For week 20 of the 52 planners in 52 weeks challenge I created a custom planner in Photoshop.

Setting up the week

There were 3 main elements I wanted on the page:

• Blog post planner
• A checklist
• A habit tracker

I created graph paper for the bottom of the planner (I shared a tutorial on how to quickly and easily make it in this post: How to make printable graph paper in Photoshop (perfect for habit tracking and bullet journalling!)

If you want to download this planner page to try it out for yourself, click here.

The printable can also be printed at A5, half letter etc. size if you wanted to use it as a weekly planner instead, or use the full page size version for weekly planning and print a smaller version for weekly meal planning.

Related: Printing tips

Using this weeks spread

I left the layout open ended. The 5 boxes I used for blog posts could be used for Monday to Friday for meal planning with the checklist for a grocery list.

I used a half shaded box for tracking progress of that's weeks blog posts, and shaded in the box completely when the post was finished and scheduled.

Similarly, I used 1 diagonal line when I'd started a task, and a 2nd diagonal line when that task was completed.

The second (line only) method is quicker for tracking tasks but I prefer how much bolder shading in boxes is - it's much easier to see at a glance if a task has been finished.

Related: Using a planner key and symbols to code your planner (efficient planning methods)

I created a habit tracker at the bottom. I started taking some anti-acne tablets that require 3 doses per day. I used a line each time I took a tablet. If there are other habits you need to track multiple times per day e.g. water intake, I wouldn't recommend using this method. It would have been clearer if I'd divided the boxes using horizontal lines rather than diagonal.

I color coded this week - I switched up the colors I normally use as this pack of pens didn't include a purple (what I normally use for social media & behind the scenes blog & business stuff):

• Pink = planners
• Green = blog and my Etsy shop
• Blue = graphic design
• Orange = free products
• Red = habit tracking and behind the scenes business tasks

Related: Planner Organization: How to color-code your planner (so you’ll actually use it effectively)

I did accidentally write out all the tasks for all the categories in the habit tracker in red. I'll admit I didn't want to mess up the page by using whiteout so just went with it. I do much prefer color coding habits as it's easier to see at a glance where you're spending your time on each category (i.e. personal vs. work).

If you have a lot of habits to track, you could create 2 columns in the grid box at the bottom and turn it into 1 big habit tracker.

I opted to split the bottom box into 2.

This created just the right amount of space for dinner plans, but I do find writing on grid paper makes the page look 'busy' and cluttered - hence why I tend to stick with plain lined paper.

Pens Used

I used the Hi-Tec-C Maica. To be honest, I don't really like these pens. They're a needle tip fine tip pen (0.4mm). I bought them online from Bunbougu, although I noticed Officeworks is now selling them individually. They are quite pricey at around $2 - $3 per pen - not worth it in my opinion when there are so many other nicer pens out there that come in more colors!

Related: Ultimate list of the best planner pen brands and how to choose colors for color coding

Would I use this planner again?

No. I know a lot of people love bullet journaling and planning in general on graph / grid paper but I really don't like it. Sure the boxes are handy for drawing a checkbox with straight lines, but I find the grids really irritating otherwise, to be honest. I feel like all the lines make the page look busy and cluttered (even though I made the lines a light grey).

I liked the simplicity of this weeks spread and having everything on just 1 page was convenient, but I'd prefer more space for tasks, I ended up using a sticky note for those random things that pop up throughout the week.

I did like having the separate boxes for planning each post - but I prefer the method I used in week 18 with a separate checklist to track the workflow of each post, rather than just 1 box to track progress as I did for this week's spread.

Want to learn how to make your own printables? I have an ecourse where I teach exactly that :) Click here to learn more.

Download this week's printable and see if it works for you!

Catch up on past weeks of the challenge:

• Week 2: Planning using daily checklists
• Week 11: How to plan your week using Trello
• Week 16: Minimalist 1 page categorised planning using black pen & highlighters
• Week 18: Making a DIY printable planner with a flexible layout

Related Posts:

• How to make a planner bookmark (DIY Page Markers Tutorial)
• How to make planner printables (advice from a planner addict that’s made over 4000 printables)
• How to make a DIY Erin Condren Planner Cover for less than $2 (plus free printable cover)
• Ultimate Comparison: Erin Condren Life Planner versus Plum Paper Planners – Which planner is better?