Pocket Planner Freebie

It’s been awhile. A lot has changed and not much has changed. My Hobonichi Planner is still my main planner to keep my life together. However, I added a friend to the system. I use a pocket planner from Van der Speck or a passport size notebook. I like both of these because they fit in my pocket at work. I often have patients ask me when I will be out of the office, or I need to refer to some info. This little book is perfect. It keeps a monthly calendar, which is a must. I also include a weekly calendar. Many shops on etsy create amazing inserts, but the weekly just wasn’t what I needed. I also wanted one that would allow me to add graphics so my pages are pretty and don’t “require” decoration. Now I consider myself a functional planner, but I want my planner pretty. This isn’t new, I’ve been this way since high school.

Pocket WO2P Insert Pocket WO2P

So , I made an insert that will allow me to make weekly pages that work for me and allow me to change the theme as often as I would like. So, I wanted to share them with you. This is a blank Word file. It is yours to manipulate as you see fit. I do ask that you are respectful and do not take credit for the work.

To add graphics, I place the picture on the week in the location I like. Then using the “Format Picture” function, I change the transparency until the image is the way I desire it to be. Once my images are placed, I then right click on the grid, select “Arrange”, and bring to front. This allows the picture to be in the background, but visible.

Enjoy!

Planners can be functional, and pretty

Today’s trend in the Planner Community is for “pretty planning” or “functional planning”. You will find several people on YouTube, Instagram, and in Facebook groups sharing how you can keep your planner functional, but beautiful. In general, women like things pretty, and there is nothing wrong with that. Even Franklin Covey has several lines of planners that are beautiful, but intended for function. The real question is Why? Why do you decorate (or not decorate your planner)?

Since I do decorate my planner, I am not an appropriate judge of why you wouldn’t. I’ve made my planner pretty since I was a freshman in high school. That is who I am and that is what I do. Now granted in high school paper crafting was not a thing and sticker choices were limited, so my style of decor was very different. My planner was a spiral bound weekly planner with a green cover. I HATE GREEN! Forgive me, but I do. I love green in nature, and that is about it. So looking at the outside of my planner wasn’t a joy, so the inside is where I turned my attention. I used markers, colored pencils, and doodling to make the planner something that I would want to open. My planner kept track of practices, tests, homework assignments, and everything else high school kids do. It was also a place to be creative.

Fast forward to college and I got my first Franklin Planner. It was a beautiful black zip binder in compact and I felt so professional. I used this binder for years, though now I really only needed (or only used) monthly pages. I kept lists and reference documents in the other sections. I still used this planner when I was first married and scrapbooking started on the scene. I bought a few sheets of scrapbook paper and decorated my dividers. I still have this planner and I still have those dividers and it is a wonderful trip down memory lane.

Today’s planner is my Hobonichi Planner. I love that it is a blank slate that allows me to use it how it is best for me. Today’s planner is very decorated. For the purist, they may miss the function for the stamps and stickers, but for me, its those decorations that make me want to open my planner and peruse my pages. And that is the answer to my why. That is why I decorate my planner, because it makes me want to open it up and see what is inside. Regardless of the type of planner and whether it is decorated or not, if it isn’t opened, it isn’t useful.

The moral of the story: don’t worry about others, worry about you. You will know how much decor is too much or too little. Our planners are intended to serve us, not be a method of comparison and stress. So, enjoy the journey and enjoy this time of so many options.

Hobonichi, notebook, or rings?

For us in the planner community, this is an exciting time, yet it is overwhelming too. I’ve planned since high school. For the majority of my life this occurred in a Franklin Covey compact, then the years of the Palm Pilot I went digital. Now after my Palm Pilot crashed and I had to call to retrieve all my appointments, I haven’t been solely digital since. Now I realize today we have the cloud and things happen magically. However, I share the calendars with my husband and he has a way of deleting things that don’t pertain to him. My paper planners, just me. Besides, the act of writing down what I need to do and reading what I need to do helps me get things done (even if I don’t physically mark them off).

