I'm in my mid 60's. 40yrs. ago I was using those calendars from Hallmark to keep track of appointments, and work schedules. About 5 yrs ago I found youtube videos about planning and felt like I NEEDED a Foxy Fix. Well, there is no such thing as "planner peace". You are so right about social media and trying to fit in. Let's do us and not pay attention to the ones who hype up their system.
Me too! I’m in my mid 60s. I used to use a calendar in high school and college. I also used the freebie little calendars from Hallmark. I loved those. Then when I started working professionally I discovered Filofax and Franklin planners. I’ve been planning for many many many years. I couldn’t believe it when I saw the planning community explode the way it did 10 to 12 years ago. I was getting ready to Retire at that time. I hopped on the bandwagon for quite a while. I still switch my planters around but I always come back to Franklin Covey. I’ve spent/wasted a lot of time and money on both buying things and social media binge watching. It’s kind of a hobby but it also gets kind of annoying. Now I just do my own thing. I still like to watch because I am a visual person and I enjoy seeing other peoples planner set ups and journals especially when they’re artistic. But I’m becoming less and less influence into buying those things. Life‘s too short!
I find watching other people's videos and Instagram posts actually helps me decide which planner to go with. So in some ways, it saves me money! I understand the decision fatigue, but we can use the planning community for research, and I find this helps you land on the perfect planner for you.
I agree! The community does share a lot of really good ideas! I was focusing on the struggles because I’ve seen SO MANY planners share this year specifically that they can’t find a solid footing.
So I will play Devil's advocate here: I agree that things in social media have gotten totally ridiculous re all material things, hobbies, cars, clothing, housing, etc. We can pick just about anything in the world and Google it or find RUclips videos about it. And I believe it is up to us, as individuals, to know our limits, to know how much social media we can handle without it causing problems. We have been looking at possibly building a new house soon. I can go to all different kinds of social media and find all different kinds of house plans. Some of the house plans are within my budget, some of them are not. Some of them are for multi-million-dollar houses, but if I want, I can still look at these plans and get some good information from them even if I cannot use the whole plan. On the other hand, if I only looked at multi-million-dollar house plans and never looked at affordable (to me) house plans, it might be depression, aggravating, etc. So after awhile I quit looking at house plans. Re planners, I choose to spend more money than lots of people do on planners, pens, etc., but I also spend LESS money than other people spend. Sometimes, I will decide to quit looking/watching social media that is focused on planners and all the "goodies," because I realize that, for myself, I have reached a limit with what I want or need to see. Sometimes watching social media can give us FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out :) ), so at those times I will purposely cut down on what I watch or read about new planners (or new whatever thing it is). I believe that, as consumers, it is up to each of us to decide what is too much. It's the same thing we all teach our kids: What comes in your brain comes out your brain. If I watch a ton of planner videos all the time, there is a much higher likelihood of me wanting more than what I have, being dissatisfied with something that had totally made me satisfied just the week before I watched these videos/read the article. If I watch a ton of boating videos, there is a higher chance that I will want to go buy a boat, even though buying a boat is not somethingi my husband and I are choosing to do with our money at this time. It's sort of funny to me that the "blame" is being put on us having too many choices. Having "too many choices" should be a BLESSING, in my opinion, especially when we are discussing planners, sometime than can basically be done by grabbing a sheet of paper and a pen and taking it with me out the door. It's more important to you than grabbing a piece of paper -- I get that. But I think that sometimes we all (including myself in this) can lose perspective, whether we're talking about planners, designer clothes, new cars, houses, etc. Sometimes we need to focus on being thankful for so many choices in our lives rather than blaming those choices, rather than ourselves. Hope that my comment is taken with kindness, as it was intended to be said. :)
I think it's important to have a balance. Yes, you don't want to be a spoilt brat who doesn't appreciate what you've got. On the other hand, you don't want to feel that you can't be honest with anyone for fear of seeming ungrateful, about the fact that the avalanche of gifts that keep coming into your one bedroom apartment on the birth of your new baby seem great in theory but in reality, it's like living in an Amazon warehouse.
I agree that we all need to take responsibility for our choices. But I also think it's important to remember that social media can be very addictive for a lot of people. For them, it may not be so easy to disengage or just walk away. I'm not making excuses for them, but I do think it's important to remember that social media is designed to be addictive.
I just uploaded a video talking about how much of a state I am in with my planners and how I’m not happy now. Some of my subscribers told me to watch this video and omg I am so glad I did. It is like you are in my head. I 100% agree with everything you said in this video and I think more people need to be talking about this. Thank you so much for your honesty
Hey Sam! I am a 54 old year stationary lover. In my stage of life I have found what works for me. Yes I follow social media for inspiration in what I am using. But that is it. Like you having grown up in the 70s and 80s thankfully we didn’t have social media. Because it can bring on a host of emotions. I stand back from interactions, attending conferences etc for the rejection and negativity that is out there. And I am happy with that. And it doesn’t help that people are being paid to be on social media. I could go on. But you are correct we all just need to do and use what works for us and our mental health. Have a great night
I am 51, and love stationery too ❤. Funny, there was a time where I thought a planner conference might be fun, but in reality, I think it’s more like a cliquey, mean girl get together and I don’t need to pay a lot of money to have strangers ignore me 😂
@@lkessler1 I went to a few planner conferences and for me the saving grace was meeting a couple of other people from my area ahead of time who were also attending. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have gone to more than one if I’d attended the first one solo. I am not great at walking into a room full of strangers and making friends.
I am a 52 old year stationary lover. I agree with you @susanpilchard5417 we got to have the loves of the stationary without the rejection of not having this or that. I think we need to go back to that type of time and just have enjoyment of our love of paper and pens. My fav. shop at the mall (remember those buildings lol) is where my love of paper, envelopes in every color with matching pencils and stickers. I have found what has worked for me. I used to try to keep up with the "Jones" of the community and then I saw how everyone would get it and then everyone layouts look the same. No thank you for that stress. I wanted my journals look like what I create not all the Jone's looks like. I then realized I am too old for this and went on my own road and use what I want and when I want. High 5 @samplans for sharing this. I might have to do a "this is how I feel" video too.
@@lkessler1 haha I love you for saying this. Same reason I’ve never gone to one. And I’m a huge conference geek. I went to every conference I could talk to my boss into letting me go when I was working. Now that I’m retired and in my 60s I just can’t do the competitive planner conference thingy. I thought I wanted to go and I thought I had FOMO over it but I’ve seen some things that I’ve heard some and yeah not for me. Lol
Social Media is toxic in many ways. When the planner community started on social media a decade ago it was very different. People were more encouraging, uplifting and open minded. I quit uploading to my RUclips channel (many people would know my channel if I wanted to mention it's name) but popularity is not important and was just one reason I quit. I was no longer happy trying to stay "trendy" or do what others expected. Making everyone happy is not possible there will always be "haters". So when your hobby becomes stressful and full of negativity it's time to pause and really evaluate what is important to YOU. I will always love planners, stationery, pens, stickers etc. My planner peace is letting go of "perfectionism" and letting me do me. I didn't grow up with social media so maybe it was easier for me to just turn it all off when I need to refresh my mind and emotions. Negative comments and judgment from so many people really does hurt! I hope we can all remember the golden rule of "treat others how you would like to be treated" and "if you don't have something nice to say don't say it". Kindness can change the world! :-) Thank you Sam for sharing your video on this topic and opening a discussion. I hope everyone can plan in peace!
I can so relate to this. I have spent so much money just because of influences on social media. I think I’ve found what works for me after years of struggling.
I started out, in high school, with those free square hallmark calendars! A few years ago, I was cleaning my basement, and found one of my old ones. EVERY. SINGLE. SQUARE. was filled in that little monthly layout. I loved those. They fit perfectly in the wallet I had back in the day. Lolol
Oh I LOVED those little square calendars! I had a small collection of them and hated to let go of them. It was SUCH a sad day when I found out they weren't giving them out any more... 😢😢
I just want to say thank you for this video. I consider myself one of the OG‘s of the planner community when it started, and I could go on all day, but it literally took me down mentally and emotionally and financially. And I see it today, if you don’t have the right planner or the right brand or the right ephemera or the right inserts or the right pocket notebook, you’re not in the loop. And from my personal experience, it got nasty on social media. I was so overwhelmed that I literally got everything with the help of my husband and my children and put it in a box and dumped it a huge box. Lol. I couldn’t take it anymore. I literally went into a depression. I came to the realization that all I needed was just a notebook and a few stickers from the dollar store if I wanted. And this is just my personal opinion, when I see these planner videos, why do they have to name every sticker , planner and notebook shop or company that they purchase from?? I now follow certain people on social media who post about the writing or their planning but they refuse to tag or even comment on where they purchased anything from because they don’t want to take away from what’s important . Thank you for this video.
I'm also a planner and have been part of the planner community on social media for almost 10 years now. I have always used Instagram mainly as a source of inspiration for my own planning. I never felt that I had to do this or that just because others were doing it. I used the Hobonichi Weeks as a work planner for two years just because I was curious about it and because I was pretty sure it could work well as a work planner, not because I wanted to be "cool" or anything. You complain so much about the stuff you see on social media and how you feel like you have to do what everyone else is doing and how you are constantly tempted and overwhelmed by it. And it looks like a lot of people feel the same way, scrolling through the comments here. But honestly, to me it feels like you really need a break from consuming social media / Instagram or limiting the accounts you follow to only what is good for you or what helps with your own planner system. I just checked, you follow over 900 people on Instagram. No wonder you feel overwhelmed by everything you see. I think I would feel pretty much the same way. But in my opinion, it's really nobody's fault. In the end, only you can control how you use social media and what you get out of it. If you feel it's not working for you, try taking a step back. Side note: In this video and in one of your last videos, you also complained about people unfollowing you if you don't use the planner they're interested in. I honestly do the same thing, because like I said, I follow people to get inspiration for my own planner system. Looking at a Hobonichi Weeks or a super decorative planner style or whatever just does not inspire me. That doesn't mean I'm going to unfollow someone who shows a Hobo from time to time. But it's just not interesting to me. And I don't want to waste my time scrolling through stuff that doesn't make me happy. It's really nothing personal. And as a content creator myself, I would not worry too much about fluctuating likes and mean comments (as long as you do this for fun and not for a living). I know, it's easier said than done, unfortunately. I don't intend to hate or anything, I just felt like I had to write this from my own perspective. In many of your videos you sound quite frustrated or even bitter regarding trends in the planner community. I wish you all the best! I'll definitely keep following you on RUclips because I really like to watch your planner journey :)
I agree. And I follow 1,800 accounts. 😂 I like art, planners, stationery, fountain pens - I think it’s ALL fun, so I don’t really feel too overwhelmed. I don’t take it too seriously. I’m just having fun and playing in my journals and planners!
I appreciate your thoughts. I’m regards to some of what you have said, I do follow quite a few accounts, but I follow back for the sake of community, because that really is what I’m after. Mentioning that I notice a decrease in views or follows when posting about rings for example isn’t complaining so much as it is stating a fact. I know less people will likely view it, and I’m just reinforcing that I want to share what is working for me at any given moment, despite what others think. I appreciate the conversation.
Sometimes I DO need to tell myself it isn’t that serious. My planners are like my stress reducer though, so if they aren’t working, I get a little (or a lot) anxious about it. Everyone has a something.
THIS! This is brilliant!! I couldn’t have said it better myself. I’m a huge stationary geek but when I started watching videos about planning I thought I wasn’t doing it “right”. I didn’t have all the stickers and the “trendy” covers. I can’t tell you how much I spent trying to “keep up with the Jones’” and it just causes me more stress and anxiety because everyone else’s spreads looked better than mine or my handwriting was crap. THANK YOU! Thank you for saying what has been in my head!!
Some people actually make plan with me videos on their mock planners, and say so. They say, “I’m doing this on my mock planner.” Which makes me scratch my head. Why? For the likes on social media? It’s baffling to me. Thanks so much for making this video. Miss Vicky Bee made a video years ago asking where is the planning on decorated planners (because she wanted to see the planning in the context of the decorating), and she got a lot of hate on it. She was only asking where the planning was, but people didn’t even answer that. They were so defensive. Not hating on people who decorate their planners. If it works for them, that’s fine. And I never say bad things about the planning systems of others. But sometimes we just sincerely want to understand more about what they’re doing, but they deflect the question. So to my mind, that might mean that their system isn’t working for them after all but they can’t admit it because of the pressures of social media?
A lot of the “ Planner Girls“ are here to satisfy the crowds. Why! Money 💴 💵 MONEY! RUclips , of course you know this, pays for every click, comment, Like etc. So playing to the masses helps get the person more money. That’s what they’re really interested in.
You make a lot of great points. I did not know she made a video like that, but I can just imagine the backlash. For the way I plan I agree with her. I like just a little bit of pretty with a sticker or deco here or there, but do not allow it to overtake my actual planning. The mob mentality brought on by social media any time someone disagrees with something is absolutely insane.
I JUST started a series on my channel - "Planner Review Plan with Me's"; I LOVE getting planners to review and try out but then I feel bad when they sit on a shelf. I try to gift a lot of them. But I also had this thought that it wasn't really fair to the companies to send me a planner to review (just one video) on my channel and be done with it. I have so many thoughts on this!
@@susanwright134 I will say I can clearly see through the bullcrap of a lot of content creators lately - when it's so clearly about the money (often the ones that talk about how it's NOT about the money so frequently) and it's been irritating to me. I want to call them out, but a lot of them have HUGE followings and I know I'd get blasted the second I commented.
Consumerism. That's the issue. We're so used to thinking the problem's either with us or we just need that one more planner/bag/blazer/home decor item that will change our life and magically fix everything. But it doesn't work that way. I come from an emerging county and when I was a teen, I remember having one pair or warm shoes and one pair of lighter shoes every 1-2 years. And we made it work! Same with planners, I picked one at the beginning of the school year and never even considered buying another just because I got bored with it or because my friends had different ones. I'm not saying stay in a planner that doesn't work for you. But maybe changing your layout or the way you use it or shopping your stash are also options to consider. 😉 I enjoy watching people do no or low buys because their videos become really creative. I love finding new uses for the old stuff I have and love seeing what others come up with. It's making us believe we need the next new shiny thing that's making us dissatisfied with what we have all the time. Whenever I want to buy a new notebook/planner, I put it in my cart and then dig up sg similar I have, set it up the same way and force myself to use it for a week or two. I've managed to get a reality check on 5-6 planner crushes so far and I'm glad I don't have those in my planner graveyard now.
