I'm not a small talker, which you might have noticed already. So I'm just gonna get to it! I wanted to show you the new inserts I made that are helpful for people in therapy. As a therapist, I write notes after each session that helps me remember what my clients and I talk about. I also use them to keep track of our progress. I can look back 3 months and see how far we've come. Clients sometimes come in with their own notebooks and binders to keep track on their end! I now have an insert in my shop that you planner peeps can use to keep a log of how therapy has gone thus far. On the insert, it has several sections!

• Summary of experience (indicating what your overall sentiment was in therapy, how you came, how you left, the emotions you felt, etc)
• Topics discussed (spelling out the main topics of the session)
• Takeaway points (notes on the ideas and concepts you're going to carry with you on which you've gotten clarity)
• Hard topics (part of the discussion that were hard pills to swallows; possibly things you're not ready to accept yet)
• Topics to revisit (a great section to use if you've run out of time on the session and would like to continue certain topics with your therapist next time)
• Homework (the TO-DOs! This is the section that you're applying and practicing through the week. You can also use this section to identify questions or topics you'd like to talk about your therapist next session)

These inserts are available now! If you don't see your planner size, please feel free to send me a message on etsy and let me know what size you'd like! Also, I have a commercial license available for other therapists and mental health professionals who would like to offer these to their clients. Enjoy!

<3 MJ

(This post contains affiliate links)

Yooo!! It's almost the end of the year, and before this next year starts I'm trying to get organized and actually get things done. I hope you are too! A week or so ago, I filmed a video for the Cloth and Paper Youtube channel on how I get meaningful things done using a minimalistic planner layout. 

When I say "meaningful", I'm talking about those things that add value to life. The things that don't leave you feeling dissatisfied at the end of the day like you didn't get anything done all day!

Check out the video below. You'll see the inserts that I  use and how simplistic it makes planning! Below are links to the inserts, dividers, and pens I use. I also have a discount code that gives you 10% off your first purchase. This code is valid until the end of September 2019. If September has passed, checkout my Instagram for my current discount code.

Cloth & Paper Vertical Weekly Inserts

Cloth & Paper Cornell Note Taking Inserts

Cloth & Paper CEO Plastic Dividers

Cloth & Paper Clear Kaweco Pen

"Get up, stand up! Stand up for your rights!"

This post is just a little reminder that you have rights and choices. It's easier to think of rights in the context of social justice, and politics, but what about every day rights in regular ol' relationships with the people you see every day? It's easy to forget those.

You have rights such as being able to ask for what you want, or determining your own priorities. Being aware of the choices you have can help you take charge of some areas in your life where you may have have felt powerless before!

Take some time this week to think about the real choices and rights you have on an every day basis! I hope you can take some power back in your life.

Here is a freebie I made a while back to remember these rights! Feel free to use for your own personal use. Please do not alter, or use commercially.

Get your Freebie 

Enjoy! 

Perfectionist. "A person who refuses to accept any standard short of perfection." That's how the dictionary describes it. Because I've been feeling a bit perfectionistic lately, I wanted to make one of my first posts about it with a few tips to help others who struggle with being perfectionistic themselves. So here goes...4 telling signs you're a perfectionist, and how to overcome it. 

1. You tend to procrastinate.... a lot.

This is the most basic sign that you're a perfectionist. You procrastinate. There are lots of reasons why people procrastinate, but if you're generally a person who gets things done, people recognize you as a reliable person, and you have a full to-do list... chances are that your procrastination is tied to perfectionism, and the high standards you set for yourself. It's hard to start something when you don't feel like it'll be done perfectly or even close to your standards, which leads me onto the next point.

2. You have really high expectations for yourself.

You're probably a perfectionist if you get upset at yourself for not completing your lists, for making a mistake, or for not being where you think you should be in life. Perfectionists tend to see flaws quickly and easily. It's seriously like a 6th sense. As soon as someone gives you a compliment, you're like... "Well....it should be better." It feels like bitter sweet to get the compliment, because you feel like you don't deserve it. 

