I’m using two EC planners - the A5 Horizontal and the CV. There horizontal is holding my non routine stuff I need to do every day, and my CV had the days covered and I use it for tracking. I have four categories - household tasks, pet care tasks, self care tasks, and my clothes/makeup (trying to track what I actually use for a next year declutter). So like I’ll write Household on Monday, and Tuesday will have the 7 dots to color in. Pet Care is written over Wednesday with the dots on Thursday, etc. It’s working really well for me to finally get some stuff done around here.
It tends to emboss your writing on the other side, but so do all ballpoint pens. I’ve tried 67 different pens, but the Uni pin and Tombow mono drawing pen are the best if you want less ghosting and no imprint.
@@michelleadams5609 writing pressure is what determines that for the tomoe paper in my experience. the exact pen doesn’t matter, if you’re pushing hard enough that will always be the result.
@@welephantsoup Which is why I opted not to use the 52 gsm and go for the 68 gsm as that allows me to use more pens. But yes, you're right. I wouldn't consider myself to be especially heavy-handed, but when I used my Acroball .5 multi pen (Dr. Grip actually) that Jetpens suggested, and the Jetstream .5 and .7, I was really starting to hate what it did to the following page. I could live with the ghosting of the Hobonichis, but when I tried the 68 gsm, and realized that there was very little ghosting and I could use more pens, I decided against the CP, Wonderland, and Papertess altogether as I would find myself in the same situation. TRP makes wonderful journals and memory keepers when you can sit down and be precious with your planner, but otherwise, it requires a lot of consideration and time to make it work. I spent a month in a Hobo Techo A6 that I got for $10 on Black Friday to try out the paper and no matter the pen, there was always something I didn't like. It smeared, or it required a writing board...or it transferred the ink to the following page. Though I don't see the appeal of TRP paper for functional planning. It seems to only be advantageous if you're going to add some watercolor embellishment or use fountain pens. For the average busy person, there are any number of $25 planners out there that would be perfect for them. Hell, the Leuchtturm and Rhodia have excellent paper, which I have used for years. If I got a TRP planner, another one, I would get the CP, but the prices give me pause as I've already spent quite a bit on this next year's lineup. lol
As a leftie with gel pens on Tomoe River Paper, I love the Pentel Engergel in 0.5. I am an underwriter (writing below the line) so smearing isn't really an issue for me, but either way I don't find that the ink smears and has a quick dry time
Lefty here who uses Hobonichi. My favorite pen to use is the unijetstream that comes with the planner. I don't have to worry about drying time. I also have a ballpoint piglet pen from Diaso that I've been using more often. Gel pens I like are the UniOne sometimes I use Zebra Sarasas. I use mildliners or tombows to highlight things the Jetstream doesn't smear when highlighted over.
I came to the same conclusion regarding the Makselife a few months ago and switched to bullet journaling. I keep it very simple but have moved all my makselife and HB90 stuff into that. Looking forward to seeing your setup!
I like using a bullet journal too. I tend to change my focus often and a bujo is flexible to accommodate that. Plus I buy inexpensive ones so if I totally f them up I don’t feel bad about moving to a new one.
YES!!! I literally just commented to recommend it. I literally recommend it to everyone I come across. More people are moving in that direction and I'm here for it!
I really appreciate your honesty and the fact that what works for you changes. I’ve had the most anxiety ever over choosing my planner this year giving my self permission to say it’s ok if I change or do something different because what I have been doing isn’t working. I think I finally decided on the common planner for work/youtube, Hobonichi cousin for personal/regular life so I can use my fountain pens, and the makselife a5 books too keep me moving in the right direction.
This will be year three for me in the companion notebooks. I love it, because no matter how many times I change my mind about what planner to use my goal setting stuff is all in one place for the whole year. Also not a lefty, but the Zebra MarkOn is my go to quick dry! You can highlight on it immediately after putting it on the page! And for a bold tip, the clickart markers are the same.
I'm so here for "I want to use this the way I want to use this" instead of feeling pressured to do fancy shit. Not enough spoons in my life to do the fancy these days. I got the Night Owl planner this year, which is very similar to the Common Planner layout wise! I'm looking forward to using that for the day job stuff and general life stuff, and then using a Mnemosyne 2024 diary for my writing stuff. It has a monthly Gantt chart that should make my time easier to review. In theory!
Hobonichi pens. Uni-jetstream is the standard and for a good reason, but if your dear leftie really wants a gel pen, I recommend Zebra Sarasa Dry. I know some will mention the 'Mark On' which is also a good choice, but I like a saturated dark ink, and I think the 'Dry' provides that better than the other.
This change makes a lot of sense to me based on what you have been dealing with this year. I really like my Hobonichi Cousin because I have the weekly overview and dedicated pages to each day, whether I use a couple of lines or the entire page. I love using Muji pens in it, but I'm not left handed and I have an impression that those might smear. I currently use the pen that comes with the Hobonichi planners, which is a ballpoint pen, and those work great as well and with much less smearing potential.
They've done studies that show you need to write something down 3 times, say it 3 times, and hear it 3 times to really learn it. So tell yourself your appointment info 3 times in a row after you write it 3 times.
I made a switch to the Aura Estelle A5 Weekly Essential Planner, for the same neutral love. It also uses Tomoe River paper, and has the horizontal week on one page I love; Giving me room to add what I need on the facing page for the week, and loads of extra pages at the back. Having ADD, caring for an elderly parent with cancer, and more; I really needed everything in one planner. Edit: It also fits in my hobonichi cover! Woo hoo! P.S. - Great video! I really love how you break down, and explain everything. Thank you Cindy!
The best pen for tomoe river paper is the Uniball jetstream. Hobonichi sells these specifically to be used for the hobonichi and often gives them away as freebies if you buy the planners through their official store. They dry immediately, last forever, and there is no ghosting.
Two pen recommendations for your lefty kid: Uniball Jetstream and Pilot Acroball, both in 0.5mm. They're both ballpoints. The Jetstream is what Hobonichi recommends and sells with the planners. It's the most smudge-proof for sure, but I find the ink a little unsaturated and inconsistent (i.e. it skips sometimes). The Acroball ink is much darker and smoother and never skips, more like gel. The only reason I've preferred the Jetstream over the Acroball in the past is because it dried immediately on the old TR paper whereas the Acroball needed like 1-2 seconds dry time because it's a little "inkier," but I've done a lot of testing in my 2024 Hobonichi with the new TR paper and there's no smudging or dry time with the Acroball. If they test both I'm sure they'll find a preference. Next year I'm using the Pilot Dr Grip 4+1 - it's a multipen with the Acroball ink in black, red, blue, and green for colorcoding, plus a mechanical pencil. It's fucking bomb! The Jetstream has a 4+1 version as well, so options abound.
