Plan With Me: March Week 1 Setup — Dusty Lavender & Sage (Full Process!)

This is the ritual that gets me through Monday-to-Friday. The "I've got this" feeling before the week even starts. And this week? We're doing dusty lavender + sage green and I am OBSESSED with how calming this combo is. Let's GO.

Step 1: Choosing the Color Scheme (5 minutes of indecision, then certainty)

I pulled out my washi tape collection — all 47+ rolls, yes I counted, no I'm not sorry — and landed on this dusty lavender stripe pattern I found at Michael's last month. It's got these thin sage green accent lines that just... *chef's kiss*... tie everything together.

Why this palette: I need calming energy for the first week of March. Dusty lavender = creative flow without chaos. Sage green = grounded, organized, "I can handle this." Together? Planner peace.

Step 2: Monthly Overview Touch-Up (10 minutes)

Before I dive into the weekly, I always check my March monthly spread. I add any new appointments that came in this week, color-code them (purple for work, green for personal, gold for fun stuff), and make sure I know what's coming.

Quick monthly ritual:

• Check last week's unfinished tasks — do they move to this week or get cut?
• Review upcoming deadlines — anything I forgot about?
• Add birthdays, appointments, that random Tuesday meeting that keeps moving

Step 3: The Weekly Spread Setup (25 minutes of pure joy)

Here's my full process, step by step:

Layout Choice: Time-Blocked Columns

This is my GO-TO layout for busy weeks. Vertical columns, one per day, with time blocks for morning/afternoon/evening. Here's how I draw it:

The Grid:

• Draw 6 vertical lines to create 7 columns (Monday through Sunday, plus a "notes" column)
• Horizontal headers at top: "Week of March 3" in brush lettering
• Each day column: time blocks at 8am, 12pm, 4pm, and 8pm markers
• Bottom section: "Wins This Week" box + habit tracker strip

Header: Brush Lettering Time!

Tombow Dual Brush Pen 623 (Purple Sage) for "Week of" — I use the brush tip for the downstrokes and the fine tip for the rest. "March 3" in print using the fine tip. The contrast makes it pop without being extra.

Washi Tape Borders

Left side of the spread: one strip of that dusty lavender stripe washi. That's IT. I used to go wild with borders but honestly? One clean strip adds structure without visual overwhelm. The sage accent lines in the tape pick up the header color perfectly.

Day Headers

Zebra Mildliner Mild Lavender for the day names (Mon, Tue, Wed...) at the top of each column. These highlighters are THE BEST — soft color, no bleed-through on Leuchtturm paper, and they don't dry out like other brands.

Time Block Dividers

Light pencil lines at 8am, 12pm, 4pm, 8pm in each day column. Not full grid lines — just faint tick marks so I know where to write. Keeps it clean but structured.

"Wins This Week" Box

Bottom right corner, framed with the same dusty lavender washi tape. This is NON-NEGOTIABLE for me. Every Sunday, I look back and write 3 things that went RIGHT. Not what I crossed off — what went WELL. Changes the whole mindset.

Habit Tracker Strip

Bottom left, horizontal strip with 5 habits I'm tracking this month: water, movement, reading, early bedtime, and "create something" (could be planner doodles, could be cooking, anything). Small boxes for each day, filled in each night. Takes 30 seconds, keeps me accountable.

Step 4: Pre-Filling Known Stuff (10 minutes)

Now the practical part. I fill in:

• Work meetings (purple ink)
• Personal appointments (green ink)
• Deadlines and deliverables
• Social plans and date night
• One "blank" time block per day for spontaneous stuff — because life happens

Leaving white space is INTENTIONAL. An over-full planner is a stressed planner. I learned this the hard way.

Step 5: Decoration & Finishing Touches (10 minutes)

This is where it gets fun but not excessive:

• Small plant stickers in the corners (Pipsticks, "Tiny Botanicals" sheet)
• One quote sticker: "Small steps every day" on the notes column
• Highlighter accents on the time block headers
• A tiny coffee cup doodle because Saturday morning vibes

Know when to stop. I set a timer — 10 minutes MAX for decoration. Otherwise I'd be here for 2 hours and that's not the point.

The Full Supply List

The Splurge-Worthy Stuff:

• Leuchtturm1917 A5 Dotted Notebook — $20 (worth every penny, paper quality is unmatched)
• Tombow Dual Brush Pen 623 (Purple Sage) — $3 each
• Zebra Mildliner Highlighters (Mild Lavender + Mild Green) — $12 for set of 5
• Sakura Pigma Micron 03 (black, for writing) — $3

The Budget Alternatives That Work Just As Well:

• Crayola Super Tips markers for brush lettering — $6 for 20 colors (yes, really, they work)
• Any dotted notebook from Amazon Basics or Michael's store brand — $8-12
• Crayola highlighters (the skinny ones, not the chunky ones) — $3 for 6
• Any fine-tip pen you already own — $0

The Washi & Stickers:

• Dusty Lavender Stripe Washi Tape — $4 at Michael's (check for 40% off coupons!)
• Pipsticks "Tiny Botanicals" sticker sheet — $4
• Budget alternative: Any solid color washi from the dollar store — $1, works fine

Total time spent: 45 minutes (including coffee refills and Mr. Darcy walking across my spread twice because he's helpful like that)

Why This Layout Actually Works

I've tried minimalist spreads. I've tried maximalist spreads. This is the sweet spot:

The time blocks prevent overcommitting. When I can SEE that Tuesday afternoon is already full, I don't say yes to that "quick call" that always runs long.

The "Wins" box forces perspective. I'm a task-oriented person — I love crossing things off. But that can turn into "I didn't do enough" real fast. The Wins box reminds me that productivity isn't the only measure of a good week.

The color scheme sets the tone. This dusty lavender + sage combo? It makes me CALM when I open the planner. That's the whole point. If your planner stresses you out, something's wrong.

Habit tracking without obsession. Five habits, simple checkboxes, no complicated graphs. I either did it or I didn't. No judgment, just awareness.

The Saturday Morning Magic

Here's the thing nobody tells you: the setup IS the planning. By the time I've drawn the grid, chosen the colors, written the headers — I already KNOW my week. I've mentally walked through it. The appointments are in my head. The deadlines are real. The white space is protected.

When Monday morning comes, I don't panic. I open my planner and it's all there. The structure. The color. The calm. The "I've got this."

That's why I do this every Saturday. Not because I have to. Because it WORKS. Because it makes the week feel handleable before it even starts.

Community Question: I Want to See YOURS!

Okay now I want to know — how long does YOUR setup take? Are you a 15-minute minimalist who draws three lines and calls it done? (Valid.) Are you a 2-hour maximalist with watercolor headers and hand-drawn illustrations? (Also valid.) Or somewhere in between?

Drop a comment with:

• Your average setup time
• Your color scheme for March Week 1
• One supply you CANNOT plan without

Tag @artsyagenda in your spread photos — I genuinely love seeing what you create. Your planner, your rules, always. 💜

Now go set up your week. You've got this.

— Lina ☕📓