My way of avoiding planner burnout is by having only one planner for the whole year, and not forcing myself to use it when I don’t feel like using it. I also discovered that when I want to change my planner, the restlessness doesn’t actually come from me not being happy with my planning system, but with some other aspect of my life. Once I figure out what is really the issue, and I address it, the desire to switch planners disappears.
Yep. I strongly believe in keeping a planner going for at least six months, if not a year. Changing planners every week is a form of consumerism, and limits creativity by not allowing someone to think outside the box and find new ways of making an existing journal work.
All those "is it ok..." are ok options, including not knowing. Sitting with the unknown is a 24/7 useable comfort/skill. We're not really *here* for planners or ink, we're here for the intangible element that is you. And when you're here, you're here for you. Do you, because we have everyone else already.
What im wondering is why do you put this much pressure on something that is your hobby? Hobbies are about fun and having a good time. When you don't feel this you can do what ever you want, even stepping away from it (for a while). Don't worry so much and do what feels right. And if you are unable to connect to your feelings just make a decision and when it feels wrong change it again.
I appreciate your outlook! I love my hobby, and I love talking about it and sharing it with others. But, the planner is also a tool that I need to keep my life organized, so there will always be a certain amount of "pressure" to use it. I think putting things to the side or coming back to things that work for use is a great way to go about a solution. 💝
Thank you for saying this. I'm coming from the disc planner world where we change things up quarterly, monthly. I have one bound planner, and love it more and more. The take a note planner.
I find that using more than one book is extremely overwhelming for me. I was a hobonichi cousin girl for years, and i never used the daily pages as a one day per page. I always used the dates instead of page numbers, so I would always have about 1/3 or 1/4 of the pages left after using it for the year. This year i decided to use a 520 page Sterling Ink notebook as a planner / bullet journal and I set it up over the course of several weeks for the entire year, for both work and personal. I basically combined a vertical weekly with a horizontal weekly planner in one. I’m not gonna lie… it was a great effort to set everything up for a whole year, but I couldn’t be happier! I made one book to rule them all with EXACTLY what I need and only what I use. I might have to supplement with a few more TN inserts because I don’t think 520pages will be enough for the year. So having something completely custom to you might be better than trying to fit into something pre-printed…
Wow! If you have a video on your set up I would love to see it. That sounds amazing fitting almost 2 planners into 1! I used to bullet journal a long time ago and got tired of setting up spreads all the time, and I think that might be what I am feeling now with setting up daily journal pages. I love the idea of having an another planner in the blank pages though. Such a wonderful idea! ❤️️
Do you carry your one book around with you? How big is it? I am in an A5 HON this year and I love everything fits and is just 1 book, but it’s sooo heavy!! Do you go out of the house with yours?
@@Emilywilson10222 I use a Sterling Ink 520page tomoe river paper notebook in the Standard TN size, in a Moterm Companion cover. So yeah, it's a hefty boy. It's not as heavy as a Hobonichi Cousin, but it's still a bit of weight to carry around. And yes, I do carry it back and forth to work and home daily. I've gotten used to it, because my commute is really short. However I feel naked if I don't have it with me.
I think perhaps the clue is in the name - burn out. It’s a clear sign (to me) that you just need to stop until your energy and mojo are replenished. And that’s perfectly fine! There’s no need to beat yourself up about not feeling “it” for everything. This is your journey and your journals, you don’t owe anyone, including yourself, a show. I suggest you focus on what’s giving you joy and give the others a rest. Doing nothing is also journaling how you are feeling at a point in life. If you get an urge to write something, great. If you want to draw something, great, if you have an ink you want to log, great. And do it in whichever book you feel like doing it at that time. Nobody is perfect and I do wonder if the burnout that’s so common after a while is because there is so much pressure to be perfect. Life is not perfect, we are not perfect and trying to make journals perfect is, to my mind, lying to ourselves. It’s simply not a true reflection of us or our life. Ease are up on yourself. The urge will come and in the meantime the blank pages are still telling your story. Apologies if this is bossy, I’m the eldest child who is also a post menopausal Virgo. There was no other outcome 😊 . ❤
Haha it was not bossy 💝💝 Thank you for your input!! I'm an eldest child who is also a Taurus so I'm stubborn and don't like to quit haha. I agree that "pretty" planning is fun, but not always the best when needing to actually use what works for us! I appreciate your candor 💝
Last year I bought 8 Common Planners, by February I completed switched every single planner. Now I have a bunch of Common Planners sitting on the shelf. I'm beyond happy that I made the switch.
