2018 planner setup

14 Nov 2017

Planners

I recently wrote about my struggle to choose a planner setup for 2018. Since then I've tried a few 2017 planners I had laying around and considered various options I didn't mention in that post.

I've finally come to a decision that I think I'm happy with. My main aim for 2018 is to choose a setup and stick with it all year. Or at least the first six months. I find it frustrating to change my mind all the time, because I end up confused and disorganised. But I also don't always realise the downsides of the setup I've chosen until I'm using it full-time, which is why I've spent so much time thinking about this decision before 2018 starts. I'm hoping to have thought through most of the downsides so I'm really able to commit to this setup for next year.

I've been trying to write this post since late September but now that I've actually ordered my supplies for next year I can finally share what I've decided on with the confidence that I won't change my mind tomorrow.

So here's what my setup will be in 2018:

Jibun Techo Mini

Jibun Techo mini

I started 2017 with the regular (A5 slim) Jibun Techo. After switching to other planners I decided I liked the format of the Jibun best, but I wanted a smaller size. I used the mini Jibun for the last couple of months and really enjoyed the compact size. (If you're curious, there's a size comparison here between the two Jibun sizes and some other planners.)

I would love an even smaller Jibun but I couldn't find anything like it that comes in a smaller format, except the Hobonichi A6 calendar supplement, which doesn't have monthly pages and is a bit tricky to get hold of without paying a fortune in shipping and/or markup.

So I'm going with a mini Jibun again for next year as my planner and logbook. As a planner I'll use it to keep track of events and appointments, tasks, TV shows that I watch on particular days, and to plan ahead my meals for the week.

As a logbook I'll use it to track the meals I actually eat, the TV and movies I watch, my workouts, and my weight.

Passport Traveler's Notebook

My passport TN is going to hold two inserts next year: a dated weekly and dated monthly. These will both be used for noting down brief highlights of what's happening in my life, so I have a little highlight journal to look back at when the year is over.

Passport Traveler's Notebook 2018 inserts

I also have a zipper case and kraft folder in my TN for holding washi tape, stickers, loose notes, and the like.

Regular Traveler's Notebook

My regular TN will hold two inserts: a dated weekly + memo and a blank journal (right now that's a 013 Air Paper insert, but I wouldn't mind switching it up with some of the Traveler's Company coloured paper inserts later in the year).

The weekly + memo will hold random notes and ideas throughout the week as well as mementos and ephemera. The journal will be for the same thing, but without any dates in case my weekly insert runs out of room or I want to write a lot more some days.

As you can see, I'm already collecting plenty of scraps to add to these inserts:

Regular Traveler's Notebook with scraps

One of my aims for my planner setup has always been to keep everything together in one book, but I keep failing miserably. For 2018 I've let go of that goal, which helped me choose a setup that I'm happy with in other respects.

I know I like the Jibun, so I'm fairly confident I can stick with it all year, and I'm looking forward to having a full year of my life in one book.

2018 will be my first year with dated TN inserts so I'm hoping the extra structure will help me stick to this setup all year.