About five years ago I moved from a ring planner to an Erin Condren. The Life Planner is an amazing planner and I loved it, but it just wasn’t me. It was too big, I couldn’t really add to it, and I didn’t like the layout. That is when my time feeling lost in planning began. Since then, I’ve wanted a permanent home, like I had with my Franklin Covey (darn you “shiny object syndrome”). What I learned using the Erin Condren, I hate rings! At least I hate writing in rings. When it comes to reference and viewing, rings are my preferred way of doing things. So, the elusive journey for “planner peace” continues.

Here is what I learned, and I’ve heard Carie Harling and MissVickybee state the same information. I have a system that works. I can do it on a napkin, in a binder, in a notebook, in a bound book. What really matters is I write everything down and read everything. While this is common sense, this is a line from Anne Ortlund’s book “The Disciplines of a Beautiful Woman” that really stuck with me. When I forget to do things, or I just don’t do them, it is because I didn’t write it down, and/or I didn’t read it.

Inserts I created

My journey has come to three paths. Last year I had a different “planner” every 3-4 weeks. What I learned to hate is duplication! Duplication is my nemesis. So, listening to the advice of the brilliant ladies (and gents) in the planner community, have ONE calendar. Okay, that is common sense too! Why am I making this so hard! So I decided that my personal size ring binder would be “Home Base”. This would house my monthly calendar, references for goals and planning, and has the ability to change as my needs change. By selecting “Home Base”, I can change planners weekly if I want. I can use a #2 FoxyFix this week, my Hobonichi next week, and be back in rings the following. This can be done with little duplication.

Van der Spek standard with Sew Much Crafting inserts

So, using the one calendar concept, whether I chose to use a monthly book, my Hobo, or rings, I only copy and duplicate the month. That is way less overwhelming than trying to copy days and weeks (unfortunately I have an issue with incompleteness). Also, I am less likely to let something drop through the cracks because I know where my official calendar is located. It is with me most days, though it may not go into stores and other facilities with me.

Hobonichi Planner

This method is working. It also allows me to change as my tastes change without the guilt of not using (or under using) planners. If you haven’t seen the VeganOrganizer’s video about this, I do recommend it. Future posts I will share my struggle between my Hobonichi and rings (and why the notebooks have been out of the running). I will also share what and how I duplicate, and why. I will also do a post on how I am using the Jibun Techo mini. Then I think I will do a post on paper vs. digital planning for me. While I think planning is a highly personal decision, I think it helps to read and hear the thoughts of others, so you can recognize your own thoughts.

Download of insert I created: bujo-personal-graph

One Book July 2016

After much thought, I’ve decided to participate in #onebookjuly2016

FoxyFix Sienna, Darling, Rowena 2.0

I came to this decision because I’ve gone back to a notebook for my everyday everything. My Hobonichi planner is still in use (but has become too precious to carry always). So I have my notebook with me at all times. In the last six weeks I’ve used a pocket, personal, wide, and A5. There are advantages and disadvantages to each size.I’m happy to expand on this idea, however I feel the size of notebook is such a personal decision.
Why did I decide to give #onebookjuly2016 a try? I’m traveling at the end of this month and I wasn’t about to take 4-6 books with me. So I am using a Foxy Notebook 5×7 as a bullet journal. While I love the Planner Perfect Method by Jenny Penton, the Bujo meets my needs in a smaller space and it is easier to switch notebooks as my tastes and needs change. What is beautiful about the Planner Perfect Method, the theory sticks, regardless of how you do your planning. Every task, every event is about designing a life you will love.

Sojourner trifold in seed

I LOVE my pocket traveler’s notebook. This size really meets my needs and is just so portable. While I am challenging myself to use one book, I will still carry my pocket TN because I would miss her if I didn’t.

So, for #onebookjuly2016, I am using my 5×7 Foxy Notebook. While the cover may change, I plan to keep my setup the same. Later I will give details of my layout.

