Hi Everyone!
Planners are so popular right now. For years I used planners then one day I switched to a hard covered notebook and just wrote down what I needed to do plus notes, art ideas, etc.
Then one day I felt completely overwhelmed with lists, planners, calendars, notes, etc. I loved that everything was in one spot but I wasn't getting anything done. I stopped cold turkey. If I really needed to remember an appointment/event, I just wrote it on the family calendar on the fridge.
With cell phones I tried using the calendar or an app but I never kept up with it. I'm not one to have my cell phone in my hand at all times. I have better things to do.
This year I started using a Hobonichi Techo Planner (1 page/day). It reminds me of a Bullet Journal. I love the idea of a Bullet Journal but it wasn't the right one for me until I found this one (Amazon). They are not cheap but for me worth the money because its the perfect one for me.
As you can tell it's not very big and I can throw it in my bag. You can buy planner covers for it but it will just add to the size.
The planner starts a yearly calendar for 2017 and 2018
A yearly index which I use for birthdays. My goal was to make a card for everyone's birthday. That happened once! I use a green tab to bookmark these pages.
A monthly calendar - I add my vacations and dates for design team posts. It also has free space on the left for any notes. Bookmark is Orange for calendar pages.
Before each month is a lined page for adding monthly goals, events, or notes. I add two goals to complete by the end of the month.
Daily Pages - Pink Bookmark. The bookmarks are post-it notes so I can move them. As for overwhelming lists, I only write down three items. The first item is always the gym. I realized that I don't have to write down a huge list. I do have a routine for things at home and I don't feel I need to write those down. Once realizing that my lists aren't that big.
Also, I'm not consistent with daily art challenges. I start, get bored or just forget to do it. I want to do them but I never finish. So I challenged myself to write about my day even if it's only one line. So far, except for a few vacation days, I've been keeping with the challenge.
Each day there are quotes at the bottom of the pages.
A few dotted pages. I use these for light bulb moments when I think of an art idea and I have to write it down.
International Size Charts and Conversion Tables.
Japanese Plants and Animals by Season and A Guide to Japanese Tea.
After these pages are International Country Codes, National Holidays. All these extra pages are interesting but I would love more dotted pages.
I did learn a few things about myself:
I like to write things down and I find I like to write in cursive.
Lists stress me out especially if they are long.
When I'm very overwhelmed I stop getting things done.
I don't have to put everything I have to do in my life on a list.
I still need a planner and it doesn't have to be pretty.
There are no rules.
Let me know what planners you use or why you don't use one. I would love to know.
Thanks so much for stopping by!