I still haven’t finalised my 2024 lineup 😅…I also took a while to get my head around gratitude journaling. So I use prompts that come at the concept from different angles: (1) What brought me joy today? (2) Where did I see kindness today? Including me being kind to myself or someone else. (3) What am I grateful for today? Obvious, I know, but I found it helpful to ask the question a little differently to look further in my life. Thanks for sharing your lineup. Definitely helping me solidify mine.
Leftie here. I have used both Hobonichi and Sterling Ink Common Planner. Best pen I've used is Paper Mate InkJoy. It still will leave a little bit of an inky-pinky, but not really smear. I've found that if I have a piece of scrap paper to put under my hand it takes care of the problem.
I'm so happy that you shared this with us, I'm in a similar situation. I have 2 planners for next year because I wanted the Common Planner but missed the presale so I bought something else - then was able to pick up a Common Planner later. I have been telling myself I should find a way to use both but it felt like an obligation and I wasn't looking forward to it. Hearing that you changed your mind helped me give myself permission to let the other planner go. I think being able to have a more compact planner/notebook/journal combo this year will work better for me. Now that my kids are older I just don't plan my weeks as aggressively as I used to and I'm really looking forward to the flexibility.
This was helpful. I’ve also been in a stack selection loop for the past few weeks. I’ve made my choices for now: B6 and N2/Weeks Common Planner (lists, plans, micro-journaling), B6 Stalogy (creative journaling), GCal, Evernote. “I’m going to use this the way I wanna use this.”
I can't wait to move into my plum paper weekly overview horizontal with the beautiful purple Llamas on the cover ❤ I know I'm in the minority with a horizontal layout but the overview page with less details daily works for my life. I used the plum paper notes and days last year.
I use two planners, and my one I use for daily tasks is the EC A5 horizontal. I love it so much. I actually just turned my vertical spread into a bunch of trackers.
As a lefty, Zebra Sarasa Dry is the GOAT of pens. Never had a smudge and it writes so smooth! You want to highlight first before writing though, if you are a highlighter.
Pen recommendation: I'm not a lefty, but I've found the Sharpie no bleed pens resist smearing and dry fast on most notebook paper. I also love them because they work at any and every angle, even when I'm laying prone with my mini notebook overhead on a bad pain day. I buy them in black four packs from Target, and I've seen them at office supply stores and on Amazon. And the grip doesn't pain me as quickly as other pens or pencils.
The fastest drying gel pens I know of for the Hobonichi's Tomoe River paper is the Zebra Sarasa Mark-on (I use a .4, it dries quickly and it's advertised as safer for mild liner use), and the Zebra Sarasa Dry (I also have the .4, and it seems to write like a .5). For ballpoint pens, the Hobonichi (when ordered directly from them) ships with a Uni Jetstream .5 3-in-1 for a reason, it's great on the paper and I've had good experience with not messing up my planner with that as well. Oddly though, my Extra Fine TWSBI fountain pens when used with the Lamy Inks I have (Turquoise & Blue) have also given me very little trouble with Tomoe River paper and dried much faster than many of my gel pens. Disclaimer: I'm not a lefty, but I usually forget to notate things and end up reaching up to find ink on my hand. These pens have left the least amount so far. I'm using a weeks again for 2024, but I did upgrade to the Mega since I'm not going to keep a separate note book this time for my goings on. I'm going to Bullet Journal style keep it all in the one planner with all the notes pages. If I need a work planner, I'll use a Bullet Journal so I can learn my needs, and just to keep my personal information safe, I have a separate planner for health tracking. I'm trying out the Happy Planner Mini Dashboard Layout. I think it'll have the room I need. Good luck through the holidays, and best wishes for 2024, Cindy!
Cindy, I, too, am using the SI A5 vertical common planner in Caramel with gold gilding. I used a B6 for the last 6 months. Loved it but I realized A5 is my size for my overall planner. I used the Makselife booklets and they’re great but couldn’t justify the shipping to Europe this year. So I’m taking what I need from them and putting it in my planner. For journaling I love my Onion Skin journal and I have a SI vertical passport for an EDC. This is the year I learn to use Notion.
Leftie! 🫱🏿 I’m also an underwriter though so my hand doesn’t go through my writing. I like Uni Jetstream (same pen that comes with the hobo). I recently picked up a Pilot Dr. Grip multipen, which uses Acroball ink, and it pretty much works like the Jetstream ink. I do think Jetstream might be a bit smoother though. For a while I used Zebra Sarasa (regular vintage). It was fine for me as a leftie and dried enough for me to close my book without issues, but I found that I would sometimes smear the writing later if I needed to write something on the page later and my hand was rubbing over other writing that may have already been below where I was writing.
I am using maker life flagship planner for 2024. In 2023, I used the quarterly goal setting companions & a Happy Planner and this year I wanted to have everything in one planner.
For work I'm using a Hobonichi Cousin Avec. It's my first year in a Hobonichi and I'm really excited about it. Hope it will work out the way I think it could. Really don't want it to be a fail, would hate to have spend a lot of money for something not working for me... For my personal live I a bulletjournal girl. Started this year to use A6 Leuchtturm notebooks and I so much love my small BuJos. Each only holds three month, so it doesn't feel like a big commitment to set them up. turned out that this solved a lot of my planing and journaling "problems". XD
I'm using a stalogy B6 notebook for my bullet journal and portable planner and then I have the PPP Home Planner for my mainstay. So put me down for a horizontal layout fan and a Sunday start fan (hahaha!).
I am all over the place! I started my Makselife last year using the 6 month undated planner and I loved it so much that this is the first planner I actually used without abandoning it 2 months in. Now I have 2 full planners when I could never use just 1! I purchased the flagship for 2024, but I also decided to go with a weeks for journaling. I picked up a cousin and a A5 common planner, but we'll see if I keep one of those. I need something for HB90 that is not my makselife. I am so glad that you shared this. Because it seems to me that planning is Personal and an everchanging journey. I may have been struggling with it, but you have made me want to keep up with it. Thank you!
I am so excited that you are in a full year a5 Sterling Ink!! I will be too. I did the half year b6 SI and then switched to the a5 undated half year for the 2nd half and LOOVED it. Totally one of my faves of all time. I LOVE the ML system and the weekly action/reflection pages but I am so freaking over the plain boring tabs and non-interchangeable covers so I already took off my flower cover, chopped the first spiral off each page and frankenplanned it with tabs and other weekly spreads I love (EC!). Great ability to PIVOT! (LOL) your lineup to fit your life. As a lefty, favorite pen for TRP, Energel Clena or Sharpie S Gel. Most pens take a second to dry, but I just have learned over the years to not put my hand directly over what I am writing, generally hand is positioned below my writing so no smudgy smudgy.
