What planner/diary are you using for 2022?

[arcfide]

Since I'm seeing some action on my 2021 planner thread, I figured I would start one specifically dedicated to the 2022 year. 

 

This year I had a very successful year in terms of sticking to more or less the same planner throughout the whole year. That's a near first for me. I think I have mostly only been able to do that with BuJo's, Traveler's Notebooks, and this year's Jibun Techo before, in recent memory. This is also the second year of my 5-year diary and I'm really enjoying the lookback through the past year, and there have been some fun surprises throughout, as well as some good insights in doing this, so I plan to continue with that theme. 

 

This coming year, however, I've decided that I really want to give a daily planner a try for a whole year and to attempt to stick to, more or less, a single "method" of organization for the whole year. To do this, I've chosen a Midori MD 1 Page 1 Day diary. I'm very curious how it's going to work out for me. I haven't settled on my exact system yet, so I'm working on getting that narrowed down and confirmed for next year. 

 

 

[inkstainedruth]

For a planner, I go buy the cheapest ones I can, at a local Dollar Tree.  I like the type that has calendar style pages (this new one is made in China and is set up so it has spaces for all seven days of the week in a double spread format, plus small monthly calendars for the current month -- flanked by the preceding month and the upcoming month) in the eighth section (bottom of each RH page).

For a journal?  Well, I think I will be starting the next Miquelrius 600 page volume just before the end of the year.  I tend to go through 3+ of them a year (which is why I like them so well.  I think I have enough to last me about 3 years after the current volume).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[arcfide]

1 hour ago, inkstainedruth said:

For a journal?  Well, I think I will be starting the next Miquelrius 600 page volume just before the end of the year.  I tend to go through 3+ of them a year

 

Do you have a specific journaling discipline that you like to follow, like Morning Pages?

[inkstainedruth]

Yes, that's exactly what I use them for (in fact that's how I got into fountain pens in the first place -- in trying to get into the habit of doing it regularly, I bought a "nice" journal and a cheap Parker cartridge pen).  

When you write 3 pages a day EVERY day, you go through a lot of journals.  I like the slightly smaller A5 paper size and the paper is relatively fountain-pen friendly.   And for me, the page capacity is ideal.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[AmandaW]

I keep a Bullet Journal in an A5 dotted notebook (currently a Clairefontaine, with a Leuchtturm 120g to follow). It lives in a Lihit Lab cover that I love.

 

Also a morning pages journal in A4 Clairefontaine notebooks.

 

The Bullet Journal has become an index and a prompt for the Morning Pages!

[TMLee]

 

I have been using the JIBUN TECHO BIZ MINI B6 SLIM for 2021 this year thus far and find it great , especially for tracking all sorts of things. 🤭

 

The paper is excellent, thicker than their non-BIZ and their LITE versions.

 

Been hunting for a new planner for 2022.

Shortlisted many good ones, all Japanese planner types. (they are the best 👍)

Bought some to take a closer look ... 🤫

 

And then , I kinda decided to try to make my own , by finding a suitable notebook and converting it to a planner.

 

Yes, its insane ... 😜

But I have to console myself that there are many (insufferable) others out there still looking for that perfect planner.

 

It had to be B6 Slim, but couldnt find any.

The closest I got was this ...

( The CAFE B6 Slim notebook by NANAMI is a very attractive option . Its gridded but its a bit too thickish . and its always out of stock, I wonder why )

 

NOLTY full B6 grid notebook ....

Exact B6 size

 

There is an identical version - but each page has a blank header space. Not suitable.

Easily mistaken between these two.

This one, the grids go right to the edges.

This is vital if you want to attempt this crazy project.

Make sure you get the correct superlong product number.

This one cost me SGD$12.90

 

👍

What is nice is that it is 3.5mm grid squared.

Added BIG bonus, its pages are numbered ! 👍 (for all you bu-jo users out there)

They pride themselves on their NOLTY Diary paper. Its excellent 👍 👍👍

Its smooth. No bleedthru nor feathering.

Its stiffer than TR paper 52g . doesn't crumple as easily as TR paper.

I am not sure whats the grammage, but my guess its a tad lighter.

My only grouse is that its not cream coloured like TR paper or the paper in the JT planners.

Those cream papers are ideal. They cut out shadow or ghosting significantly.

No fear , you can solve this simply by laying a sheet of black paper underneath as I have mentioned many times in my other handmade journal threadpost.

