People who know me in real life, know I'm pretty organized, in fact we often joke that I carry it a bit far and I'm kinda OCD about it.  I tell people all the time, "If it's not in the planner, it's not happening."  Apparently I'm not the only one though, studies have shown that using a planner works as a file system for your brain in two ways.  First, it frees up processing space, allowing you to not try to hold everything in your brain at once, so you can put it in your planner, and go on to be productive in whatever else you are doing.  Secondly, it actually increases the likelihood that you will remember things.  There is a link between hearing, seeing, and writing down information, that strengthens your memory, so for that reason alone, I strongly prefer a written planner to an electronic version. (For just a few of the studies that explore this see here, here, and here.)

I use 2 planners, and I'll give you a rough overview of how I use them.  The first is my Erin Condren Life Planner.  It goes everywhere I go.  Before I get a new purse I make sure that it has enough room for my planner, because I'm not kidding when I say it goes everywhere with me.  This is the planner that I use for everything that I need to keep track off - the kids ball schedules, family medical appointments, Gary's rain watch schedule, Church meetings, vacation plans.  If it can go on a calendar it's in there.  I also have a ton of note pages at the back, where I plan out where we are in the Dave Ramsey Baby Steps, what I'm buying for Christmas, the list of books I've read over the course of the year, and my cycle.  On the weekly spreads I keep a running to do list, do some habit tracking, and I journal.  I have long since figured out that (and one of the studies cited above verifies my independent experience) journaling makes me a saner person to be around.  I'm sure that it's cheaper than therapy too, though Gary might argue that due to how much I spend on my planner decorations. Ha!  I enjoy decorating my planner.  This is something I only began doing about 5 years ago now.  It makes it more likely that I will keep up with it, because it's fun.  It's also a creative outlet for me.  With all these kids, I don't have time to scrapbook, paint, or create very often these days.  But I can spare a little time in the evening to plan with some washi and stickers, and it's a huge pick me up.