It’s okay to do whatever it is that brings you joy and to NOT do what you’re not feeling right now. Burnout is a real thing and I think stepping away from the planners not serving you right now isn’t a bad thing. I changed my whole lineup last month so I get it entirely.
@@mydandeliondiaries You’re definitely not alone. A lot of the creators I watch have expressed similar feelings about planner burnout and the desire to switch things up. I’m always gonna encourage people to do exactly what makes them happy and nothing more or less. Planning shouldn’t be stressful or require so much of our energy. Like I always say, once things begin to feel like work and the fun is gone, im over it.
I miss about 6-8 weeks in my planners per year on average. That’s why I prefer undated planners. I know this about myself and I know I have to schedule in breaks throughout the year. You gotta be realistic.
❤️️❤️️ I love this! ❤️️❤️️ Thank you for sharing! I wish there were more Undated planners. They really do make it easy to "take a break" without feeling guilty of wasting pages. Hopefully we can see more undated planners in 2025!
In April I moved back into the Hobonichi Cousin and have not looked back. I hated the undated back pages of the sterling ink, so now in the days I don't use my daily I put in a large art sticker. It makes me feel less like a failure for not journaling.
This is wonderful!! I love the idea of using a large art page instead of journaling if you miss a day. ❤️️ I think that may be a permanent solution for me if I pre-set up daily pages in the sterling ink.
@@mydandeliondiaries I got the idea from Talks from the Heart. She uses the large Sweet Kawai Designs stickers but whilst they are funny, they are not really my style so I adapted it slightly.
This hit home for me as well. I started in a hobonichi weeks that I love but also set up a bullet journal. Going between made me not want a planner at all. What I've😮 realized is that in my bullet, I can have both. I set my weeks to match my mood and how busy I will be. So I get structure and freedom all in one.
I didn't know that there is such a thing as planning burn out. That's what I was feeling last year. I thought I was just being lazy. Glad that you shared your thoughts.
I really, really considered the Sterling Ink book, but the lack of dated pages really held me up. Listening to your talk has helped reassure me that sticking with the Cousin is the way to go. It is hard. I have had a couple of hiccups this year, but overall, the Cousin really is The One Book to Rule Them All for me. Good luck figuring it out, the struggle is real...
Thank you! I am missing using the Hobonichi Cousin as my main planner. There is just some sort of "magic" in it for me. The Sterling Ink is wonderful too though, and could honestly be molded into whatever is needed at the time, but I think the lack of structure is what has burned me out on it. Maybe I'll make the daily pages look "Hobonichi Like" and it will bring me more peace haha
@@mydandeliondiaries it feels very natural, because we have different needs in different seasons - and this way, I can keep everything more or less cohesive without feeling like I need to "keep up" with anything. I also know blank or unused pages will bother me, and I won't get BACK into that planner if that happens, so I try to keep my system of 'things I need daily' to 2-3 things TOPS so it's very sustainable. One is my EDC for planning, another one is for daily memories (a6 5 year techo), and then I let myself use whatever else I want/need as a supplement/journal/for funsies.
Thank you so much for having this chat with us, and for not only discussing the burnout but the *indecisiveness* aspect of the planning life. Back in March I bougth an undated daily planner for a small planner business on Amazon, and I LOVE the quality of the cover and the paper; but customizing daily pages isn't as fun as it used to be for me a couple of years ago. In fact, it seems more labor-intensive while trying to avoid the same spreads day in and day out. Weeklies are definitely my jam! I'm currently using a Hobonichi Weeks Mega that I've been absolutely loving; I don't need to put a whole lot of info in it and it still leaves room for decor/customization. Back in late 2019/early 2020 I dove head first into the Happy Planner community and was obSESSED. I'm thinking part of it had to do with the fact that it was a creative outlet during the pandemic...then by late 2022/early 2023 I was just over it. I had to confront my planner consumerism, because let's face it: any of the well-known, name brand planners are not inexpensive. And other than a few stikcer books, I was basically done with THP line. Then yesterday when I was at JoAnn Fabrics, I found an *undated*, Classic Dashboard Layout planner that was on clearance - it came out to $13.00! I even had a brief conversation with the cashier about how hard it is to find undated planners in store when it comes to THP, so yeah - I couldn't pass it up. I don't mind decorating undated weeklies, but the undated dailies I've learned is just too much. And to answer your questions, it's totally okay to take a break from using your planners. I've been noticing over the past couple of weeks that many folks in the planning community are getting burnt out from planning their routine/tasks that don't change, and I've reached that point as well - so you're definitely not alone there. Sorry for such a long ramble! lol I'm curious as to what others are thinking about planning things that don't necessarily need to be planned out for them. I hope things go well as you test out what's working/not working!