The inktest will further illustrate this.

 

The grids are printed in very light grey.

Again , this is important , becos if its black, it becomes an eyesore. Too overpowering. You will have problems reading or writing your entries. Being black will also produce shadow or ghosting effects on the backside of every page.

 

 

Here you see the JT MINI B6 SLIM BIZ next to the NOLTY Notebook.

The JT 2021 planner is covered in a transparent cover sold separately. I needed the pen loop.

The NOLTY is also covered in their transparent cover also sold separately. It also has a pen loop.

( as a detail , Japanese planners have got their pen loops right - they are big enough to carry fat pens like multipens here. Fountain pens are also possible but its really too heavy for that material , and the risk of accidents with your FPs )

 

[ The JT transparent covers ...

They are a little loose. This is becos they are made to be the exact same dimensions of their vinyl covers that come with the planner. Those vinyl covers are padded, ie thicker. They feel nice to the touch bcos of the padding.

The transparent ones dont have any padding. The space from the missing padding now contributes to the slightly loose , baggy fit.

This means that you can use a wide variety of inserts for your JT or B6 slim planners. Even book leather, but thats silly cos why would anyone cover leather with plastic?!

But it means that space offers you lots of creative options for inserts.

The NOLTY transparent covers are fitting. So you can't use thickish inserts, hence , my recommendation is to use washi paper which are very thin but strong and more imptly - beautiful. ]

 

Here you see the NOLTY transparent cover , but I have already cut out a sheet of washi paper as a decorative insert.

 

Dragonfly motifs are my favourite.

The corners are rounded off using a corner punch 5mm.

This washi is nice cos the black dragonflies are embossed.

 

 

This shows the JT SLIM compared with the full B6 NOLTY.

You can see that both are same height tall, in keeping with standard ISO dimensions.

Again this is excellent , bcos it means that one can trim the NOLTY into a Slim B6. (yes, its another insane option which I MAY attempt for 2023  ! 🤫 )

 

They are also of the same thickness.

 

Another closer view

NOLTY on top

JT below

I forgot whats the size of the grid in the JT - less than 3mm ... you can see a hint of the comparison here.

 

 

I added skinny ribbons to the NOLTY.

I bought these skinny pagemarker ribbons from MUJI. They come in many colors suited for planners.

 

 

Like what they do to all planners, the ribbons are glued to the spine , outside , like so ...

Just use pVA glue. White glue.

 

 

The ribbons on the spine will be hidden by the decorative insert.

 

 

Next I will show how I layout the planner on the inside.

 

 

 

[TMLee]

So ... this is how I do the planner layout ...

largely inspired by the myriad of Japanese planner layouts ...

 

As in almost all good quality Japanese stationery , this NOLTY notebk has every page that is printed very accurately. Practically perfect.

Each page has the same no. of squares in all directions. Perfect for dividing up any given page into sections, rows, columns.

This sample page pic shows a study on how to layout a page spread view.

There are 2 options here.

One layout is for a full B6 spread.

The other is for a B6 SLIM spread.

Its superimposed on each other, so it takes a bit to visualize.

You see a vertical dashed line near the edges of each page, marked with a scissors.

This is a cut line showing how much you lose when you cut off this much to turn it into a B6 slim width.

When you cut, you will lose all the page numbering ! see bottom right .

 

 

Each page is divided into 4 columns.

This results in 7+1 columns when you open to a spread view.

7 columns will be occupied by the 7 days in a week.

The 1 free column will then be used for annotation and other notetaking functions which are common in all planners.

 

You need 6 (horizontal) rows bcos some months require 6 rows.

 

So in the pic above, you can see 2 sizes of columns.

The full B6 size columns contain 8 squares wide.

the B6 Slim columns are 7 squares wide.

Either way , they are comfortably sized.

 

 

 

 

So here, you see Jun 2022.

You see 5 (horizontal) rows - ie, 5 weeks.

Each week is numbered - the number circled on left of Monday column.

I decided to have the free column on the rightside. You can choose to do this on the left page instead.

The amount of space around that month can be used for all kinds of do-list or notetaking or reminders or tracking etc.

I added thumbnail sketches to incorporate visual interest.

 

 

 

Saturdays are blue. Sundays are Red.

Weeks begin on Mondays.

Larger spaces carry larger sketches.

This is a (poor) copy of a beautiful sketch I saw in Instagram.

 

 

 

Under the month label, I created a vertical monthly tracker.

