Sometimes, when I’m feeling that itch to get a new planner, I ask myself what am I avoiding by obsessing over my planner? Almost every single time, there is work that I need to do or some thing I need to deal with that has absolutely nothing to do with the planner and my desire to throw myself into the planner Decision making space is all about not having to deal with something that I don’t want to deal with.

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

That’s very interesting. I’ll have to dive into that next time I’m feeling this way. For me, I’ve found it usually follows my cycle and PMDD. When I’m feeling my worst I generally start my period soon after. Unfortunately, my cycles are changing and I never know what to expect.

@46gcc

11 ай бұрын

@@samplans Maybe for that time, use a blank journal for all of your thoughts, no plans, no expectations. Then look at it later when you're feeling better.

@celestejohnson1972

11 ай бұрын

Well, you just called me out on my crap without knowing it😂 Better get some work done.....

@FrenchFriesNBrie

11 ай бұрын

I think I experience this. I’ve heard someone call it procrasti-planning.

@msteppling3550

11 ай бұрын

Absolutely

I think a lot of times people get too caught up in what they see on social media and think they got to have it. I’ve been guilty of this at times myself but it’s not good. There are so many choices out there and everybody is trying to promote their products. Social media makes it easier to get it out there. Instead of going to a store you thumb through your phone or computer and have instant need for things. I think you just have to figure out what you plan to do with a planner before you purchase it. That way you have a plan. Nothing wrong with experimenting with different brands etc. But if it gets to where it starts causing you so much stress. Then it’s time to step back and stop buying imo. And definitely limit video content that showcases all new stuff like someone else said. To me there is no such thing as a perfect planner. I feel like that is just a term somebody came up with to encourage folks to keep buying 😅. Nothing is completely perfect. You just have to make the most of what you have and find things you can live with and what is a deal breaker. Sounds like Weeks is what your really want

@ginamiller6754

11 ай бұрын

If I watch videos I must force myself to not buy anything for 24 hours. By then the desire passes and I realize I really don’t need or want it.

Hi Sam, I’ve been watching your videos for a while now and love hearing you talk about what works and doesn’t work for you in different planners. Last year I was struggling with not being at peace and happy with what I was using and I was spending way too much money trying to find the allusive planner peace people talk about. I’m going to share my experience and what has worked for me. At the beginning of the year I went back to using the planning system that started it all for me, the happy planner. I kept it simple and really enjoyed it. But here’s what really changed things for me, I stopped scrolling social media and posting. I was overwhelmed with all the options out there. Not being on social media and distancing myself from all of it gave me the clarity I needed. So this year is a year of calm for me, because I am not bombarded with all the pretty things. I did reevaluate my system mid year. In July I started using the Hemlock and Oak undated and I love it! I do think I need to mention that I use ICal for scheduling and the app Things 3 for task lists so I am a hybrid planner. At the end of the day I write in my paper planner what I did and journal a bit about my day, it’s more of a memory keeping and archive tool. This allows me the flexibility to move around my plans digitally and not worry about pens, paper or sizes since everything in the day to day lives on my phone. I hope this helps. Best of luck 🤍

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

Thanks so much! I appreciate it. I agree, most of my discontent is fueled by seeing someone else’s lived in planner and wanting that for myself.

I think perspective about the world its needed when we feel like this, not only about planners, but several other things in the world. When something small feels so overwhelming sometimes that's what needed.

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

Absolutely, and I do. But this is my little world.

Blissfully happy in a moleskine pocket daily with CS old Mr Darcy in toffee with a frixion pen since January 11, 2023. I can’t see ever changing. I love everything about my little planner.

@Karelife

8 ай бұрын

Well that didn’t last as long as I thought it would. 2024 hobo weeks.

I totally understand your chaos! I’ve been rambling around in different planners for a couple years myself, and it’s been expensive and exhausting! I’ve found the Hobonichi Weeks to be very comfortable for me! Please keep us posted on your progress!

@solascripturamjc9681

11 ай бұрын

Good choice of word - I have also been rambling.... LoL. 🌷

True. After everymonth hopping a best planner for my self. I quit with all planner and stay in a6 notebook to journal and plans at the same time. Back to the basic.

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

Sometimes basic is best!

I know what you are going through. That was me, last year. I just put everything away and I purchases some really good A5 dot grid paper from amazon, disc punched it and using my stickers, pens and highlighters, I made my own planner pages. At first, I used a page a day but then I found that I could split the page in half, and put 2 days on each page. There is no form or headers to follow. I just write everything down that I feel is important for me to do or remember. After a few weeks, I created a month view, using two pages and I decorated the spread and I liked it. A few weeks later, I created monthly dividers. I popped on older Plum. Paper covers and I'm happy. The paper is amazing, it's 160 gsm; I can use any pen or marker and nothing shows through to the back. I thought I'd only use it for a few months, until I found something better. I've been in it for over a year and it works for me. When I get bored, I change it up.

