a possibility. It limits my ability to focus.
Speaker 2:
So, um, creating space of like within the planner, of like having what do you want to accomplish? What do you have on your plate? What kind of meetings? Um, and here's the thing, when you what I, one of the people who've had the planners is what they were blown away was if you actually had a week for the work week, at least kind of plan out when your meetings are. And then what do you see? You see all this blank space in between all of these meetings and for me, I see that blank space as opportunity. That opportunity, it's structured because it's a section, but it's freedom to be choosing what I want to do with that time.
Speaker 1:
And that itself is a gift that freedom and the opportunity. It stands for possibility, isn't it? You get to choose what you want to do or not to do. It stands for possibility, isn't it?
Speaker 2:
You get to choose what you want to do or not to do Exactly, and you know, if you write something down who says you have to do it, you can scratch it out. I have one friend who was like she was worried about well, if I you know it's not perfect. I'm like did you hear about this tool? I call it the do-over tool. She's like what's that? It's called a pencil. You know, if you're anxious, use a pencil, like um, some people get overwhelmed sometimes with, okay, I have to use this color for this and that color for this. But let's be honest, sometimes you're like, in the moment you got to write something down, you're using whatever tool you have at your thing, right, so it's never going to be perfect, um, and I think I very anti-perfection. It's never going to be perfect, um, and I think I'm very anti-perfection. It's not meant to be pretty, but feel free to add joy and color and stickers.
Speaker 2:
I do. I use my colors for adding, like categorizing what's a client meeting versus, say, my, my life, business or personal, just so I can visually, do not unlike on a calendar. I have a variety of different types of calendars, right, family, each of my family members. So to kind of cue in on that visual skill that we have to easily understand what we have on our plate. I'll use a bright yellow one when I just want to time block and I'm like that's the section I block and yeah, just have fun with it. I think I like and yeah, just have fun with it.
Speaker 1:
I think I like that idea, having fun with it, and the concept of what you said about the small box and the big box that the smaller the box the more you can manage, whereas the bigger the box you get overwhelmed.
Speaker 2:
And that's because the big box. What does that stand for? I think it's the idea of decision fatigue. If you have too many options, you're always having to make decisions. So if you can at least eliminate some simple things out of your list that you don't have to decide.
Speaker 1:
That helps, so that you can actually have the energy to make important decisions when you need to. So that's what it means to me. Yes, decision fatigue, and that's something that affects all of us, and especially, I think, people who think that they would like to keep everything in their heads and they don't need to write anything down. They just keep a running list of what needs to be done.
Speaker 2:
But I've and I've tried that and I do find that things slip through because I didn't make the effort to record them and I think for me it's a process too Like I use a digital calendar for meetings, appointments, some general maybe some plan project plans I know in advance I'll be working on. But when I sit down at my planner for the week, I'm looking at my digital account, I'm writing stuff down and it's affirming or helping me to learn kind of what I'm doing that week. So it's more ingrained into my head as well. So I'm not like thrown off by. Oh, I get a ding from my phone saying I have a meeting right now and I'm like I'm not even prepared, I wasn't even thinking about it. But because I put in that advanced work to kind of like see what my week was, what needed to get done for it, I don't have that situation.
Speaker 1:
That's a very good preemptive move to prevent that schedule shock of the unexpected creeping in. Now, while we're on that topic, I want to circle back to the concept of the empty day, because I saw that in one of your latest podcast episodes and you have your podcast called Plan for Wonder.
Speaker 2:
Yeah.
Speaker 1:
Yes, and in one of your episodes you talked about a day when you had planned to do nothing but then you unexpectedly fell ill, and I'll tell me more about that, because I noticed you said in there every day is filled with moments that matter. Whatever it is you are doing, that moment matters because you do so. To me. I took that as it's actually the person and the presence with that moment that matters much more than anything you're doing.
Speaker 2:
Yes, and that's sort of like the intention of the background and the messaging of, like I said, when you're writing it yourself. I want you to become the author of your life.
Speaker 1:
You should be the main character, you should be the author writing your story, should be the main character, you should be the author writing your story, so by kind of creating, you know, space for empty days to allow yourself to experience who you are is important, and also the fact that you blocked in that day to be an empty day gave you flexibility as well, because you mentioned that as a self-employed creative, you can't just call in sick, so it's important for you to schedule those days where you don't actually do anything. That gives you time for rest and it gives you freedom of choice.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, I, I, I, I myself, I kind of I only allow people to make meetings between Tuesday, wednesday and Thursday, so that allows me that flexibility to you know, flex kind of when needed.