This! I’ve stopped following people that constantly do hauls or have ridiculous amounts of high priced things because they don’t really speak to me. Quite frankly, after so many “well, I guess it’ll grow on me” after opening each high priced package after another gets sad to me and a little gross. That’s my opinion. I don’t diss them or feel the need to pass judgement, I move on to other things that fulfill me.
One thing I have noticed over the years Sam is how thoughtful you are with your planning system. Really trying to find what it is that works for you and your needs. When I first started in the planning community around 2012 or 2013 there were not as many options. Things were difficult to get and expensive. Not like much of that has changed only shipping fees are quite expensive now. I bought my first traveler's notebook in passport and standard size, they really were the only two sizes, kind of hard to believe now that if you can think of it, it can be made I to a notebook or planner. What I did, as Midori/Traveler's Factory calendars were difficult to come by I decided to make my own. I'm still using my own I serts to this day. But I'm reminded by a quote by author David Foster Wallace "You'll stop worrying so much what other people think of you when you realize how seldom they do."
Thank you, John. I’m glad that in my chaos of the last year especially, my intentions are clear. I’d love to make my own inserts, but so far fear of failure has stopped me. That quote.
@@samplans If your fear of failure is the thought of creating pages for the consumption of others, I get it. But I hope you’re not talking about pages for your own use. I get great satisfaction in making my own pages tailored to my needs, and tweaking them as I see where improvements can be made. Granted, I don’t have a channel, I don’t post on instagram, so I can understand where sharing personal creations adds a kind of pressure (contemplated pros and cons, and decided it’s not for me). But if it’s for you, then I’d be interested in hearing about your process. Thanks for sharing your POV - I found I agree with much of what you say, and I appreciated hearing it.
Thank you so much. The fear of failure is learning something new or failure in trying to create something and just not figuring it out. I guess we shall see what happens.
I have always been a stationary nerd. I'm the pen lady at school! Because I am a teacher, Monday starts do NOT work for me. I can't make the two work together in my brain since my class calendar and all the school calendars are Sunday start. I am left-handed and do not get along with rings. I am a big fan of undated, bound planners. I have a specific form of planning that I have easily transferred into multiple sizes. That way, when I want to switch back to a certain size, it is easy to pick up where I left off in the undated planner. I am currently blissfully content in a SFD Weekly Diary. It has everything I need to match my style. MY biggest downfall is leather covers. I can not afford all the beautiful covers I see and wish to own. HOWEVER, leather by itself is cheaper, so I taught myself how to make my own. This led to a hobby I greatly enjoy, so a win! If I want to try a size, I make it! I enjoy looking at planners on Instagram, but I have to be strong in my resolve to be happy being me. Sorry for rambling! 🤦♀️
Bring on the ramble! I slit my planner pages so I can plan out of the rings, but I get it. I have found out what works best for me overall and I just replicate it in whatever system I’m in. Rings is so helpful for being able to adapt on a switch of an insert though, so it seems to be winning.
I am under the impression that there is no “wrong” way to plan! Whatever works for you is the best system for you, and if you feel bored and want to change it up at any point, then go with it! Its a personal decision and there is NO right or wrong! Im with you on this point and dont let what other people are doing affect me in how I plan. Do I enjoy watching videos of other peoples planning systems? Yes! Of course I do! But I would never consider berating them or criticizing them for the way they are doing it! Thank you for this video, too many people are all about the drama and thinking what they are doing is the best! Its may be the best for you, but not for me! I always enjoy your videos no matter which planner you are using! ❤❤❤
Hi, I saw your video shared and I wanted to add some genuine questions that I pondered while hearing your thoughts. Please note that some of these are responses to some comments I read as well, so these are just discussion points and not to be taken as personal questions! Do you not believe in personal accountability? Are others to blame when YOU switched planners a million times or bought something? Is it others fault for just doing their thing & posting it, or should you take the responsibility to remove yourself from social media if you cannot control the urge to switch or shop? Follow up to the above: what do you propose? A community in which we all use the same planner and never switch? People never spend their own money on stuff and if they do, they don’t share it? That’s not feasible, which is why people need to be responsible and remove themselves from the internet - OR follow people who fit what they’re looking for, not expect the community to change to suit them and their budget. Consumerism is certainly a thing, but it’s everywhere, not just our community. We cannot avoid ads on TV or even out in the world, but we CAN control what we see on social media - we choose to log on. Another follow up: if someone buys Portland leather because you promoted it, is that not influencing? Do you not do the same? Why do you feel that people who use deco or whatever are “mean girls”? Has anyone ACTUALLY treated you badly for the way you plan? Or is it an assumption? Perhaps you see others and feel a certain way, as all humans do. But projecting that idea is a disservice to people who are simply trying to enjoy their hobby the way they want to and don’t care what you do or how you plan. All types of planners and styles are accepted equally and that’s what makes the community so great. Whether you follow a trend or not, plan functional or deco, there are different people who will like and follow different things. I feel that people who say “if you don’t plan like ___ you aren’t cool” are believing that in their head, but it doesn’t actually reflect how people act. Unless there’s some group of high school bullies out there I’m unaware of (which is possible, not sarcasm). Why do you assume people who have “decorated planners” are simply doing it for likes and followers? Maybe some are, but it’s an unfair generalization. Personally, I would be planning the exact same whether I shared it or not because the way I plan/journal is my genuine personality - but I can’t speak for everyone. However, maybe people plan in mock planners because they enjoy the relaxing activity of putting down stickers? I don’t do that myself, but I saw a comment referencing mock planners. Why are there so many assumptions on peoples motivations? There should be no shame if someone plans for real or plans for fun. Who cares? My planner is pen only and functional but I have journals where I like to collage because it’s enjoyable and relaxing. All of this also comes off as shaming others based off of 50% assumptions while at the same time asking not to be shamed, and taking zero accountability for personal choices. I don’t know you and have absolutely nothing against you, so I hope you don’t take this comment in the wrong way! It’s just adding to the discussion with some personal opinions. The comments reflect a lot of echoing sentiments but I’ve seen opinions like mine on other places of the internet, so I figured I’d just make my comment here instead of elsewhere to further a productive discussion. *Any use of ‘YOU’ stated above is meaning anyone, not you specifically.
I appreciate your thoughts. I DO believe in personal accountability. This video is about how constant possibilities can be confusing, overwhelming, and frustrating at times. I have seen an uptick in mocking others for choices, not pointed at me, but people in general. Some people are really good at being settled and avoiding FOMO. Some people drown in possibilities. I think decorated planners are very pretty, but if I’m focusing on that more than the planning and missing the planning aspect, it isn’t especially helpful to me. I love seeing all sorts of planning styles and planners in general. But sometimes I think it’s also good to take a more kind look at ourselves if we are struggling in a sea of possibilities.
@@samplans And I appreciate your response! I appreciate the kind discussion, truly :) you are absolutely right about constant possibilities and I fall victim to it a LOT too - but when it happens to me, blaming the community for constant options, FOMO, etc. would never cross my mind, and I guess that’s what I’m saying. They are my choices and my responsibility, and if I needed to go on a no spend or clear my head the first thing I would do is take an IG break! Everybody has the potential to influence others, even unintentionally. So I don’t think that’s a community problem; this community also wouldn’t even exist without social media! I think the overwhelm is just a result of having a bunch of different people with different styles. So it can be helpful to pare down your following or even take a break if someone is really struggling with these things. It just sometimes feels like in these conversations there’s shade thrown to people who plan with deco, multiple planners, mock plan, things like that. Some of these comments especially feel that way. But I actually agree, within the last few years I went from planning with stickers to using next to none - and it is SOOO much more functional for me! But, I still love deco, so I started a journal where I can use all the things. That works well for me, but I appreciate and enjoy looking at all sorts of other planners - and other people are what helped me find my current way of functional planning so I’m grateful for that! Lastly, about mocking… if people are seriously doing that, that is some bullshit. If I saw that I would go off 😂 From my perspective I see comments like “if you don’t buy expensive planners you’re nothing / if you don’t keep up with trends you’re not cool / etc.” and I always felt like that had to be a pure assumption. Because I personally have never seen anyone shaming or mocking others for not “using the cool planner”, BUT I need to realize just because I haven’t seen it doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened. I am sincerely sorry if anyone has had that experience because that is complete BS - my criteria for liking someone is if they’re kind to me and a genuine person, I love them. I could not care less what planner they used, what style, how many followers they have… at the end of the day we are all regular people in the real world, who gathered in this little online corner to enjoy a hobby that brought us all together!
Very well said. I will completely admit I sometimes struggle with impulsive and stress buying, but it seems I’m not alone. I’m not trying in any way to throw shade. I just think it’s helpful to say out loud that all of the choices have some traps, I’ve never seen so many planners saying they can’t figure their system out before. So I just stated how I was feeling. I also forgot to answer your question about Portland Leather in my last comment. I was a customer long before I became an ambassador. I buy 95% of my own items, maybe even more, and I have been sent very few items to “try”. I also shared before I was ambassador. Thanks for giving another point of view to this discussion. Sometimes we all need to take a step back and reflect. Maybe that means less YT and IG.
@@samplans I feel like this isn't just planners though. How many phones, cars, make up brands, high end brands, influencer brands make you feel that FOMO feeling you are referring to. At the end of the day and sadly, social media is designed to lure you into it in a deeper level in many ways. It also doesn't mean companies will stop producing cause there's already too many possibilities out there. We can't test out every car until we find the right one for us. I know what you mean that it can get overwhelming but we choose how much we take on and that's when we as an individual need to reflect on the choices we are making or the thoughts that we have. "what will others think" "this isn't good enough" because sometimes we just put ourselves down and it really can affect us. I think we've all been through this one way or another with planners, make up, athletic wear, electronics and in so many other ways. The comparison takes away the joy.
“I’m going to make the stupid shopping list!” That hit me very hard because last year I was in four hekkin planners and didn’t know where to put my shopping list. So this year… One book to rule them all. Tabs to keep me on track. It’s working!
I loved this! I too have been feeling overwhelmed with social media in the planner community. You hit the nail on the head! I appreciate your authenticity and I am glad you made this video. I love all your planners, I am too a very functional planner and enjoy watching someone who plans like me! ❤🎉
The planner community has been a good journey for me- I started a business, made friends, and discovered new things! This past few months I have started to think I need a break because of the FOMO and constant questioning my own system. I definitely relate to a lot of this!
@@eggbunni Thank you- that’s very sweet! Sometimes I feel like I need to step away for a little bit to rediscover why I started. Overall, the planning community has been so good to me. ❤️
The main reason why I made this video was because I saw confusion all around me. I know our struggles are also personal, but I just thought there was more to it. I’m used to being a mess, but this year has been a flood of indecision in all of my feeds. I wish your shop was still open! Maybe one day!
"Comparison is the thief of joy." You laid down some TRUTH!!! See, I'm more like you. I'm primarily a functional planner. There are places in my planner where I put stuff I think is pretty. Stuff that is meaningful to me and makes me happy. But the workhorse part of my planner is just that, and it's NOT "pretty." And it took me FOREVER to realize that that's OKAY!!! It's MINE! It's COMFY! Just like me. And I, too, dislike the profusion of mean girls showing up in comment sections.
I rarely see a planner flip full of function, most usually decor. Those are fine too, they would just overwhelm me. I’m glad you are happy being in your system and not worrying about it!
@martabessler, I wish I could take credit for that quote, but I can't. And I've forgotten who originally said it. Theodore Roosevelt, possibly. It affected me the same way it did you, and it's been very freeing for me! I try to remember it in everything I do because perfectionism will derail me every time if I let it. And I don't know about you, but I've watched Sam Plans for a couple of years for inspiration. I really enjoy her, and I really like Amy from Plans Meet Paper, too. Her layouts are very functional as well. Ganchi Plans is another. Brandy Michelle Plans is another.. I watched a girl I'd never watched the other night, and her name escapes me, but her planner was a lot like mine. It had papers falling out of it, sticky notes everywhere, stuff from her kids, etc...And I was like, YES!!! THAT is a working, well loved planner! 😍 Well, anyway, I'm just prattling away. Thank you for your kind words. I hope your day is blessed!
@@teresajohnson7727 If you can rember the last planner girl you mentioned, , she sounds interesting and a lot like many of us, it would be good to watch her too ,please 😊
Sam I felt your discussion with all my soul! Which is why I have an absurd amount of planners I’m trying to find uses for. Social media is the good and bad in my planner life.
I always enjoy your videos. However, this one especially spoke to me, thank you!!! I’m all over the place with planners, but taking a step back, a deep breath and really seeing what you mean about social media not really being helpful, is so true. It has added to my decision fatigue and insecurities of am I doing this right? Sheesh!! Thank you for letting us see your reality, it was very helpful!❤
Thankyou so much for this video. I put it on to listen to during my commute to work this morning. I enjoyed it while I drank my iced coffee. I felt like I was visiting with a friend. Thank you for restoring sanity to a lot of us. I always thought like I was the odd one out because I am happily using a little $10 Amazon planner for the third year in a row it’s a pocket planner that has monthlies and weeklies I chip daily pages and when I need them and discard them at the end of the day I absolutely love this little thing it’s definitely my happy place. I have tried to go to other planners that I see on social media and I always feel sad when I think about leaving this one LOL. You have made me feel more normal thank you. I am 53 now and I can remember way back in the 90s being perfectly content using little pocket monthly calendars because I had saved them all I looked back and it amazes me at how happy I was with that. I spent way too much money in the last couple of years planner hopping when I really didn’t want to now I’m back home and I feel a sense of peace and organization.
I’m so glad you put it all out there for us all to see Ty. Social media planning community had almost bankrupted me and made me feel inadequate because I can’t do pretties. I quit planning for a few years. I came back to the weeks craze and hated it. So I blindly followed my own heart and fell in love with pocket moleskine and it’s my happy place. I’m not going to feel bad about using the same planner year after year. I’m happy. I hope you are happy too.
