A Peek Into My 2015 Arc Planner: An Introduction By Cindy Jones Lantier

Today begins our introduction to the Arc Planner System, how some of us ventured into it, and a peek into how customizable it is.

We are thrilled to welcome Cindy Jones Lantier as our guest today! She kind of got roped into the Arc Planner by some of us that are (overly) passionate about it. 

Please give her a warm welcome!

I think I'm in love.

Not with the hot new guy at work (I work from home; sadly, there is no hot new guy at work!). Not with my favorite television hunk (Jim Caviezel)  or even the new baby in the family.

I think I'm in love with my planner!

Like many people who strive to create order out of chaos, I've spent years wanting the perfect planner. I don't just want a date book, but I also want a way to record my thoughts and ideas and to document my days. I long ago realized that a typical store bought planner wasn't going to work for me, so I bought a Day Runner. Then a Franklin Covey. Then I tried putting together my own in a three-ring binder -- but I spent more time applying hole re-enforcers than I actually spent using my homemade planner!

In mid-November, I began my search anew for the perfect system. Because I am both an artist and a Personal Empowerment Coach, I need a system that has a lot of flexibility. I ran across a mention of the "ARC Customizable System" by Staples. Being attracted to the word "customizable" I headed to staples.com to see what the fuss was all about. As with many online stores, you have to already know what you want. There were plenty of products for the ARC System, but there was no real information about it. Certainly there was no glowing sales talk convincing me I needed this!

Little by little, I began to see talk of this system in some of the groups I'm in on Facebook. Finally, I just asked one group "What's the big deal? Convince me I need one." People responded with descriptions of their ARC notebooks. I asked for more detail: What exactly do you put in your ARC? You see, there were so many possibilities that my mind was frozen. I just couldn't see the potential.

Then I saw a video. And another. And another. I basically spent an entire sleepless night watching videos about the ARC, and then I knew I had to have one. Or two. (Or three!)

I finally understood the beauty of the disc system. The specially punched paper hugs the discs so that it stays in the notebook securely without pinching my fingers, as three ring binders inevitably do, and there's no worry about the rings becoming misaligned. It is very easy to rearrange pages and sections. The ARC notebooks come with small discs that hold about 60 pages; the 1.5" rings (sold separately) hold about 200 pages.

The discs are cool, but the main love goes to how personalizable the system is. If you buy the punch, you can put anything in your ARC. I have some lined ARC paper (it came with the cover) that I'm using for my bullet journal and longer notes. Then I have the EPICDAY tear sheet that helps me plan my days from a business perspective. Following that is the first quarter of the Passion Planner PDF. I love this as a calendaring system! There is plenty of space to write appointments, as well as space to help me keep up with a weekly/daily focus, good things that happen, and space for note a brainstorming. My ARC ends with my goals for the first quarter of 2015, as well as a rough outline of how I'll accomplish those goals, and broad stroke goals/dreams for the next three years. I'll be adding in sheets for blog and podcast planning as soon as I get them printed (I also need some section dividers, but Staples isn't handy).

My planner is full, so another ARC notebook is in my future. I want one to keep a few ebooks in. I'm eager to work through Your Best Year 2015, but it just won't fit in the ARC I have. I also have a blogging handbook that I want to keep in that same ARC for reference. And I have a tiny ARC in my purse to keep track of ideas and notes that I want to transfer to my big journal, since I don't plan on carrying it with me all the time.

I know a lot of you are also in search of the perfect planner. I'd suggest that you investigate the ARC Customizable System. There are tons of free printables around the internet to help you organize and document your life. There are also lots of printables available on Etsy (just search for ARC) for (mostly) reasonable fees. 

Stop by the Cre8ive Klatch Facebook Group and let us know how you organize the chaos in your life!

Also check back here for more information about the Arc Planner System. It has so many uses we've all gone crazy with it! Come back on January 5th when Lori Leissner of Leissnerart will show you hers!!

Cindy is a mixed media artist and life coach who can be found at the following links:

Cindy's Website/Blog

Empowerment Coaching Facebook page

Cindy's wonderful Podcasts