Wow what a journey! I am so glad you are loving the Hobonichi Weeks Mega and that you were able to find an undated Happy Planner for such a great deal! (I LOVE when craft stores have major discounts). I appreciate not being alone ❤️️ Maybe this is just a "season" that everyone is going through then and we will have our ducks in a row in a week or two ❤️️. No need to apologize for the long comment! I love to see it all ❤️️
I’m in the EXACT same place right now!!! I built my system not expecting portability to be something I wanted/needed. Come to find out, my physical planner has become a security blanket of sorts and I don’t WANT to leave the house without it. So now I’m considering getting a Weeks and copying over my entire 6 months (from Dec to now) from my A5 into the Weeks size common planner.
If you do decide to get the weeks and copy over the last 6 months I wish you the best! It is a project I'm sure. I love the N2 from SI, it is probably my favorite size she has done.
Aw, you sound so sad in this video, but I love how honest you are. It’s okay, we all have moments like this! I’m using a Sterling Ink A5 as my main planner too. I did my own minimal set up at the beginning of the year to the blank pages because I wanted a little structure and a day per page (I was also in the Hobonichi Cousin last year, but some of the little details started to annoy me). Basically, I added a strip of washi and stickers to the pages for key dates throughout the year to help keep me on track - first day of each month, new and full moons, seasonal changes, sun moving into a new astrological sign. I also knew I didn't want to manually date the pages, so I got a little rotary date stamp on Etsy. I just stamp the date each day as it comes (or I can pre-stamp a few pages if I know I'll be traveling). This hybrid of a little pre-planning to give myself structure has worked great! Hope you're able to figure out something that works well for you!
Thank you! I do find the quotes and colors of the hobonichi to be mildly annoying, and that is why I went with the Sterling Ink. I think I will try out "pre-dating" a few weeks of daily pages and see how it goes. Having a little bit of structure would balance out the all or nothing! 💝
I think the answer to all these questions is ‘yes’ lol there’s no wrong way. I used to feel discontent/burnout and was constantly looking for planner peace. Until I realized that the feeling of needing/wanting something different is part of the process. It’s not something ‘wrong’, it’s something that naturally happens. I started looking at it like an experiment. All of it. This helped with my perfectionist and completist tendencies. Instead of feeling like, I didn’t complete this planner, I didn’t finish it, I didn’t use it the same way for a year, it’s not consistent, it doesn’t look the same throughout, this won’t be the complete organized record I wanted it to be, etc. I started looking at it like ok, here’s what worked, here’s what didn’t, on to the next experiment! And if you take that planner you want to set aside, and put a little note in there ‘stopped using for this reason, continued in this or that planner’ then it is STILL an accurate and complete record of your life! It becomes a record of how you progress and evolve, how you adapted to what you needed in your life. Even if that reason is just ‘im bored’ you still learn something about yourself and how you like to plan! lol I usually take what feels good, and change up one or two things, for at least a month. Then decide where it goes from there. I also tend to ‘plan’ the change for about a month. For example… I felt like I didn’t have enough room for daily task lists in my N2 vertical common planner. So for about a month, I started sticking lists in all the places I could think of to use them in that planner. And making mental notes of what worked and what didn’t. After that month- I decided yes I do want more daily space. So instead of changing completely back to an A5 (I was tempted). I pulled out an undated daily weeks print pression planner and added that in. I’ve been doing that for just over a month, and now know what I like and what I don’t about this system. Long term, I don’t want the two separate planners, but it’s giving me ideas of where to go from here. I have found ‘planner peace’ in the fact that I will never find it. lol that I ENJOY the process of figuring it out. You have such a carefully curated system, could it be that the mystery of ‘will this work’ is what you’re missing? Maybe the burnout feeling is just your signal that you need a new challenge or direction? Remember that time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time. The same applies to planner supplies 😂 lol
I love this ❤️️❤️️ I had not considered adding in pages into a book when I need more space, or when something isn't working. That is a GREAT idea! I 100% am going to try implementing that. I also love your question of the challenge! I think you may be right. It's my brain craving a creative change up.
I think taking a step back is good solution that way if you come back the following month and really miss it than you know it belongs in your system! If not maybe just keep taking breaks until that spark comes back. It’s okay to switch and get rid of and add whenever you think you need to. That’s what I love about planners is there is no one solution to everything or for everyone!
Quoting Patton, plan, plan, plan, and right before the battle, throw them away. From Yoda, Do, or do not, there is no try (or plan.) Plan a break each month to celebrate your planning & completing your checkpoints of projects. I prefer undated formats for this very reason. Good luck with your planners.
