Goddess Erykah Badu said, "Write it down on real paper, with a real pencil, and watch shit get real." And if Erykah said it, it's law. More than ever, we are consumed with our phones and laptops that the craft of planners and journals have become somewhat obsolete. We also think that 2020 didn't help with all of its drama – people literally burned their planners after March. In a Zoom kinda world, I'm still glad I got my planner.
What better way to set the tone for this new year than with a planner full of intention? Using a planner has shown to have benefits including better time management, realistic productivity, improved focus and lower stress levels. Without further ado, we have gathered six planners that will change your life in the most fabulous way!
The Book’d Store
The Book'd Store
I fell head over heels in love with my Book'd Planner last year despite the year being a shit show. It was an easy purchase because of the beautiful product AND the creators are Black women. According to Tamera and Adrienne, "Book'd Store is a luxury stationery and lifestyle brand for Black women that is super stylish, uniquely quirky, and most importantly, speaks directly to who we are." Each page has an inspirational quote to help you plan your life and be intentional about how you'll slay each day. It's the details, the stickers, and the everything for us.
BlackCoilsPaperie 2021 Personalized Black and Educated Planner
Black Coils Paperie
This handmade planner is a crowd favorite. You can customize the cover with your name and title to really show off your boss babe status. It means everything to see the Black woman clipart all up and through these pages. You can even choose different date ranges in case you're still processing 2020. Between your many goals and priorities, the Black and Educated Planner is most definitely a winner.
The Magic Is In You 2021 Planner
Papier
You are the magic, baby girl. And the magic will only get more powerful as you start to organize your plans and goals. Papier created this planner with you in mind. Made up of weekly, monthly, and daily overviews, you can easily document all the things on the smoothest paper ever. You can also personalize the cover to your liking.
Black Girl in Love with Herself Organizer / Planner
Black Girl in Love
Made for a Black girl by a Black girl, Trey's lifestyle planner will have you feeling like you have the same 24 hours in a day as Beyonce. It's the perfect place to write down everything, from your hair appointments to your next vacation. Consider this the planner dedicated to meeting the professional needs of Black women so we can really fall in love with our essence.
Savor Life Planner
Savor
Daily Worth claims the Savor Planner is, "The planner that changed my life." We believe it's life-changing because it's centered around self-care. Inside the planner, you'll find four monthly calendars, 90-day vision worksheets, Organize Your Gorgeous Chaos layouts, and a place to Detox Your Brain. Before you know it, you'll be taking it one day at a time and you'll need a new 90-day planner.
BeatificHappyPlanner
BeatificHappyPlanner
Create the life you desire with this weekly planner. It is devoted to helping you learn to value yourself by fighting for your happiness. One of our favorite things about this planner is that you can choose the color of the cover to match your skin tone. Not only are there pages to show gratitude but there are also amazing plans for your diet, hydration, and self-reflection questions to help set goals.
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While speaking to xoNecole, Eva shares that she’s a lot like the beloved 1994 character in many ways. “Lyric is so me. She's the odd flower. A flower nonetheless, but definitely not a peony,” she tells us.
“She's not the average flower you see presented, and so she reminds me of myself. I'm a sunflower, beautiful, but different. And what I loved about her character then, and even more so now, is that she was very sure of herself.
"Sure of what she wanted in life and okay to sacrifice her moments right now, to get what she knew she deserved later. And that is me. I'm not an instant gratification kind of a person. I am a long game. I'm not a sprinter, I'm a marathon.
America first fell in love with Eva when she graced our screens on cycle 3 of America’s Next Top Model in 2004, which she emerged as the winner. Since then, she's ventured into different avenues, from acting on various TV series like House of Payne to starring on Real Housewives of Atlanta.
Je-Caryous Johnson Entertainment
Eva praises her castmates and the play’s producer, Je’Caryous for her positive experience. “You know what? Je’Caryous fuels my audacity car daily, ‘cause I consider myself an extremely audacious woman, and I believe in what I know, even if no one else knows it, because God gave it to me. So I know what I know. That is who Je’Caryous is.”
But the mom of three isn’t the only one in the family who enjoys acting. Eva reveals her daughter Marley has also caught the acting bug.
“It is the most adorable thing you can ever see. She’s got a part in her school play. She's in her chorus, and she loves it,” she says. “I don't know if she loves it, because it's like, mommy does it, so maybe I should do it, but there is something about her.”
Overall, Eva hopes that her contribution to the role and the play as a whole serves as motivation for others to reach for the stars.
“I want them to walk out with hope. I want them to re-vision their dreams. Whatever they were. Whatever they are. To re-see them and then have that thing inside of them say, ‘You know what? I'm going to do that. Whatever dream you put on the back burner, go pick it up.
"Whatever dream you've accomplished, make a new dream, but continue to reach for the stars. Continue to reach for what is beyond what people say we can do, especially as [a] Black collective but especially as Black women. When it comes to us and who we are and what we accept and what we're worth, it's not about having seen it before. It's about knowing that I deserve it.”
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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