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

I’m glad you found your system!

@solascripturamjc9681

11 ай бұрын

Super!

I have similar issues. FOMO plus too many choices available. Sometimes the best way is to get rid of everything and just use a tiny notebook like you have. Force yourself to find the TRUE reasons you need a planner. I found I don’t actually need a planner honestly. I was trying to find a reason to use a planner because of all the beautiful things but in reality, I didn’t need any of it. Unsubscribe from all your feeds and stop watching perfect photos and videos. I did and I am better for it.

@Karenm1969

11 ай бұрын

I am in that same spot as you it seems…dont really NEED a paper planner, but i do like writing things down before i forget; but day to day appointments are in my phone on the iCal.

@KK-rs1wn

11 ай бұрын

I agree. On the same boat for years. This year I ended up just using a plain notebook for my to do list and using a monthly calendar/ planner from TJ Maxx. Just choosing to be intentional and content with using what I have.

@lkessler1

11 ай бұрын

Great point. I use my Google calendar for all appointments. I love paper and pens, so maybe it’s just a notebook I need…and I can still decorate a notebook if I want. Honestly, I just make to do lists, and I go back to a Stalogy notebook every time 🤷‍♀️🤦‍♀️😂

There are pros and cons to every setup out there, which is what makes it so difficult to stick to one system, especially when you get to see other peoples' planners! I have decided that size and flexibility are the most important factors. I abandoned discs because I wanted less "bulk," so I am going to Standard TN because I can get undated or blank inserts dedicated for specific purposes, and they don't have a lot of pages, so it's not like committing to a book-bound setup. I do want to try a B6 size bookbound notebook someday, but I really am going to try and stick with the standard TN for a full-year. I am actually really excited about trying something new, and I want to give it a chance!

@solascripturamjc9681

11 ай бұрын

Yay! I love Standard TN and Weeks best. They're 2 planners out of gazillions I've tried that I've stuck with the longest, along with Personal rings. I think it's the size I like. Hope it goes well .🌷

Sam, I think it’s 2023. This year I’ve purchased almost a dozen planners between work, financial, and personal, and I’m still not quite satisfied. Almost, but not quite. I can generally push myself to use whatever I buy, but this year I’ve bounced. I even have another one coming in a week or so. Give yourself grace and be like the happy bouncing ball… we will get there in the end and realize this season was one of growth and change so it was no wonder that what worked for us in the past doesn’t work today….we aren’t that person anymore. Don’t fight the change - embrace it while acknowledging the struggle is real.

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

Thank you! I hope your new planner is the “one”.

My struggle is being torn between my needs and wants. I need a planner with flexibility and cleanliness, so I actually prefer digital over everything. But I WANT the feel of paper and a book and the feeling of time passing and accomplishments. (I’ve been a blank book girl since I was a toddler!) and I’ve even just recently discovered fountain pens and amazing inks that I want to play and write with! So I’ve been bouncing between a Cousin that I bought on a whim and my iPad mini for months, quite literally duplicating my planner in both digital and physical spaces, trying to decide which one I want to stick with long term.

@the-gadgeteer

11 ай бұрын

We sound like twins! I love paper and pens and all the other fun stationery things, but I also love the Day One app on my MacBook and phones because I can easily put in a ton of pictures and type entries and then be able to search for things much easier than I can with a paper journal. But I would have an irrational feeling of guilt if I go full on digital.

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

I’ve tried to dip my toes into digital, and thankfully it isn’t for me. That’s good because I have one less thing to decide between. 😅

I've been going thru the same struggles as everyone here. I'm determined to not buy any more journals, notebooks, planners, or covers until I use up as much of my stash as possible. What helps me sometimes is journaling about what my current planner needs are. Then I can choose from my stash accordingly. This doesn't always work, but it has helped quite a bit! So, there's my tip for dealing with planner chaos. Hope it helps someone else!

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

Thanks!

@solascripturamjc9681

11 ай бұрын

Like it- I've done that before, too. 🌷

Oh I can sooooo relate to all that you’ve said. I keep telling myself that the simple concept of planning should not produce such anxiety. The struggle is real. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts.

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

Exactly!

OMG! I am going through the same thing! No longer happy in rings so I wanted a blank A4 notebook to draw my own spreads, then I wanted a Cousin again, then I dug out my pocket moleskine and am now using it! I went from biggest one I could find to one go the smallest! I am crazy!

@solascripturamjc9681

11 ай бұрын

I'm right there with ya!

I think you are over pressuring yourself. Many of us change planners all the time even every month. That is part of the fun of this hobby. I have bought things I just want and don’t intend on using so eventually I give them to someone. Have fun with this.🙂🌸

I can definitely understand how you feel. I finally figured out what I’ll be using for next year. I do have a love hate relationship with the weeks but I’ll use the Maga this year and the EC Daily duo 7x9. I used the A6 and A5 hobonichi this year. Don’t like the A5 too much space. Now when I see planners now I say nice but how will I use a new one?