I can very much relate to your struggle. I appreciate that you shared your thoughts and feelings with us! Whatever options you choose will give you new feedback to keep growing and help you let your planners work for you instead of the other way around. This can look different as time passes. I also want to reiterate that we (your viewers) watch your content because of your uniqueness and energy, and we'll still be here. ❤
I’m a hobonichi day-free devotee after years of stressing out over dated pages. One thing that’s really helped me is filling in old journals or blank journals with morning pages. Not pretty or planning, but so useful. So now I have a day-free hobonichi as my planner, next to a blank hobonichi for my morning pages. I love it!
They are your planners and you can do whatever you want. Nothing against The Common Planner, and everyone is different, I tried using it last year but I didn’t gravitate to it. I left it and continued with Hobonichi Cousin and Weeks. I do use other planners for other uses but my everyday carry is a weeks, my health is a weeks, and my memory, journaling and highlight of the day is a cousin. I love them and I can’t let them go. I also use a plum paper for my To Do Book and Erin Condren for work. I use travelers notebook for my cafe and tea journal. :-) I love all my planners and journals but my core are Hobonicho. You don’t have to use them every day to love them either. Use what you want. It’s also ok to let some books go. You should spend your time doing things that are joyful for you.
Same here! The burn-out/undecided situation is very real. What I saw helped me was to ser the "problem" planner to a side for 1 full week and see if i could manage without it, the again another week, at that point I could see if i actually was using it or if it was just a burden and if so, i could reuse in other ways (i have even torn pages out of a "problem" planner and used for edc mini notebooks that I make and staple together for on the go notes. Good luck and just know you are not alone!
Thank you for doing this video! Being a newbie, I got caught up in the early release of planners and purchased 5 planners for 2024. I was becoming so stressed trying to keep up. For a peace of mind, I gave away 2 planners. I’m already thinking 2025 to ensure I won’t make the same mistakes. Good Luck! 🌸
Thank you for watching! I think a lot of us are looking at 2025 already and getting an idea of what we might need. I hope you find what you are looking for!
I know I go back and forth between wanting the blank option to do whatever I want and desiring the structure. When I have the structure I get to the point of resenting it, then I flip to the blank option and begin to resent it in turn. It happens about twice a year and I think the root of it is liking change but also wanting the comfort of the known. I get SO nostalgic for hobonichi when I'm not it it and nostalgic for sterling ink when I'm not in it! I know in life I'm like that too. Tell me what to do, but don't you dare tell me what to do. I don't have any fixes, but I relate. Maybe have the option of both at anyone time and be ok with having gaps in them both. Money is money, but notebook and planner peace is priceless for those of us stationary hounds.
I've noticed that I also feel something similar about twice a year. I think I've come to the conclusion that I need to go with half-year planners/notebooks so that I feel less pressured to keep going with something that stops working for me at some point and can instead re-evaluate my needs/wants and move into something new/different if I need to without the guilt of spending even more money.
@melissascripts 🙌👏👏👏 This is EXACTLY what I feel! I agree that "money is money" and planner peace is 100% priceless, but buying a new planner is something I am trying to avoid haha. I really like your solution of having both options though 🥰
I have one planner that I do everything in and on the weeks where I'm too busy or tired or don't have a lot going on, I'm ok with the blank pages. Like you said, those pages tell a story too. Hope you are able to gently work through the burnout and find something that will work.
I relate to the burnout and the indecisiveness. I'm discovering your channel through this video. Funny, because I recently switched to an A6 bullet journal, in a dollar store notebook. Previously, I was using a happy planner system, with specific paper and printables, and doing my own layouts, and the specific 365 perforating device. I've been using this system for 3y and a half. Before that, I've been a bujo girl for almost 5 years. For now, I'm just focusing on what is working for me. I use a monthly and weekly planner, very simple and minimalistic. And if I need a daily, I create one. My weekly pages look a bit empty sometimes, if a week is quiet, or not really planned ahead. One of my other issues could be the dotgrid, because I love writing in cursive, and I forced myself to write in capital printing letters, and smaller than usual on dotgrid. And also, maybe consider the size. I've tried B5, A5, and A6. So far, A6 is cool for me, and I wouldn't love a taller version, but not a wider one. I've decided to try out some things with notebooks from the dollar store, so I can compare if lined paper is better for me, and what size fits me the most for now. Blank pages, trying out new things, putting something aside because it is burdening you, and evolving, thats totally okay, and I would even say that it's great. I'm grateful I found your channel. Thank you for sharing your struggle. Hope my answer helps =)
I feel you. I was so sure the laurel Denise planner would solve all my planners woes so I bought four. I made it two days after I bought stickers and set it up. I’m pretty sure I’ve been in over ten planners this year. I think half it was planner fomo issue.