This is the value of having gridded layouts of a size that is clever. You can use it in your own creative ways, tailored to what you want to track. I came up with my own colour code vs the 30 days of any given month.

 

 

A Gary Larson cartoon is a must ! I havent painted it in yet.

The boxes and numbering are all in pencil. I recommend a 2B lead by PENTEL Ain. Its soft , yet won't smudge on this smooth white paper.

The boxes are drawn in dash dot lines so that it won't become overpowering.

 

 

The paper takes watercolour very well ... as shown by Roz ...

There will be warpage bcos the paper is thin. But there's no bleedthru nor feathering whatsoever.

 

 

 

Thumbnail sketches can be thematic, if you choose.

I thot of stickers, but gave up the idea bcos it would mean bulking up the planner. Also, its hard to find preferred illustrations . Printing out and pasting pictures also bulks up the planner as they accumulate. 

 

 

WEEK TO A SPREAD VIEW

 

Here you see a week to a page spread view.

This time, I chose to place the free space on the left page as opposed to the right page for the month view.

Again, there are 7+1 columns.

Each week is numbered. (top left)

Then I divided each day into hours. You decide how many hours you want to.

 

 

Each week carries a thumbnail sketch.

This closer view shows how I use the squares to denote the hour of the day.

The size of the top and bottom spaces per day are decided based on what I want to track for each day. (not illustrated here for privacy)

 

 

These are 3.5mm grid squares.

there's plenty space to track and note all kinds of stuff.

Again , this is the value of cleverly sized grid squares.

IIRC , the Hobonichi grid is 3.7mm - a size they concluded after studying worldwide handwritten notes.

The JT is 2.7mm or 2.9mm , I cant remember. A tad too tiny for my use.

 

 

 

So with so many squares, you can really come up with lots of variations as to how to record a note.

The possibilities are endless. (not illustrated here)

 

 

If 3.5mm is too small for your handwriting, you can use 2 squares instead (becoming 7mm)

 

 

And of course, to keep to Fountain pen content forum rules, a planner is not complete unless it remembers FPDay ... 😄

Kooyah my photo assistant here remains Covid-free. Thank goodness.

 

 

The paper takes acrylic paint very well too as shown by M. Wazowski ...

 

By the end of 2022, I only reached page 137 out of 176 pages.

You have about 40pages ( or 20 page-spread views ) remaining for additional notetaking or recording stuff thats significant to you.

 

 

You can plan your notebook as a Day-free planner or week-free planner too.

Or a combination of all Month , Week and Day of varying formats.

 

I always do an ink, watercolour test on paper ...

 

 

DALER ROWNEY POCKET WATERCOLOR

NOODLER's BLACK (waterproof)

 

There's warpage on the backside. This is expected becos the paper is thin.

But as you can see, there's no feathering nor bleedthru ...

 

 

For this planner i used ...

SAKURA PIGMA MICRON 005 (archival quality felt tip marker) for the thumbnail sketches

PENTEL ORENZ 0.3mm mech pencil. PENTEL 0.3mm 2B lead. Heavy. Metal. Anodized black. Too pricey.

PILOT FRIXION 0.38 erasable inks.

 

 

Some close considerations ...

The STALOGY notebks are not suitable IMHO, the paper is too thin and transparent.

They do have good variety of sizes though.

Their grids are 5mm , except for their A5 which is 4mm .

 

The NAHE is a good B6 Slim but too tiny their text.

 

The JT 2021 like what I am using are too cluttered - their hourly dots and colours and lines.  And smiley faces everywhere.

They would do better If they use dark greys instead of black.

 

The NOLTY 2281 is a close option but their weekly spread doesn't have the hourly breakdown unlike their A5 version.

 

I liked the BIZGRID for their clean look but can't find a B6 slim ☹️

 

The HOBONICHI didn't have full spaces for the weekends. So it was a deal-breaker for me.

 

The MUJI planners are surprisingly good, bcos they are uncluttered - as in their design philosophy.

 

Of course, different folks, different strokes. I guess it really boils down to how one uses a planner.

 

The search for the perfect planner continues. ...

😁

 

[arcfide]

@TMLee

 

Really great writeup on your planner! Do you maintain todo lists in the weekly spreads the way that the JT does or do you prefer to do more freehand notes in the extra columns and use something else for todo lists? Or maybe you don't use todo lists at all? 