I don't share much about planning on my social media, however I do still do it and I follow planner people on social media. I have always thought of planners like people. Everyone is unique, every planner is unique, no one is perfect, no planner is perfect. I don't get the hateful comments or mindsets. I think that the differences in people and what they like, what planners they use, are what makes a community so interesting. The comparison trap or the grass is greener situation goes deeper that just notebooks, I am afraid. And people work through that differently and that is not something I like to put my opinion on. What I will put my opinion on is planner peace... planner peace is a mindset not a notebook. As an artist, I don't make art for others. I make art for me, I am just lucky that there are others that enjoy it! Never do something to make someone else happy, do it because it makes you happy! I hope that you can set aside social media and plan the way that makes you happy.
Amen to all of this! Your description of analysis paralysis and too many options rang true to me-that’s exactly why I made my own planner TN insert for this year. Comparison and FOMO is the death of journaling joy. Thank you for this very honest and well-expressed video.
Love longer videos!! Your planning style is the most visually appealing to me. Every time I sticker up a spread or see another’s it overwhelms me. Even if it’s pretty it’s visual clutter and I screw mine up horribly when I try. Thank you so much for this video 🤗
I totally feel this. The pressure I’ve put on myself to have the perfect planner or all of the planners has given me so much anxiety that I’ve logged out of this RUclips account and only log in maybe once a week to watch some of my favorite people that wont trigger me and that’s it.
I love everything you said. You are not alone and I’m sure there are many more people that feel the way you do. I’m one who agrees with most of your points. Thanks Sam and continue to bring your thoughts and share. ❤
Thanks so much for this video!! I am struggling with my consumption of social media and planning decisions so i can totally relate to what you are saying! I remember LOVING my At-A-Glance planner for years and then fell head first into the planner world with SO many options and it overwhelms me which like you said it the opposite of what we love about planners in the first place. Thanks for providing your outlook I really needed to hear it!
Thank you for sharing. You make excellent points. I think it's easy to get caught up in the looks/appearance of planners + pages + accessories, everything! I have a love/hate with social media. I love seeing original ideas and authenticity. I avoid negativity and competition. I don't believe there is a one size/type of planner that fits everyone. There are sooooo many choices it can be overwhelming, which takes the joy away. I do planner hop. I am continually adjusting what works for me and my schedule, which changes all the time. I learn just as much from what doesn't work. Experimentation is growth, and comparing our growth + experiences to anyone else does a huge disservice. Aren't we all here to learn?!?? Again, thanks for sharing😊 I appreciate your perspective.
Big tumbs up for sharing this! Planning stress is real! I feal overwhelmed by all the planning things and I'm angious to start because I want to do it right the first time. Thanks for being honest and mentioning this, it's a relieve. Love from The Netherlands, Ingrid
Thank you for sharing this video! You brought up so many great points, ones I’ve thought about as well. I was like you and started in a Walmart planner the size of a checkbook. It worked for many years until I found the planner community and realized there were so many more options! In the last two years I’ve jumped from one planner to the next and felt comfortable in them until I saw the next hot planner. I spent way to much money and never felt satisfied. Lately I’ve been thinking about dropping all my social media accounts connected to the planner community because I want to be happy with the planner I’m using. I know myself and I struggle with FOMO so stepping back and evaluating my needs versus comparing myself to others which obviously is not making me happy. Seems like that elusive planner peace will only come to me if I’m not trying to change who I am. The constant switching causes me to not be productive. I end up spending more time setting up and changing my planner than actually using it for it’s intended purpose. I have watched your videos for a few years now and I’ve always enjoyed your authenticity. Thank you for being different, thank you for being true to yourself and thank you for always inspiring others.
Sam.. I watched this video twice taking notes the second time. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your honesty and candor. That is what brought me to your channel..not your planners. You could talk about wet paper bags for all I care. I have never been soo overwhelmed and confused as to what planner I would like best for b6, hobo weeks, and moleskine pocket. My favorite videos are those who use regular notebooks or rings and do what they want. I really needed to hear your message today. Thank you Sam!!!
LOVED this!! I stopped using my planner-specific social media account months ago. I mostly stick to RUclips videos now, and even then I’m very picky about which ones I watch because I know me and FOMO is a real thing 😅. I used a bullet journal for years before finding the planner community on social media, and was very happy with it. I love looking back at my old notebooks. Thank you for the video!!
I absolutely loved this video. Thank you for sharing your authentic self. I definitely got sucked into the fountain pen planning community that I am slowly trying to find my own authentic self now and observe myself rather than react to certain posts.
You do You, Sam. I'll be here to cheer you on whatever you decide. Right now, I'm in a Hobo Weeks. But I love rings, I just cant haul it with me like I like too. I'll be watching others also to see if you've maybe started a trend with you're declaration! Always here with ya girl!❤
I used the little Halmark calendars for many years I just recently threw about 10 books away. When I heard you mention the calendars it made me remember how much more simpler my life was. You are absolutely right. We are planning no matter what we choose to plan in. There have been so many times I’ve been so caught up with what’s offered on social media. It’s stressful and really not affordable. I’ve recently put a stop to the madness. After discovering the planner community about 9 years ago it’s been a constant change. Very similar to your struggles. I’m just done. Can’t do it any more. I now have a simple set of rings, just like the old days 😊
It’s important for brands to have different options, because people have different needs! I know my own needs so I can make an educated choice of what will work for me despite the fact that all these options are out there and I can see other planner girls using different types and still stick to what works for me! Regardless of what you use to plan, be yourself and don’t compare yourself to others! Plain and simple! Also, just because there’s options it doesn’t mean I have to try it all!!
I appreciate this video! As just a watcher you hit a lot of things I have thought. Also a good reminder not to beat ourselves up if we have to change if it's not working.
I discovered planning community at a pretty hard time in my life. I was procrastinating, missing deadlines and it felt like my life was just slipping away. On one search about time managent I found a video called “plan with me, setting goals and being productive”. Or something like that. I spent 20min watching a girl stick stickers in her notebook and that made me confused. But intrigued. So this was my first encounter with planning. And I thought that’s what I needed, thats what organised people do. Pretty books and stickers. But it didnt help. Almost 4 years later, I am still struggling with my day to day tasks, work projects, house projects and having 5 different planners is not the answer for me. I minimized and I’m trying to find the things that actually are helping and toss the things that arent
Thank you for making this video. I really relate to a lot of what you're saying and more videos like this would surely help all of our pockets stay full!
I absolutely love this video. So many people really need to watch this. I began planning with personal rings. I’ve used lots of other planners. I use the Hobonichi Cousin for budget and weekly planning and the A6 for EDC. I use what works for me and use the internet for inspiration. Thanks for this video again. People are so mean and we have forgotten as a community to be kind since we’re all so different 😊
I can totally relate to all you share in this video! Thank you for sharing. I’m a stay at home mum with little money and I’ve gotten so lost in all the types of planners and pens- that are all so expensive!! It’s nice to watch this and no I’m not alone in the confusion and stress that planners seem to bring. I think for now I’m settled in a pocket sized TN that has seperate inserts for monthly, weekly and memories, and Ive decided I don’t care what other people use I love my cheap bic biro and that’s that! Thanks again for sharing, I really love your channel ❤️ xxx
This is absolutely fabulous! I am one of those that never post or never do anything because this and that are never good enough. I am just now getting to the point of realizing that I need to use whatever actually works instead of what the cool kids are using. I too grew up in the 80s with the same thing you did so everything you said makes perfect sense to me. Thank you so much for this video!
When I was a part of the social media planning community I literally didn’t even plan. Everything was staged for the gram. And I now have a literal wall with a cubby shelf full of crap I don’t need and didn’t really even want in the first place. Now that I don’t have a planning account for social media I actually plan, I buy stuff I will actually use and I’m much happier.
Totally agree with you. It’s so confusing all the choices. It’s also added pressure or anxiety when people have so many planners/journals for so many things when I’m a person who needs fewer. Omg! I must have a Sunday start for a monthly calendar. I can deal with a Monday weekly but MUST have a Sunday start. These issues aren’t only in the planner realm unfortunately. It’s widespread. I love being able to connect with people online etc., but it sure has increased comparison and all of the other things you brought up even though I try to mitigate them. Thanks for the video. It’s always refreshing to hear common sense in regard to issues. ❤
Same! Sunday monthly, Monday weekly. It’s forever going to be how my brain works. And you are right. Social media has us constantly seeking improvement everywhere for the sake of comparison instead of community. It’s so sad.
Sam, thank you for putting it all on the table so that we can have this honest discussion. Like you, I loved the little "checkbook" calendars because they worked! They had a few frills, but they primarily functioned for their intended purpose. I believe that there is the issue of "plannering" vs. "planning". For example, I got so caught up in "plannering"(which seems like having a hobby), that I got precious little "planning" done. I didn't really need a new hobby, but there were all of the pretty things and we were off to the races. Spent w-a-a-y too much trying to replicate someone else's happy place. Got so overwhelmed - pushed it all aside for a bit- and did very basic note paper and pen planning. Coming back, it all didn't seem so pressing or important anymore, since I know what I need. I only check for inspo from plannerfolk who are using the same system I'm using now, or for ones I've been following for awhile. As for the nastiness and snarkiness, that's everywhere but it shouldn't be tolerated in the planner community. I am not anyone else's judge. I look forward to your posts & would like to encourage you to keep posting because it helps so many of us.
This video was very useful because I can relate;It doesn't matter how pretty the planner is as long as you achieve your goal and todos in it.😊 Thank you for making this video!!
I absolutely can’t wait to watch this! I’ve been off social media and I’m so content in my planner and it’s just being straight used. Nothing fancy! Grabbing my headphones to hit play!
Wow Sam!! I can relate to so many things you talk about in this video. Comparison is truly the thief of joy, and one of my biggest joys are my planners and journals...and I know I can't make mine look pretty, and my handwriting is the pits, especially with that one pen, the one every one else says is their favorite, and I am done with it!! I am doing my thing, in my planners, and if I like it great, if it works for me, even better!! Right now I feel content, and it might stay that way, or it might change, time will tell....as long as I can keep my appointments, must-do's, lists and memories in a good place I am happy! Thank you yet again for a great video and topic!
Very insightful video. I’ve tried all sorts of things because I was attracted to the look, how the pictures or videos resonated with me. In the end, the type of planner that works best for me is an inexpensive a5 size that gives me lots of room for my larger handwriting and lots of scratching out. 😂 I enjoy the aesthetic experience with my favorite pens and paper in notetaking and gratitude journaling.
I have struggled myself and now have found my favorites - I have one that is my functional for work and personal, a everyday carry- one for journal and one for memory planning. I like seeing the real world types of planners myself. Thank you so much for sharing as I have found myself overwhelmed many times as well. Especially because I am one who isn’t always concerned around neatness but a place to jot notes and track important things :) I was a ring bound person for years as well, in fact I was always using the Franklin Covey inserts…which ironically I still gravitate towards that method still today
I love that you made this video and I could not agree with you more!!!! I have been around the planner community for nearly 11 years now and trends come and go and I have been pretty much a solid rings gal from the beginning, but I have been through everything that you have mentioned, but when you know what works for you, you just know! And when you get to that point there is a freedom in it to use what works for you because the whole point is the planner is meant to help and work for you. I was just thinking about this the other day because I use Filofax inserts and I have tried other inserts but I always end up back with the original Filofax inserts and there used to be a time when everyone was all about the Filofax inserts and now I hardly see them at all on social media. I love the feeling of looking back through my inserts for the past few months and knowing that it has been useful and they are serving their purpose for me. They are messy, they are covered in sticky notes, but they help me get my job done and that brings me joy. Love your channel and your videos 😀
It was def overwhelming for me to start - but I had to do a 'self check' and remind myself that while I can appreciate how someone else creates & uses their space, I need to focus on what works for me :) Now I LOVE consuming planner content because it's so fun seeing how other people think, sometimes I get a good nugget of inspiration, and it's also so soothing during my work day lol!
I've been in the community for about three years and I can say that I found this very insightful! I wasn't aware of any of this (which I guess is good I suppose)... I personally love the idea of rings but have never been brave enough to try them so I will be coming back to watch that content! :) Thanks for sharing, Sam! :)
Sam.... Thank you so much for making this video and giving a voice to this concept. This has been a battle for me as well and I have an immense amount of planner paraphernalia that is a direct result of the influence only to discover that it does not work for me. I appreciate your courage to say what needed to be said.
Thanks so much for this video! I started out a planner with the spiral bound notebook and then progressed to Franklin Covey when it first came out. Eventually that got to be too much for me and I went back to my notebook and a simple calendar. When I found the social media stuff about planners and all the decoration and etc. I couldn't believe how much I had missed out on. Super fomo! This helps so much.
Yas girl. I feel like the options issue could be so much better if we had more brick and mortar stationery stores to visit touch and interact with a lot of the planners and pens! My problem is I need it in my hands before I can make a decision, but when it’s not available nearby, gotta hit up that amazon!
Gidday Sam! Firstly I want to say I love your channel. Secondly, I 100% agree with everything you have said, and I have walked in the same shoes as you with your planner journey up until this date, and I get what you are saying SO MUCH! I have been into planners, notebooks, pens and all the stationery since I was a kid, and I actually held a pen when I was 18 months old lol 🙂 Fast forwarding, I've had all the ring planners, etc and then I discovered the very simple basic Composition Book. For many years I have made my own planner out of these wonderful books as my style of planning is functional, basic, rustic, messy and all that. Last year or so I got overloaded with the Happy Planner You Tube videos and saw all the beautiful spreads what the ladies were doing, fell in love with that planner so of course I purchased one and used it for 12 months, but I felt pressured to do a nice spread each week, and it was hard to try and come up with a new theme each week, so in the end I ditched the disk bound system. I went back to my Composition Books and loved them for another year or so, and this year, I thought I would try something different as I've always wanted to try a Hobonichi, and before I purchased one I went down that rabbit hole of watching so many different channels on the Hobo, the dupes etc, and I'm disgusted with myself for falling into this hole, but I ended up getting 2 x Hobonichi Weeks, a pocket Moleskine Daily which I love and use every day, a A5 Moleskine Daily which I love and use daily, and on top of this, I bought the Kinbor Weekly Undated, the Dates Weeks and the A6 Kinbor OMG!!!! I cannot and will not fill all of these planners, but like I said, I fell into that trap because everyone was using them and because I have the love of paper, notebooks etc, I bought them, the covers and all the like. I even bought all the special pens to use in the Hobo etc, and I was an idiot because now, after trying to settle in the majority of these for the 1st month of 2023 I hate the majority of them and I've gone back to my Composition Book and a small chunky notebook which I write stuff throughout the day and I'm happy as anything again, the pressure is off!!!! I feel really bad for the amount of money I've spent on all the stuff, but at the same time, I've learnt my lesson, and at least I know NOT to go down that hole again come next year. It's very easy to get caught up in it all, I am guilty of that. People who get sponsored from other companies etc just to get freebies to 'influence' other people I don't think much of, because to me, it's all about getting free stuff, not because they believe in the product and want to share the joy of it with others. I fully understand where you're coming from Sam with all the stuff about Social Media. To me, it sucks, there is nothing but bitchiness and backstabbing that goes on and it shits me and I don't get involved with it. Planning, stickers, and all that good stuff is there to be enjoyed, not to compare yourself to how others do it and stress about it all. IT'S YOUR PLANNER, YOUR WAY, YOUR LIFE, that's my motto!!! Take care and love from me in Australia!!!! End of rant lol xxx
I couldn't have said it better and I finally have reached that point. I agree social media was a perfect way to let me see I am not alone..has given me so many wonderful ideas, but...I fell down that hole and wow when I look at what I have not to mention spent these past 6 months that I'm not even using..I am beyond ashamed. I ended up using a system I never thought would work but is, so I am happy. I look at the other as a lesson learned..I forgave myself and have moved on. I will do what works for me and encourage that to anyone else that needs to find planner peace so to speak. As far as kindness...everyone needs a lesson...not sure what that is all about, but I do see it is as a real problem. I grew up in the 70's and it had its share of problems none like this. I am 61 and truly feel sad for my grandchildren. I appreciate you being honest and sharing your perspective, I will continue watching your videos, I enjoy them and get many ideas.