Hobonichi Weeks is my permanent planner. I’ve tried many others but always come back to it. After coming back to it multiple times, I realized I should have never left it.

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

It’s been in my lineup a long time. It’s such a great planner!

I LOVE the pen and gear books! They have relieved lots of my planning anxiety because I used one messily, slapped some stickers and markers on it, realized that it can be my kind of pretty, and 😮😮😮 I can’t believe that little basic spiral bound could do so many wonders for my planning and journaling.

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

I 💯 agree with you!

I have the same chaos with planners !!!!! None are exactly what i need ...

I'm in the Hobonichi weeks. It's the April start for 2023. I was in the Mega at the beginning of the year and ran out of room for memory keeping! Go figure! 🤔 Currently my planner is mostly pen and paper with weather tracking inspired by you! I decided to preorder the Sterling Ink Weeks common planner full year notebook for 2024 as my EDC. I have a love for deco as inspired by Daksina and her B6 Stalogy planners, so I decided to use an A5 Stalogy for memory keeping. Wish me luck! I hope you have a productive August in the Hobonichi Weeks!😊

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

Good luck! I hope it works well for you. 🧡

One Book(cover) August! I’m sorry for your planner woes, yet also happy because MISERY LOVES COMPANY. I think I’ve dipped into at least 8 different planners this week alone. I’m all over the place and I can’t get settled. My typically disorganized life has gone from a small storm to a hurricane of epic proportions. Your videos make so much sense and are so calming, I always leave feeling the next stop is planner peace. And then my brain takes over the reins.

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

8 planners in a week? Yep, me too. Except THIS week. 😅

I have also had the worst year ever with planner chaos. I have been in more than I care to count. What I have come to realize is the TN is the best for me. I like having multiple function able books, not just my planner. I have my project book, my basic journaling and my garden book. What a struggle that it has been. So I’m experimenting with a couple different size TN’s for the rest of the year, and will force myself to commit to the one that works best for me, for 2024. I really want a full year completed without jumping around, for 2024. Good luck with your August plans! 😊

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

Which TN size is working best so far?

@lisaw8791

11 ай бұрын

@@samplans I’ve been in B6 slim, but I think the standard will be it for me. I need the extra space.

Love looking back thru my weeks 🥰 I understand!

I’m completely with you about this year being harder. I think for me there’s been such a schedule change that I just can seem to fit a planning/journaling rhythm in the way that I used to. I’ve had to break it down into “what’s my purpose and where’s the joyful parts” several times already!

Loved your video! Thank you for sharing the struggle and wanting to try something new. Sometimes I feel like I need to walk away from social media and unfollow all those sites that have the shiny new stuff. It is such a distraction.

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

You are so right!

❤ I've been using and absolutely loving my Moleskine Daily Planner. I was exactly like you for years. Bouncing around trying to use all the different types of planners that's out on the market today. And I just couldn't make any of them work for me either... not until this year. Than bam just like a light switch went off and I am in totally Planner peace. What helps me because I too get really bored easily I use the Planner but I change up the Travelers Notebook cover that I put it into. Doing this literally make it feel like I'm moving into a brand new planner I love it. 😊 I hope you can find your Goldilocks planner soon 😂 Great video thanks for sharing ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤😊

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

That daily is a great planner too! I have it in pocket.

Aaaaargh. This madness has to end. And I'm talking about myself. The planner it's supposed to help, not to create this headache. I've been changing between Pocket Moleskine and HWeeks. But I like to keep only one. In fact I tried the Hobo dupe Kinbor, and I love it. Guess next year I'll try to be consistent on using it.

@solascripturamjc9681

11 ай бұрын

Yes, Planner Madness is real......I feel ya.

I, like you, have been all over the place. Recently was happy in a 7x9 discbound with printable inserts but I missed having a leather cover. Bought the new Chic Sparrow Ophelia in Narrow and now I am so happy in a traveler's notebook set up. I print a monthly insert on 68 gsm TRP because I like Sunday starts and they are hard to find. I also printed my own tracker insert. Then I use a TRP grid insert for dailies and another one for my Bible study and sermon notes. I don't want to jinx it, but this is the happiest I have been. And that Chic Sparrow cover is so beautiful! I got the matching Nicole tote and it is perfection! I hope you can make peace with the Weeks or have fun trying something else. Love your videos!

@solascripturamjc9681

11 ай бұрын

So happy to hear you've found something good. I love Narrow TN also. I think having a good cover is really key. 🌷

I’ve never had “planner peace” like so many do on the YT space…. Every time I get a new planner I always think it’s exactly what I’m looking for and then it never is…. Lol drives me nuts.