Planner fomo was a big topic this year. I think there were so many "new" options and the marketing for each was a bit overwhelming...I wish you luck in finding something that works for you!
Hi DD. I asked you recently about your mention of ‘inking up pens for a month’ and why not leave pens inked up all the time. Thanks so much for mentioning that topic because I was inspired to thoroughly clean my fountains that had been sitting here for ages with ink in them - feeders, converters, the lot. What a job! They were quite mucky and I’m shocked. So never again for me now. I love colour, so now I’m going to ink up with a nice colour plan for the month too. Thanks. Xx ❤
I'm so glad it helped! Yeah....I made the mistake once of leaving a pen inked for 3+ months and didn't write with it at all. The feed was CAKED with red ink and I had to take a soft toothbrush to get in-between the tines because it was not coming out. Even with soaking in water. Lessoned learned!
@@mydandeliondiaries yes, that’s exactly what I found and had to do - and I have a lot of Lamy pens and coloured inks. Thanks again for the serendipitous mention of ‘inking up for the month’. I’m glad I was paying attention. 🌿🎈
I have always only used one planner at a time, but switched planners pretty regularly. It felt completely wasteful. Last November I decided I was going to use one planner only- the Cousin. I redated the 2024 November and December Cousin pages to accommodate 2023 and have been using it ever since. April was a mess, lots of empty pages because of a death in my family. I thought about just buying an April start Cousin and starting over, but I spent $65 on my current planner and what a waste to only use six months. So I taped the April pages closed and kept going. I'll buy a 2025 Cousin and start it in November again this year.
I am so sorry for your loss 💝 I love how you utilized your planner to accommodate your needs, without purchasing a new one. I am doing my best to not buy a new planner too so this was very helpful! ❤️️
I completely understand. Its my first year using TRP and so its my first uear in a hobinichi... I have spent EVERY single day in my cousin and now my A6 and i love it so much.... A few weeks ago, i made the decision to get my first sterling ink planners and got the N1 and B6 Full year... I already had the B6 wonderland222 but it wasnt working for me... I think my cousin, my A6 hon and my N1 standard as my EDC is going to be best for me... I dont NEED all the planners... But it takes time to find what works for us... Dont feel bad over it. Pretty sure EVERYONE in the planner community has felt this way at some point or another. Do what works for you.... Even if it means changing halfway through the year... You won't use something that doesnt make you happy. ETA: have you considered making date stickers for yourself like sterling ink has? All you have to do is print them out and lay them down... Set up a week at a time and see if that works for you? Honestly i wish i could find another company that prints the dates out so i can date my sterling ink when i know ill be journaling every day.
Thank you for sharing! 💝 Yes, I actually make date stickers in my shop and have been using them in the dailies but was previously doing one/two days at a time. I'm going to try doing a week at a time and see how it goes!
I really struggled for a while, and I thought the issue was size; but it turns out I was just getting ahead of myself in my weekly and needed to utilize my monthly better. Now I'm not prefilling my weekly pages until the Sunday before (I do Monday start). Also, for my garden planner I'm doing photos. That is bringing back the joy because I get a much better view of the situation.
This is a great idea! I think doing a photo a week on the weeks I'm not busy is a great way to fill the space but also keep on top of what is going on. Thank you so much 😊😊😊
Oh man I can relate to this. I did go with a B6 Common planner this year, and I have just not bonded with it. I only have about a handful of the blank pages used. In January I found my old non used A6 Hobonichi from 2020 and use that for my gratitude journal and I am SO happy in it! I have 2 Hobonichi weeks and 1 Common planner weeks and I am bonded with the hobo's my planner and my health recorder and enjoy using those. So for me, I found out that I am a Hobonichi girl and overflow goes into a Midori A5 journal. In the common planner I have decided to use photos of my garden and sky in it documenting all that, so it will still get used, just in a different way.
Thank you for sharing 💝💝 I think I am a Hobonichi Girl at heart. But I do love the CP Weeks better, so I at least can make peace with that for right now. 💝
I’ve been trying to use dated journals since the Lock Down. That didn’t work at all. I have journals with huge gaps. But I have to have a deadline to get anything done. I wish I could repurpose some of the journals that are dated and empty. Just the pretty ones deserve my time. I can understand your burnout especially since making videos are time consuming. Be kind to yourself. We have all been at this point multiple times in life where we can’t keep up or life is exhausting. Your followers will appreciate your honesty and you can help them get through difficult situations. Personally I use a weekly undated (Yes I have to date it.) paired with a Master To Do List. Keeping my to do list separate from the days I have an appointment or a deadline clears up my calendar. No reason to stress over things I do every week on certain days and time like Church. I can just put a Bible sticker on Sunday and I will remember. That’s better than wasting my money and stressing over “needing” to do it. If I miss a month it’s OK. That’s gives me time for quality over quantity. Much more cost effective. I buy high quality stickers and washi in stead of buying huge amounts of things I’ll never use. At this point I think I’m going to cull my supplies that aren’t special and donate them to the school. Teachers are always needing supplies that the schools don’t pay for. Thank you for this video. I’m following you now I’ve found your channel. Love from Oklahoma.