Today’s layout

I adore my Hobo and I feel so much of me is in it. I love having the option to change that the FN provides. So we will see, can I use just one (two) books.

Note, since my Hobo will not be with me always, I plan to reconcile it on Sunday’s. Next year I plan to get another Hobonichi Planner, though I plan to do more of a journaling approach to the planning. So my Hobo will likely not be carried. What is beautiful, my planning system fits wonderfully in both vessels. I will write a post about my system once I feel I can communicate it effectively.

Ramblings on Hobonichi

I’m a girly, girl and I like change (at least some change). Like some women, I like to change my purses to reflect my mood or coordinate with my outfit. My traveler’s notebooks, planners, and Hobonichis are no different. I have a variety of tastes, so I have a variety of covers. If I could only pick one type of cover, a supple, pliable, gorgeous brown will always be my go to choice (think Filofax Madlen in Ochre). I am going to share a variety of ramblings on the Hobonichi and ultimately share some of the covers I have so far. I won’t do reviews at this time, but some day I might.

As I’ve recently mentioned, I have become obsessed with my Hobonichis. I have a Hobonichi Cousin (my main planner), a Hobonichi Planner (my daily journal), and a second Hobonichi Planner that now serves as my every day carry. I will be completely honest, the Hobonichi Cousin meets all my needs. It has sufficient room for planning and I have space for daily journaling. I ended up with three Hobonichis because my plans changed in November and I had already placed my order opening day in September.

So what was my original plan? In 2015 I used a Hobonichi Planner as my journal and I fell in love. The little book, I just enjoyed holding it, writing in it, and looking through it. So I decided I would get another Hobonichi Planner for journaling in 2016. I loved the idea of one year of planning in one book, so I decided on the Hobonichi Cousin as my planner. I was also playing with my work system, so I ordered a Hobonichi Planner to record my daily To Do’s and calls at work. Some day I will do a post on how I organize myself at work, because I have found a system that seems to work.

Around November I decided to return to my “old” vessel for organization at work (system didn’t change, just the vessel). The Filofax Malden in personal really is a good vessel to hold my vessel. Plus I adore my Malden and I need an excuse just to hold it every day. Since I decided I would use my Malden for work, I now had an extra Hobonichi Planner. For me, my go to sizes are Pocket, A6, and Personal. Books in that range really sing to my heart and that is a size that I know I will carry with me. The Hobonichi Cousin is amazing and well designed, but the A6 size kept tugging at my heart. Enter my conflict of planning for 2016. So for 6-8 weeks, I trailed the A5 and A6 size for planning. January 1st i really hadn’t made a decision, but I did decide to use the Cousin, a decision I don’t regret.

What is unlike me, I now have two planners for the same purpose. I hate duplication and I fear I will forget something if I do duplicate. So why am I using a Hobonichi Planner and Hobonichi Cousin for the same purpose? Great question! All I can say now is because I still cannot decide between the two. Right now I am enjoying playing in both books, even if it is a duplication. To make this work, I have to have one primary, one go to location, and that is my Cousin. Will I spend the entire year going back and forth between the two? I don’t know. What I do know, both will meet my needs, I just need to use the one that sings to my heart, and right now that is both of them.

Hobonichi Planning Resources

I belong to several groups on Facebook and these groups are great resources for learning what is new and what is out there. Although I see that people tend to ask the same questions and we want to see examples of how people use their Hobonichi as a planner.

While many English users of the Hobonichi state they do not see the Hobonichi as a planner, they see it as a journal, I happen to think it is the best for planning. You get plenty of space in a lightweight, compact format. At the end of the year, if you keep your planners, you have one book to archive. All the pages are bound together so you don’t have to worry about loose pages that can be lost. The format really is a shell, so you can change the format to one of your dreams, and if your needs change the next day, you can change it again. It is beautiful with just words on the page and it is beautiful when artistic elements are added. As the Hobonichi developer said, it is a park and each person can make it specific to them.