A 68 gsm TRP notebook allows you to use a lot more pens than the 52 gsm in the Hobos and CP. I bought the take a note planner and I can use any pen and it doesn’t ghost.
Not a lefty, but I'm just starting to use a journal with Tomoe River paper and I tend to wipe my hand over it like I'm wiping away eraser shreds from a pencil, and the pen I've been using is Prismacolor Premier Fine Line Marker in 005 and 01. The set I have is a box with 5 (005, 01, 03, 05, and 08). I found my original set from Wal-Mart, but that was 5-ish years ago (yes, they still work), and now I'm re-ordering a new set on Amazon.
I used B6 and A5 common planners this year. Loved them. But there’s parts of the Wonderland222 I prefer so using the A5 unstacked all in one in 2024 and then the Franklin daily for work. I’ve got a common planner (N2 weeks size…but the compact not the full one you’d bought) in my EDC options. I’m using a few EDC options to try things out and play in some fun planners. And I’m adding the makse life into my system. If you hate the paper you might want the RoseyLife that’s not TRP.
I switched to the Sterling Ink B6 for next year. A little less room than the Cousin I had been using. I just found that it was too much room for me and I had a lot of blank space to try and fill up. If I could draw it might not have bothered me.
Aside from just a regular mechanical pencil, I use the pilot frixion and occasionally staedtler triplus fineliners in my weeks. I haven’t had a problem with either of them smudging, although the staedtler does take a bit longer than the frixion to dry
I’m using the Sprouted Daily Planner. I chose it because it has a weekly page and daily pages. I also have a Hobonichi Weeks to use for a quick journal. I have a blank book that I started last January for my journal but then everything in my life went crazy when my husband got so sick I never really wrote in it. I did end up putting every little piece of ephemera in it. That’s what I’m going to keep doing. I was really surprised to see you choose something other than what you’d been using.
I’m a lefty, tried 67 different pens on the TRP. The Tombow mono artist pen in 01 and the zebra Sarasa vintage sets are my favorite. The Uni pins are darker and very smooth. The energels are great but only in the .5. I skip the ballpoint pens as they leave an embossing of your handwriting on the next page even with a writing board. The Sakura pigma microns are of course another great choice, but the Tombows drawing pens are my current favorites
I'm using the Hobonichi Cousin (goodbye Happy Planner). I'll be watching your videos for set up and planning using this planner. I'm interested because I agree with the extras in the Cousin I don't want or need. Thanks for your videos!
Lefty here! I've been using the Pilot Hi Tec C ink for a couple of years now and I highly recommend it. I use mine in a coleto because I like to color code, but they come in single pens as well. Another ink I like is the Uniball One. That one comes in some really unique colors. I've used both of these in my Hobonichi and Moleskine without much issue. I've found that the smaller points in most pens smear much less, if at all (I typically use .38, .4, .5mm). They're both on Amazon and Jetpens.
@@debbiedeas I use the .4 and haven't had any problems except with the green ink. It comes out a little juicier than the other colors for some reason. I'd also like to add that I write under-hand, like a righty.
The absolute best pen if they’re ok with a ball point that writes as smooth (though slightly less bold) as a gel is the uni jetstream. Otherwise I’d vote Sarasa mark probably.
I'm a leftie and I prefer ball point pens. The ink dries faster than a gel pen. I know that Jet Pans does specifically state which pens work better for lefties. Not sure if the descriptions on website say that but the videos do.
Leftie here too, I agree the Sarasa mark-on is pretty good. I've done dry tests and it's okay (on the old time river paper; it'll probably perform better on the new paper bc it's supposed to help with drying). Personally I like the oniball one pen that's all green or blue body, not the white body. They feel better to hold & write with & it does dry super, super fast!
I’m leaving my Hobonichi cousin for the B6 common planner in quartz. Also leaving the Hobonichi weeks mega for just a regular Hobonichi weeks. I bought an A6 full year common planner too and I’m not sure what I’m going to do with that .. I might sell it. I’m so excited you are using the common planner!!
Excellent as always . I am definitely finding surprises in my lineup this year. Like you, I thought I had it figured out, and I partly do. My main catchall planner will be an Agenda 52 A5 with horizontal weeklies. I like this year's setup so much, I am even keeping the dividers and deco, and only replacing the pages. EDC is more up in the air. I have a B6 with wire-o binding that won't fit in any B6 covers I own, and cover is a must. I really love my A6 Chic Sparrow TN, so I will probably end up ordering Yellow Paper House inserts for that, since I am having difficulty fnding a bound agenda that is really A6 - all the ones I find that say they are A6 turn out to be pocket, and mixing sizes is a no for me. On the plus side, hubby now has a lovely pocket Moleskine monthly.
I love using ballograph epica ballpoint pens as a heavy handed writer on tomoe river paper but I'm still getting used to the new tomoe river paper. I feel like I get more imprints that go on pages on the new tomoe river paper than the old one.
Uniball One (0.38 and 0.50), Pilot Multiball Fine, Pilot Hi Tec C Coleto multipen with 0.4 refills. I'm a lefty and use both the cousin and the weeks (and also have a SI Common Planner for this year) - I am an underwriter though, but these dry fast though!
I'm mostly a one planner kind of gal. So I have a B6 Common planner. I use a modified makse life system as goal setting, using their free printables and storing it all in my planner. The last two years I've been in a B6 W222 so not a huge change there. I also use Google Cal and a homemade teacher planner in a TN. That's all!
I have the exact same Sterling Ink A5 common planner. Love the color and the gold edges. I took it to a work conference last week and have already used up the first 50 or 60 pages of the pages in the back for notes. I used a turquoise uni One in 0.7 and I love the matte finish on it on these pages. It's really something. Not sure what/if I will use the front part, because I do have a work planner and also a hobonichi cousin again for 2024. I used the cousin for all of 2023 and it's chunky and awesome. absolutely no regrets about the SI CP, though.
I am not a lefty but I am a sweaty-handed person and found that any gel pen in the Hobo cousin will ultimate smear or transfer so the best bet is a ballpoint pen. I use the Uni Jetstream SXR refills in whatever cute pen I have that will fit it.
I am a lefty, and vastly prefer the Uni Jetstream Ballpoint pens in 0.5. A close second is the Pentel EnerGel in 0.5. I do press hard while writing, which is my biggest trouble with the Hobonichis, so I've gotten real familiar with the shitajiki boards as well!