Thank you for sharing! I love the idea of donating your extra supplies to teachers. They really do put in a lot of their own supplies to make their classrooms unique. I also love your idea of having a "perpetual" masterlist that is separate and you take from week to week. That is a great concept!
Omg this is exactly what I'm going through! I also have the Common Planner (B6) and by March I was already not loving the vertical layout, so I've been reformatting it to a horizontal layout with washi tape and markers, but the process got so tedious, I just stopped using my planner for April. I'm trying to get back into it for May, but I've gone back and forth so many times as to whether I should just buy a new planner. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and getting the conversation going in the planner community.
Thank you for sharing! 😊 I would love to see Catherine created a B6 horizontal, I think that would be really beneficial for so many. I personally am trying not to buy another planner, but depending on how you feel do what's best for you! I would try setting up multiple weeks at once for the month and see if that helps!
The indecision is real and honestly I have more fun jumping into whatever I fancy taking some deco that’s movable with 🎉 (I.e. pocket rings art into moleskine pocket planner) ❤
It's funny that this video popped up because I actually feel the same! I used the hobonichi cousin for 2 years in a row and I was so excited to use the Sterling Ink A5 Full year Common planner in lieu of the cousin and the "creative freedom of the undated pages." But I miss the structure, I miss the visual representation that the Cousin gave my life. So I Have decided that starting July I will be in the cousin. I'll stick it out until then in my common planner until then, but when the second Avec book started I'll go back to my "home" book and take this as a lesson learned. Don't fix what's not broken. ALSO, how cool would it be if I had years and years worth of hobonichi cousin books. That would be a wonderful collection at some point. I hope you find your planner peace again!
I think having a whole shelf of Cousins would be so amazing. I think I have learned that I need the structure in my planner but I don't want to buy anything new for this year. So starting 2025, I will likely go back to the Hobonichi Cousin.
Totally get you! I reduced the number of books I am in for same reason. I started the year with some journals and now I am only in one. I still feel like I have more planners than what I reach for but I am going slowly😬
I would say yes! I think for the the ones I am loving they are very "easy" to fill in. They don't take more than a few minutes each. For the ones I'm feeling "burnt" on maybe I need to try an approach that limits the information I'm writing. 🥰 Thank you for commenting 🥰
What you talked about I have also had to self-reflect on. I ended up deciding that I would be more dissatisfied if I split my year up and started a new planner/journal. Instead, I am told myself I will go back to the Hobonichi Cousin in 2025. For now I will use my SI B6 Compact and Hobonichi A6 Techo. If I leave a page sparse or blank, that is fine. If I feel like doodling, using pages for scrap notes, using stickers or whatever, that is all fine. In the end, I can look back and appreciate my memory of what I did or didn't do.
Hi Danielle, I wonder if you’re frustrated and tired vs burnt out? I’m sorry if that seems challenging but I’m genuinely asking you to consider. It sounds like you may not have a high tolerance for inconsistency and are therefore frustrated. Perhaps, consider setting the expectation that, although you are extremely energetic, you have only so much energy, and when gardening/outdoor rolls around, you shift to a different planner gear. We can’t do ALL the things. To me, it seems like you are already (and intuitively) designing a journal/planning practice for this time of year which is exactly what I’d do! My humble request…..please don’t be frustrated. It’s really not a worthwhile use of our energy. We simply manage expectations. These experiences help us to see that often it’s not the planner it’s our expectations. This realization gives us something juicy to workshop in our books.
Thank you!! Don't apologize for saying anything "challenging" all topics are welcome in a discussion! ❤️️ I wouldn't say that I am frustrated, but maybe I am tired. I love the goal of setting an expectation. We really can't do ALL the things no matter what we think haha. I have journaled A LOT on these feelings, and am really glad to see that I am not alone in this community. I promise not to be frustrated 💝 Our planners and journals are tools to help us not hurt us!