[TMLee]

3 hours ago, arcfide said:

@TMLee

 

Really great writeup on your planner! Do you maintain todo lists in the weekly spreads the way that the JT does or do you prefer to do more freehand notes in the extra columns and use something else for todo lists? Or maybe you don't use todo lists at all? 

 

thank you .

 

Yes, the natural thing to do is to use the spaces around the weekly spread. 
 

one can use the vertical space for a particular kind of checklist. The difference here is that there are no preprinted check-off boxes as seen in the JT. 

this means you are free to use this space anyway you like , even writing text in a vertical direction. 
 

i record do-lists only for impt things , things that require backtracking or backchecking. Mundane and routine tasks dont go into the planner, ie, things that are not meant to be remembered. 

i employ color coding, 

color coding your entries and records is a very useful method of keeping records. 
for eg, say you use black for work only, then at one glance you can see and track or backcheck on these work entries.

 

the multipen has 4 colors. You can designate a color for at least 4 aspects of your life , or 4 matters you want to keep track of. 
 

you can also designate a zone for each of the 4 colors in this vertical space too. 
so when you quick flip with your thumb, you can trace quite quickly any particular entry you vaguely recall. 
this is why that empty space is located near the edge of the paper , for quick finding.
 

a digital record on a smartphone is an easier solution but it has its disadvantages too ! 
 

like others here, i dont journal everyday (altho I wish I do ) 

but i do make an indicator that points to a journal entry, if theres something significant that warrants journalling. 

the ample squares in any given day in a week-spread allows you to do this in a neat and orderly fashion.  
 

when you do this in sync with the monthly spread, you end up with a very comprehensive tracking system for things or patterns you want to track. 

 

again, theres a digital alternative. 
Etsy sells digital planners. 
it can be done , but there are obvious differences, advantages. 🙂

 

[Runnin_Ute]

I'll be using the same thing I have used for the previous 36 years in 2022. (Year 37) The Franklin Covey planner system. I started using it January 1986. I use their "Classic" size which is approximately A5/half letter. I use a leather zipper binder with 1.5 inch rings. Pages are 7 hole punched, but you could use a 3 ring of smaller ring diameter (1 inch). Some versions come wire bound.

[Misfit]

I don’t have a great need for an involved planner. I’m going to try the Field Notes version in 2022. 

[Lachryma]

I use the Hobonichi Cousin Avec and journal . . . In a Galen zip folio. A5

 

I like this because I NEED to see my whole week laid out before my eyes AND I need to see only the day I'm living at that moment.

 

My clients come from different sources (which is definitely kind of manic but I'm used to it by now) including referral agencies, private contracts, universities/technical schools, and national video operations.  Some land on my Google calendar, some I have to fetch from the agencies' databases, and some I take down the info.  This is hardest part of my job.

 

On Sunday

For the Weekly

I go through all sources and draw out (with my fp 😊)/fill in (with my pilot parallels😊) all the client time slots.  All clients regardless of source get the same color (manyo haha). I also add Mass, Spanish tutoring sessions, runs, and other non-negotiables, each in their own color.

 

Dailies

The dailies are divided. I mark all my non-negotiables in the same way as my weekly on the time side.  On the other side, I divide it into sections: general to-do, Spanish to-do (i.e.: Homework, reading, et c), professional to-do (file something, send something, CEU something).  I make a rough plan of attack for the week and note what I want to accomplish (especially for Sp and Professional). I look ahead for Holy Days or other things I will observe and that's it.

 

Every Day

I wake up and pray and read the saint of the day. I note that saint on my daily. I look at what I have in terms of work clients and things I want to and must accomplish.  I import to-dos and make notes if needed.  Throughout the day I might make notes or doodles or what ever.  Weirdly, I pick up artifacts (stickers, tickets, pics, whatever and sometimes I stick or glue it to my daily and sometimes I put it in my journal.

 

When I get around it it.

I'm a total bookworm.  I jot titles in the monthly.  I always note each book I begin when I begin it (and give it a color and mark each day till I finish) but I also get sidetracked (e.g.: I'm reading The Brothers Karamazov and he keeps mentioning poems or stories that I look up and read when I can find them or I realize I don't know anything about the Industrial Revolution and read something about that  or I get a book of Russian folk tales or geography) I write those on my monthly . . . Eventually.  I usually end up going back and trying to get it on a rough date that I probably read it on. 