@JustScribble

11 ай бұрын

I don’t believe in the concept of planner peace personally. Mostly bc I don’t think you have to stay in one planner or planning style permanently because your needs can change with your life changes and even seasonally. A mom’s planner needs can be very different in the summer months and over the winter break than the school year. But I also don’t think many in the YT-space actually have “planner peace”. If you watch long enough most move around. But I do think many have a contentment in that they don’t jump weekly or daily or monthly but when their needs change and appreciate others planners and all the pretty but it doesn’t make them want to abandon their system. Personally I think a key piece if finding your true needs and your style because you can make that work in different planners and easily adapt when life changes.

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

I always think the same. Until the honeymoon phase is over.

I’m using the Weeks in August. For 2024, I’m planning on using Sterling Ink’s weekly planner. Same size, similar layout without the quotes.

This year has been a hot mess with my weekly situation. So I feel your frustration.

As I watched this I felt as though it was me making this video. You touched on so many things that I’m struggling with right now also. Thank you for validating my struggle lol. Great video 😊

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

I hope it gets better for you. 🧡🧡🧡

I know the feeling. This past year, I have gone from one planner to the next. I have spent way too much money on a planner that I maybe have used for a week or two..But I finally went back to the Standard Size TN. I use the monthly insert and the weekly horizontal insert and then just a dot grid notebook . This seems to be working for me this time (fingers crossed)

I totally get you! I have tried A5 Rings, A5 Cousins, A5 Disks, Standard TN and Weeks. They all have minuses for me. I preordered an A5, Standard TN and Weeks from Sterling Ink. I have MULTIPLE covers in all three sizes. I've been using Hobonichi Cousin A5 most of the year so that and the Weeks are calling me tooooo... I'm totally overwhelmed

I’m so glad you have found your peace, although I have to admit, your videos about your planner chaos were strangely interesting to me. Not because I’m using your struggle for my own entertainment, but because I learned a lot from them about my own planner journey. Thank you for sharing and for being so detailed and articulate about it. I’m in my I-hate-paper phase. I don’t even want to look at paper even outside planning. So I am using GoodNotes.

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

Well, you won’t be missing my chaos videos for long. 😅😅😅

The weeks and cousin have brought me planner peace for many years, but I think I will changing out the cousin for Aura Estelle or wonderland 222, I'm the opposite of most, liking the bundle aspect because having two blank pages a week to fill should be doable. I really like the Paper Tess weekly, but my planners have to be pretty or I won't use them, and I don't see decorating that one without giving up function. The fomo is real.

I feel like I can relate with your planner struggles, as it's been the worst year for planning for me as well. While I've been using the same planner since the beginning of the year and haven't switched books at all, I just haven't been using it to the extend that I usually use it. So it just sat there, going to waste. I've since gotten myself back on track, but I really feel like this has been the weirdest year ever for planning...

@user-hf2ye5dt9h

11 ай бұрын

I completely agree. I’ve been up and down; in and out of several different styles. 😮😢

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

Yes, it seems like everyone around me is bouncing too. So weird.

1st time I've found you. It looks to me that what you are doing is working for you and you can adapt it for what you want. That's exactly the point with using planners! I've bounced around like crazy. But I keep coming back to my disk bound system because I can adapt it to suit me. So I've accepted it and am growing to love it. Im now learning that my ups and downs with planner use are because of my personal issues around needing to plan at all. So I'm working on that and have stopped looking for a system that might work better. I've learned that such a system doesn't exist for me. What have learned is to create my own system. You've been coming back to this for years you said. Accept it is the one for you. Continue to tweak it to what you want. The addition of your little notebook with it is genius. You can add what you want in it and flex it how each weeks needs change. That may be a key part of your personal system. I'm doing a little notebook much the same because I was slipping in pieces of paper where I would jot things down. Well pieces of paper just get lost! You're on the right track.

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

Thank you! Enjoy your discs!

Hey Sam, Having a planner cover that you love is key - I agree. A mix of plans & memory keeping is what I try to achieve too and it does feel a lot more meaningful when it is planned in a book style it seems. I do love my personal rings planners the best. So good to have options though. “Salad dressing “LOL! 😂 ❤

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

Personal rings are 🧡🧡🧡

I use the Weeks all of the time but I do struggle sometimes with changing my planner and I always go back to the Weeks.

I’m happy that you’ve found peace (at least momentary peace!) The way I stuck with 1 planner is the same. I challenged myself to use just 1 planner for a month. It turned into many months. I’m also mainly in the Hobo weeks (mega). I also sort of keep up the Sterling ink common planner. I bought myself a beautiful red ostrich Gillio slim Appunto when they did their summer sale. I LOVE it. It’s super light. No planner is perfect for me but I do prefer horizontal and they seem to be offered less then vertical at least in the planners I’ve looked at. The weeks is easily available which I like! I do use a fountain pen. The vanishing point Decimo. I like that it slips right into the Gillio pen loop.

