Simple and Functional September 2025 Planner Setup

The start of a new month is the perfect opportunity for a fresh start. Taking a little time to intentionally set up your planner can transform it from a blank book into a functional roadmap for the weeks ahead. It’s a simple routine that helps me quiet the chaos and begin the month feeling prepared and in control.

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In this post, I’m sharing my step-by-step process for setting up my Erin Condren LifePlanner for September. If you’d like to see the entire process in action, be sure to watch the full video on my YouTube channel (linked below)!

A Fresh Look for a New Month

To keep my system feeling fresh and inviting, I like to change my planner’s cover each month. It’s a small thing, but it gives me a reason to play with my planner and stay organized. For September, I’m using this pretty blue and purple cover with a needlepoint look. And I chose to also change to the Wisteria clear folio to complement the month’s purple tones.

My Monthly Planning Process

My setup routine is a simple flow of looking ahead, connecting to my goals, and setting up my pages to be as functional as possible for the month to come.

Step 1: Gather All Dates & Appointments

Before I write anything down, I gather all of my plans and appointments. This gives me a bird’s-eye view of our commitments so nothing gets missed.

• Year-at-a-Glance: I start by checking the yearly overview in the front of my planner for important dates. For September, this includes no-school days on the 1st and 19th.
• Perpetual Calendar: Next, I reference my perpetual calendar for birthdays and anniversaries. This month, we’re celebrating our anniversary on the 7th and my son’s birthday on the 9th.
• Pre-Planning Notes: Throughout the month, I use a sticky note on the monthly spread to jot down plans as they come up. I transfer all of these items into their permanent spots on the calendar.

Step 2: Set Up Monthly Goals (The Tending List)

Before setting up my dashboard, I set up my Tending List on the adjacent notes page. I find it helpful to have my goals right next to my monthly overview. I create simple headers for “Monthly Actions,” “Weekly Rhythms,” and “Daily Habits” and then transfer my goals from my PowerSheets.

This month, my simple goals are:

• Monthly Actions: Organize our finances, celebrate our family, and plan content for Quarter 4.
• Weekly Rhythms: Review the budget, attend my son’s tennis matches, attend Bible study, and attend church in person.
• Daily Habits: Bible time, learning Italian, and exercise.

I love using my own handwriting for this. It feels more personal and connected than a sticker, and it embraces the idea that our planners don’t have to be perfect works of art to be functional and beautiful.

Step 3: Design a Functional Dashboard

With my goals in place, I set up my monthly dashboard to serve as my command center for the month. I use a simple strip of washi tape to create clean headers and then add script stickers for each section. This month’s dashboard includes:

• To-Do List: This is where I migrate any larger homekeeping tasks for the month from my “12 boxes” page at the front of the planner. For September, this includes ordering and replacing our fridge filter, cleaning the laundry machines, and putting down new mulch.
• School: A place to keep track of important school dates, like my son’s algebra tests.
• Faith: I reserve a spot for my scripture verse of the month.
• Formula 1: We are big F1 fans, so I created a small chart to track the qualifying and race times for the month.

The Tools I Used

• Planner: Erin Condren Dashboard Layout LifePlanner with a Wisteria Folio.
• Stickers: Script stickers and icon stickers from PlannerKate (use my coupon code KK20 to save 20%!)
• Markers: I used the Erin Condren Dual-Tip Markers and a Dual-Tip Highlighter. For September’s purple theme, the official color is Amethyst, but the Heather and Purple markers are also great options .
• Washi Tape: Erin Condren washi tape.
• Printable Sticky Notes: My own printable sticky notes coming very soon to the shop, including the Cleaning Checklist and the new Sidebar Mini Calendars (subscribe to the newsletter for a heads up on when these release!)

Taking these simple steps to set up my month helps me feel prepared and ready for whatever the weeks ahead may bring. I hope this gives you some simple ideas for your own monthly planning routine!

Watch the Full Routine in Action

If you are a visual planner and want to see exactly how this all comes together, you can watch the full step-by-step video below. I’ll walk you through the entire process in my planner, from changing my cover to filling out my goals and dashboard for the month.

Note: If you can’t watch this video, it may be currently only available as early-access or as an exclusive for my channel members. Please consider joining! More details here.