Guest Post by Josh: Eva Gabor on marriage

“Marriage is too interesting an experiment to be tried only once.”

The preceding quote is attributed to Eva Gabor, who married five times.  I was turning this witty line over in my mind and it made me think of planners and how we use them.  In some ways, we all are looking for The One, the planner which will do it all and do it perfectly.  The planner which will, miraculously, give us the writing space of a large sheet of paper but fit into a pocket or small purse.  The planner which will make us superefficient, perfectly organized model people, admired by all.  The planner which will correct all of our personality flaws, eliminate fine-lines and wrinkles, improve sex-drive, and minimize cellulite.

Eva’s take on this is so healthy and frees us from all of these absurd expectations.  In romance or in planners, you seek the best match you can find.  If it doesn’t work out, you can try something new.  The process of trying different planners is exciting and makes the process of using a planner engaging.

In the 1970s, Italian dancer/show girl/pop star Raffaella Carrà sang “e se ti lascia lo sai che si fa; trovi un altro più bello, che problemi non ha.”  Translated, this basically says “if he leaves you, find another more handsome without the BS.”  And I think it’s healthy to apply this thinking to your planner.  Definitely seek out the best for your needs.  And then make the effort to make adjustments to make it work.  But if it doesn’t work, move on and start over.  

Of course, with a planner it is acceptable to change because you’ve become bored.  You can leave your current planner for weeks, months, or years and return and pick up where you left off.  And unlike marriage, it is perfectly fine to have multiple planners.  For the past few years I would sell off unused planners when I found something better.  Sometimes I would later regret that decision.  I have finally given myself permission to own several; some fit my needs better at different times.