Yes! I was so happy to find a place in the social media streams, but the uptick of less than pleasant experiences has been saddening. Who knows what system I will end up in this year, but whatever it is will be decided by what is working best for me to make me the most productive. No more purchases for me though! I have enough to wade through!
Thank you so much for your sharing your honest opinions on this subject. I struggle in every one of the areas you described. This video has given me the permission I didn't even know I needed to plan in ways that work best for me. PS - I just subscribed to your channel! ❤
Thank you thank you so much for making me feel ok. This year I just went off and bought 4 different planners for 2023. From something I enjoyed doing, it became a chore and nothing was getting done. I even thought about quitting it all together but honestly how could I? At the end I went back to my old system and promised myself to not fix what was already good. I have one planner, one journal and am very happy.
Thanks for this video. What you say is so real and watching too m7ch social media makes your head go crazy. I got caught up buying too many things for 2023 and I needed to hear these truths. Finding out what works for you and not getting caught in the hype. Thank you😊
Agreed. I have used a Franklin Planner, Classic size, original forms since the late 90s. I have intermittently purchased other planners because of the cost of the Franklin, but although it’s not perfect, it’s the best planner for me. Then I went down a RUclips planner community rabbit hole. I got all wrapped up in the cray-cray for a few months, and then thankfully stepped on the brakes. Your video popped up on my “homepage” today, so I decided to watch. Thanks for the insight into your thinking.
I’ve been thinking a lot about how the Instagram algoritm pushes us to share certain kind of content. In a way Instagram and planners are two separate hobbies for me that intersect on my insta account. Most of the time both hobbies are fun but some things disturb me: - The way certain popular planners get more attention - The way you get more attention the more you shop and show of material things - the way instagram pushes everyone to make reels now - there is less space for people who prefer photos - How aesthetics goes over substance - How hard it is to draw the line between showing too much private info and being too unrealistic.
Yes, I have been affected by viewing different planners and have switched and switched and switched. But now I am starting to pay attention to what works for me, for my various roles, and for my needs. I have started shopping “Chez Moi,” or my stash and unsung what I have when I experiment. A similar situation occurred in professional school where different people said, “If you are not reading this textbook, you won’t pass the tests. After buying several books on the same course work, I realized it did not matter which book I read, I just had to pick one and use it and I would pass my exams. That was over 45 years ago. The same I am finding for planners. Just pick what works for me or I think might work for me and use it. Thank you for this video, Sam. Be blessed.
I'm listening and watching this video as I type my comment here. I commend you for calling out the haters and indicating that you will delete their comments and move on. Yes! I agree, mental health is the #1 priority. Thank you for calling it out. I've been taking social media breaks and it makes my heart happier. I will continue to do so. Everything you are saying in this video is spot on. Thank you for being real. Thank you for being honest. I, myself, am an introvert and have anxiety issues. I need to stand back from all the social media fray and the planner cliques. I hate the comparisons. The most important thing to me is my mental health, and what makes me feel better - so I do what works for me. My work planner and home functional/calendar tasks go in one, and them some loose journaling and lots of stickers that I make from my pictures in another.
I’m a recent (last year or so) planner and the choice is overwhelming and I have spent a lot on “this one and that one” being inspired by what works for other people. I have recently bought a Moterm rings and am currently setting it up, and I love it. It’s so much more practical than bound books as a reference source, I don’t understand people using multiple Stalogys a year apart from being pretty, they’re very impractical when stuffed. I have also settled on a Weeks for a daily planner to take out with me. And I love the Travelers Notebook company, where everything fits in one cover and I am going to use that for journaling, travel memories, gratitude etc. So that means I have a lot of books and covers now to sell, which living in the U.K. importing everything has cost a lot, I’m trying not to think about the wasted money and feel more content that I’ve finally (🤞) settled on what works for me, a 54 year old woman with health issues who doesn’t work or get out a lot. I just need a basic planner with space for notes and lists (Weeks), a reference Home file (rings) and a journal (TN).
I always enjoy your videos! I think you’re right when you say that having so many options breeds discontentment! To limit myself, I choose a different planner each year, but then live with that choice for an entire year. This year it’s the Hobonichi Weeks (that I bought from you!). Last year it was a classic Happy Planner. The year before it was a weekly planner that cost about $13 on Amazon. The year before that it was an A6 traveler’s notebook with lined notebook inserts from Dollar Tree. I’ve loved (and hated) things about all of them, but have made them work, and have had fun experimenting. 🙂 I love seeing all of the ideas and options that people use, but you’re right, it can be difficult if you feel like what you are using is not popular or that you don’t belong in the planner community. (Also - I prefer Sunday-start calendars, too! It’s the first day of the week. 🙂)
I’m so incredibly impressed that you stick with a planner for an entire year! So impressed. I want my planner to be something used and loved and well worn, but it’s certainly not going to be that when I bounce in and out of them so quickly! Thanks for the comment, I hope the Weeks works well for you this year.
I love this video! This is the exact reason that I try to focus my content around finding what works rather than on creating a pretty spread, or hawking a product as the key to someone's planner enlightenment. Content creating online is brand building and there's always an urge to be put together, consistent, reliable, aspirational. But that isn't what the experience of being a human being is like. It always changes. Thanks for sharing.
You give people ideas and to discover what works for them. You’re not negative on what other people are doing. Everyone is different. Just because it works for them doesn’t mean it’s going to work for me. Social media, just take from it what you can use. If you don’t like it don’t be on it. When you put your stuff out there you have to expect stuff back.
I’ve been feeling this way for quite some time. I only watch a few people …❤️simply because I always feel like I don’t “measure up” or am “missing out” or that I would be “happier“ in another planner. ❤
I TRULY appreciate this video and you being REAL ! I’m new to the planner community but have always been a planner! You hit all the major points that I’ve witnessed over the past few weeks of ‘learning/researching’ all things planner! I feel like I have learned a new language and MANY times I have had to choose to NOT go down the rabbit hole and buy allllll the things! Although- I have bought ALOT! Your Hobonichi playlist was extremely helpful! I chose the cousin but still envious of the Weeks but really of Sweet Freckled Designs Weekly Diary - because it has white paper! Back to your point of all the options and overload ! Honestly, this video made me become curious about Moleskins 😂😂😂 Thank you for bringing balance to the planner conversation- I look forward to more videos !
Moleskine planners are great. I actually filmed a video today about one that I had ordered before I filmed this one. 😅 I keep an old cousin around to play in…just in case.
I am so so glad you made this video! I have been in the #plannercommunity since 2015 and it has been so disheartening seeing it devolve into an elitist, money-grabbing I don't know what but I definitely don't want to call it a "community" anymore.
Just watched your Video and I was so impressed with what you were saying. You hit so many nails on the head. I have purchased so many THIS IS THEONE!! and realized they don't work for me. I've tried the Bullet Journal method and felt like I couldn't keep up the all the layouts and decorating. And people say sit down for an hour a day - Morning routine and an evening routine. Then on weekends spend time building the full week. You need to build a month. When you don't have all this time, the insecurities start setting in. Then - I'm not a good planner.
Thank you for making this video. I just started using a budget planner last year. I switched to disc bound this year for the same reason you use rings. I can put what I want in it. It's hard to find one planner that is perfect right off the shelf. Again, thanks for the great video. You've gained a new sub.
You sure hit the nail on the head. I love any and all stationary. Yes to many dupes for Hobonichi Weeks. You kept showing all of us all of them. Made me chuckle. Me being 56. Wow I had to stop to think about how old I just turned last month. I too loved the Hallmark calendar’s. Filled in every box every month and loved it. The calendar throws me off when it’s a Monday start. I had a lot of my breast cancer appointments wrong because of the Monday start. I didn’t need that added stress by any means. What makes me laugh is when someone is flipping through a brand new planner complaining about the color of the words. The font that is used. The little dots down the middle of the two page spread. How will I coordinate my stickers with the color that is on the page. The paper is cream. The grid is to big or to dark. Don’t buy it or print your own planner. If those are the problems in their life they are lucky. Loved your video. Like I said nail on the head.
Finally sharing my secret Im not planning anymore! thanks for sharing. I was on over load with all the options and not a creative outlet for me anymore. yess to everything you said
You are not the first person who I know has just stopped planning. Walked away. I think I’m going to be fine in rings, but I will not allow myself to stress about it again. I’d rather walk away myself than live in a hamster wheel of indecision. I’m glad you did what was right for you!
Everything that you have said is true. I remember my 1st planner I picked up at Staples. I was so excited because I wrote down my work schedule and appointments. I was in my twenties now that I'm in my fifties. I find myself looking at all the planners I have, and I'm thinking why did I buy all those. I don't need all those I need to get rid of them. The main problem is that I'm not satisfied with any of the planners that I have. I just need to write down my appointments and my bills, nothing more, nothing less. Love your videos ❤
This video truly resonated with me. Thank you for expressing something I was trying to figure out for myself. I purchased a moterm and felt ashamed of it the feeling reminded me of being in grade school and wearing payless shoes instead of brand names. Loved this video! Thanks
Oh, we should never feel that way! Carry your Moterm with your head held high! I rarely even got to go to Payless. Childhood can be rough. Cliques still are found, but we don’t have to be forced into the same feelings as we did then. Hugs.
I do think you've raised a lot of good points. I agree that there can be too much choice out there, but in the same vein I feel like we don't see enough. I know decorative planning is popular but sometimes I feel I see the same styles or stickers over and over again. While I love how cute and quirky TCMC stickers are but they are in nearly every single plan with me and lots of people emulate their creators style. I can totally see how this would cause people to feel FOMO. For a long time, as I'm not in the US or Canada, I felt left out that I couldn't justify the cost of shipping those stickers or subscription boxes to my country. However finding planners that felt more authentic with channels that didn't make me feel like they were there to sell me stickers or kits has been great, and inspired me to become more creative while maintaining a planning style that keeps me functioning. I am very grateful to say that the number one reason I don't share my planner on social media is privacy for me and my family. My whole life is in my planner, my to dos and my memories and I just wouldn't feel comfortable sharing that much personal info online. I hope that you can accept that they system you use and that works for you is perfect and that what most people want to see is how people use their planners to help them stay organised. I'm sure that there are a lot of people who would be very grateful to see that the cheap planner picked up at Walmart is just as valid and functional a system as any $50 planner imported from Japan. Its all about how you use it.
I'm in my mid 60's. 40yrs. ago I was using those calendars from Hallmark to keep track of appointments, and work schedules. About 5 yrs ago I found youtube videos about planning and felt like I NEEDED a Foxy Fix. Well, there is no such thing as "planner peace". You are so right about social media and trying to fit in. Let's do us and not pay attention to the ones who hype up their system.
I’m 55 and those Hallmark calendars were my pride and joy. ❤️
Me too! I’m in my mid 60s. I used to use a calendar in high school and college. I also used the freebie little calendars from Hallmark. I loved those. Then when I started working professionally I discovered Filofax and Franklin planners. I’ve been planning for many many many years. I couldn’t believe it when I saw the planning community explode the way it did 10 to 12 years ago. I was getting ready to Retire at that time. I hopped on the bandwagon for quite a while. I still switch my planters around but I always come back to Franklin Covey. I’ve spent/wasted a lot of time and money on both buying things and social media binge watching. It’s kind of a hobby but it also gets kind of annoying. Now I just do my own thing. I still like to watch because I am a visual person and I enjoy seeing other peoples planner set ups and journals especially when they’re artistic. But I’m becoming less and less influence into buying those things. Life‘s too short!
@@cherylbalmas4901 Yes! I would rather buy eggs than stickers....LOL LOL
Deal.
Same!
I find watching other people's videos and Instagram posts actually helps me decide which planner to go with. So in some ways, it saves me money! I understand the decision fatigue, but we can use the planning community for research, and I find this helps you land on the perfect planner for you.
I agree! The community does share a lot of really good ideas! I was focusing on the struggles because I’ve seen SO MANY planners share this year specifically that they can’t find a solid footing.
