It’s been a while since I’ve posted. To be honest, I’ve been in a bit of a reading rut. Nothing has really captured my attention, and so most of my reading has turned to Wattpad. I don’t feel as much guilt if I give up on a Wattpad book. When a book I’ve purchased or an ARC, however, fails to capture my attention, I feel bad… :/ I’m hoping to get back on the reading horse soon. I know I want to read Hunted by Meagan Spooner, which I just received in my Uppercase Box. Hopefully, that will get me out of my reading rut!
I’ve also been contemplating my ever changing planning and journaling system. It’s a constant struggle over how I want to plan, what size notebooks do I want to use, etc. etc. I think it’ll be quite some time before I finally settle on a single system. It probably doesn’t t help that I’m a stationery hoarder. It’s almost or just as bad as my book obsession. HAHA! It’s funny because I think I’m a terrible writer, but I love the idea of writing. It promotes learning, helps me remember things better, and of course, who’s going to tell my story but me? So today, I thought I’d share my current planning and journaling system, simply discussing the various components of my system and why there are so many! (Don’t hate on me if this changes tomorrow because it very well could!)
First up is the heart and soul of my planning system, my every day carry Sojourner B6 Slim notebook. (Okay, so maybe calling it an every day carry isn’t the most accurate term since I don’t always carry it with me, but I’m going to stick with it for now.) My every day carry Sojourner B6 Slim houses the following:
- A journal (Field Notes size) – place for thoughts and reflection
- A bullet journal, which is based on Ryder Carroll’s system – to-do lists, other lists, and trackers
- A reading journal – thoughts about books I’m reading
- A commonplace notebook – a place for quotes and random facts
I’m currently liking this system, and the commonplace notebook is actually a newer thing I’ve put together. I think I’m just contemplating the size I’m using. I love the B6 Slim size, but I noticed I don’t always carry it around with me. So perhaps, a smaller size for at least my bullet journal would be good or maybe I should separate it out from my journaling. Not sure yet, but I’m sure I’ll try out different systems as I complete notebook inserts.
The other thing I try to carry around with me every day is my passport size Sojourner, which I consider my brain dump notebook. (I do also fluctuate between passport size and field notes size for this.) Essentially it’s a place for me to just dump random thoughts or things I need to remember on the fly. These are also inserts I have no interest in keeping long term. So there’s no need for prettiness. Haha! My worst handwriting is probably in these notebooks.
My set up for my brain dump notebook includes:
- A kraft folder for receipts or other loose pieces of paper
- A card holder with zipper as a wallet substitute when I really want to travel light
- A monthly calendar for major events
- A general brain dump notebook
- A work brain dump notebook
My brain dump notebook is something I try to keep on me even at work and in the lab.
I also have a personal/compact size ring bound planner that just stays at home. This planner is for future planning and a way to keep track of major tasks I need to do each week. The insert I’m using is the On Trend Planner Love from FranklinCovey and My Mind’s Eye. I really like the layout of this planner thus far.
I also have an A5 size ring bound planner as a memory keeping planner with the Inkwell Press A5 Flex inserts. (Here’s a referral code for $10 off a $50 order, if you’d like to try Inkwell Press.) I really love the Inkwell Press inserts. The paper quality is fantastic, making it great for memory keeping. Sadly, I don’t get the chance to open up these inserts very often, but I try to write in them every week or two, jotting down what I did each day. I used to be big on scrapbooking, but I found it a bit overwhelming and felt that my life wasn’t eventful enough for it. I think memory keeping in a planner helps me focus on documenting the every day things without needing to fill up a whole lot of space.
Lastly, and yes this is it, I have a standard Traveler’s Notebook size Sojourner as my work planner and an Erin Condren monthly notebook as my blogging planner/notebook. (Here’s a referral code for $10 off, if you’d like to try Erin Condren.)
I keep my work planner separate from everything else for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I prefer not to bring work home. I know if I combined it with my personal planner, mentally I’d end up thinking about work more than I would like. And secondly, I like keeping it separate just incase I need to jot down something confidential. My work planner contains a notebook for daily to-do lists and a notebook for well notes.
My blog planner is separate mainly because I’m not open sharing my blog with everyone. I also like having a traditional monthly view for editorial planning, which made the Erin Condren monthly notebook perfect! I also like the note pages, which allows me to keep track of books I’m anticipating, post ideas, post drafts, etc.
Overall, my planning and journal system is very extensive, but everything has it’s purpose. I’m sure things will change as time goes on. Like I said, my planning and journaling system is ever changing. I do think, however, that I’m slowly understanding what pieces I need and what I may be able to do without or condense. I’m excited to see my system evolve!
I would love to know do you plan or journal? What is your planner or journal set up like?
