Organizing your life can be overwhelming. That's why the more enjoyable you can make it, the more likely you will be able to be a successful planner. And some say that "creative types" are spacey and all over the place and less likely to get things done. That's just not true. Anyone can become a creative planner, and creatives can be organized. Here are some tips to give more creative flow to your daily routine, and help you to be a better planner:

1) Get in the habit of starting your morning with a journal. You can use the "morning pages" technique advocated by Julia Cameron in her book The Artist's Way (three pages of unfiltered stream-of-consciousness writing), or you can develop your own style. It's good to start with some gratitude sentences at first, and then move forward from there. In the journal process you can develop visions and plans for the future, and embellish them using colored pencils, markers and stickers. 

2) Use collage to pull together colors, shapes and images. Become a master of clips and textures. A collage is a great metaphor for a busy life, and collaging can tell the brain that things are coming together into a creative whole. The process of sorting and organizing can be therapeutic, and also set foundation for planning - including prioritizing and getting the design for your day / month / year down on a calendar or in a notebook, 

3) Enjoy the process of identifying new planning tools. I enjoy going to art supply stores and seeing what speaks to me. It may be a type of pad or paper, paint, or a notecard. Wandering the store can be inspiring, and as you walk overcome that inner critic and affirm to yourself "I am an artist!" Other fun stores are bike shops (love the smell!) and independent bookstores, whose titles can spark the imagination. 

Claiming your identity as a creative planner can transform an otherwise boring process. Allow yourself to imagine broad horizons, put them down on paper, and then rein them in for action.