Hobonichi on Social Media

Hobonichi on Instagram Social media is a great resource for gather different ways of using the Hobonichi as a planner. Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube are my go to choices. Tumblr and Pinterest are other places to look for inspiration.

The three groups on Facebook that I really like for inspiration are: Hobonichi Strictly Planning, Hobonichi Users, and Fauxbonichi Journalers. Since I use somewhat of a bullet journal format in my Hobonichi, Bullet Journal Junkies is another group where I gain inspiration.

Instagram also has a pretty developed community of users and you get to see the range of Hobonichi uses. Tags to search for: #Hobonichi, #Hobonichisp, #HobonichiCousin, #HobonichiPlanner. I’m @momofcurt on Instagram and I use my Hobonichi as my planner and that is how I feature it when I post about my Hobo. @choosingbliss has great posts on how she uses her Hobonichi. Other users I recommend: @tinkerworld, @kristinatheengineer.

YouTube is a great resource for Hobonichi, though it is difficult to find channels that use the Hobonichi as a planner. I really like how the VeganOrganizer, FroggiesTN, TheSassyPineapple, ScrapJoy, OhaiJoy, BiancaNDM, and PoochieBaby display the use of their Hobonichi as a planner.

Personalizing the Hobonichi

The Hobonichi can be whatever you want it to be. It can be thin or chunky. It can be sophisticated or whimsical. It can be moderate or expensive. It can be decked out or plain. It can house journaling, art, or planning. It can even house all three. It can be used as a notebook, project planner, or tracker. The options are endless and are only limited by your imagination. This really is a book that can be all things to all people (I am bias of course. Some people have not fell in love with the Hobo as I fell in love with mine).

Covers for the Hobonichi are more numerous than the uses. Hobonichi sells covers for their Hobonichis that change each year. This means there is an endless line of designs and styles for all sizes. etsy and eBay are other places to look for Hobonichi covers. You can get covers made of leather or fabric. You can even find covers that are no longer being sold on the Hobonichi site. AliExpress sells covers at relatively inexpensive prices. Searching for refillable A5 journals on Amazon will present you with some options. Traveler’s Notebook designers are also starting to design covers for the Hobonichi. I have one from FoxyFix that I am anxiously waiting to receive. Even your local stores have options: Barnes and Nobles, Staples, Walmart, and Meijer have refillable planners and journals that can house the Hobonichi Cousin. Midair MD, Filofax Flex, and Franklin Covey wire bound are other places to look. You can even leave your Hobo naked. The Hobonichi Planner (English version) is especially amenable to this idea with its gorgeous black cover. While the cover of the Cousin isn’t visually pleasing, it can be made into something beautiful through painting, Modge Podge, or contact paper.

Tools for the Hobonichi

Many tools and toys are created for the Hobonichi, but all you really need is a pen or pencil. What is amazing about the Tomoe River paper is it can take almost anything that you can throw at it. While many pens may shadow, few actually bleed through. Copic markers are notorious for bleeding through the page. The paper can withstand a variety of inks, but patience (or a blotter) is essential due to longer dry times to prevent smudging. I recommend using one of the pages in the back as a ink test page. This is where you can really see what your Hobo can handle. If you search ink test, you will find many people that have already done much of the testing for you.

Hobonichi makes some great “tools and toys” for their books. The stencils for me are a must have. As a matter of fact I now have two complete sets of stencils for both of my Hobos and a third green stencil for my Traveler’s Notebook. The Midori Brass rulers are another great option. If you search for Bullet Journal stencils on etsy, you will find some options that may work for you (be careful, sometimes the stencils are actually quite large-think wide ruled notebook paper).

A search on etsy will present you with unlimited options of tools for the Hobonichi. Atelier Dreams makes wonderful stamps. Sweet Kawaii Designs makes fabulous stickers. You can find washi tape in every size and design you could imagine. Other places you can look are the stamps from Studio l2e, Sakuralala, and Marion Smith Designs.