I liked using my hobonichi cousin for the year or so that I used it but I really noticed that I didn’t use the daily pages enough. I focused on the monthly and weekly and rarely used the dailies. Then the weeklies were too small for what I really needed. So I moved back into a passion planner medium which is a bit larger and has no dailies but about 20 undated notes pages in the end which is perfect for me. I miss the hobonichi cover and CoC but the layout of passion planner works just perfect for me. For a daily journal, which I have never tried 😬, I got a 13 Moon Journal by Moon Phase Studios. It is a beautiful semi-guided journal focused on the moon phases, astrology, and pagan celebrations. Beautiful artwork of flower, landscapes, and celestial. It already started (because this first moon phase already started!) and I’ve been consistently journaling so it’s motivating me to journal. I’d love to see a review, Cindy, if you can get your hands on a copy.
I'm heading back into a ML full on this time. I loved Agendio for the larger size (8.5x11), but it was expensive to order quarterly & took so much time to move in ML stuff with it.
Bought my Baron Fig flagship dotted notebook for bullet journaling next year! Finally trying it out based on your review of it (a couple years ago now I think?)
When Makse Life launched their flagship planner on the coil, I bought it right away -tbh, it was a total impulse buy. Launch hype and FOMO got me good!! 🤷🏽♀️ As I started to really think about my lineup and my needs in November, I decided that the SI CP that I preordered in July was what really met my needs best after using a Hobonichi Cousin since 2020. Although I want to use the ML goal system, the ML flagship weekly planner is just too big, a bit overwhelming for me, if I’m being real with myself. The quarterly ML companion notebooks alongside the A5 CP is a perfect combo! Cant wait to see how you plan in the common planner in 2024!
I thought I had it all planned out in early Fall when I got my MakseLife planner, but I also have been looking at how I want to plan and what I need to track these last couple of months. I'm going to adapt the Dragon Passion Planner for work\HB90 tracking, a Hobo Weeks for health, and the MakseLife planner for life, all for the next six months, and then reevaluate. However, if it goes to pieces sooner, I will move planning into my Circa money notebook, which was where I started three years ago when I really started planning. Just realized as I wrote this: Planning should be fun and not a chore. I don't want to waste money or skip around various planners, so I have to use what I have (one of my no buy categories is 2024 planners), but I can switch around the system so I keep the fun.
Im using a Reading Bujo i set up myself (GASP) B5 and then the HoboCousin! And I will have an undated Medical A5 Malden rings .. Im getting a pocket size malden for everyday carry and NOW (THANK YOU CINDY LOL) im thinking about getting a HoboWeeks specifically for gratitude/pics/practice drawings etc... Hrmmmm decisions decisons!
I moved to a Hobonichi Cousin! I've been a planner gal for roughly ever. However. I'm tackling some mental health things in 2024 and will need to track more. Weekly view plus daily pages ... fingers crossed!
As long as your planner works for you, then I'm in your corner. Not sure about use on TRP, but Sarasa Marks On is great for lefties. Quick dry and no smear on regular paper and can get it on Jetpens.
Ahh I'm using an A5 common planner as my main planner also (the compact version w/ fewer pages in the back though). I had used the B6 part of this past year and switched to the undated A5 common planner in the second half of the year and love the amount of space. I also got one of the A5 common planner monthly booklets for work schedule stuff so I can easily tuck it in next to my main planner when I need. I did some combining of Makse goals into my common planner last year and want to do more of that this year. Excited for 2024!
As for my 2024 planner, I'm using a Hobonichi Cousin. The monthly will track media releases, appointments and shipments. The weekly will track health and habits. And they daily will be my new journal setup. Plus, I got the Avec (Jan to June and then July to Dec.) so when that mid=year itch to 'change' happens, I'll be set to decorate a new cover, setup new insides, etc. and beat that before it can become an issue.
Excited, this is great! Do you have info about the cover you purchased? I'll be using a Sterling Ink Common Planner, the blue one, and I similarly will be using to do a hybrid of weekly/structured planning and bullet journaling. I'm excited to see your videos!
You asked about planning for next year. I spent the money for the moxie life so that’s going to be used. In the past couple of weeks I found the Laurel stuff with the HUGE planner that was like a business checkbook…as usual you said something and I followed up on it. I love the idea of being able to see everything without flipping. So far I can’t imagine I can’t talk myself into spending the money for that. If I did I would, like you, use the moxie goal planning. I love that! The second thing I use, and will continue to use, is a journal. By this I mean a place where I try to write every day, concentrating on my thoughts and ideas and feelings. Also I have a reading journal. I hope your new system works for you. It seems like I’ve spent a lot of my time worrying about you and hoping that things go well with you. However, recently I’m beginning to feel I am losing you! You are so beyond me in the Technical stuff. I didn’t understand at all the things that you did with notion. , I’m much older than I think most of the people are who follow you are. I’m in my 70s… And I used to be very good with technology! I hope I will be able to follow your personality, your life, and your expertise about pens, journals, notebooks and everything. I’m glad vlogmas is virtually over as I know this was really hard for you. Stay well!
I love your thought process and swearing, I subscribed 🤣
😂 sameeee
I’m back in to my Erin Condren life planner , my hobonichi weeks and Personal rings planner
I’m using two EC planners - the A5 Horizontal and the CV. There horizontal is holding my non routine stuff I need to do every day, and my CV had the days covered and I use it for tracking. I have four categories - household tasks, pet care tasks, self care tasks, and my clothes/makeup (trying to track what I actually use for a next year declutter). So like I’ll write Household on Monday, and Tuesday will have the 7 dots to color in. Pet Care is written over Wednesday with the dots on Thursday, etc. It’s working really well for me to finally get some stuff done around here.
I’m not a lefty, but my favorite quick drying pen is the zebra Sarasa Mark-on for the Hobonichi paper! ❤
I was going to recommend that pen, too!
Same! Jetpens has a whole article about the best pens for that paper and that was my fave of the bunch :)
It tends to emboss your writing on the other side, but so do all ballpoint pens. I’ve tried 67 different pens, but the Uni pin and Tombow mono drawing pen are the best if you want less ghosting and no imprint.
@@michelleadams5609 writing pressure is what determines that for the tomoe paper in my experience. the exact pen doesn’t matter, if you’re pushing hard enough that will always be the result.
@@welephantsoup Which is why I opted not to use the 52 gsm and go for the 68 gsm as that allows me to use more pens. But yes, you're right. I wouldn't consider myself to be especially heavy-handed, but when I used my Acroball .5 multi pen (Dr. Grip actually) that Jetpens suggested, and the Jetstream .5 and .7, I was really starting to hate what it did to the following page. I could live with the ghosting of the Hobonichis, but when I tried the 68 gsm, and realized that there was very little ghosting and I could use more pens, I decided against the CP, Wonderland, and Papertess altogether as I would find myself in the same situation. TRP makes wonderful journals and memory keepers when you can sit down and be precious with your planner, but otherwise, it requires a lot of consideration and time to make it work.