Ich habe das Jahr ein Kinbor in B6, der einfach etwas zu klein ist und zu wenig Notizseiten hat. Im April habe ich dann gewechselt. Nach einem Fehlversuch mit einem Wonderland 2222 B6, bin ich jetzt in einem Sterling ink a5 zufrieden. Falls es den Kinbor nächstes Jahr wieder in a5 gibt, bin ich aber relativ sicher das ich wieder auf diese Marke zurück greife.
It’s not to early to start thinking about 2025 I’ve started purchasing already for 2025 I’m currently trying the Sterling ink Horizontal full year TN I’m using it from May to Dec this year it will be my only option because I don’t have any more options available I’m also using new leather goods so I know if the system I intend to use with travelers company will actually be functional I don’t live in more than 1 planner unless that planner is completely planned out for me the moment I have to “correct” or add will completely derail things for me you are not alone eventually I’ll film my Travelers company setup or whatever moving forward this year
I always want to have multiple books, each one with its own specific use case, but then i get overwhelmed or bored or distracted and I generally come back to roost in a multi-purpose book. So far this year it's been downgrading from a beautiful Hemlock and Oak weekly, A5 stalogy and A6 Hon to - you guessed it - a Cousin. (I also had gotten an A5 Common Planner but the lightness of the print was too hard on my eyes - I love the TN size tho! but...haven't found the perfect use for it...) I made a bunch of pro and con lists and journaled and noodled but what it came down to was looking at what, if anything, have I consistently or somewhat consistently used in the last 3 years and what hasn't. And to no surprise its the Cousin or something very similar (I used an Aura Estelle weekly for half a year and its one of my favorites to flip through) Long rambling short, it's okay to learn something isnt useful anymore, or for the time being. You can put things away and revisit them, redate them, cut out the blank pages for other uses, etc. Just don't shame youself for whatever choice you make, whether its buying something new or putting things aside - we're all our worst critic and looking through the comments, you're not alone in the planner mayhem department!
Thank you so much for sharing!! ❤️️ The more I journal and write it out, the Cousin looks better and better, but I'm not going to buy a new planner since the CP is practically a "stripped" down cousin. I'm going to try predating the daily pages and see where that leads me.
I’ve been feeling overwhelmed with my three planners and decided to use only one planner for everything (Hobonichi A5) and Hobonichi A6 for my mental health and gratitude. So I downsized basically to two planners. Maybe a part of your burnout is because you use too many planners. Why not try to use the A5 you have for everything planning related including the gardening planning? Try it for a week or two and see how it goes. Just a suggestion 🤗
This is a great suggestion!! I tried in April to add more of my other planners into the A5 weekly section and it worked out alright but I think I got bored with it 😅 I do think having multiple planners is still my jam, but I think combining some for right now would be a great solution ❤️️
Great video, I've definitely been through this as well; I made a video about it too ^_^ I'm now definitely trying to 'go with the flow' and planner/journal hop when I feel the need for a change. I'll keep the old planners, just in case I wanna go back! Ultimately we should do what makes US happy, not what others say (as long as we don't get ourselves in debt or something ofc!)
Thank you Ezra!!! I will be heading over to your video 🥰 I think planner hopping/journal hopping is great for these types of moments. I like to keep my old planners when I make a change just in case too haha. ❤️️
@@mydandeliondiaries I recently tossed all my old journals, so I could "get a fresh start" and not see my old journals and regret them, worked pretty well for me :) But now I am keeping some, just to be able to fall back!
