Ever since I started blogging, which was years ago, I always knew I needed to write and plan things out. I tend to forget even the littlest of things. When I used to do book reviews, it was essential to jot down all the details so I always had a notepad handy. So much reviews, interviews, book tours, and giveaways to track. There were a ton of things to remember, write and schedule. I needed something to rein in the chaos. This is my journey to finding planner peace.
Initially, I wanted to be cool so everything was digital but that felt lacking. Something about it didn’t work for me. The constant need to be online to sync things wasn’t my thing. Digital was chaotic for me – plus being always on my phone added unwanted stress. So I decided on analog tools, a planner. Long story short, I’ve re-developed the habit of writing down things for everything. Whether it be for work, blogging, or personal.
So where am I getting at? I established the fact that I prefer my analog tools over digital. Going down the rabbit hole of stationery and analog tools can be fun yet tricky. Fun because you get to discover and play with a lot of stuff. But together with the enjoyment, it gets tricky because the options are “endless”. Endless to the point of madness. If you are familiar with stationery and planners, you’ll understand the dilemma.
Planner peace? What exactly is this? It’s when you finally find THE planner. The planner that will work for everything. The planner to rule them all!
I found mine recently and boy was the journey difficult. Tried 3 systems – Filofax, TN, and Hobonichi. Searched for the right system that had flexibility, quality, and a price that I was comfortable with.
Filofax
I started with a Filofax. Filofax is popular and everywhere. It’s the gateway planner for most people who are into leather binders. My choice was a personal size Malden in Ochre. The leather was luscious and the color gorgeous. Since it’s a ring system, it was very flexible because you can move things around to your liking. It was perfect. When I got my Malden, I felt the angels singing – well until I wrote on it. Well you see, I’m left-handed. Haha! Jokes on me. How I justified this was that I can remove the insert and write down my agenda and put them back in. But the issue is, when you do this often you’ll stress the rings.
I learned a few things with my Filofax experience:
- It might not be for me due to the size of its rings.
- Paper quality matters
- Flexible and resources are vast
A5 Filofax Malden, Ochre
Midori Traveler’s Notebook, Passport in Camel
Franklin Cristoph 6 Penvelope , Napa Croc Brown
So I used that system for a year because Maldens is expensive yo! I didn’t want to admit that I made a mistake. I was desperate for it to work. With no luck, I started looking for alternatives and I discovered Hobonichi planners.
Hobonichi
The Hobonichi is a different beast from Filofax. The main issue is that it wasn’t flexible because the book is a bound planner. There’s no way of moving things. Surprisingly, that worked for me. What didn’t work was the size.
I originally opted for an A5 size Hobonichi Cousin and used it as a catch-all planner – work/personal + blogging. I tried that for a whole year before I was certain this is not the best size and setup for me. There were times that I have a lot of things going on with work so I write tons of notes. Doing so, I end up not having space for my blogging notes. Or the other way around. And there were days that there’s nothing going on so I end up with blank pages. Seeing those empty spaces made me sad.
With that said, I still ordered a 2017 Cousin in tandem with a passport-sized Travelers Notebook. Yep, I was stubborn. That was my initial setup then changed it up mid-year. If you’re not familiar with TN, Jetpens has a comprehensive Traveler’s Notebook guide. I highly recommend you to check it out since it explains everything.
Traveler’s Notebook
My initial experience on the TN was good. It was lightweight and the paper was great! It handled almost all the pens I had especially my fountain pens.
I experimented with this one – how many inserts, different insert options, etc. Finally found the right combo. A 1-2 insert (002 and/or 013), zipper pouch, and a card insert. Pretty simple. I’m happy with this because I don’t want a chunky TN.
It was handy and portable but in all honesty, I wasn’t feeling it.
Now back to my Hobonichi dilemma. We’ve established the fact that I was having issues with my Cousin. I badly wanted it to work because I like the system but the size was challenging. And then I found the Weeks. Bless you #hobonichi. Same concept, paper, everything except the size. The Weeks was a compact version – weekly pages instead of daily. The moment I tried it, I knew my system was nearly perfect.
So I had the planner(s) down, the only issue I have now is how do I want to finalize my setup. I knew by the end of 2016 that work/personal and blogging needs to be separate. Combining the two is simply chaotic. I tried several local notebooks but to no avail. Tried paper pads, still wasn’t doing it for me. Contemplated using my Filofax again, but didn’t want to go through the issues for the second time. I wanted to find the right notebook that could handle any of my pens plus my fountain pens.
I learned about the disc-bound system. Actually saw William Hannah posts in Instagram and fell in love BUT there was no way I was shelling out £99.00 for it however gorgeous it was. It was just too expensive for me. Was leaning toward the Circa but I decided I wanted to test it first because of the rings. I wanted to see how manageable they were. I was a click away from buying a Circa then I found a sale for Atoma on Cult Pens. 3 for 2 at £8.49 and I was like heck yeah!
The moment they arrived, I migrated all my blogging notes. Writing on it was great. It was flexibility and paper was thick enough to handle fountain ink – no feathering or ghosting. The good thing about Atoma is that they have so many options. You can go cheap with £10-ish or go with their leather styles at £80-ish. The only issue with Atoma is how expensive their puncher is because that’s something that I need but £140!! Might try out the Circa next time but for now, I’m content with what I have.
Yes! Finally. Planner peace
Actually, I already have my 2018 system ready. I’ll be using a Hobonichi Weeks with this gorgeous cover for work and personal stuff.
In tandem with my handy EDC ~
Atoma notebook + Roterfaden with my Hobonichi notebook for blogging and notes.
Cat Pen Case
Roterfaden A5, Light Brown
Atoma Notebook
TWSBI Vac Mini, EF
Pilot Metropolitan Gold Plain, EF
Uni Pin Fineliner
Midliner Highlighter
Uni Kuru Toga, Mickey Glove
To end this lengthy post, I’d say that there’s no shame in experimenting and finding the right system. Go nuts! What I would warn you is in investing too much too early. I learned my lesson the hard way *cough* Malden *cough*. Good thing the urge for Gillio wasn’t as strong or else.
Stationary, as harmless as they look, can break your budget quickly. The moment you find the right tools, stick to it. No matter how much you get enticed with the new shiny thing, at the end of the day you’ll go back to what’s comfortable. Some people can afford everything, while others can’t. Know your preference, find a system that fits and work around your budget to accommodate it. It’s not the fancy things that matter – these are simply tools you use. What’s important is what you write, a system that works and what makes you happy.
Kelly Sikkema // Unsplash
Thinking of sharing my journey to bullet journaling next time. Its the “IT” thing this year. Haha! Or maybe talk about how I got into fountain pens. I don’t have much knowledge on them but I’d like to share my experience being a fountain pen loving leftie.
Did you find your planner peace yet? Or are you still experimenting?
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