3. You tend to compare yourself with others and their accomplishments. 

This one is a tough one. With all the social media scrolling we love to do, it's hard not to compare ourselves, our belongings, or our achievements with others'. Perfectionists tend to do that. Someone buys a new car, gets a new planner, or travels somewhere amazing... the perfectionist is probably on the other end thinking..."why am I not doing that? I need to _____". Fill in the blank with whatever next action step to attempt to be or do better than you're doing right now. 

4. You spend a whole lot of time worrying about things you've done or mistakes you've made.

This is the last one I want to share. If you tend to worry about that "stupid" comment you made last week when you were with a friend at dinner... chances are that you're a perfectionist. Thinking about a mistake you made and having the hardest time letting it go, and you wish you could go back and say something else instead... I get that. If you find yourself worrying about past minor mistakes and desperately wishing you could redo those interactions, you're probably a perfectionist.

 If you've identified with these things, and you think you're a perfectionist, you might be experiencing some anxiety on a regular basis; It could be performance anxiety, social anxiety, generalized, or just minor stress. What ever it might be, I want to give you a few tips I do myself or share with my clients to ease that anxiety related to perfectionism:

- Notice your body, and breathe. It's easy to be so wrapped up in stress and expectations, that you forget yourself. Take a break, notice where you are, and breathe.  

- Stop using the words, "should", "have to", and "need to". Our vocabulary can add and take away heaps of stress depending on how we use them. "Should" indicates that you're not doing something that you "need to" be doing. Trust yourself, and trust that if you actually "NEEDED" to be doing something, you would be doing it. Replace those words with, "hope to", "wish to", "intend to". There's much more grace in the wording.  

- Take a freaking break. You deserve it. Even if you feel like you don't. You don't have to wait til you've finished your ENTIRE list to take a break. Don't look at breaks as if they're rewards, see them as necessary times of rest that will sustain your capacity to be productive.

We can’t tie our identities and happiness to getting things done perfectly or marking off everything off our to do lists. I created some inserts/worksheets that are for myself and others who need gracious reminders while getting things done. They will be available in my new insert Etsy Shop in most ringed planner sizes, Monday February 18th, 2019. I hope this post was helpful! If you have any mental health or planner related topics that you'd like me to cover, let me know!

<3 MJ

Welcome to my blog, ya'll! I'm Marquitta and I like planners, problem solving, and getting stuff done! Lots of people call me MJ.. It's easy to not butcher the pronunciation or the spelling! Welcome to my blog, MJPLANNER!! Yes... I'm super creative. lol! If you take a look to the right, you'll also notice that I like fun Snapchat filters.

I don't know about you, but I'm ECSTATIC about this new blog! I've always wanted a more detailed way to connect with my peeps who are also into planning, organizing, mental health awareness, and all that jazz! I've been in the planning world since 2014, and I've been in the mental health field of study and practice since 2008! With this new blog, I'm combining my favorite things, and I get to share it with you, so whoop whoop! *happy dance* You can expect to see regular posts covering tutorials, planning tips, organizing tools, and how I use my planner for self care and productivity!

My hope is that this is a place where you feel safe, and where your voice matters. You reading this.... yes, you! You are a person that deserves love, respect, care, and compassion, and I hope you feel the love here! This is also a place where I'll be giving some free planning and mental health and wellness freebies! You've probably heard the saying... "The best things in life are free". While that quote is referring to love, quality time, relationships, and other priceless experiences, I think some helpful resources should be free too! On occasion, I'll be posting some free resources you can use for planning, and mental health management... so keep an eye out for it if you're interested in free stuff!

I'm super excited to learn and grow together and make our communities a little bit more sparkly and bright! I can't wait to share all the things with you, and I'm really hoping you will engage with me too through comments and messages! If you have any questions, comments, or thoughts you want to share, contact me by email at mjplanner@outlook.com or DM me on Instagram @mjplanner! If you'd like to collaborate, swap some guest posts, please let me know!

I look forward to chattin' it up!

xoxo, MJ