A few years ago, my friend gifted me with something called a Passion Planner. Initially, I was a little skeptical. I hadn’t used a planner since I was in school, and even then, I didn’t use it much. I had trouble keeping up with them, and eventually I stopped using them altogether.

I don’t know how I got anything done back then. Now, I rely on my planner to keep me motivated.

Setting intentions and reflection are major aspects of witchcraft. A ritual without intention has no meaning, and reflection is essential to knowing who you are, what you believe, and what your intentions even are. Remember, my favorite definition of magic is “applied psychology,” and witchcraft is just applying that psychology with purpose. A planner is a great way to establish that purpose. There are even different kinds of planners. The Passion Planner is my favorite, but there are also academic planners, business and accounting planners, and even planners for witches. I use my planner for the standard planner things: bills, work schedule, menu planning, my writing schedule, and now my workout schedule (more on that later); I also use it for my practice. I set my intentions in my planner during the new moon, and I reflect in my planner by the light of a full moon. I write my rituals in the back of my planner as well as record my tarot readings and interpretations.

There is no wrong way to use a planner; you can use it in any way that works for you. I know some people for whom planners don’t even work at all. My fiancé is one of them. I bought him a Passion Planner to match mine last year, and he didn’t find much use for it except for the occasional drawing or grocery list. Being an artist who thinks more in images than in words, something like a vision board might work a little better for him. A vision board is another intention setting tool many witches use. I personally don’t like them, except on specific projects. I find them vague and less likely to motivate me as they are to shame me for being an underachiever. If you are interested in trying a vision board here’s a decent guide to building one.

Whether you use a vision board or a planner, it won’t work if you don’t use it (or look at it, I guess, in the case of a vision board). Planners require a certain level of commitment; making a plan won’t do you any good if you don’t keep to the plan in some shape or form. It took me years to learn that lesson. Honestly, I’m that much better for having learned it.