Speaker 1:
I think that's a very healthy and sustainable one. That's important, especially for people who are solopreneurs. And I love also your finishing quote where you said the space you take up in the world matters not just to me, but even more importantly, you matter the most in your own life. I found that very moving and very true, and I think we don't often enough prioritize ourselves that way. There's almost that sense of guilt and constantly allowing other priorities, other people, other events or activities, other needs to sort of push us further and further down the chain.
Speaker 2:
That introspection gives you definitely a perspective and just learning to be kind to yourself and then if you can do that to yourself, then that means you can look at the world with kind eyes and see that other people around you are just as deserving of kindness and space to be who they are. If I can be who I am, then everybody else can as well.
Speaker 1:
And I think we all need a lot more of that kindness and that grace and that compassion in these times. Now I'm curious to know do you ship to Australia, for instance Of course Beautiful, and how do people order your planner?
Speaker 2:
um, it's mylifeplannersca. Um, just, you know, there's a dot com up there. It's not me, or you can even, um, you know, type in planforwondercom. It takes you to the website, um, and there's the links above and, yeah, you basically choose the style that you want and cover and and go from there and I just ship them out beautiful.
Speaker 1:
I love that. There are options. I can choose my cover and so we're going to put on all the links to your social media and your website and how to order in the show notes so that people can check them out. What is one thing you would like our audience?
Speaker 2:
to take away from today's conversation. I think I'm going to lean into the one thing that I kind of mentioned about the business, about the planners. My tagline it's find focus, bring clarity, live with intention and plan for wonder. I want you to see that as a cycle that has real no start or end. Everything is integrated. Focus is where you can create space and allow tactile nature of writing to process your thoughts as you go through them.
Speaker 2:
Digital is great, but there's something about the flow of writing through your hand, from your head. You can't replace that. And then clarity and the fact that you've written these things out. It gives you that opportunity to see everything at a glance and see what's really important. Um, giving you clarity on what matters, because sometimes, when it's just wandering in your head, it's hard to really pick out what, what needs to get done right away.
Speaker 2:
And then the big big thing is intention. That's why I like to like put yourself first create before you consume, and so by the end of the week you can look at your download list and say, hey, what got done? It was my intention. I wasn't dependent upon emails or people telling me what to do and then planning for wonder, creating that space to rest and then planning for wonder, creating that space to rest, reflect, recharge, I mean enjoy your life, I mean this is our one kind of opportunity and just allow your muse to find you, because then that muse is going to give you inspiration and empowerment and ideas that will then take you into focusing on getting those created and that started.
Speaker 1:
Crystal, thank you so much for coming on the Quiet Warrior podcast today, teaching us about focus and the importance of structure and how that actually helps us flow better and find our creative muse. I'm very, very much looking forward to reconnecting with my muse. I think she might have gone on a very extended vacation and perhaps that's because I haven't you know given her enough structures to find her way back. Thank you so much for sharing about your work as well. It's very inspiring and for helping creatives, as well as other business owners and anyone, to live a more fulfilling life where we remember to enjoy ourselves and to plan for wonder. So if you've enjoyed today's episode with Crystal, do check out the show notes for links to how to find out more about her planner to order yourself a copy. And if you enjoyed this episode as well, remember to leave us a like and subscribe and give us a review on the platform that you're listening from today. So thank you for joining me on the Quiet Warrior podcast and I'll see you on the next episode. Thank you for joining me on the Quiet Warrior podcast and I'll see you on the next episode.
Speaker 1:
In episode 52, I talked about the Visible Introvert Academy, who it's for and why I created it. If you're an introverted professional woman or a business owner who wants to put yourself out there without having to mask your introvert personality and you want to confidently express what you think and feel, then the Visible Introvert Academy is for you. Click on the link in the show notes to find out how the Visible Introvert Academy can help you go from feeling unseen and unheard to being visible on your terms. I'm so grateful that you're here today. If you found this content valuable, please share it on your social media channels and subscribe to the show on your favorite. Thank you so much. Thank you for sharing your time and your energy with me. See you on the next episode.
