I have even multiple planners! I have goals and duties, but since I have a disability I don’t have a job and I’m not a parent so I don’t have these kinds of duties. However, as an adult person, I have certain things I have to do just like everyone else… But it’s not a ton. Because of my lack of a job and family, I live a fairly slow life – and I’m fine with that! Besides this blog and my YouTube channel, I have just a few projects and that’s it.
So why do I even need a planner?
I use it mostly for checking in with myself, like a more structured journal. I also use it for personal development and goals concerning self-growth. Not to forget memory keeping! I love printing out pictures with my mini printer which I just connect to my smartphone to stick into my planner. I’m a visual person and also a very structured person, so sometimes a planner is easier to journal in than just a blank notebook.
What brand of planners I’m currently using…
Hobonichi Techo Weeks (Mega)
I love the Hobonichi Techo Weeks and I use the “Mega” version which means it has extra memo pages in the back (around 200 extra pages to be exact!). I love this more than the popular Hobonichi Cousin. I once used the Cousin (the “Hon”-version) but it was too big and clunky for my taste… And I like the extra memo pages because that means I can use this planner as part planner and part journal. It has monthly and weekly pages and then all the memo pages.
A really good bonus is the paper quality as well. It reminds me of Bible paper, but not as likely to bleed through. It’s thin and soft and a heavenly experience to write on!
The Happy Planner by Me & My Big Ideas
The second planner I use is The Happy Planner. I use the classic size with 9 discs, which is a bit bigger (mostly wider) than an A5 size notebook. It’s the undated “Recovery Edition” planner I use for the moment.
I really like The Happy Planner because of the disc-bound system. It allows me to reorder pages and customize the planner completely. Even the planner covers can be changed!
I also use a memory-keeping notebook from The Happy Planner in the big size with 11 discs. It’s like an A4 size. I use this one to scrapbook and keep photos in because I like traditional memory keeping and I don’t want everything to be virtual on my phone or in the cloud. I enjoy a physical book with my photos. I also sometimes put photos in my weekly Hobonichi planner as well.
Why I value planning and journaling
I like having structure and flexibility at the same time. I don’t journal every day, and I don’t use my planners every day, but I use them regularly enough to call it a habit. I just like the structure of a planner system but at the same time making it creative and making it my own. It’s like my life gets more colorful that way.
Conclusion
I think planning and journaling also is good for brain dumping and keeping your mind structured enough to stay sane on the days you really need it. Nobody can have all their thoughts and plans in their head and not become burnt out or at least stressed out about it. Writing things down is truly effective for me to keep my life calmer and the kind of slow life I want to live. Then I won’t rely on my head and remembering everything, I can rest my busy head and focus better on every little thing that day. It’s also great to stay in the present moment and not think too much about the future, because you’ve already written down your future plans…
xx
Trix