I spent a month in a Hobo Techo A6 that I got for $10 on Black Friday to try out the paper and no matter the pen, there was always something I didn't like. It smeared, or it required a writing board...or it transferred the ink to the following page. Though I don't see the appeal of TRP paper for functional planning. It seems to only be advantageous if you're going to add some watercolor embellishment or use fountain pens. For the average busy person, there are any number of $25 planners out there that would be perfect for them. Hell, the Leuchtturm and Rhodia have excellent paper, which I have used for years.
If I got a TRP planner, another one, I would get the CP, but the prices give me pause as I've already spent quite a bit on this next year's lineup. lol
As a leftie with gel pens on Tomoe River Paper, I love the Pentel Engergel in 0.5. I am an underwriter (writing below the line) so smearing isn't really an issue for me, but either way I don't find that the ink smears and has a quick dry time
If you figure out makse in notion please make a video !!! Super interested
Lefty here who uses Hobonichi. My favorite pen to use is the unijetstream that comes with the planner. I don't have to worry about drying time. I also have a ballpoint piglet pen from Diaso that I've been using more often. Gel pens I like are the UniOne sometimes I use Zebra Sarasas. I use mildliners or tombows to highlight things the Jetstream doesn't smear when highlighted over.
I came to the same conclusion regarding the Makselife a few months ago and switched to bullet journaling. I keep it very simple but have moved all my makselife and HB90 stuff into that. Looking forward to seeing your setup!
I like using a bullet journal too. I tend to change my focus often and a bujo is flexible to accommodate that. Plus I buy inexpensive ones so if I totally f them up I don’t feel bad about moving to a new one.
I somehow always end up doing bujo. It’s my functional reset when I do too much in my planner.
I’m using a Wonderland 222. I like that the months is followed the weekly’s. All in one book.
Yes 🙌🏻
YES!!! I literally just commented to recommend it. I literally recommend it to everyone I come across. More people are moving in that direction and I'm here for it!
I really appreciate your honesty and the fact that what works for you changes. I’ve had the most anxiety ever over choosing my planner this year giving my self permission to say it’s ok if I change or do something different because what I have been doing isn’t working. I think I finally decided on the common planner for work/youtube, Hobonichi cousin for personal/regular life so I can use my fountain pens, and the makselife a5 books too keep me moving in the right direction.
This will be year three for me in the companion notebooks. I love it, because no matter how many times I change my mind about what planner to use my goal setting stuff is all in one place for the whole year. Also not a lefty, but the Zebra MarkOn is my go to quick dry! You can highlight on it immediately after putting it on the page! And for a bold tip, the clickart markers are the same.
My wife is left-handed and I got her the Sarasa Dry pens for her Hobonichi!
Love the Sarasa Vintage pens!
I'm so here for "I want to use this the way I want to use this" instead of feeling pressured to do fancy shit. Not enough spoons in my life to do the fancy these days.
I got the Night Owl planner this year, which is very similar to the Common Planner layout wise! I'm looking forward to using that for the day job stuff and general life stuff, and then using a Mnemosyne 2024 diary for my writing stuff. It has a monthly Gantt chart that should make my time easier to review. In theory!
Hobonichi pens. Uni-jetstream is the standard and for a good reason, but if your dear leftie really wants a gel pen, I recommend Zebra Sarasa Dry. I know some will mention the 'Mark On' which is also a good choice, but I like a saturated dark ink, and I think the 'Dry' provides that better than the other.
Oh yeah, Tomoe river paper aka pissed bible paper left to dry in the sun bonanza!!!!
This change makes a lot of sense to me based on what you have been dealing with this year. I really like my Hobonichi Cousin because I have the weekly overview and dedicated pages to each day, whether I use a couple of lines or the entire page. I love using Muji pens in it, but I'm not left handed and I have an impression that those might smear. I currently use the pen that comes with the Hobonichi planners, which is a ballpoint pen, and those work great as well and with much less smearing potential.
I think Sarasa Dry in 0.4 dry the fastest out of all the gel pens I've used. Otherwise, ball point is the best non-gel option.
They've done studies that show you need to write something down 3 times, say it 3 times, and hear it 3 times to really learn it. So tell yourself your appointment info 3 times in a row after you write it 3 times.
I use a medium ballograf on tomoe river paper. It is the only thing I can stand. I get them from jet pens
I made a switch to the Aura Estelle A5 Weekly Essential Planner, for the same neutral love. It also uses Tomoe River paper, and has the horizontal week on one page I love; Giving me room to add what I need on the facing page for the week, and loads of extra pages at the back. Having ADD, caring for an elderly parent with cancer, and more; I really needed everything in one planner.
Edit: It also fits in my hobonichi cover! Woo hoo!
P.S. - Great video! I really love how you break down, and explain everything. Thank you Cindy!
The Zebra Sarasa Dry x30 dries in ONE SECOND. It's freaking nuts. I love it so much.
The best pen for tomoe river paper is the Uniball jetstream. Hobonichi sells these specifically to be used for the hobonichi and often gives them away as freebies if you buy the planners through their official store. They dry immediately, last forever, and there is no ghosting.
Two pen recommendations for your lefty kid: Uniball Jetstream and Pilot Acroball, both in 0.5mm. They're both ballpoints. The Jetstream is what Hobonichi recommends and sells with the planners. It's the most smudge-proof for sure, but I find the ink a little unsaturated and inconsistent (i.e. it skips sometimes). The Acroball ink is much darker and smoother and never skips, more like gel. The only reason I've preferred the Jetstream over the Acroball in the past is because it dried immediately on the old TR paper whereas the Acroball needed like 1-2 seconds dry time because it's a little "inkier," but I've done a lot of testing in my 2024 Hobonichi with the new TR paper and there's no smudging or dry time with the Acroball. If they test both I'm sure they'll find a preference. Next year I'm using the Pilot Dr Grip 4+1 - it's a multipen with the Acroball ink in black, red, blue, and green for colorcoding, plus a mechanical pencil. It's fucking bomb! The Jetstream has a 4+1 version as well, so options abound.
I still haven’t finalised my 2024 lineup 😅…I also took a while to get my head around gratitude journaling. So I use prompts that come at the concept from different angles: (1) What brought me joy today? (2) Where did I see kindness today? Including me being kind to myself or someone else. (3) What am I grateful for today? Obvious, I know, but I found it helpful to ask the question a little differently to look further in my life. Thanks for sharing your lineup. Definitely helping me solidify mine.
Leftie here. I have used both Hobonichi and Sterling Ink Common Planner. Best pen I've used is Paper Mate InkJoy. It still will leave a little bit of an inky-pinky, but not really smear. I've found that if I have a piece of scrap paper to put under my hand it takes care of the problem.
I found you with your no spend or low spend journey. I love your energy. You are one my new favorites!
I'm continuing in the TUL horizontal half letter.