So I will play Devil's advocate here: I agree that things in social media have gotten totally ridiculous re all material things, hobbies, cars, clothing, housing, etc. We can pick just about anything in the world and Google it or find RUclips videos about it. And I believe it is up to us, as individuals, to know our limits, to know how much social media we can handle without it causing problems. We have been looking at possibly building a new house soon. I can go to all different kinds of social media and find all different kinds of house plans. Some of the house plans are within my budget, some of them are not. Some of them are for multi-million-dollar houses, but if I want, I can still look at these plans and get some good information from them even if I cannot use the whole plan. On the other hand, if I only looked at multi-million-dollar house plans and never looked at affordable (to me) house plans, it might be depression, aggravating, etc. So after awhile I quit looking at house plans. Re planners, I choose to spend more money than lots of people do on planners, pens, etc., but I also spend LESS money than other people spend. Sometimes, I will decide to quit looking/watching social media that is focused on planners and all the "goodies," because I realize that, for myself, I have reached a limit with what I want or need to see. Sometimes watching social media can give us FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out :) ), so at those times I will purposely cut down on what I watch or read about new planners (or new whatever thing it is). I believe that, as consumers, it is up to each of us to decide what is too much. It's the same thing we all teach our kids: What comes in your brain comes out your brain. If I watch a ton of planner videos all the time, there is a much higher likelihood of me wanting more than what I have, being dissatisfied with something that had totally made me satisfied just the week before I watched these videos/read the article. If I watch a ton of boating videos, there is a higher chance that I will want to go buy a boat, even though buying a boat is not somethingi my husband and I are choosing to do with our money at this time. It's sort of funny to me that the "blame" is being put on us having too many choices. Having "too many choices" should be a BLESSING, in my opinion, especially when we are discussing planners, sometime than can basically be done by grabbing a sheet of paper and a pen and taking it with me out the door. It's more important to you than grabbing a piece of paper -- I get that. But I think that sometimes we all (including myself in this) can lose perspective, whether we're talking about planners, designer clothes, new cars, houses, etc. Sometimes we need to focus on being thankful for so many choices in our lives rather than blaming those choices, rather than ourselves. Hope that my comment is taken with kindness, as it was intended to be said. :)
I think it's important to have a balance. Yes, you don't want to be a spoilt brat who doesn't appreciate what you've got. On the other hand, you don't want to feel that you can't be honest with anyone for fear of seeming ungrateful, about the fact that the avalanche of gifts that keep coming into your one bedroom apartment on the birth of your new baby seem great in theory but in reality, it's like living in an Amazon warehouse.
I agree that we all need to take responsibility for our choices. But I also think it's important to remember that social media can be very addictive for a lot of people. For them, it may not be so easy to disengage or just walk away. I'm not making excuses for them, but I do think it's important to remember that social media is designed to be addictive.
I just uploaded a video talking about how much of a state I am in with my planners and how I’m not happy now. Some of my subscribers told me to watch this video and omg I am so glad I did. It is like you are in my head. I 100% agree with everything you said in this video and I think more people need to be talking about this. Thank you so much for your honesty
I can’t even deal with planners that don’t have a Sunday start. Sunday start calendars are what I grew up with also.
How did I miss this comment?! Too many coming in I suppose. Thank you so much. I hope you’ve worked it out.
Hey Sam! I am a 54 old year stationary lover. In my stage of life I have found what works for me. Yes I follow social media for inspiration in what I am using. But that is it. Like you having grown up in the 70s and 80s thankfully we didn’t have social media. Because it can bring on a host of emotions. I stand back from interactions, attending conferences etc for the rejection and negativity that is out there. And I am happy with that. And it doesn’t help that people are being paid to be on social media. I could go on. But you are correct we all just need to do and use what works for us and our mental health. Have a great night
Thank you so much. The world (even the planning world) used to be much more simple. 🧡
I am 51, and love stationery too ❤. Funny, there was a time where I thought a planner conference might be fun, but in reality, I think it’s more like a cliquey, mean girl get together and I don’t need to pay a lot of money to have strangers ignore me 😂
@@lkessler1 I went to a few planner conferences and for me the saving grace was meeting a couple of other people from my area ahead of time who were also attending. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have gone to more than one if I’d attended the first one solo. I am not great at walking into a room full of strangers and making friends.
I am a 52 old year stationary lover. I agree with you @susanpilchard5417 we got to have the loves of the stationary without the rejection of not having this or that. I think we need to go back to that type of time and just have enjoyment of our love of paper and pens. My fav. shop at the mall (remember those buildings lol) is where my love of paper, envelopes in every color with matching pencils and stickers. I have found what has worked for me. I used to try to keep up with the "Jones" of the community and then I saw how everyone would get it and then everyone layouts look the same. No thank you for that stress. I wanted my journals look like what I create not all the Jone's looks like.
I then realized I am too old for this and went on my own road and use what I want and when I want. High 5 @samplans for sharing this. I might have to do a "this is how I feel" video too.
@@lkessler1 haha I love you for saying this. Same reason I’ve never gone to one. And I’m a huge conference geek. I went to every conference I could talk to my boss into letting me go when I was working. Now that I’m retired and in my 60s I just can’t do the competitive planner conference thingy. I thought I wanted to go and I thought I had FOMO over it but I’ve seen some things that I’ve heard some and yeah not for me. Lol
Social Media is toxic in many ways. When the planner community started on social media a decade ago it was very different. People were more encouraging, uplifting and open minded. I quit uploading to my RUclips channel (many people would know my channel if I wanted to mention it's name) but popularity is not important and was just one reason I quit. I was no longer happy trying to stay "trendy" or do what others expected. Making everyone happy is not possible there will always be "haters". So when your hobby becomes stressful and full of negativity it's time to pause and really evaluate what is important to YOU. I will always love planners, stationery, pens, stickers etc. My planner peace is letting go of "perfectionism" and letting me do me. I didn't grow up with social media so maybe it was easier for me to just turn it all off when I need to refresh my mind and emotions. Negative comments and judgment from so many people really does hurt! I hope we can all remember the golden rule of "treat others how you would like to be treated" and "if you don't have something nice to say don't say it". Kindness can change the world! :-) Thank you Sam for sharing your video on this topic and opening a discussion. I hope everyone can plan in peace!
I can so relate to this. I have spent so much money just because of influences on social media. I think I’ve found what works for me after years of struggling.
I am so happy to hear that! I hope it is.
I started out, in high school, with those free square hallmark calendars! A few years ago, I was cleaning my basement, and found one of my old ones. EVERY. SINGLE. SQUARE. was filled in that little monthly layout. I loved those. They fit perfectly in the wallet I had back in the day. Lolol
Yes! Those little planners were so very useful. I wish I still had mine, but I tossed them in one of our many moves over the years.
Oh I LOVED those little square calendars! I had a small collection of them and hated to let go of them. It was SUCH a sad day when I found out they weren't giving them out any more... 😢😢
@@DvorahDavida5778 They still give them away. I have one for 2023. 🙂 (just not square anymore, more like a rectangle 😆)
@@rspringsplanningandesigns Yeah... but the square.... sigh... 🤣🤣
I just want to say thank you for this video. I consider myself one of the OG‘s of the planner community when it started, and I could go on all day, but it literally took me down mentally and emotionally and financially. And I see it today, if you don’t have the right planner or the right brand or the right ephemera or the right inserts or the right pocket notebook, you’re not in the loop. And from my personal experience, it got nasty on social media.
I was so overwhelmed that I literally got everything with the help of my husband and my children and put it in a box and dumped it a huge box. Lol. I couldn’t take it anymore. I literally went into a depression. I came to the realization that all I needed was just a notebook and a few stickers from the dollar store if I wanted.
And this is just my personal opinion, when I see these planner videos, why do they have to name every sticker , planner and notebook shop or company that they purchase from??
I now follow certain people on social media who post about the writing or their planning but they refuse to tag or even comment on where they purchased anything from because they don’t want to take away from what’s important .
Thank you for this video.
I'm also a planner and have been part of the planner community on social media for almost 10 years now. I have always used Instagram mainly as a source of inspiration for my own planning. I never felt that I had to do this or that just because others were doing it. I used the Hobonichi Weeks as a work planner for two years just because I was curious about it and because I was pretty sure it could work well as a work planner, not because I wanted to be "cool" or anything. You complain so much about the stuff you see on social media and how you feel like you have to do what everyone else is doing and how you are constantly tempted and overwhelmed by it. And it looks like a lot of people feel the same way, scrolling through the comments here. But honestly, to me it feels like you really need a break from consuming social media / Instagram or limiting the accounts you follow to only what is good for you or what helps with your own planner system. I just checked, you follow over 900 people on Instagram. No wonder you feel overwhelmed by everything you see. I think I would feel pretty much the same way. But in my opinion, it's really nobody's fault. In the end, only you can control how you use social media and what you get out of it. If you feel it's not working for you, try taking a step back.
Side note: In this video and in one of your last videos, you also complained about people unfollowing you if you don't use the planner they're interested in. I honestly do the same thing, because like I said, I follow people to get inspiration for my own planner system. Looking at a Hobonichi Weeks or a super decorative planner style or whatever just does not inspire me. That doesn't mean I'm going to unfollow someone who shows a Hobo from time to time. But it's just not interesting to me. And I don't want to waste my time scrolling through stuff that doesn't make me happy. It's really nothing personal. And as a content creator myself, I would not worry too much about fluctuating likes and mean comments (as long as you do this for fun and not for a living). I know, it's easier said than done, unfortunately.
I don't intend to hate or anything, I just felt like I had to write this from my own perspective. In many of your videos you sound quite frustrated or even bitter regarding trends in the planner community. I wish you all the best! I'll definitely keep following you on RUclips because I really like to watch your planner journey :)
Fully agree with this comment!
I agree. And I follow 1,800 accounts. 😂 I like art, planners, stationery, fountain pens - I think it’s ALL fun, so I don’t really feel too overwhelmed. I don’t take it too seriously. I’m just having fun and playing in my journals and planners!
@@eggbunni Same here!!!! Exactly how I feel and I often find myself saying “it’s not that serious!” lol, I love this hobby so much!!
I appreciate your thoughts. I’m regards to some of what you have said, I do follow quite a few accounts, but I follow back for the sake of community, because that really is what I’m after.
Mentioning that I notice a decrease in views or follows when posting about rings for example isn’t complaining so much as it is stating a fact. I know less people will likely view it, and I’m just reinforcing that I want to share what is working for me at any given moment, despite what others think.
I appreciate the conversation.
Sometimes I DO need to tell myself it isn’t that serious. My planners are like my stress reducer though, so if they aren’t working, I get a little (or a lot) anxious about it. Everyone has a something.
THIS! This is brilliant!! I couldn’t have said it better myself. I’m a huge stationary geek but when I started watching videos about planning I thought I wasn’t doing it “right”. I didn’t have all the stickers and the “trendy” covers. I can’t tell you how much I spent trying to “keep up with the Jones’” and it just causes me more stress and anxiety because everyone else’s spreads looked better than mine or my handwriting was crap. THANK YOU! Thank you for saying what has been in my head!!
Some people actually make plan with me videos on their mock planners, and say so. They say, “I’m doing this on my mock planner.” Which makes me scratch my head. Why? For the likes on social media? It’s baffling to me.
Thanks so much for making this video. Miss Vicky Bee made a video years ago asking where is the planning on decorated planners (because she wanted to see the planning in the context of the decorating), and she got a lot of hate on it. She was only asking where the planning was, but people didn’t even answer that. They were so defensive.
Not hating on people who decorate their planners. If it works for them, that’s fine. And I never say bad things about the planning systems of others. But sometimes we just sincerely want to understand more about what they’re doing, but they deflect the question. So to my mind, that might mean that their system isn’t working for them after all but they can’t admit it because of the pressures of social media?
A lot of the “ Planner Girls“ are here to satisfy the crowds. Why! Money 💴 💵 MONEY! RUclips , of course you know this, pays for every click, comment, Like etc. So playing to the masses helps get the person more money. That’s what they’re really interested in.
You make a lot of great points. I did not know she made a video like that, but I can just imagine the backlash. For the way I plan I agree with her. I like just a little bit of pretty with a sticker or deco here or there, but do not allow it to overtake my actual planning. The mob mentality brought on by social media any time someone disagrees with something is absolutely insane.
I JUST started a series on my channel - "Planner Review Plan with Me's"; I LOVE getting planners to review and try out but then I feel bad when they sit on a shelf. I try to gift a lot of them. But I also had this thought that it wasn't really fair to the companies to send me a planner to review (just one video) on my channel and be done with it. I have so many thoughts on this!
@@susanwright134 I will say I can clearly see through the bullcrap of a lot of content creators lately - when it's so clearly about the money (often the ones that talk about how it's NOT about the money so frequently) and it's been irritating to me. I want to call them out, but a lot of them have HUGE followings and I know I'd get blasted the second I commented.
You would get attacked for sure.
Consumerism. That's the issue. We're so used to thinking the problem's either with us or we just need that one more planner/bag/blazer/home decor item that will change our life and magically fix everything. But it doesn't work that way. I come from an emerging county and when I was a teen, I remember having one pair or warm shoes and one pair of lighter shoes every 1-2 years. And we made it work! Same with planners, I picked one at the beginning of the school year and never even considered buying another just because I got bored with it or because my friends had different ones. I'm not saying stay in a planner that doesn't work for you. But maybe changing your layout or the way you use it or shopping your stash are also options to consider. 😉 I enjoy watching people do no or low buys because their videos become really creative. I love finding new uses for the old stuff I have and love seeing what others come up with. It's making us believe we need the next new shiny thing that's making us dissatisfied with what we have all the time. Whenever I want to buy a new notebook/planner, I put it in my cart and then dig up sg similar I have, set it up the same way and force myself to use it for a week or two. I've managed to get a reality check on 5-6 planner crushes so far and I'm glad I don't have those in my planner graveyard now.
That sounds wonderful! I also grew up in a home with very little. I definitely need to take the time to destash and simplify!
This! I’ve stopped following people that constantly do hauls or have ridiculous amounts of high priced things because they don’t really speak to me. Quite frankly, after so many “well, I guess it’ll grow on me” after opening each high priced package after another gets sad to me and a little gross. That’s my opinion. I don’t diss them or feel the need to pass judgement, I move on to other things that fulfill me.
One thing I have noticed over the years Sam is how thoughtful you are with your planning system. Really trying to find what it is that works for you and your needs.
When I first started in the planning community around 2012 or 2013 there were not as many options. Things were difficult to get and expensive. Not like much of that has changed only shipping fees are quite expensive now.
I bought my first traveler's notebook in passport and standard size, they really were the only two sizes, kind of hard to believe now that if you can think of it, it can be made I to a notebook or planner. What I did, as Midori/Traveler's Factory calendars were difficult to come by I decided to make my own. I'm still using my own I serts to this day. But I'm reminded by a quote by author David Foster Wallace "You'll stop worrying so much what other people think of you when you realize how seldom they do."
Thank you, John. I’m glad that in my chaos of the last year especially, my intentions are clear. I’d love to make my own inserts, but so far fear of failure has stopped me.
That quote.
