Lists, plans and goals: get organised with print

Getting organised is a common New Year's resolution, but there's much to be gained from putting strategies in place to stay on top of our busy lives all year round. It's not just about daily planners either – with a bit of creative thinking, it's possible to harness the power of print to create all sorts of excellent resources to help manage life's many challenges. 

This could be as simple as shopping lists or meal plans to help you remember everything you need at the supermarket, or a gratitude journal that enables you to keep a record of all the things you're thankful for. Or perhaps a mood tracker, so you can look back on what might be affecting your mental health. 

Whatever the goal, Canon's range of PIXMA printers can help you hone your organisational skills and get creative in the process.

Creating lists, plans and goals can be about much more than quickly writing things down and checking them off. Based in Portsmouth, UK, Temi Manning discovered journaling to help manage her mental health and has built an impressive social following sharing her beautifully illustrated bullet journals. "It was a way of being mindful and also doing something I enjoy while getting my buzzing thoughts down on paper," she explains. Bullet journals are a means of recording all manner of life goals and achievements, from the exercise you've done and the food you've eaten, to books you'd like to read or films you want to watch.

For Temi, journaling and planning is now a way of life and she's found that creating your own journal or planner, and mapping out whatever it is you wish to achieve, can make your goals seem less daunting. "I would not function as effectively without it," she says. "It's important because it motivates me, it keeps me organised, and I get to enjoy being mindful in creativity, making beautiful pages and setups while inspiring others to do the same."

Here, she shares her tips and techniques on how you can become more efficient and creative using print.

Temi often customises her journals and affirmation entries with hand-drawn illustrations, but you can also search for ready-made designs, which you can then print and add to your pages. A simple way to showcase your personal creative style, as suggested by Temi, is to pick a theme for each month. This could be vibrant patterns, specific colours or a subject matter, such as Temi's coffee/autumn theme for October. "I use these as decoration on each page and spend an evening laying them out for the week ahead," she says.

There are countless downloadable templates, patterns and designs on the Creative Park website and Creative Park app, which can be printed in various sizes on the different paper types compatible with PIXMA printers. It's possible to add borders to brighten up your meal plans while colourful patterned papers make for flashy homemade calendars. If you try something and don't like it, it's easy to recycle the old design and start again.

"With Creative Park, I can search from a wide library of pre-made designs, and quickly download these ready to print through the Canon PRINT app or directly using the Creative Park app," explains Temi. "I fell in love with the cafe-style wall set – I love the bold, modern design and the variety of illustrations. I also used the Paris bird cage designs to decorate my kitchen."

The scan option on the PIXMA TS7440a is great for duplicating pages, so you don't have to create a brand new spread every week if you don't have time. You could also use this feature to create copies of your own designs and illustrations, which you can then print multiple versions of to add to your projects.

With the help of the Canon PRINT app, it's also possible to print designs straight from your smartphone in your desired sizes, setup and paper type, too. While Temi's designs were mostly printed on Canon Matte Photo Paper, the Canon Magnetic Photo Paper is ideal for sticking lists to your magnetic surfaces at home.

The beauty of making journals at home with products such as the Canon PIXMA TS7440a is that anyone can have a go. "Being able to print out all these designs is great if you want to save time and enjoy being creative with a library of downloads at your disposal," says Temi.

She also suggests the best way to commit to your plans is to turn organisation into a routine. "I create my journal pages with my illustrations and designs every Sunday evening ready for the week ahead. I make a cup of tea, relax at my desk and enjoy the process."

Unlike the average shop-bought planner, homemade organisational tools offer the chance to explore creative and affordable outcomes, giving a sense of value to your daily, monthly and yearly plans. It's not just about the finished product either; you can enjoy the process and in future look back at everything you've achieved.


Written by Rowan Davies