I'm so happy that you shared this with us, I'm in a similar situation. I have 2 planners for next year because I wanted the Common Planner but missed the presale so I bought something else - then was able to pick up a Common Planner later. I have been telling myself I should find a way to use both but it felt like an obligation and I wasn't looking forward to it. Hearing that you changed your mind helped me give myself permission to let the other planner go. I think being able to have a more compact planner/notebook/journal combo this year will work better for me. Now that my kids are older I just don't plan my weeks as aggressively as I used to and I'm really looking forward to the flexibility.
This was helpful. I’ve also been in a stack selection loop for the past few weeks. I’ve made my choices for now: B6 and N2/Weeks Common Planner (lists, plans, micro-journaling), B6 Stalogy (creative journaling), GCal, Evernote. “I’m going to use this the way I wanna use this.”
Still in the Weeks Mega, HB90 and dotted journal for my writer's notebook.
I can't wait to move into my plum paper weekly overview horizontal with the beautiful purple Llamas on the cover ❤ I know I'm in the minority with a horizontal layout but the overview page with less details daily works for my life. I used the plum paper notes and days last year.
Us horizontals have got to stick together ❤
I use two planners, and my one I use for daily tasks is the EC A5 horizontal. I love it so much. I actually just turned my vertical spread into a bunch of trackers.
I've got a bound up monthly/weekly planner from Amazon. I'll be also using TN type notebooks for projects and health stuff.
As a lefty, Zebra Sarasa Dry is the GOAT of pens. Never had a smudge and it writes so smooth! You want to highlight first before writing though, if you are a highlighter.
Pen recommendation: I'm not a lefty, but I've found the Sharpie no bleed pens resist smearing and dry fast on most notebook paper. I also love them because they work at any and every angle, even when I'm laying prone with my mini notebook overhead on a bad pain day. I buy them in black four packs from Target, and I've seen them at office supply stores and on Amazon. And the grip doesn't pain me as quickly as other pens or pencils.
The fastest drying gel pens I know of for the Hobonichi's Tomoe River paper is the Zebra Sarasa Mark-on (I use a .4, it dries quickly and it's advertised as safer for mild liner use), and the Zebra Sarasa Dry (I also have the .4, and it seems to write like a .5). For ballpoint pens, the Hobonichi (when ordered directly from them) ships with a Uni Jetstream .5 3-in-1 for a reason, it's great on the paper and I've had good experience with not messing up my planner with that as well.
Oddly though, my Extra Fine TWSBI fountain pens when used with the Lamy Inks I have (Turquoise & Blue) have also given me very little trouble with Tomoe River paper and dried much faster than many of my gel pens. Disclaimer: I'm not a lefty, but I usually forget to notate things and end up reaching up to find ink on my hand. These pens have left the least amount so far.
I'm using a weeks again for 2024, but I did upgrade to the Mega since I'm not going to keep a separate note book this time for my goings on. I'm going to Bullet Journal style keep it all in the one planner with all the notes pages. If I need a work planner, I'll use a Bullet Journal so I can learn my needs, and just to keep my personal information safe, I have a separate planner for health tracking. I'm trying out the Happy Planner Mini Dashboard Layout. I think it'll have the room I need.
Good luck through the holidays, and best wishes for 2024, Cindy!
The Uni ONE dries so fast on Sanzen TRP and it’s true black.
Cindy, I, too, am using the SI A5 vertical common planner in Caramel with gold gilding. I used a B6 for the last 6 months. Loved it but I realized A5 is my size for my overall planner. I used the Makselife booklets and they’re great but couldn’t justify the shipping to Europe this year. So I’m taking what I need from them and putting it in my planner. For journaling I love my Onion Skin journal and I have a SI vertical passport for an EDC. This is the year I learn to use Notion.
Leftie! 🫱🏿 I’m also an underwriter though so my hand doesn’t go through my writing. I like Uni Jetstream (same pen that comes with the hobo). I recently picked up a Pilot Dr. Grip multipen, which uses Acroball ink, and it pretty much works like the Jetstream ink. I do think Jetstream might be a bit smoother though. For a while I used Zebra Sarasa (regular vintage). It was fine for me as a leftie and dried enough for me to close my book without issues, but I found that I would sometimes smear the writing later if I needed to write something on the page later and my hand was rubbing over other writing that may have already been below where I was writing.
I am using maker life flagship planner for 2024. In 2023, I used the quarterly goal setting companions & a Happy Planner and this year I wanted to have everything in one planner.
For work I'm using a Hobonichi Cousin Avec. It's my first year in a Hobonichi and I'm really excited about it. Hope it will work out the way I think it could. Really don't want it to be a fail, would hate to have spend a lot of money for something not working for me... For my personal live I a bulletjournal girl. Started this year to use A6 Leuchtturm notebooks and I so much love my small BuJos. Each only holds three month, so it doesn't feel like a big commitment to set them up. turned out that this solved a lot of my planing and journaling "problems". XD
EngerGel 5mm Needle tip in a sarasa grand pen body is my lefty's go to, or the Jetsteam ink that is also used in the hobonichi multi-pen 🤞
I'm using a stalogy B6 notebook for my bullet journal and portable planner and then I have the PPP Home Planner for my mainstay. So put me down for a horizontal layout fan and a Sunday start fan (hahaha!).
I too am not a lefties but my pentel energetic 0.5 dries almost immediately. Love it so much in my sterling ink.
Bushimen PAL and TN regular for journaling.
I am all over the place! I started my Makselife last year using the 6 month undated planner and I loved it so much that this is the first planner I actually used without abandoning it 2 months in. Now I have 2 full planners when I could never use just 1! I purchased the flagship for 2024, but I also decided to go with a weeks for journaling. I picked up a cousin and a A5 common planner, but we'll see if I keep one of those. I need something for HB90 that is not my makselife. I am so glad that you shared this. Because it seems to me that planning is Personal and an everchanging journey. I may have been struggling with it, but you have made me want to keep up with it. Thank you!
Sounds like a great fit for you! I find that the best pens for TRP are Zebra Sarasa Mark On, Uni One, Uni Jetstream.
Oh, i am actually surprised. Looking forward to how this works for you.
Yessssss, I’m so thrilled to start the Sterling Ink Common Planner. I’ve been rings forever, but smitten by the SICP.
I am so excited that you are in a full year a5 Sterling Ink!! I will be too. I did the half year b6 SI and then switched to the a5 undated half year for the 2nd half and LOOVED it. Totally one of my faves of all time. I LOVE the ML system and the weekly action/reflection pages but I am so freaking over the plain boring tabs and non-interchangeable covers so I already took off my flower cover, chopped the first spiral off each page and frankenplanned it with tabs and other weekly spreads I love (EC!). Great ability to PIVOT! (LOL) your lineup to fit your life.