@@samplans If your fear of failure is the thought of creating pages for the consumption of others, I get it. But I hope you’re not talking about pages for your own use. I get great satisfaction in making my own pages tailored to my needs, and tweaking them as I see where improvements can be made. Granted, I don’t have a channel, I don’t post on instagram, so I can understand where sharing personal creations adds a kind of pressure (contemplated pros and cons, and decided it’s not for me). But if it’s for you, then I’d be interested in hearing about your process. Thanks for sharing your POV - I found I agree with much of what you say, and I appreciated hearing it.
Thank you so much. The fear of failure is learning something new or failure in trying to create something and just not figuring it out. I guess we shall see what happens.
I have always been a stationary nerd. I'm the pen lady at school! Because I am a teacher, Monday starts do NOT work for me. I can't make the two work together in my brain since my class calendar and all the school calendars are Sunday start. I am left-handed and do not get along with rings. I am a big fan of undated, bound planners. I have a specific form of planning that I have easily transferred into multiple sizes. That way, when I want to switch back to a certain size, it is easy to pick up where I left off in the undated planner. I am currently blissfully content in a SFD Weekly Diary. It has everything I need to match my style. MY biggest downfall is leather covers. I can not afford all the beautiful covers I see and wish to own. HOWEVER, leather by itself is cheaper, so I taught myself how to make my own. This led to a hobby I greatly enjoy, so a win! If I want to try a size, I make it! I enjoy looking at planners on Instagram, but I have to be strong in my resolve to be happy being me. Sorry for rambling! 🤦♀️
Bring on the ramble! I slit my planner pages so I can plan out of the rings, but I get it. I have found out what works best for me overall and I just replicate it in whatever system I’m in. Rings is so helpful for being able to adapt on a switch of an insert though, so it seems to be winning.
That is beautifully stated and I feel the same way. ❤❤❤
I am under the impression that there is no “wrong” way to plan! Whatever works for you is the best system for you, and if you feel bored and want to change it up at any point, then go with it! Its a personal decision and there is NO right or wrong! Im with you on this point and dont let what other people are doing affect me in how I plan. Do I enjoy watching videos of other peoples planning systems? Yes! Of course I do! But I would never consider berating them or criticizing them for the way they are doing it! Thank you for this video, too many people are all about the drama and thinking what they are doing is the best! Its may be the best for you, but not for me! I always enjoy your videos no matter which planner you are using! ❤❤❤
Hi, I saw your video shared and I wanted to add some genuine questions that I pondered while hearing your thoughts. Please note that some of these are responses to some comments I read as well, so these are just discussion points and not to be taken as personal questions!
Do you not believe in personal accountability? Are others to blame when YOU switched planners a million times or bought something? Is it others fault for just doing their thing & posting it, or should you take the responsibility to remove yourself from social media if you cannot control the urge to switch or shop?
Follow up to the above: what do you propose? A community in which we all use the same planner and never switch? People never spend their own money on stuff and if they do, they don’t share it? That’s not feasible, which is why people need to be responsible and remove themselves from the internet - OR follow people who fit what they’re looking for, not expect the community to change to suit them and their budget. Consumerism is certainly a thing, but it’s everywhere, not just our community. We cannot avoid ads on TV or even out in the world, but we CAN control what we see on social media - we choose to log on.
Another follow up: if someone buys Portland leather because you promoted it, is that not influencing? Do you not do the same?
Why do you feel that people who use deco or whatever are “mean girls”? Has anyone ACTUALLY treated you badly for the way you plan? Or is it an assumption? Perhaps you see others and feel a certain way, as all humans do. But projecting that idea is a disservice to people who are simply trying to enjoy their hobby the way they want to and don’t care what you do or how you plan. All types of planners and styles are accepted equally and that’s what makes the community so great. Whether you follow a trend or not, plan functional or deco, there are different people who will like and follow different things. I feel that people who say “if you don’t plan like ___ you aren’t cool” are believing that in their head, but it doesn’t actually reflect how people act. Unless there’s some group of high school bullies out there I’m unaware of (which is possible, not sarcasm).
Why do you assume people who have “decorated planners” are simply doing it for likes and followers? Maybe some are, but it’s an unfair generalization. Personally, I would be planning the exact same whether I shared it or not because the way I plan/journal is my genuine personality - but I can’t speak for everyone. However, maybe people plan in mock planners because they enjoy the relaxing activity of putting down stickers? I don’t do that myself, but I saw a comment referencing mock planners. Why are there so many assumptions on peoples motivations? There should be no shame if someone plans for real or plans for fun. Who cares? My planner is pen only and functional but I have journals where I like to collage because it’s enjoyable and relaxing.
All of this also comes off as shaming others based off of 50% assumptions while at the same time asking not to be shamed, and taking zero accountability for personal choices.
I don’t know you and have absolutely nothing against you, so I hope you don’t take this comment in the wrong way! It’s just adding to the discussion with some personal opinions. The comments reflect a lot of echoing sentiments but I’ve seen opinions like mine on other places of the internet, so I figured I’d just make my comment here instead of elsewhere to further a productive discussion.
*Any use of ‘YOU’ stated above is meaning anyone, not you specifically.
I appreciate your thoughts. I DO believe in personal accountability. This video is about how constant possibilities can be confusing, overwhelming, and frustrating at times. I have seen an uptick in mocking others for choices, not pointed at me, but people in general. Some people are really good at being settled and avoiding FOMO. Some people drown in possibilities. I think decorated planners are very pretty, but if I’m focusing on that more than the planning and missing the planning aspect, it isn’t especially helpful to me. I love seeing all sorts of planning styles and planners in general. But sometimes I think it’s also good to take a more kind look at ourselves if we are struggling in a sea of possibilities.
This this this! Very well said.
@@samplans And I appreciate your response! I appreciate the kind discussion, truly :) you are absolutely right about constant possibilities and I fall victim to it a LOT too - but when it happens to me, blaming the community for constant options, FOMO, etc. would never cross my mind, and I guess that’s what I’m saying. They are my choices and my responsibility, and if I needed to go on a no spend or clear my head the first thing I would do is take an IG break! Everybody has the potential to influence others, even unintentionally. So I don’t think that’s a community problem; this community also wouldn’t even exist without social media! I think the overwhelm is just a result of having a bunch of different people with different styles. So it can be helpful to pare down your following or even take a break if someone is really struggling with these things. It just sometimes feels like in these conversations there’s shade thrown to people who plan with deco, multiple planners, mock plan, things like that. Some of these comments especially feel that way.
But I actually agree, within the last few years I went from planning with stickers to using next to none - and it is SOOO much more functional for me! But, I still love deco, so I started a journal where I can use all the things. That works well for me, but I appreciate and enjoy looking at all sorts of other planners - and other people are what helped me find my current way of functional planning so I’m grateful for that!
Lastly, about mocking… if people are seriously doing that, that is some bullshit. If I saw that I would go off 😂 From my perspective I see comments like “if you don’t buy expensive planners you’re nothing / if you don’t keep up with trends you’re not cool / etc.” and I always felt like that had to be a pure assumption. Because I personally have never seen anyone shaming or mocking others for not “using the cool planner”, BUT I need to realize just because I haven’t seen it doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened. I am sincerely sorry if anyone has had that experience because that is complete BS - my criteria for liking someone is if they’re kind to me and a genuine person, I love them. I could not care less what planner they used, what style, how many followers they have… at the end of the day we are all regular people in the real world, who gathered in this little online corner to enjoy a hobby that brought us all together!
Very well said. I will completely admit I sometimes struggle with impulsive and stress buying, but it seems I’m not alone. I’m not trying in any way to throw shade. I just think it’s helpful to say out loud that all of the choices have some traps, I’ve never seen so many planners saying they can’t figure their system out before. So I just stated how I was feeling.
I also forgot to answer your question about Portland Leather in my last comment. I was a customer long before I became an ambassador. I buy 95% of my own items, maybe even more, and I have been sent very few items to “try”. I also shared before I was ambassador.
Thanks for giving another point of view to this discussion. Sometimes we all need to take a step back and reflect. Maybe that means less YT and IG.
@@samplans I feel like this isn't just planners though. How many phones, cars, make up brands, high end brands, influencer brands make you feel that FOMO feeling you are referring to. At the end of the day and sadly, social media is designed to lure you into it in a deeper level in many ways. It also doesn't mean companies will stop producing cause there's already too many possibilities out there. We can't test out every car until we find the right one for us. I know what you mean that it can get overwhelming but we choose how much we take on and that's when we as an individual need to reflect on the choices we are making or the thoughts that we have. "what will others think" "this isn't good enough" because sometimes we just put ourselves down and it really can affect us. I think we've all been through this one way or another with planners, make up, athletic wear, electronics and in so many other ways. The comparison takes away the joy.
“I’m going to make the stupid shopping list!”
That hit me very hard because last year I was in four hekkin planners and didn’t know where to put my shopping list. So this year…
One book to rule them all. Tabs to keep me on track.
It’s working!
I’m so glad it’s working for you! In reality, that’s what we need, a place to write things down. 🧡
I loved this! I too have been feeling overwhelmed with social media in the planner community. You hit the nail on the head! I appreciate your authenticity and I am glad you made this video. I love all your planners, I am too a very functional planner and enjoy watching someone who plans like me! ❤🎉
Function > pretty. Thanks for being here!
The planner community has been a good journey for me- I started a business, made friends, and discovered new things! This past few months I have started to think I need a break because of the FOMO and constant questioning my own system. I definitely relate to a lot of this!
I actually really like your posts! You don’t need to change anything! I find everything you post really inspiring.
@@eggbunni Thank you- that’s very sweet! Sometimes I feel like I need to step away for a little bit to rediscover why I started. Overall, the planning community has been so good to me. ❤️
The main reason why I made this video was because I saw confusion all around me. I know our struggles are also personal, but I just thought there was more to it. I’m used to being a mess, but this year has been a flood of indecision in all of my feeds. I wish your shop was still open! Maybe one day!
@@samplans Wait, Martha had a shop?!
"Comparison is the thief of joy."
You laid down some TRUTH!!!
See, I'm more like you. I'm primarily a functional planner. There are places in my planner where I put stuff I think is pretty. Stuff that is meaningful to me and makes me happy. But the workhorse part of my planner is just that, and it's NOT "pretty." And it took me FOREVER to realize that that's OKAY!!! It's MINE! It's COMFY! Just like me.
And I, too, dislike the profusion of mean girls showing up in comment sections.
I rarely see a planner flip full of function, most usually decor. Those are fine too, they would just overwhelm me. I’m glad you are happy being in your system and not worrying about it!
I absolutely love what you said..Comparison is the theif of joy. Im putting that in my planner! Thank you Teresa you rock!!!
@martabessler, I wish I could take credit for that quote, but I can't. And I've forgotten who originally said it. Theodore Roosevelt, possibly. It affected me the same way it did you, and it's been very freeing for me! I try to remember it in everything I do because perfectionism will derail me every time if I let it. And I don't know about you, but I've watched Sam Plans for a couple of years for inspiration. I really enjoy her, and I really like Amy from Plans Meet Paper, too. Her layouts are very functional as well. Ganchi Plans is another. Brandy Michelle Plans is another.. I watched a girl I'd never watched the other night, and her name escapes me, but her planner was a lot like mine. It had papers falling out of it, sticky notes everywhere, stuff from her kids, etc...And I was like, YES!!! THAT is a working, well loved planner! 😍
Well, anyway, I'm just prattling away. Thank you for your kind words. I hope your day is blessed!
I too will be putting your saying in my planner, front page! Comparison is the thief of joy”. Thanks.
@@teresajohnson7727 If you can rember the last planner girl you mentioned, , she sounds interesting and a lot like many of us, it would be good to watch her too ,please 😊
Sam I felt your discussion with all my soul! Which is why I have an absurd amount of planners I’m trying to find uses for. Social media is the good and bad in my planner life.
I always enjoy your videos. However, this one especially spoke to me, thank you!!!
I’m all over the place with planners, but taking a step back, a deep breath and really seeing what you mean about social media not really being helpful, is so true. It has added to my decision fatigue and insecurities of am I doing this right? Sheesh!!
Thank you for letting us see your reality, it was very helpful!❤
Thankyou so much for this video. I put it on to listen to during my commute to work this morning. I enjoyed it while I drank my iced coffee. I felt like I was visiting with a friend. Thank you for restoring sanity to a lot of us. I always thought like I was the odd one out because I am happily using a little $10 Amazon planner for the third year in a row it’s a pocket planner that has monthlies and weeklies I chip daily pages and when I need them and discard them at the end of the day I absolutely love this little thing it’s definitely my happy place. I have tried to go to other planners that I see on social media and I always feel sad when I think about leaving this one LOL. You have made me feel more normal thank you. I am 53 now and I can remember way back in the 90s being perfectly content using little pocket monthly calendars because I had saved them all I looked back and it amazes me at how happy I was with that. I spent way too much money in the last couple of years planner hopping when I really didn’t want to now I’m back home and I feel a sense of peace and organization.
I’m so glad you put it all out there for us all to see Ty. Social media planning community had almost bankrupted me and made me feel inadequate because I can’t do pretties. I quit planning for a few years. I came back to the weeks craze and hated it. So I blindly followed my own heart and fell in love with pocket moleskine and it’s my happy place. I’m not going to feel bad about using the same planner year after year. I’m happy. I hope you are happy too.
Love the feel in hand of the pocket Moleskine and the paper quality. Great choice!
The pocket moleskine is a great planner! Do what keeps the peace!
I agree!
I don't share much about planning on my social media, however I do still do it and I follow planner people on social media. I have always thought of planners like people. Everyone is unique, every planner is unique, no one is perfect, no planner is perfect.
I don't get the hateful comments or mindsets. I think that the differences in people and what they like, what planners they use, are what makes a community so interesting. The comparison trap or the grass is greener situation goes deeper that just notebooks, I am afraid. And people work through that differently and that is not something I like to put my opinion on. What I will put my opinion on is planner peace... planner peace is a mindset not a notebook.
As an artist, I don't make art for others. I make art for me, I am just lucky that there are others that enjoy it! Never do something to make someone else happy, do it because it makes you happy! I hope that you can set aside social media and plan the way that makes you happy.
"Planner peace is a mindset, not a notebook." I love that! I'm writing that one down in my great quotes collection! 💖
@@mrandisg thank you!
I 💯 agree with you about planner peace!