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

Sounds perfect. 🧡

I am in the same boat. I have struggled for the past two years with planners. I keep going back to the weeks. I also use a pen and gear notebook for things that are not important to keep. Great minds!!

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

It’s working pretty well so far.

I am playing in a Cousin right now. The planner was too much for me at one point in my life however, now with being a student and a manager I have so much to do. I love and hate carrying around this huge planner but it is soooo functional and that is what I need right now. I am still a great lover of my bujo though....the memories are everything. Next year I will try the new Sterling Ink B6 and the Compact A5 to see how that will work out. I'm rooting for the B6 size. Thank you for sharing.

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

I ordered her passport and weeks. I am loving my B6 Stalogy for my fitness journal though!

@BlushnBlue

11 ай бұрын

@@samplans The passport is going to be so cute. I still keep thinking of a Stalogy since I was in it for years. The Stalogy is so easy to carry around and flipping through the pages is a treat. For now, I'm just playing in my Cousin and A5 Leuchtturm Bujo.

I have very similar problems and in the last 3 years I have used a litttle bit of everything from time to time. Somehow, what has worked from me is just a study notes binder, that I can use both as a rings system and a bullet journal, the pages are thick, I can use any pen, the refills are cheap and I feel comfortable using it everywhere. The one problem is that I would like a fancy cover for it but it doesn’t fit anywhere.

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

Isn’t it crazy that a system isn’t perfect unless it includes a fancy cover? 😮‍💨

Sam, I’ve been watching you for some time now & have been in the planner community for a long time. I totally get it. The struggle is too,too real for many of us this year. Here’s the thing for me: it’s not about and never has been about the planner. Like money, a planner is a vehicle to a goal. So I stopped everything & went back to the bedrock of the original bullet journal - no stickers, washi or anything. It took a couple of months, but I discovered that the missing peace was in the original process of taking the time to reflect daily, weekly, and monthly. That’s when I saw the need to work through some stuff I’d been avoiding by assembling dozens of planners,losing info (as you mentioned), and being dissatisfied with them all. Still working thru them, (with help), but I found the way thru the weeds. The focus is off the planners (a relief) & onto what’s essential in my life, which includes this beautiful, awesome community of planners, who are the only ones who understand (& care about) “planner-ing”. I’m no longer just in a bullet journal alone, but have four: 1 discbd, 3 bound (incl’g a Weeks, which I finally stopped resisting). Also, I “fast” looking at others’ planner formats periodically. Anyway, that’s my journey & I hope that you find the way that’s essential for you. We’ll be here for you, no matter what you decide.❤, Mae.

@samplans

9 ай бұрын

I’ve been reflecting, and also think it’s going to need to be more than one book, as much as I didn’t want that to be the answer. I’m glad you’ve found your way.

Don't know if you've tried the Pilot Juice up, but that's become my go-to pen. I use the 0.3 and I think it writes beautifully on Tomoe River paper. It glides smoothly and dries quickly!

The step down for certain Hobonichi books are silly. No flip drawing? No Day Free buys anymore! Save some money! Now if they get rid of the quote, or make it smaller….still needs the cute factor. How about a rings for more permanent things? I have been using this month a dot marker, plastic tip. I have been using TomBow dual brush felt tip, but the lines are so thick. Part of Otter medicine is just go with the flow. I will buy too many books. Some later will be turned into journals, but I think I will buy more blank notebooks, and some with different papers, to go in my expansive cover collection from 3 years of collecting. The joy of ADHD and autism collections. Take care Sam, always a joy to watch your videos. Just remember from Quoth the Crow (Jackie) Even “a blank page tells a story.” I am still using my cousin for my thesis planning, and the weeks for everyday carry. Some blank weeks, some ugly weeks, some blank days and vertical weeks in the cousin. I try one day at a time and try to keep it as simple as possible.

@DasOrangensaft.

11 ай бұрын

Resonated here. 😊

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

That’s a great quote!

Hi, Sam. I totally get it. I have been trying to use planners for years and never seem to find quite what I want. This year, I'm looking for one that has 12 monthly overviews and all the other pages blank. Most of my planning is to-do lists. I need 200 blank pages and can't seem to find anything with that many. I also want b6, but will take a5. Any suggestions?

I also would like to mention I love your channel and just adore you 💜

I'm really content with my planner and have been in the same one all year. That is the Sterling Ink common planner (the 1 book). Earlier on when the binding issues were a thing, I was tempted to switch, but I use the blank pages as my reading journal and didn't want to copy all of that info over. So, I just used some binding tape and kept with it.

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

I want to do what you’re doing! Just need to be consistent.

I don't like printed planners and found my fit with the bullet journal system and have stuck with that since 2018. I have had times when i haven't done anything in my bullet journal for a time and missed some days, but at least when I do miss some days I don't have a bunch of blank pages I can't use. I love how I can change my style whenever I want. I can make it as simple or as fancy as I want. I love the flexibility of the bullet journal system. Have been happy with the A5 size bound book that I slip into a leather TN. I also have an insert for reference items such as birthdays/anniversary date list, other lists, and things that don't really change othe than add to it.

