Simplicity.
Not my chosen word for 2020, but a perfect fit as it pertains to my toolkit. New year, new me…and all that jazz. This is typically the time I invest in a fancy treadmill upgrade or gym membership. Well this year I’m keeping my exercise equipment ‘as is’ and not investing in new monthly fees that I recognize will be cancelled within a few months. I’m scaling back and – finally – I feel as if I’ve trimmed my needs to actual needs. The fancy-anything has, for the most part, been replaced by quality and functional. So, because I’ve been asked more than once, here are my day-to-day business tools:
Technology
I use a MacBook, 12-13″ (depending on who you talk to). The end. No monitor, no accessories/keyboard/mouse – just the MacBook and a cheap cover off of Amazon. I grasp this setup won’t work for everyone, but I fell in love with this particular device at my last institution and requested the same exact one when I joined TU. It fits in any bag and carries like an iPad. Love. It.
Link: https://amzn.to/2toAflw
Bag
I’ve had it all and I’m done with designer giant bags. I do keep a bright-colored Tory Burch tote in my 
closet, but here is my latest favorite and, why yes, it’s a SAMSONITE. Who would have ever thought? I can recall a peer requesting via Twitter a functional-yet-professional-not-junior-high-student-looking-backpack for an upcoming conference and I was curious about how that could possibly be an adult struggle. Well, here we are. And it’s a struggle. And I’ve found it. For travel, work, weekends. This is the bag for me. It is currently on sale 40% so if you’re in the market join me in my Samsonite love.
Planner
Admittedly I do buy one of these annually. What I love about this year’s selection? It’s about 25% the price of what I normally spend AND SO SMALL. With my actual word of the year being ‘challenge’, I’m challenging myself to be more intentional in every thing I do, to focus on what’s important, whose am I and all the why. I’m tracking my plans, behaviors, goals, activities and, so far, this planner has it all and it’s manageable. I also bought the cute little sticker pack because on the inside I’m forever the 12-year-old obsessed with school supplies, smelly pens and the coolest Trapper Keeper. I bought the planner in rose gold, 5-ish inch by 7-ish inch.
Link to planner: https://amzn.to/2SWXyxc
Link to stickers: https://amzn.to/35nHVBN
So those are my 2020 tools! Also important to note, I’m using the app Zero for my intermittent fasting, will use literally any ballpoint pen until it dies and – thanks word of the year – challenging myself via hash-tagging #dailypaige2020 on Insta and beyond every single day. Sorry about that! VIVA 2020!
My social:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paigeharrisonfrancis/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CIOPaige
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paigefrancis/
Join me!
CIOPaige.com 