Amen to all of this! Your description of analysis paralysis and too many options rang true to me-that’s exactly why I made my own planner TN insert for this year. Comparison and FOMO is the death of journaling joy. Thank you for this very honest and well-expressed video.
Love longer videos!!
Your planning style is the most visually appealing to me. Every time I sticker up a spread or see another’s it overwhelms me. Even if it’s pretty it’s visual clutter and I screw mine up horribly when I try.
Thank you so much for this video 🤗
It’s probably a misfire in my brain or something, but my brain can’t follow the pattern of a lot of stickers all over the place. 😅
THANK YOU for this video and sharing your thoughts, opinions, and experiences! I appreciate it and you have given me so much food for thought 🤗
I totally feel this. The pressure I’ve put on myself to have the perfect planner or all of the planners has given me so much anxiety that I’ve logged out of this RUclips account and only log in maybe once a week to watch some of my favorite people that wont trigger me and that’s it.
I love everything you said. You are not alone and I’m sure there are many more people that feel the way you do. I’m one who agrees with most of your points. Thanks Sam and continue to bring your thoughts and share. ❤
Thanks so much for this video!! I am struggling with my consumption of social media and planning decisions so i can totally relate to what you are saying! I remember LOVING my At-A-Glance planner for years and then fell head first into the planner world with SO many options and it overwhelms me which like you said it the opposite of what we love about planners in the first place. Thanks for providing your outlook I really needed to hear it!
I’m glad it was helpful! Thank you!
Thank you for sharing. You make excellent points. I think it's easy to get caught up in the looks/appearance of planners + pages + accessories, everything! I have a love/hate with social media. I love seeing original ideas and authenticity. I avoid negativity and competition. I don't believe there is a one size/type of planner that fits everyone. There are sooooo many choices it can be overwhelming, which takes the joy away. I do planner hop. I am continually adjusting what works for me and my schedule, which changes all the time. I learn just as much from what doesn't work. Experimentation is growth, and comparing our growth + experiences to anyone else does a huge disservice. Aren't we all here to learn?!?? Again, thanks for sharing😊 I appreciate your perspective.
Big tumbs up for sharing this! Planning stress is real! I feal overwhelmed by all the planning things and I'm angious to start because I want to do it right the first time. Thanks for being honest and mentioning this, it's a relieve.
Love from The Netherlands, Ingrid
Thank you for sharing this video! You brought up so many great points, ones I’ve thought about as well. I was like you and started in a Walmart planner the size of a checkbook. It worked for many years until I found the planner community and realized there were so many more options! In the last two years I’ve jumped from one planner to the next and felt comfortable in them until I saw the next hot planner. I spent way to much money and never felt satisfied. Lately I’ve been thinking about dropping all my social media accounts connected to the planner community because I want to be happy with the planner I’m using. I know myself and I struggle with FOMO so stepping back and evaluating my needs versus comparing myself to others which obviously is not making me happy. Seems like that elusive planner peace will only come to me if I’m not trying to change who I am. The constant switching causes me to not be productive. I end up spending more time setting up and changing my planner than actually using it for it’s intended purpose. I have watched your videos for a few years now and I’ve always enjoyed your authenticity. Thank you for being different, thank you for being true to yourself and thank you for always inspiring others.
Sam.. I watched this video twice taking notes the second time. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your honesty and candor. That is what brought me to your channel..not your planners. You could talk about wet paper bags for all I care. I have never been soo overwhelmed and confused as to what planner I would like best for b6, hobo weeks, and moleskine pocket. My favorite videos are those who use regular notebooks or rings and do what they want. I really needed to hear your message today. Thank you Sam!!!
New planner video coming! Planning on wet paper bags! I love it. 🧡 Thanks for being here, and taking the time to comment. It means so much to me.
LOVED this!! I stopped using my planner-specific social media account months ago. I mostly stick to RUclips videos now, and even then I’m very picky about which ones I watch because I know me and FOMO is a real thing 😅. I used a bullet journal for years before finding the planner community on social media, and was very happy with it. I love looking back at my old notebooks. Thank you for the video!!
I absolutely loved this video. Thank you for sharing your authentic self. I definitely got sucked into the fountain pen planning community that I am slowly trying to find my own authentic self now and observe myself rather than react to certain posts.
You do You, Sam. I'll be here to cheer you on whatever you decide. Right now, I'm in a Hobo Weeks. But I love rings, I just cant haul it with me like I like too. I'll be watching others also to see if you've maybe started a trend with you're declaration! Always here with ya girl!❤
Well if I do start a trend, no one will likely say it. Or at least that’s usually how it works. Thanks for cheering me on. 🧡
Thank you for making this video 🙏🏻 I always appreciate your honesty and openness ❤
Thank you so much. 🧡
You made a good point; I’ve learned to be content and look for people who plan in whatever mode I’m using for fresh ideas.
I used the little Halmark calendars for many years
I just recently threw about 10 books away.
When I heard you mention the calendars it made me remember how much more simpler my life was.
You are absolutely right. We are planning no matter what we choose to plan in.
There have been so many times I’ve been so caught up with what’s offered on social media.
It’s stressful and really not affordable.
I’ve recently put a stop to the madness. After discovering the planner community about 9 years ago it’s been a constant change. Very similar to your struggles. I’m just done. Can’t do it any more.
I now have a simple set of rings, just like the old days 😊
That sounds perfect. And those Hallmark calendars, gosh, so much love!
It’s important for brands to have different options, because people have different needs! I know my own needs so I can make an educated choice of what will work for me despite the fact that all these options are out there and I can see other planner girls using different types and still stick to what works for me! Regardless of what you use to plan, be yourself and don’t compare yourself to others! Plain and simple! Also, just because there’s options it doesn’t mean I have to try it all!!
You are absolutely right!
I appreciate this video! As just a watcher you hit a lot of things I have thought. Also a good reminder not to beat ourselves up if we have to change if it's not working.
Amen! You hit the nail on the head, Sam! Thanks for being you! Your authenticity is what keeps me watching!
Thank you 🧡
I discovered planning community at a pretty hard time in my life. I was procrastinating, missing deadlines and it felt like my life was just slipping away. On one search about time managent I found a video called “plan with me, setting goals and being productive”. Or something like that. I spent 20min watching a girl stick stickers in her notebook and that made me confused. But intrigued. So this was my first encounter with planning. And I thought that’s what I needed, thats what organised people do. Pretty books and stickers. But it didnt help. Almost 4 years later, I am still struggling with my day to day tasks, work projects, house projects and having 5 different planners is not the answer for me. I minimized and I’m trying to find the things that actually are helping and toss the things that arent
Thank you for making this video. I really relate to a lot of what you're saying and more videos like this would surely help all of our pockets stay full!
Here’s to saving some money!
I absolutely love this video. So many people really need to watch this. I began planning with personal rings. I’ve used lots of other planners. I use the Hobonichi Cousin for budget and weekly planning and the A6 for EDC. I use what works for me and use the internet for inspiration. Thanks for this video again. People are so mean and we have forgotten as a community to be kind since we’re all so different 😊
Thank you, Gizelle 🧡
I can totally relate to all you share in this video! Thank you for sharing. I’m a stay at home mum with little money and I’ve gotten so lost in all the types of planners and pens- that are all so expensive!! It’s nice to watch this and no I’m not alone in the confusion and stress that planners seem to bring. I think for now I’m settled in a pocket sized TN that has seperate inserts for monthly, weekly and memories, and Ive decided I don’t care what other people use I love my cheap bic biro and that’s that! Thanks again for sharing, I really love your channel ❤️ xxx
This is absolutely fabulous! I am one of those that never post or never do anything because this and that are never good enough. I am just now getting to the point of realizing that I need to use whatever actually works instead of what the cool kids are using. I too grew up in the 80s with the same thing you did so everything you said makes perfect sense to me. Thank you so much for this video!
Thank you, Kathy!
When I was a part of the social media planning community I literally didn’t even plan. Everything was staged for the gram. And I now have a literal wall with a cubby shelf full of crap I don’t need and didn’t really even want in the first place. Now that I don’t have a planning account for social media I actually plan, I buy stuff I will actually use and I’m much happier.
Oh wow, that says a lot. What are you finding useful?
Totally agree with you. It’s so confusing all the choices. It’s also added pressure or anxiety when people have so many planners/journals for so many things when I’m a person who needs fewer.
Omg! I must have a Sunday start for a monthly calendar. I can deal with a Monday weekly but MUST have a Sunday start.
These issues aren’t only in the planner realm unfortunately. It’s widespread. I love being able to connect with people online etc., but it sure has increased comparison and all of the other things you brought up even though I try to mitigate them.
Thanks for the video. It’s always refreshing to hear common sense in regard to issues. ❤
Same! Sunday monthly, Monday weekly. It’s forever going to be how my brain works. And you are right. Social media has us constantly seeking improvement everywhere for the sake of comparison instead of community. It’s so sad.
This really hits home for me. Thank you for the honesty.❤
Thank you so much for sharing this!!!!! So much of what you said was spot on. Use what you love and what works for you!!!
Thank you so much 🧡
Sam, thank you for putting it all on the table so that we can have this honest discussion. Like you, I loved the little "checkbook" calendars because they worked! They had a few frills, but they primarily functioned for their intended purpose. I believe that there is the issue of "plannering" vs. "planning". For example, I got so caught up in "plannering"(which seems like having a hobby), that I got precious little "planning" done. I didn't really need a new hobby, but there were all of the pretty things and we were off to the races. Spent w-a-a-y too much trying to replicate someone else's happy place. Got so overwhelmed - pushed it all aside for a bit- and did very basic note paper and pen planning. Coming back, it all didn't seem so pressing or important anymore, since I know what I need. I only check for inspo from plannerfolk who are using the same system I'm using now, or for ones I've been following for awhile. As for the nastiness and snarkiness, that's everywhere but it shouldn't be tolerated in the planner community. I am not anyone else's judge. I look forward to your posts & would like to encourage you to keep posting because it helps so many of us.
I totally agree with everything you say Sam. Thank you for your honesty. May you find planner peace 😂
This video was very useful because I can relate;It doesn't matter how pretty the planner is as long as you achieve your goal and todos in it.😊 Thank you for making this video!!
I absolutely can’t wait to watch this! I’ve been off social media and I’m so content in my planner and it’s just being straight used. Nothing fancy! Grabbing my headphones to hit play!
Thank you 🧡
Wow Sam!! I can relate to so many things you talk about in this video. Comparison is truly the thief of joy, and one of my biggest joys are my planners and journals...and I know I can't make mine look pretty, and my handwriting is the pits, especially with that one pen, the one every one else says is their favorite, and I am done with it!! I am doing my thing, in my planners, and if I like it great, if it works for me, even better!! Right now I feel content, and it might stay that way, or it might change, time will tell....as long as I can keep my appointments, must-do's, lists and memories in a good place I am happy! Thank you yet again for a great video and topic!
Very insightful video.
I’ve tried all sorts of things because I was attracted to the look, how the pictures or videos resonated with me. In the end, the type of planner that works best for me is an inexpensive a5
size that gives me lots of room for my larger handwriting and lots of scratching out. 😂
I enjoy the aesthetic experience with my favorite pens and paper in notetaking and gratitude journaling.
I have struggled myself and now have found my favorites - I have one that is my functional for work and personal, a everyday carry- one for journal and one for memory planning. I like seeing the real world types of planners myself. Thank you so much for sharing as I have found myself overwhelmed many times as well. Especially because I am one who isn’t always concerned around neatness but a place to jot notes and track important things :) I was a ring bound person for years as well, in fact I was always using the Franklin Covey inserts…which ironically I still gravitate towards that method still today
I love that you made this video and I could not agree with you more!!!! I have been around the planner community for nearly 11 years now and trends come and go and I have been pretty much a solid rings gal from the beginning, but I have been through everything that you have mentioned, but when you know what works for you, you just know! And when you get to that point there is a freedom in it to use what works for you because the whole point is the planner is meant to help and work for you. I was just thinking about this the other day because I use Filofax inserts and I have tried other inserts but I always end up back with the original Filofax inserts and there used to be a time when everyone was all about the Filofax inserts and now I hardly see them at all on social media. I love the feeling of looking back through my inserts for the past few months and knowing that it has been useful and they are serving their purpose for me. They are messy, they are covered in sticky notes, but they help me get my job done and that brings me joy. Love your channel and your videos 😀
It was def overwhelming for me to start - but I had to do a 'self check' and remind myself that while I can appreciate how someone else creates & uses their space, I need to focus on what works for me :) Now I LOVE consuming planner content because it's so fun seeing how other people think, sometimes I get a good nugget of inspiration, and it's also so soothing during my work day lol!
There is always an option to turn off the social media.
That wasn’t really the point, but hopefully talking about issues that do result will help to avoid them.
I've been in the community for about three years and I can say that I found this very insightful! I wasn't aware of any of this (which I guess is good I suppose)... I personally love the idea of rings but have never been brave enough to try them so I will be coming back to watch that content! :) Thanks for sharing, Sam! :)
Sam.... Thank you so much for making this video and giving a voice to this concept. This has been a battle for me as well and I have an immense amount of planner paraphernalia that is a direct result of the influence only to discover that it does not work for me. I appreciate your courage to say what needed to be said.
Thank you, I really appreciate you!
Thanks so much for this video! I started out a planner with the spiral bound notebook and then progressed to Franklin Covey when it first came out. Eventually that got to be too much for me and I went back to my notebook and a simple calendar. When I found the social media stuff about planners and all the decoration and etc. I couldn't believe how much I had missed out on. Super fomo! This helps so much.
I bet you were so much more organized planning that way!
Yas girl. I feel like the options issue could be so much better if we had more brick and mortar stationery stores to visit touch and interact with a lot of the planners and pens! My problem is I need it in my hands before I can make a decision, but when it’s not available nearby, gotta hit up that amazon!
Yes! I’d love to be able to sit with a planner and map out things before buying. That would be fabulous!