 

Also, when I get around to it I tweek several pages at a time for Sunday start and 24-hour days.  It doesn't take long at all and makes me much happier.  A few goes and the whole year is done.

 

Every night

I look at tomorrow.

 

It took me a long time to evolve into this manner of planning.  I've tried quite a few planners or systems or whatever over the years but I really have to have the weekly and daily. Just have to. The Cousin was a Godsend!

 

Although . . . If I could find something like the Cousin Avec but with Sunday start and 24-hr days, I wouldn't at all scruple to ditch the Cousin . . . If it suited.

 

In case it's not obvious: I'm self-employed and that's why clients come from so many sources.

[Misfit]

I have a change in plans. I found a Retro 51 diary planner that only seems to be available from Mann Inc in the United Kingdom. I’ll save the Field Notes planners for future years. 

Edited December 2, 2021 by Misfit
The odd angled photo from the website showing my planner choice.

[penzel_washinkton]

Planning to use the Midori for intermittent use during 2022 but just recently bought the Kinbor 2022 planner in A6 (supposedly a knock off of Hobonichi Techo) out of curiousity.

 

If anyone has experience using this Kinbor planner, let me know. I used their A5 notebooks once in the past and found it to be quite nice for the price.

[ISW_Kaputnik]

Haven't posted much on FPN lately, twice in November, none in October.  I recently started a new diary, though, which made me think of this thread.  I had just filled a Nanami Seven Seas 480 page journal of blank Tomoe River paper, which took me a little over six months.  Although I have several unused ones left, as well as Life Noble and Clairefontaine, I wanted to try something else, something similar to the Tomoe River.  Having bought a 368 page Stalogy Editor's series journal, also with blank paper, I started that on December 14th, and unless I hit a very wordy streak, that should take me through a few months of 2022.  It fits in my A5 leather cover, which was made by Franklin Christoph but was a special edition for the web site Badger and Blade some years ago.

 

I'm liking it so far.  The wettest pen that I currently have inked is a Parker 180 with a broad nib, and I find that it works very well on this paper, as do a couple of other finer and drier nibs.  There is show through on these pages, but in my opinion just enough to add character without impairing legibility.  There is no feathering or bleeding.  The feel of writing on it is comparable to the Tomoe River, which is to say just smooth enough without being slick.  I'm in the habit of numbering the pages as I go, and if I write anything that I might want to find again, putting an index on a flyleaf or inside one of the covers.  Generally there will only be a handful of entries of this kind.  I usually use separate sketchbooks for drawing, but at some point will probably draw something in my diary, possibly in pencil.

 

Now this is a diary I mean, not a planner.  At the risk of being cast into fountain pen outer darkness, where there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth, I have not used a paper planner in some years, having gone electronic for my simple needs in that area.  Google Calendar knows when I have a doctor's appointment, need to take my medicine, or (not in a couple of years) have to catch a flight.  But I enjoy seeing some of the setups above, particularly those with what appear to be the owner's own artwork.

[MHBru]

ooh.. you guys with artistic skills are out of my league.. but I still need a planner    last year it was the Quo Vadis Note21 that i liked quite a bit but only comes in a 17 month version.  Not more that a few hours ago I unwrapped my Leuchtturm 1917 12 month planner and got it loaded with known 2022 appointments.  

[AoKiu]

For 20 years I use BRUNNEN diary Mod. 736, A6, 1day=1page.

[jann3]

Bought my 2022 planner last weekend; the MUJI A5 vertical planner.  Had the same in 2021 too and find the layout very useful for my needs and preferences. Originally I thought to acquire a Leuchtturm planner, but then I happened to visit the local MUJI store and they had 30 % off on the planners. It made my decision very easy. 🙂

 

Even my 2021 and 2022 MUJI planners should be the very same model, the paper feels slightly different. The 2022 one feels smoother and shinier. It is very pleasant to write on but the ink takes a little longer to dry.  

 

[Tasmith]

Moleskine Daily Diary / Planner in A5 for my monthly, weekly and daily planning.  Moleskine Weekly Notebook Daily / Planner in A6 for business mileage and expenses.

[oliviaf]

I received my second Papier undated weekly — it is beautiful, but without monthly spreads I have struggled (and marked weekly pages with stickies), so I decided to use it as a health/meal/workout tracker and journal. More recently I received my first Pareto planner, where I am happy with monthly/weekly pages and overall setup, plus goal-planning guides.

Edited January 11, 2022 by oliviaf