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

That’s a great system! I’m using a B6 Stalogy for my fitness journal!

I get it, planners are really hard to get in sync with. And personally I think the more you have the more distressing it gets. I love a monthly, a weekly, and a plain notebook. I use the traveler's notebook in passport size and I also like the standard size horizontal weeks. And a key thing for me is that they ALWAYS have to be undated planners. I think 2 premade planners at the most, then SIMPLE customization for the rest in the plain one. best of luck to you:)

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

Thank you!

I have a big planner for my kitchen. It’s the family at-a-glance setup. I bought it at Walmart for $7. It lays flat and anyone can look at it or add their event. It’s color coded by family member. I add post it notes for any reminders. This is year two with that. It’s perfect for me and my lifestyle. My second, personal planner, is my Hobinichi weeks. I have the same info in it plus my thoughts, goals, doodles, travel stickers, and notes. I love it. It’s so compact and I cannot wait to review it next year. I use it as a diary/planner to see what I was doing or feeling during the year. I add stickers in the interior front and back of what I’m into or what my favorite things are. I don’t really customize the months much. I’m very happy with my yellow cover for now and may buy another for my HW in 2024. I find that’s what works for me but I understand everyone has their preferences. Hope you find planner contentment! Enjoy the hobby. 📖🎀🦔🎀

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

The Weeks has a lot going for it in the pros list! I’m glad it’s working well for you!

I feel so much of what u said. I've tried so many things.

My struggles r that I like to change up sizes and that I am not willing (yet) to drop that much money on a planner so I make my own spreads. But that takes time and sometimes I dont have time for that. Also, since I jump from size to size I have some information here, some there and it’s frustrating. I’m playing with the idea of keeping one consistent planner w important information like important events and appts and using that as an edc and using dailies in any other size cuz I don’t plan on keeping them but sometimes I end up journaling in them so 🤷‍♀️ idk

I love my Hobonichi Cousin but next year I am moving planners. I kinda have a hybrid planner with my Cousin. I will do a similar system in my next planner. The one I am doing for next year is an A5 Wonderland222 all in 1 planner

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

I’ve tried one once, but it was A6. Too small for me for a vertical layout for sure.

It’s Hobonichi’s fault because they call it a “Life Book” and that’s what we all want! It is a really great marketing Strategy that pulls on our heart strings.

@Anne5440_

11 ай бұрын

And all the planner brands are doing the same thing to get you to search for their "perfect" system. I've found what I now know I like best and am adapting what I want from other systems into it. Sticker boxes are good for relabeling as what I want.

@iliana.m

11 ай бұрын

Hm, but life is not perfect so your life book certainly cannot be perfect! However, I mostly like that the word "Hobonichi" literally translates into "Almost every day" ! ❤

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

You are so right!

@PlanYourOneLife

11 ай бұрын

I agree! 😅

I have a Hobonichi weeks for my personal daily carry, a hobonichi weeks for work and those are working FANTASTIC. I used the hobonichi A6 for my journal/memory keeper so far this year. It started out being what I thought was going to be my personal everything planner, but I decided I didn't like carrying around my journal everywhere. For 2024 I am going to get the two new weeks again, but I'm trying to decide between the cousin avec or another A6 for my journal/memory keeper. The only thing really holding me back from trying the cousin avec is that I don't think I'm going to need the weekly part in it for what I'm using it for and it will just go to waste. I'm trying to figure out what I could use it for. I kind of wish there was a cousin sized A6.

@JustScribble

11 ай бұрын

If you don’t need the weekly why do you want an A6 Cousin? That’s the only difference between the two (other than size). But SterlingInk’s A6 common planner is an A6 cousin - just with undated dailies which you could easily date.

@saraheidenheimer6760

11 ай бұрын

@@JustScribble I would like the larger size. I also like the hobonichi brand and having the dated dailies. I tried bullet journaling and dating all of my own stuff and it didn't work for me. I know everyone is all about Sterling Ink right now but I am not sure if I want to switch.

@JustScribble

11 ай бұрын

@@saraheidenheimer6760 oh ok. You said you wanted an A6 size cousin (so smaller) but said you didn’t need the weeks so it’s confused 😂 I like SterlingInk personally because I like the clean layout and don’t like the color and quotes in Hobonichi and so SI fixed the issues I had with Hobo products. And I know that’s a big reason why others love it. But also because she filled the need of a B6 size cousin that people have been asking for for years and years. I get that many like a dated daily - though I find it’s so easy to predate it with stickers, pen or stamps which I’ve done. And to me that’s completely different than when I did a bujo and drew out my own layouts etc. but I do love that other brands like W222 have a timeline already there so there’s even less to setup.