Gidday Sam! Firstly I want to say I love your channel. Secondly, I 100% agree with everything you have said, and I have walked in the same shoes as you with your planner journey up until this date, and I get what you are saying SO MUCH! I have been into planners, notebooks, pens and all the stationery since I was a kid, and I actually held a pen when I was 18 months old lol 🙂 Fast forwarding, I've had all the ring planners, etc and then I discovered the very simple basic Composition Book. For many years I have made my own planner out of these wonderful books as my style of planning is functional, basic, rustic, messy and all that. Last year or so I got overloaded with the Happy Planner You Tube videos and saw all the beautiful spreads what the ladies were doing, fell in love with that planner so of course I purchased one and used it for 12 months, but I felt pressured to do a nice spread each week, and it was hard to try and come up with a new theme each week, so in the end I ditched the disk bound system. I went back to my Composition Books and loved them for another year or so, and this year, I thought I would try something different as I've always wanted to try a Hobonichi, and before I purchased one I went down that rabbit hole of watching so many different channels on the Hobo, the dupes etc, and I'm disgusted with myself for falling into this hole, but I ended up getting 2 x Hobonichi Weeks, a pocket Moleskine Daily which I love and use every day, a A5 Moleskine Daily which I love and use daily, and on top of this, I bought the Kinbor Weekly Undated, the Dates Weeks and the A6 Kinbor OMG!!!!
I cannot and will not fill all of these planners, but like I said, I fell into that trap because everyone was using them and because I have the love of paper, notebooks etc, I bought them, the covers and all the like. I even bought all the special pens to use in the Hobo etc, and I was an idiot because now, after trying to settle in the majority of these for the 1st month of 2023 I hate the majority of them and I've gone back to my Composition Book and a small chunky notebook which I write stuff throughout the day and I'm happy as anything again, the pressure is off!!!! I feel really bad for the amount of money I've spent on all the stuff, but at the same time, I've learnt my lesson, and at least I know NOT to go down that hole again come next year. It's very easy to get caught up in it all, I am guilty of that. People who get sponsored from other companies etc just to get freebies to 'influence' other people I don't think much of, because to me, it's all about getting free stuff, not because they believe in the product and want to share the joy of it with others.
I fully understand where you're coming from Sam with all the stuff about Social Media. To me, it sucks, there is nothing but bitchiness and backstabbing that goes on and it shits me and I don't get involved with it. Planning, stickers, and all that good stuff is there to be enjoyed, not to compare yourself to how others do it and stress about it all. IT'S YOUR PLANNER, YOUR WAY, YOUR LIFE, that's my motto!!!
Take care and love from me in Australia!!!! End of rant lol xxx
Thank you! I'm so glad you said this.
I couldn't have said it better and I finally have reached that point. I agree social media was a perfect way to let me see I am not alone..has given me so many wonderful ideas, but...I fell down that hole and wow when I look at what I have not to mention spent these past 6 months that I'm not even using..I am beyond ashamed. I ended up using a system I never thought would work but is, so I am happy. I look at the other as a lesson learned..I forgave myself and have moved on. I will do what works for me and encourage that to anyone else that needs to find planner peace so to speak. As far as kindness...everyone needs a lesson...not sure what that is all about, but I do see it is as a real problem. I grew up in the 70's and it had its share of problems none like this. I am 61 and truly feel sad for my grandchildren. I appreciate you being honest and sharing your perspective, I will continue watching your videos, I enjoy them and get many ideas.
Yes! I was so happy to find a place in the social media streams, but the uptick of less than pleasant experiences has been saddening. Who knows what system I will end up in this year, but whatever it is will be decided by what is working best for me to make me the most productive. No more purchases for me though! I have enough to wade through!
Thank you so much for your sharing your honest opinions on this subject. I struggle in every one of the areas you described. This video has given me the permission I didn't even know I needed to plan in ways that work best for me. PS - I just subscribed to your channel! ❤
Thank you thank you so much for making me feel ok. This year I just went off and bought 4 different planners for 2023. From something I enjoyed doing, it became a chore and nothing was getting done. I even thought about quitting it all together but honestly how could I? At the end I went back to my old system and promised myself to not fix what was already good. I have one planner, one journal and am very happy.
Thanks for this video. What you say is so real and watching too m7ch social media makes your head go crazy. I got caught up buying too many things for 2023 and I needed to hear these truths. Finding out what works for you and not getting caught in the hype. Thank you😊
Thank you so much. I hope it’s helpful for you. 🧡
Agreed. I have used a Franklin Planner, Classic size, original forms since the late 90s. I have intermittently purchased other planners because of the cost of the Franklin, but although it’s not perfect, it’s the best planner for me. Then I went down a RUclips planner community rabbit hole. I got all wrapped up in the cray-cray for a few months, and then thankfully stepped on the brakes. Your video popped up on my “homepage” today, so I decided to watch. Thanks for the insight into your thinking.
I’ve been thinking a lot about how the Instagram algoritm pushes us to share certain kind of content. In a way Instagram and planners are two separate hobbies for me that intersect on my insta account.
Most of the time both hobbies are fun but some things disturb me:
- The way certain popular planners get more attention
- The way you get more attention the more you shop and show of material things
- the way instagram pushes everyone to make reels now - there is less space for people who prefer photos
- How aesthetics goes over substance
- How hard it is to draw the line between showing too much private info and being too unrealistic.
Yes, I have been affected by viewing different planners and have switched and switched and switched. But now I am starting to pay attention to what works for me, for my various roles, and for my needs. I have started shopping “Chez Moi,” or my stash and unsung what I have when I experiment. A similar situation occurred in professional school where different people said, “If you are not reading this textbook, you won’t pass the tests. After buying several books on the same course work, I realized it did not matter which book I read, I just had to pick one and use it and I would pass my exams. That was over 45 years ago. The same I am finding for planners. Just pick what works for me or I think might work for me and use it. Thank you for this video, Sam. Be blessed.
Thank you! You as well. 🧡
I'm listening and watching this video as I type my comment here. I commend you for calling out the haters and indicating that you will delete their comments and move on. Yes! I agree, mental health is the #1 priority. Thank you for calling it out. I've been taking social media breaks and it makes my heart happier. I will continue to do so. Everything you are saying in this video is spot on. Thank you for being real. Thank you for being honest. I, myself, am an introvert and have anxiety issues. I need to stand back from all the social media fray and the planner cliques. I hate the comparisons. The most important thing to me is my mental health, and what makes me feel better - so I do what works for me. My work planner and home functional/calendar tasks go in one, and them some loose journaling and lots of stickers that I make from my pictures in another.
Totally agree. The best thing is to stay authentic to what matters for you. Those judging are judging themselves more than they judge you
I’m a recent (last year or so) planner and the choice is overwhelming and I have spent a lot on “this one and that one” being inspired by what works for other people. I have recently bought a Moterm rings and am currently setting it up, and I love it. It’s so much more practical than bound books as a reference source, I don’t understand people using multiple Stalogys a year apart from being pretty, they’re very impractical when stuffed. I have also settled on a Weeks for a daily planner to take out with me. And I love the Travelers Notebook company, where everything fits in one cover and I am going to use that for journaling, travel memories, gratitude etc. So that means I have a lot of books and covers now to sell, which living in the U.K. importing everything has cost a lot, I’m trying not to think about the wasted money and feel more content that I’ve finally (🤞) settled on what works for me, a 54 year old woman with health issues who doesn’t work or get out a lot. I just need a basic planner with space for notes and lists (Weeks), a reference Home file (rings) and a journal (TN).
I always enjoy your videos! I think you’re right when you say that having so many options breeds discontentment! To limit myself, I choose a different planner each year, but then live with that choice for an entire year. This year it’s the Hobonichi Weeks (that I bought from you!). Last year it was a classic Happy Planner. The year before it was a weekly planner that cost about $13 on Amazon. The year before that it was an A6 traveler’s notebook with lined notebook inserts from Dollar Tree. I’ve loved (and hated) things about all of them, but have made them work, and have had fun experimenting. 🙂 I love seeing all of the ideas and options that people use, but you’re right, it can be difficult if you feel like what you are using is not popular or that you don’t belong in the planner community. (Also - I prefer Sunday-start calendars, too! It’s the first day of the week. 🙂)
I’m so incredibly impressed that you stick with a planner for an entire year! So impressed. I want my planner to be something used and loved and well worn, but it’s certainly not going to be that when I bounce in and out of them so quickly! Thanks for the comment, I hope the Weeks works well for you this year.
I love this video! This is the exact reason that I try to focus my content around finding what works rather than on creating a pretty spread, or hawking a product as the key to someone's planner enlightenment. Content creating online is brand building and there's always an urge to be put together, consistent, reliable, aspirational. But that isn't what the experience of being a human being is like. It always changes. Thanks for sharing.
You give people ideas and to discover what works for them. You’re not negative on what other people are doing. Everyone is different. Just because it works for them doesn’t mean it’s going to work for me. Social media, just take from it what you can use. If you don’t like it don’t be on it. When you put your stuff out there you have to expect stuff back.
I’ve been feeling this way for quite some time. I only watch a few people …❤️simply because I always feel like I don’t “measure up” or am “missing out” or that I would be “happier“ in another planner. ❤
This. I’m sad you can relate to it, things just shouldn’t be this way.
I TRULY appreciate this video and you being REAL ! I’m new to the planner community but have always been a planner! You hit all the major points that I’ve witnessed over the past few weeks of ‘learning/researching’ all things planner! I feel like I have learned a new language and MANY times I have had to choose to NOT go down the rabbit hole and buy allllll the things! Although- I have bought ALOT! Your Hobonichi playlist was extremely helpful! I chose the cousin but still envious of the Weeks but really of Sweet Freckled Designs Weekly Diary - because it has white paper! Back to your point of all the options and overload ! Honestly, this video made me become curious about Moleskins 😂😂😂 Thank you for bringing balance to the planner conversation- I look forward to more videos !
Moleskine planners are great. I actually filmed a video today about one that I had ordered before I filmed this one. 😅 I keep an old cousin around to play in…just in case.
I am so so glad you made this video! I have been in the #plannercommunity since 2015 and it has been so disheartening seeing it devolve into an elitist, money-grabbing I don't know what but I definitely don't want to call it a "community" anymore.
Just know we aren’t all in that category!
Just watched your Video and I was so impressed with what you were saying. You hit so many nails on the head. I have purchased so many THIS IS THEONE!! and realized they don't work for me. I've tried the Bullet Journal method and felt like I couldn't keep up the all the layouts and decorating. And people say sit down for an hour a day - Morning routine and an evening routine. Then on weekends spend time building the full week. You need to build a month. When you don't have all this time, the insecurities start setting in. Then - I'm not a good planner.
Yes!
Sam, you are awesome!
You are so authentic and open.
Keep doing you because YOU is a blessing to all that watch your videos :)
Thank you so much!
Thank you for making this video. I just started using a budget planner last year. I switched to disc bound this year for the same reason you use rings. I can put what I want in it. It's hard to find one planner that is perfect right off the shelf. Again, thanks for the great video. You've gained a new sub.
You sure hit the nail on the head. I love any and all stationary. Yes to many dupes for Hobonichi Weeks. You kept showing all of us all of them. Made me chuckle. Me being 56. Wow I had to stop to think about how old I just turned last month. I too loved the Hallmark calendar’s. Filled in every box every month and loved it. The calendar throws me off when it’s a Monday start. I had a lot of my breast cancer appointments wrong because of the Monday start. I didn’t need that added stress by any means. What makes me laugh is when someone is flipping through a brand new planner complaining about the color of the words. The font that is used. The little dots down the middle of the two page spread. How will I coordinate my stickers with the color that is on the page. The paper is cream. The grid is to big or to dark. Don’t buy it or print your own planner. If those are the problems in their life they are lucky. Loved your video. Like I said nail on the head.
You are so right! The hallmark free calendar is back at srores around Christmas. Jsyk best wishes.❤❤❤❤
This is the best and most helpful video I saw for long long time. Thank you very much.
Thank you Sam ..you reflect the true side of the planning process👍🏻
Thank you!
Absolutely 🌞 last year I purchased a pack of 3 A5 blank jotters for £4 to use as my journal instead of a £65 hobonichi or £28 stalogy.
Finally sharing my secret Im not planning anymore! thanks for sharing. I was on over load with all the options and not a creative outlet for me anymore. yess to everything you said
You are not the first person who I know has just stopped planning. Walked away. I think I’m going to be fine in rings, but I will not allow myself to stress about it again. I’d rather walk away myself than live in a hamster wheel of indecision. I’m glad you did what was right for you!
You nailed this! This video hit home. I no longer follow the trends and do what I need/want.
Good for you! 🧡
Everything that you have said is true. I remember my 1st planner I picked up at Staples. I was so excited because I wrote down my work schedule and appointments. I was in my twenties now that I'm in my fifties. I find myself looking at all the planners I have, and I'm thinking why did I buy all those. I don't need all those I need to get rid of them. The main problem is that I'm not satisfied with any of the planners that I have. I just need to write down my appointments and my bills, nothing more, nothing less. Love your videos ❤
This video truly resonated with me. Thank you for expressing something I was trying to figure out for myself. I purchased a moterm and felt ashamed of it the feeling reminded me of being in grade school and wearing payless shoes instead of brand names. Loved this video! Thanks
Oh, we should never feel that way! Carry your Moterm with your head held high! I rarely even got to go to Payless. Childhood can be rough. Cliques still are found, but we don’t have to be forced into the same feelings as we did then. Hugs.
There is a lot of good and true information in your video. Thank you for sharing.
Brilliantly stated. I am feeling overwhelmed with all the choices and pressure to “find the perfect planner.”
I hope you find what works. 🧡
I do think you've raised a lot of good points. I agree that there can be too much choice out there, but in the same vein I feel like we don't see enough. I know decorative planning is popular but sometimes I feel I see the same styles or stickers over and over again. While I love how cute and quirky TCMC stickers are but they are in nearly every single plan with me and lots of people emulate their creators style. I can totally see how this would cause people to feel FOMO. For a long time, as I'm not in the US or Canada, I felt left out that I couldn't justify the cost of shipping those stickers or subscription boxes to my country. However finding planners that felt more authentic with channels that didn't make me feel like they were there to sell me stickers or kits has been great, and inspired me to become more creative while maintaining a planning style that keeps me functioning.
I am very grateful to say that the number one reason I don't share my planner on social media is privacy for me and my family. My whole life is in my planner, my to dos and my memories and I just wouldn't feel comfortable sharing that much personal info online. I hope that you can accept that they system you use and that works for you is perfect and that what most people want to see is how people use their planners to help them stay organised. I'm sure that there are a lot of people who would be very grateful to see that the cheap planner picked up at Walmart is just as valid and functional a system as any $50 planner imported from Japan. Its all about how you use it.