As a lefty, favorite pen for TRP, Energel Clena or Sharpie S Gel. Most pens take a second to dry, but I just have learned over the years to not put my hand directly over what I am writing, generally hand is positioned below my writing so no smudgy smudgy.
I’ve been super happy in my Common Planner all 2023- welcome back!
I like the Uni One pen in .5. Doesn't smear
A 68 gsm TRP notebook allows you to use a lot more pens than the 52 gsm in the Hobos and CP. I bought the take a note planner and I can use any pen and it doesn’t ghost.
Not a lefty, but I'm just starting to use a journal with Tomoe River paper and I tend to wipe my hand over it like I'm wiping away eraser shreds from a pencil, and the pen I've been using is Prismacolor Premier Fine Line Marker in 005 and 01. The set I have is a box with 5 (005, 01, 03, 05, and 08). I found my original set from Wal-Mart, but that was 5-ish years ago (yes, they still work), and now I'm re-ordering a new set on Amazon.
I used B6 and A5 common planners this year. Loved them. But there’s parts of the Wonderland222 I prefer so using the A5 unstacked all in one in 2024 and then the Franklin daily for work. I’ve got a common planner (N2 weeks size…but the compact not the full one you’d bought) in my EDC options. I’m using a few EDC options to try things out and play in some fun planners. And I’m adding the makse life into my system.
If you hate the paper you might want the RoseyLife that’s not TRP.
I agree with the Sarasa Mark On pens. They are my favorite! I can highlight over them in my cousin. Love them!
I love the clothing analogy 💫 Thanks for being here CBG 🤗
I switched to the Sterling Ink B6 for next year. A little less room than the Cousin I had been using. I just found that it was too much room for me and I had a lot of blank space to try and fill up. If I could draw it might not have bothered me.
Sarasa Mark on for the kid!
Aside from just a regular mechanical pencil, I use the pilot frixion and occasionally staedtler triplus fineliners in my weeks. I haven’t had a problem with either of them smudging, although the staedtler does take a bit longer than the frixion to dry
You inspire with every video. Have a wonderful Christmas. Rest, recharge and enjoy family and friends!❤
I am liking your line up and can't wait to see what you do with them!
I’m using the Sprouted Daily Planner. I chose it because it has a weekly page and daily pages. I also have a Hobonichi Weeks to use for a quick journal. I have a blank book that I started last January for my journal but then everything in my life went crazy when my husband got so sick I never really wrote in it. I did end up putting every little piece of ephemera in it. That’s what I’m going to keep doing. I was really surprised to see you choose something other than what you’d been using.
I’m a lefty, tried 67 different pens on the TRP. The Tombow mono artist pen in 01 and the zebra Sarasa vintage sets are my favorite. The Uni pins are darker and very smooth. The energels are great but only in the .5. I skip the ballpoint pens as they leave an embossing of your handwriting on the next page even with a writing board. The Sakura pigma microns are of course another great choice, but the Tombows drawing pens are my current favorites
Frosting Finish…..definitely using that now 👌🏻 😜
I'm using the Hobonichi Cousin (goodbye Happy Planner). I'll be watching your videos for set up and planning using this planner. I'm interested because I agree with the extras in the Cousin I don't want or need. Thanks for your videos!
I like the LePen for hobinichis
Lefty here! I've been using the Pilot Hi Tec C ink for a couple of years now and I highly recommend it. I use mine in a coleto because I like to color code, but they come in single pens as well.
Another ink I like is the Uniball One. That one comes in some really unique colors.
I've used both of these in my Hobonichi and Moleskine without much issue.
I've found that the smaller points in most pens smear much less, if at all (I typically use .38, .4, .5mm).
They're both on Amazon and Jetpens.
Interesting. I was wondering how the High Tec-C would do in the hobo. I have some so I’m not sure why I haven’t tried it yet, but good to know.
@@debbiedeas I use the .4 and haven't had any problems except with the green ink. It comes out a little juicier than the other colors for some reason.
I'd also like to add that I write under-hand, like a righty.
@@kmizo27 I’m also an underwriter. I like the flexibility it offers and that I have no issue using a fountain pen.
for pen's the hobonichi gives out with their order. The uni jetstream dry so quickly and don't stop writing.
The absolute best pen if they’re ok with a ball point that writes as smooth (though slightly less bold) as a gel is the uni jetstream. Otherwise I’d vote Sarasa mark probably.
I'm a leftie and I prefer ball point pens. The ink dries faster than a gel pen. I know that Jet Pans does specifically state which pens work better for lefties. Not sure if the descriptions on website say that but the videos do.
I love it, love your logic!
I'm downsizing and sinplifying this year. Going from classic vertical to a A5 week on one page.
Leftie here too, I agree the Sarasa mark-on is pretty good. I've done dry tests and it's okay (on the old time river paper; it'll probably perform better on the new paper bc it's supposed to help with drying). Personally I like the oniball one pen that's all green or blue body, not the white body. They feel better to hold & write with & it does dry super, super fast!
I’m leaving my Hobonichi cousin for the B6 common planner in quartz. Also leaving the Hobonichi weeks mega for just a regular Hobonichi weeks. I bought an A6 full year common planner too and I’m not sure what I’m going to do with that .. I might sell it. I’m so excited you are using the common planner!!
Excellent as always . I am definitely finding surprises in my lineup this year. Like you, I thought I had it figured out, and I partly do. My main catchall planner will be an Agenda 52 A5 with horizontal weeklies. I like this year's setup so much, I am even keeping the dividers and deco, and only replacing the pages. EDC is more up in the air. I have a B6 with wire-o binding that won't fit in any B6 covers I own, and cover is a must. I really love my A6 Chic Sparrow TN, so I will probably end up ordering Yellow Paper House inserts for that, since I am having difficulty fnding a bound agenda that is really A6 - all the ones I find that say they are A6 turn out to be pocket, and mixing sizes is a no for me. On the plus side, hubby now has a lovely pocket Moleskine monthly.
I love using ballograph epica ballpoint pens as a heavy handed writer on tomoe river paper but I'm still getting used to the new tomoe river paper. I feel like I get more imprints that go on pages on the new tomoe river paper than the old one.
Uniball One (0.38 and 0.50), Pilot Multiball Fine, Pilot Hi Tec C Coleto multipen with 0.4 refills. I'm a lefty and use both the cousin and the weeks (and also have a SI Common Planner for this year) - I am an underwriter though, but these dry fast though!
I'm mostly a one planner kind of gal. So I have a B6 Common planner. I use a modified makse life system as goal setting, using their free printables and storing it all in my planner. The last two years I've been in a B6 W222 so not a huge change there. I also use Google Cal and a homemade teacher planner in a TN. That's all!