My go to items: Coleto four barrel pen in 0.38, mechanical pencil in 0.38, TWSBI mini with extra fine nib, Noodlers xfeather ink and Diamine Ox Blood ink, Hobonichi clock stamp, Studio l2e and Atelier Dreams stamps, Prima chalk ink, and skinny washi tape. My planner is my planner. The washi tape is functional, it visually divides the two sections of my Hobonichi. The stamps are functional, they are how I track certain items. The pens and pencils, they are what brings me joy while writing.

Types of Hobonichi

The Hobonichi site does a great job of explaining the differences between the various Hobonichis. I have the Hobonichi Planner (x2), Hobonichi Cousin, and Hobonichi Weeks. I will start with the Weeks. It is a great size and great format, but it just isn’t me. Two years ago this would have been perfect. Two years ago I had less responsibilities. Now I use a separate work planner (Filofax Malden) that I will do a review on someday. So until two years ago, I mainly just had to keep track of a few meetings, Bible Study, and my son’s practices and games. I have more that I am responsible for that isn’t specific to work, so I need a different format. The A6 Hobonichi comes in the original and Planner. The Planner is the English version and the grid is a little larger than the Japanese versions. Note, the green stencil does not line up perfectly in the English version, but you can still make it work. The Cousin is the only Hobonichi that has the yearly view, monthly view, weekly view, and daily view. It has the same grid size as the original, so the green stencil works perfectly! If you want to split up your years, Hobonichi also has the avec versions.

My use

My last blog post about my 2016 setup I go into detail about how I will use my Hobonichi Cousin. Two weeks later and this setup is still working quite well. I chose the Cousin this year because of the additional responsibilities that will be added to my year. The A6 works perfectly for me as well with the addition of the A6 Weeks book. I do have artistic elements in my Hobo. They are mostly function (washi and stamps). However the extra space I will use to practice drawing, stamp images to color, or practice watercoloring. Outside of my monthly pages, I do not decorate in advance, all decorative elements are added after.

For now, I have found my planner love. This is of course always subject to change, but I am on my third month and I am still pleased. Fortunately in today’s planner world, we have many options for when our tastes and needs change.

I am sorry for the exceptionally lengthy post. My goal is to help anyone that is looking into the Hobonichi. I am still somewhat of a newbie (2016 is my second year), but hopefully the newness helps me remember the questions people ask. Have a beautiful day and week.

Danyel

My 2016 Setup

That’s a pretty bold statement! I feel I can be bold because I do feel like I will at least use the same book all year. Now the layout may change as my needs change or when I get bored with the current layout, but I do feel confident that I will use my Hobonichi Cousin all year.

Daily Layout in the Hobonichi Cousin

Why am I focusing on planning and planners. Simple, while my house is organized, my brain is not. I’m not sure what changed last year that I could no longer remember anything or why my old methods simply were not working. I teach my patients all the time how to augment their memory (our meds cause short term memory loss), so it was time for me to put into practice what I continually teach.

Planning

Anyone that know me is stunned that I don’t use my iPhone as my planner. It is great to add appointments on the spot. It is always with me. It has nifty reminders for when I arrive and leave. I can color code to my heart’s content. If I don’t like the native calendar app I have thousand more options in the App Store. With all of these neat features, it has one significant drawback for me, I don’t use it. I’ve tried a couple of times over the years (going back to my Palm Pilot) to use an electronic calendar exclusively. The problem isn’t putting in all the data, the problem was I just didn’t look at it. So I fell back on the one method that has worked since middle school, I wrote things down.

Things changed in the last couple of years; I gained more responsibilities and my son got busier. Where a monthly calendar was sufficient before, I needed more space for more details now. Also, with my workload increasing with my home activities, I could no longer depend one book to keep it all. (I will write about my work changes in a future post).