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

I think she meant she wanted the same layout as the A6 but in the larger cousin size.

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

I also wish there was a cousin offering without the weeklies. Or make one with only weekly and one with only dailies. Lots of people only want one or the other.

Wish I could help you. Really. It’s ok to do it however you want. I’m sitting here nodding my head with all your struggles. I think I’ll use the cousin & techo a6 - for my purse, for next year. I find myself noting things in my cousin because I know I’ll keep that book. But I also know I may switch different things during the year. And that’s ok. Hugs, girl.

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

Thank you 🧡

I feel this so much, I could've made this video myself! I took 3 planners to work today 😢 b6 stalogy, b6 tn and hobo weeks.

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

And hated how it weighed your bag down like I do, I’m sure. 🧡

@NerissaNikole

11 ай бұрын

100% !!! Like you said, I'm about ready to throw them all out! Lol!

same here, struggling with wanting to use every layout and getting nothing done

I’m having the same issue. I have been perfectly fine in my updated Erin Condren monthly all year and all of a sudden I want a change and I am having such decision paralysis. The thing is, the only planners that have worked for me for any length of time have been the Erin Condren monthly and the Hobonichi weeks (or a TN with an insert with a similar layout to the Weeks). The problem I always seem to run into is the EC is too big to pit in my purse and the Weeks I sometimes feel doesn’t have enough room. I have a huge collection of TNs and planner covers in all different sizes and I can’t seem to figure out what to use. I even thought about creating my own with printable. I’m stumped at this point, so I’m continuing to use the EC until I can figure it out.

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

I want to make all of my own inserts as well, but I’ve not found the time to dedicate to it. Hope you figure it out!

I'm also going through all kinds of planners.... But I always end up in my pocket rings... Just can't beat the convenience! 🎉😂❤ But I'm changing my setup.... Adding daily pages which I didn't use before.... Dated... Which I didn't use before!!!! And adding the dated weekly aldo, which I had undated only before....

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

I’ll probably forever bounce between bound and rings and pocket and personal.

And the paper sounds nice when you turn pages. Can’t get that in a rings planner, at least not without some expense and time making the inserts. #lovehobonichiweeks

I feel you, Lady. I wish I’d seen this video before I ordered the 2024 Commit (and free 2023 to play with). :(

This has been a weird year for planning. I had a beautiful Erin Condren planner all set up and just never used it. Idk. If only the Hobonichi Cousin was the size of a wide notebook (instead of an A5) and the daily pages were undated, it would be my perfect planner. I’ve also tried the new Sterling Commonplace notebook but, idk, it just didn’t do it for me for some reason, although I did like the quarterly planning pages and the undated pages. I’ll be using Designs by Planner Perfect next year: monthlies, 2 yearly overviews - for work and home, the six month journal for gratitude, and a brainstorming notebook. It all fits in a wide Chic Sparrow chocolate cascade TN I already own. Plus a Hobonichi Weekly to track diet, habits, and exercise. Fingers crossed.

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

I hope it works for you!

I feel like I could have made this video! LOL. I have wasted, yes, wasted hundreds of dollars this year trying different planners, and for what? I used to use a Mary Englebreit planner which was just fine for me until the "planner craze" hit, and I jumped down that rabbit hole. For the last 6-7 years, I have tried almost every planner under the sun. I think part of it is the overwhelming amount of choices out there; could there be the "perfect" one for me somewhere? Then I saw people do these gorgeous spreads, and I wanted to try that style so I thought I needed that planner. I also think I have a need to express myself creatively, and a planner is a way to do that daily. I just set up a new Plum Paper, and I ordered a Wonderland222! What? How and why did I do that? Well, I am so annoyed with myself at this point that I am just going to make a choice and stick to it. This craziness has to stop, So, I can definitely relate to what you are going through. Good luck!

Have you tried Pilot Precise pens? I like the tip on them and they write like felt

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

Yes. Just don’t like them on this paper still. I know I’m weird.

I use a Bullet Journal - Ring binder now - and the pages becomes index cards in a box if they arent current any more. Its not perfect. But anything else is too rigid for my fluid brain

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

I totally get this.

The struggle is so real. I've accepted the fact that i will never stay in 1 planner the full year. Even when my system is perfect, i get the itch for something different.

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

Thrill of the chase!

Oh this is me to a T! Drives me insane! I can not find one that works for me and I don’t have a lot I put in mine, I’m at a loss!

I’m considering a Weeks for 2024. Your cover is gorgeous!

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

Thank you!

I think you found planner peace. I have planner peace, but i know no planner is perfect. blessings

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

Thank you 🧡

Same! Same! Same! Same! 😅

I love Portland Leather! Where did you find your bucket backpack sticker?!

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

It was a gift! I was an ambassador for a year before they closed the program.