As a lefty I use fountain pens but the Sarasa Dry is amazing
Love the video. Suggest a rollerball pen for the cousin
I have the exact same Sterling Ink A5 common planner. Love the color and the gold edges. I took it to a work conference last week and have already used up the first 50 or 60 pages of the pages in the back for notes. I used a turquoise uni One in 0.7 and I love the matte finish on it on these pages. It's really something. Not sure what/if I will use the front part, because I do have a work planner and also a hobonichi cousin again for 2024. I used the cousin for all of 2023 and it's chunky and awesome. absolutely no regrets about the SI CP, though.
I am not a lefty but I am a sweaty-handed person and found that any gel pen in the Hobo cousin will ultimate smear or transfer so the best bet is a ballpoint pen. I use the Uni Jetstream SXR refills in whatever cute pen I have that will fit it.
I am a lefty, and vastly prefer the Uni Jetstream Ballpoint pens in 0.5. A close second is the Pentel EnerGel in 0.5. I do press hard while writing, which is my biggest trouble with the Hobonichis, so I've gotten real familiar with the shitajiki boards as well!
..creamy center, frosting finish, were you eating a hostess cupcake right before filming?
I use Pilot Acroball BALLPOINT (!!!) pens on Hobonichi paper. I order .5 from JetPens, because I like fine. .3 is too fine, however. I’m a lefty, too.
Uni Jetstream works the best for me as a lefty. No drying time and no smudging.
I liked using my hobonichi cousin for the year or so that I used it but I really noticed that I didn’t use the daily pages enough. I focused on the monthly and weekly and rarely used the dailies. Then the weeklies were too small for what I really needed. So I moved back into a passion planner medium which is a bit larger and has no dailies but about 20 undated notes pages in the end which is perfect for me. I miss the hobonichi cover and CoC but the layout of passion planner works just perfect for me.
For a daily journal, which I have never tried 😬, I got a 13 Moon Journal by Moon Phase Studios. It is a beautiful semi-guided journal focused on the moon phases, astrology, and pagan celebrations. Beautiful artwork of flower, landscapes, and celestial. It already started (because this first moon phase already started!) and I’ve been consistently journaling so it’s motivating me to journal. I’d love to see a review, Cindy, if you can get your hands on a copy.
I’m staying with the Makse Life. I feel like I still need to put the time into using it fully.
That thumbnail had me wondering if you were going back to a bullet journal, but this totally makes sense for you.
I thought BuJo too haha
I'm heading back into a ML full on this time. I loved Agendio for the larger size (8.5x11), but it was expensive to order quarterly & took so much time to move in ML stuff with it.
Hopefully it’ll be easier to cart around the house too
Bought my Baron Fig flagship dotted notebook for bullet journaling next year! Finally trying it out based on your review of it (a couple years ago now I think?)
When Makse Life launched their flagship planner on the coil, I bought it right away -tbh, it was a total impulse buy. Launch hype and FOMO got me good!! 🤷🏽♀️
As I started to really think about my lineup and my needs in November, I decided that the SI CP that I preordered in July was what really met my needs best after using a Hobonichi Cousin since 2020. Although I want to use the ML goal system, the ML flagship weekly planner is just too big, a bit overwhelming for me, if I’m being real with myself. The quarterly ML companion notebooks alongside the A5 CP is a perfect combo!
Cant wait to see how you plan in the common planner in 2024!
I thought I had it all planned out in early Fall when I got my MakseLife planner, but I also have been looking at how I want to plan and what I need to track these last couple of months. I'm going to adapt the Dragon Passion Planner for work\HB90 tracking, a Hobo Weeks for health, and the MakseLife planner for life, all for the next six months, and then reevaluate. However, if it goes to pieces sooner, I will move planning into my Circa money notebook, which was where I started three years ago when I really started planning.
Just realized as I wrote this: Planning should be fun and not a chore. I don't want to waste money or skip around various planners, so I have to use what I have (one of my no buy categories is 2024 planners), but I can switch around the system so I keep the fun.
Im using a Reading Bujo i set up myself (GASP) B5 and then the HoboCousin! And I will have an undated Medical A5 Malden rings .. Im getting a pocket size malden for everyday carry and NOW (THANK YOU CINDY LOL) im thinking about getting a HoboWeeks specifically for gratitude/pics/practice drawings etc... Hrmmmm decisions decisons!
I moved to a Hobonichi Cousin! I've been a planner gal for roughly ever. However. I'm tackling some mental health things in 2024 and will need to track more. Weekly view plus daily pages ... fingers crossed!
As long as your planner works for you, then I'm in your corner. Not sure about use on TRP, but Sarasa Marks On is great for lefties. Quick dry and no smear on regular paper and can get it on Jetpens.
Ahh I'm using an A5 common planner as my main planner also (the compact version w/ fewer pages in the back though). I had used the B6 part of this past year and switched to the undated A5 common planner in the second half of the year and love the amount of space. I also got one of the A5 common planner monthly booklets for work schedule stuff so I can easily tuck it in next to my main planner when I need. I did some combining of Makse goals into my common planner last year and want to do more of that this year. Excited for 2024!
As for my 2024 planner, I'm using a Hobonichi Cousin. The monthly will track media releases, appointments and shipments. The weekly will track health and habits. And they daily will be my new journal setup. Plus, I got the Avec (Jan to June and then July to Dec.) so when that mid=year itch to 'change' happens, I'll be set to decorate a new cover, setup new insides, etc. and beat that before it can become an issue.
Excited, this is great! Do you have info about the cover you purchased? I'll be using a Sterling Ink Common Planner, the blue one, and I similarly will be using to do a hybrid of weekly/structured planning and bullet journaling. I'm excited to see your videos!
My main planner is a B6 common planner. It worked really well last year so I don't see much of a point in changing it
You asked about planning for next year. I spent the money for the moxie life so that’s going to be used. In the past couple of weeks I found the Laurel stuff with the HUGE planner that was like a business checkbook…as usual you said something and I followed up on it. I love the idea of being able to see everything without flipping. So far I can’t imagine I can’t talk myself into spending the money for that. If I did I would, like you, use the moxie goal planning. I love that!
The second thing I use, and will continue to use, is a journal. By this I mean a place where I try to write every day, concentrating on my thoughts and ideas and feelings. Also I have a reading journal.
I hope your new system works for you. It seems like I’ve spent a lot of my time worrying about you and hoping that things go well with you. However, recently I’m beginning to feel I am losing you! You are so beyond me in the Technical stuff. I didn’t understand at all the things that you did with notion. , I’m much older than I think most of the people are who follow you are. I’m in my 70s… And I used to be very good with technology! I hope I will be able to follow your personality, your life, and your expertise about pens, journals, notebooks and everything.
I’m glad vlogmas is virtually over as I know this was really hard for you.
Stay well!