I need a monthly page. I need a daily or weekly page. With my Hobonichi Cousin, I get all three. To be honest, I don’t look at all three pages every day. I look at my monthly page when I need to glance what is coming up in the next couple of weeks. Each Sunday I plan my following week using the weekly layout. This gives me an idea of what my week will look like (or should look like) so I can plan routine tasks for less busy days. I do include work meetings and the clinic schedule in my weekly pages. If I have a lot of patients in clinic, I know I will be tired that evening and not productive, so I will need to plan tasks for a different day.

Weekly view for a slow week

Then each day I focus on the daily page. I do write down the appointments on my daily page. If I don’t have any appointments, I celebrate by using that space for a quote or to stamp an image. The right side of the appointment section I use like I used my monthly plan books or the A6 Hobonichi. I write everything down, what I did, need to do, tasks I want to accomplish, thoughts, ideas, everything! At the top where the section for top tasks are located, I use this for gratitude. This is something I missed when I moved from my bullet journal to the monthly plan books. The bottom section of the page is my free for all. It isn’t for my private, daily journaling. That goes in a separate A6 Hobonichi. Some days I may use it for journaling, I could use it for notes or ideas, or I can draw. I like having a section that will allow me to play as I see fit.

Daily layout put to use

Daily layout

So that’s it, one book, my Hobonichi Cousin. I personally don’t like combining my journaling with my planning. I don’t want to take that part of me outside the house where someone would have access to it. My planner I like to leave open on my desk and and I don’t want my deepest, darkest thoughts exposed to the world.

I will chronicle my experience with using my Hobonichi Cousin. If you search the web, YouTube, Instagram, or Pinterest for uses for the Hobonichi, you will find a lot about art journaling. I wanted ideas to how to use it as a planner. Layouts that work, ideas for the Remember This page, using a monthly, weekly, and daily. I wanted to see how people used the blank pages at the back. The Facebook Group: Hobonichi Strictly Planning has been a great resource, but the amount of info out there is still lacking. Hopefully this will be a topic that expands as more people in the English speaking areas of the world become more acquainted with how amazing Hobonichi is.

Change, again!

I’ve been gone for awhile because I fell in the trap of the planner addict. I started in a Franklin Covey classic and used the same planner and layout for nine years. Then I went to the Erin Condren. I loved it, but I hated that it wasn’t portable.

Then I started my search for a new system. I started out in a modified bullet journal. It was simple and it worked. Then I when to a personal Filofax. I liked it, its customizable, but oh, how I hated the rings. Then I started using a Midori Passport. I loved it and it worked. However, I couldn’t resist all the other cute travelers notebooks out there, and I discovered Field Notes. So I ordered the pocket traveler’s notebook and started my Field Notes color subscription and I was ready to roll. Then I discovered Jenny Penton’s Planner Perfect System.

Created planner using Moleskine

Color Crush weekly pages

Erin Condren Life Planner

Midori Passport

Hobonichi Style insert that I made

I started using the Planner Perfect System in May. I used Field Notes as my monthly plan books and BohoCottage monthly inserts. I purchased many pocket traveler’s notebooks (Chic Sparrow, FoxyFix, Sojourner, and Naked Cow) trying to find the right fit. I felt like Goldilocks. They are all great notebooks and deciding the one you want depends on how you want your leather to feel and look. This method worked really well and it allowed me to truly see what my planning needs are. I learned it didn’t matter if I used a plain notebook, bullet journal, Filofax, or Traveler’s Notebook, because now I have a system that works.

Monthly Calendar using BohoCottage printable inserts from Etsy

My System Needs

I must have a monthly calendar for at least 12 months. I also need daily pages. Anything else is bonus or confusing. The monthly calendar allows me to keep track of my schedule. Now I have a separate system for work that I will review in the future. So my planner includes only items that affect me when I am not at work. Sometimes works does cross into home time, so you will see those items on my planner. My daily page is how I design my day (using the Planner Perfect system). It isn’t full of ToDo’s and tasks, it is a list of how I would like my day to be. At the end of the day, it is a representation of how my day was. I don’t worry about decorating, format, or rules. Sure you will see similar layouts. Of course I like to add cute washi or doodles. However, none of this is required. Even the plain pages in the course of a week tell their own story because they are plain. I love flipping through my old monthly books because I am able to see at a glance, what was my life like this year.

