A Simple Planner (And Journal)
I’ve found I do better with a clean slate. With blank pages. With a planner unhemmed by pre-printed calendars, lists, guides, and forms. A couple years ago, frustrated by the restriction of pre-designed planners and tiresome formulas for keeping them, I purchased a dot-grid spiral bound book with the specific intention that this one would become my own design, working in synergy with how my mind sees my days and my time, a tool that would serve the purpose of ordering my days with simplicity and freedom. Last month, I began my third - the usefulness indeed continues on.
If you receive my monthly letter, you already know I love the workbooks from Appointed; the dot-grid for my planner, and the blank page for my journal. Some of you have asked to know how I use them. My answer in two words? Very simply. (You may have guessed.)
For the planner, I begin by inscribing the first page with meaningful words - a quote, a verse, a poem, or collection of words. On the following pages, I draw a thirteen month calendar in monthly two-page spreads*. The pages following the calendar have my weekly and daily schedules for winter and summer, and my weekly housekeeping schedule. Next is a collection of pages, some for reference (e.g. a list of our favorite breakfasts, lunches, and dinners), some for lists (e.g. books to read), some for tracking (e.g. a fitness/wellness log), and some for brainstorming/planning (e.g. projects). Over time, I’ve identified and included ones that are specifically useful to me. Currently this collection includes:
Yearly Home & Landscape Maintenance Schedule
Meals List
Book List
Monthly Letter Plan
Christmas Card List
Christmas Gift List
Wellness/Fitness Log
Project
The rest of the book is gloriously blank, each page (or a portion of a page) ready to be filled in with notes on the coming day’s plan, which is also simple, with routine inclusions according to the day of the week (referenced back to my fitness and housekeeping schedules), and specific inclusions according to the work in line for the day. I’ve found that I appreciate spare, uncluttered daily pages. Being mindful that there’s only so much time in the day, I prefer to not overcrowd them with long lists and details. Only the anchor points and top priorities are written there. It helps my days feel doable.
Mind you, this is real life around here, where my time and days can very well go right off the rails in spite of my mindful planner, but having a command central in the form of a linen covered spiral-bound notebook does at least ease the mind and helps me gently recenter and buckle back in. (And it keeps me from trying to hold all the things in my head, glory be).
Now then, about the journal. (There’s not as much to say about it, but I thought you might appreciate a few words, grin.) About a year ago, I realized I needed a place for my thoughts to go. From the beginning, I decided this journaling practice would have no requirements or expectation other than opening the page, finding where I’d left off the day before, writing the date, and letting the thoughts flow. It’s not a diary or memoir or any type of account-keeper. It’s open and free, letting me write whatever I want for around 15-20 minutes. Sometimes I write longer, sometimes shorter. I’ve fallen in love with the practice.
If you’re interested, the tools I use with my planner and journal are:
This pencil .05mm, B lead
*My apologies for not having current accompanying photos with this post. I’m having technical difficulties with new photos, so had to use one showing my original planner (and pencil) from 2019!