Maybe it is time to try a Planner Diet? Use KISS. Box up all your temptations you can't decide on for now. Get a simple composition notebook or plain notepad. Pick only one or two pens. Live with it for a week or so and see what happens. In the meantime, give all the social media a rest so you aren't distracted and suffering FOMO.

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

Good idea!

To me, it is a hobby or collection like any other hobby-or collecting. My man collects car parts for cars he doesn’t own lol! We like to play in different ones and then switch! I keep a Weeks as my ride or die EDC so I don’t lose important information (because it gets real easy to do that). I bought a 222 for 2024 and have all the old stuff like tn’s, you name it. I can stick my weeks in their covers. Play in the others when it’s in the budget and love your weeks at the same time. I gave up on planner peace but if I were stranded on a desert island and just had my weeks….I would start a fire with my weeks lol

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

That’s hilarious! 🔥

How do you storage your ring planners??

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

On an open bookshelf in our office! All of the boxes for them live in a storage tote.

@jesusc6215

11 ай бұрын

Thanks!love your videos

I've been trying to plan for 6 years. I still have no planner peace. My hubby has made me different leather notebooks and still nothing. I am still unorganized and forget everything. I have OCD for real.

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

It’s tough!

Whoa! I thought I was the only weirdo who freaks out over planners! I've been wanting a new cover and a new planner. Started a search back in May in hopes I could add the perfect one to my birthday list for July. Well, here we are in August and I can't get myself to look again because I got too overwhelmed in the search!

@solascripturamjc9681

11 ай бұрын

Oh how I relate, planner sister. 🌷

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

The options can be maddening.

I’m glad to know I’m not alone..you’ve just described me to a tee

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

Chaos twins.

I have already bought 4 new planners for 2024 🤭😏 my newest is Hibino from midori….

I can relate because I am the same way and can drive myself bonkers. Once in awhile I'm able to stop myself and think, "First world problem." I doubt people with barely anything to eat are concerned about this (substitute the word "this" for many things we stress about in the West). It allows me to break the anxiety cycle long enough to think things through. I tend toward minimalism and a friend and I were talking one day. She said she thinks she's a minimalist but then visited someone in Japan and said it was unbelievable what her friend could do with one set of chopsticks!!! Sometimes I watch YT's from Japan and India and they can be eye-openers. Again, I'm not ragging on you - I'm talking to us both. I currently have FIVE various notebooks that I began collecting THREE years ago (it was what I did during lock down or I probably wouldn't have thought of anything but a basic planner) and, here's the really nutty part - I haven't used ANY of them yet except one of the brown inserts for my TN planner. It's not *in) the planner, I'm just using it by itself to jot down medical notes to show my Dr. The title of this video caught my attention because all I've been doing this weekend is trying to figure out what info I could put in the various planners. I'm retired so work isn't an issue and I only need something in my purse to jot down grocery items but I'm a writer and love to research. At the end of the week I have torn bits of all kinds of paper spilling out of my purse and sometimes I don't even know why I wrote some of them. 😬 Ok, we can do this!!!! Looks like you've got a good start! I like your cover. My mother loves fine leather of unusual types and purchased a checkbook cover, if I recall correctly, that is genuine ostrich skin and it has those spots where the feathers/quills were. This was way before PCs existed and she purchased those type of things when she traveled. Anyway...yeah...planners...

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

I’ve watched videos from Japan too and they tend to be more minimal than us for sure. There are real ostrich items out there, but in my case it’s cow made to look like Ostrich. 😅

I stopped planning for 2 years then in the last 6 months ive tried using my ipad mini. No dice. I have too much going on in my head and cant remember anything. Im toying with the idea of a filofax

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

I’ll plan in paper forever. 😅

@jessicacollins8049

11 ай бұрын

@@samplans death before digital?

What do you do for work?

I've felt this sometimes, but this feeling goes away after sometime, more often than not it's something else that is in your life that needs attention, rather than a new planner. A chunk of papers doesn't hold power over you... If you switch planners often, maybe this will help kzread.info/dash/bejne/Y6x1waOvp6m4fsY.html

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

I’ve mentioned before that I have PMDD, which triggers anxiety. Usually when it gets really bad, this is the reason.

Love that Gillio cover !

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

It’s beautiful!

As always, I'm right there with you, sometimes hour by hour. 💐

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

Which is very frustrating! August is going to be our month!

@solascripturamjc9681

11 ай бұрын

@@samplans Yes, it's very frustrating and I feel like throwing everything out sometimes, LoL. I've been pretty consistent in my Weeks so far this month. So yes, let's try to stay in Weeks all month. I think we can do it. ☺️ 💕

Yay! More planner crisis!!

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

😅

Change the cover.

It’s almost like we are addicted to the search… 😅

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

YES!!

Lol just wait for next year with their botanical line up including the Hon. more planner chaos 🫠🫠🫠🫠

@samplans

11 ай бұрын

I. Know. 👀