My Plan for 2016

I plan to keep doing the Planner Perfect Method. However, I will be moving to the Hobonichi. The only drawback I experienced with the monthly books is when I needed notes from previous books. Now I have them conveniently stored, so it wasn’t a deal breaker, but when preparing a list recently from my notes in my monthly books, I had three laying before me. Also, I’ve had to grab a book from a couple of months ago to reference my work hours. Again, none of this was truly a problem, but I really like the idea of one year in one book. That is how my planners have been until May 2015, so it was something I missed.

Hobonichi Planner on left 3 months of Plan Books on right

My daily pages and monthly layouts will be used the same as my monthly plan books. I also got the separate weeks booklet. I hate duplication, but I like the weeks booklet because it lets me see busy vs. less busy days. This helps me plan what I will do at home.

Trailing the daily page in the Hobonichi Planner

Special Events and Days

One of the beauties of the Planner Perfect System is planning for special occasions, a trip, Christmas, a birthday, the big game, etc. The Hobonichi won’t really allow for layouts for these occasions. Sure, the back has extra note pages, but I’m afraid I would run out of pages before Halloween and my brain couldn’t handle that. I saw a post in one of the Facebook groups about using a notebook for each big event: Christmas, Thanksgiving, Birthdays, etc. Really, I do the same thing each year. Sure, minute details may change, but the big picture remains the same. So I am going to use separate Field Notes books for each occasion. Then I will move them in and out of my Traveler’s Notebooks as occasions occur.

Collections

One of the things I adore about the Bullet Journal is collections. Random thoughts collected, then gathered in one place. As a companion to my Hobonichi, I have a Field Notes book that houses my book of lists collections). I will capture these random thoughts on my daily pages, then migrate them to the appropriate list.

Collections

I know this is a lengthy post, but I learned a lot from my time and expense this year. I plan to take this knowledge and share it with you. My goal is these posts will reinforce what you are currently doing or help you find your way if you were lost like I was. I know I have planned this before, but now I feel like I have really learned what works for me. There are many beautiful planners and wonderful systems that can be found on the web and on social media. What is important is finding a system that matches how your brain works. No matter how pretty or organized, it will not be useful if it doesn’t match how your brain thinks. Enjoy looking at other planners and systems, then enjoy developing a system that works for you.

Merry Christmas!

Danyel

Getting it together

FoxyDori pocket and Filofax Malden

This year I’ve been SO unsettled in my planning. My journaling I have under control and I have method that encourages me to be consistent in my journaling (insert plug here for @journaling_sage on Instagram). I didn’t use my Erin Condren the last half of last year. The main reason is the fax it is big and heavy and I don’t always want to carry a large bag. Even though the Erin Condren Life Planner (ECLP) is an amazing planner, it is just too big for me. So then I tried planning in a Midori passport with a monthly and WO1P inserts, and it worked beautifully (definitely an option in the future if I want something different). While watching tons of YouTube videos, I kept seeing Filofax (Kikki K, Color Crush, Kate Spade planners). Well prior to changing to my ECLP, I used a ring system for YEARS and it worked for me. Prior to the Vera Bradley agenda, I used a Franklin Covey compact. The size and layout was very similar. I knew immediately the A5 planner is too big for me. Even if I needed that much space, I know I will stop carrying my planner. For me, my planner only works if it is always with me. So I got the Color Crush planner and I love it! The inserts are amazing and I was able to design the perfect layout for me (or at least perfect right now). The size is great, it fits in nearly any purse I carry. This is a system that is working for me.

Color Crush weekly pages

So, my system, I’m using Color Crush inserts in the binder of my choice (I’ve fallen in love with my personal Filofax Malden and I haven’t changed binders since getting it). I am also using a FoxyDori pocket in Bay leather for my every day carry (EDC). I loved my Midori passport, but I really wanted to carry a notebook that had everything I needed and wanted. My Midori passport was awesome and leaving it has broken my heart, but I just wanted one more book and my passport was pretty chunky. So I moved to my FN size notebook with some reluctance. At first, though I love the cover, I didn’t have the same excitement that I had for my passport.

Bay Leather FoxyDori pocket

Last week I spent the day decorating my FoxyDori and I LOVE it. I love her so much I’ve named her Joy. My first book I use to design my day (see Planner Perfect), my second book is an 18 month calendar using Boho Cottage inserts from Etsy, my third book is my book of lists and information that I want to carry with me, and finally my last book is for journaling. I also have a dashboard I made, a pocket I made (using the tutorial from the Creative Planner class with Cori and Christy), and a clear pocket that I made from a photo pocket.

I don’t have two different planners, per say, but I do have a calendar in both books. My EDC has the monthly calendar that is the main calendar, the master of schedule. I have weekly pages in my Filofax and I use these to plan my week and see what the week has in store. The daily pages in my EDC isn’t To Do Lists, Tasks, or schedule. It is a picture of what my day will look like, what I want it to look like. It may include some aspects of a traditional planner, but it is really a vision of my day and how I can use today to accomplish my goals (not tasks, goals). In my Filofax I keep my Master To Do List and the lists necessary to manage my family.

FoxyDori top view

FoxyDori side view

June Book and Dashboard

Monthly calendar using Boho Cottage Inserts on Etsy

Pocket Folder and clear pocket

Inside Pocket Folder

The perfect planner

Planner peace, unicorn, the perfect planner, all things that we dream about to organize our life. Well, I am going to talk to you about the perfect planner. What I am not going to do is tell you what is the perfect planner. I’ve read many blog posts and I’ve watched many YouTube videos. I have a Pinterest board and belong to groups on Facebook. I’ve used the same system for years, and now I’m lost (or at least I was).

Erin Condren Life Planner

What has the last two years lacking planner peace taught me, my perfect planner is for me only. What is perfect for me won’t be perfect for you. So I am going to help you find what you are looking for in your planner system.

Questions:

First and foremost, you have to ask yourself, what do I need to keep track of and what do I need to plan. Will I keep work and home separate, or will the system be combined. How do you think? How do you organize other areas of your life? Do you want to carry your planner with you? There isn’t a right, wrong, or trendy answer. This is all about you! When do we ever get to say it is all about me!

Options:

There is a bullet journal (see Ryder Carroll), daily calendar, weekly calendar, and monthly calendar. Beyond these categories you will find a multitude of methods to organize them.

Electronic (phone, computer, or tablet) This method is great and can be used alone or with other methods. Things to consider, are you technologically savvy? Will anyone else have access to your calendar? Will you be able to find what you are looking for quickly? Do you have a backup method?

Bound planners are contained. They could get fatter if you embellish them, but otherwise, you will know what the size will be at the end. Depending on the size you buy, you will know where and how you can carry your planner (in your bag, in your pocket, or on your desk). Bound planners come in endless sizes, bindings, and page formulations. You can custom order or pick one up at your local store. They come in every color in the rainbow and just as many patterns.

Midori Passport

Binder planners (whether rings or arcs) are very customizable and you can change your planner as your needs change. If your current setup is not working, you can quickly change it. Binders can come from local stores or from planner companies. You can get a multitude of sizes with a variety of options. Now, you can keep adding to a binder, this means it can become REALLY fat.

Color Crush Planner

With paper planners, you can design a planner you love and will match your way of thinking and your personal style. Whether it is bound or a binder, it can still be customized to your needs. Etsy, Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube offers many ideas to design the planner of your dreams. However, if you don’t use your planner, no matter how beautiful and well laid out, it won’t work.