The Sterling Ink planner works for me for work because I use the blank pages as a notebook (for all my meetings) and can note down the page number against the meeting in the weekly section, which also holds my to-dos. However, I purposefully did not get one for personal use as I had tried a notebook to do some journaling last year and found that I was struggling because it wasn’t dated. I was wanting to put something visual to separate entries which kept me from using it as I might not have had time to do that. So I got a cousin. I have been trying to use the cousin as a health and well-being journal. Weekly spread for logging sleep, meals, water, hobbies and dailies for journalling. Unfortunately I have been in the worst case of burnout that I have ever experience this year, which has resulted in now being signed off from work for some time. So I found that I couldn’t do this activity that I was wanting to do to help my well-being. It was just too much. I’m ok with having the blank pages. Once I’ve got my recovery a little further on its path, I may be ready to go back to it - but I’m also thinking about whether I should use a different system for next year (am thinking about a weeks or techo a6) as well as maybe repurposing it if I’m just not feeling like I can use it for that at the moment (am thinking I could use it for a hobbies and language learning focus). For my reading journal, I’m using a techo a6. The plan was to write notes about the book I was reading each day - a mindful way to savour my reading. At first I did this every day, and even started thinking the a6 page was too small. But I’m the last couple of months I have barely written at all, or I write notes only when I’ve finished the book. I’m ok with that too. This is supposed to be fun and if my brain isn’t up to doing it, then I shouldn’t force it. And for my EDC (weeks mega), well I use it as I need. Some weeks a lot, some weeks never. Next year I’ll probably change to a std weeks, but overall I’m happy with this. Basically, I’m trying to follow the advice of my counsellor to be kind to myself. Maybe that’s some advice you need too. I’m ok with blank pages - they tell their own story about my year. I hope you find a way to enjoy using yours again
I started the year with an Hemlock and Oak planner that I think is reaaaallyyy beautiful. I loved it.. but I really needed to have more space. I felt like I needed a space to brain dump and to write down my days, toughts and emotions. So I bought my first Hobonichi cousin... I love it so much. I wrote down in it everyday for almost two months now and Im proud that I was able to keep up with it. I am rarely able to maintain an habit that long. At the beginning I was using both planners... but I left out the H&O since I started using fountain pens as well and the ink is not so nice on the paper... but it makes me feel really guilty for not using a planner that is worth that much... I wanted to find another use for it... but I just feel like my cousin meet all my actual journalling needs... I dont know what to do. 😅
I'm so glad you are loving your Hobonichi Cousin 💖 I have repurposed old planners for handwriting practice, testing out planner spreads/layouts, and also just as notes on what I want to do in future planners. It feels weird to use it not for its intended purpose but I always like to use the paper since I already have it 😊
@@mydandeliondiaries yeah I thought about this option... it just feel uncomfortable to use it as something else than a planner. Makes me anxious to think about it hahaha but I should give it a try!
Same girl, same! I love my common planner but its a B6 which i thought was the perfect size... but now i want more space lol and i love my weeks but i need the mega. I thought about buying a 2nd half year in A5 common planner but i also would love a hobo ... so i saw that amazon marked down the Hon A5 (the beautiful botanicals one) to like 47 bucks so i pulled the trgger. Itll be here today some time. I just need to know what i prefer so i can start next year off right haha. Oh this video is beyond relatable 😂❤❤ we all feel you
Thank you 😊 haha. I'm glad you got a HON on sale!!! That cover is so beautiful. I agree that I want to figure this out so I can make a better go at it next year.
I am wondering if instead of having so many journals, you could use those pages in the back as a garden journal, magic journal, etc. I just ordered a CP today based on you switching from HB 😂 and now I’m like nooooooo because I’m a hobo girl. Oh, the choices.
I did think about turning the rest of the back pages into what I need for my other journals, but since I want dailies/journal pages, I'm nervous to take up more pages 😅 aka fear of running out of pages 😅😅. The choices are insane now, 2025 is going to be a debate for what to get!
That’s a great idea. The choices are insane, for sure. I’m got the half July-Dec Common Planner so I can try it and see which one I will want for 2025. I also have a weeks I use as my astrology/tarot/spiritual planner. I feel your burnout and have had to cut back on all of the planners. I enjoy your videos and I subscribed!
For the Garten one use an undated one that way you can use it the following year. For your common planner, yes pre-dating try it and if that ain't it don't do daylies for a month. You could merge the Garten with the common Planner. If you buy a new one, try an undated one that way you can stop and go whenever you want. For next year I think you should go with less planners. The Garten and daily planning could go into one. Depending on how much gratitude you could incorporate that into the common planner too. That way if you don't have a lot to do in the Garten you could journal more. I use the owl paper planner and I have a dairy, however I journal a lot in my planner so my dairy doesn't get used as I don't want to write down the same things multiple times. I also kwwp a 5 year journal, which I can't wait to finish. So for now I don't force myself to use my dairy and concentrate on my 5-year journal as I am going to finish it next year! Can't wait to see it all filled up. Don't force yourself to finish something, it's alright to have empty spaces. That's why I don't use planners when I journal but empty notebooks. They don't have dates and I don't like redating or writing into days when it's not that day. Maybe have one max two planner next year and switch to plain notebooks for the rest.
It's the sunk-cost fallacy tricking you into "sticking with it" just switch planners if you want to. It doesn't matter that much. You can always switch back again if you change your mind. YOLO.
Hi there, what you’re going through is common and I’m sure a lot of people go through it. I really enjoy your videos but looking on and maybe I’m not right about this but I think maybe part of it for you is that you have way too many planners. Is it possible that you could consolidate your garden planner and your art planner somehow into one book. Your daily pages could serve you well but allocating a certain portionfor each. Maybe that is an option for you at this time of your life. Just a thought. I do that with one book and make sure that everything is in it which keeps me from ever getting tired of it. Wish you well.
Thank you!! I do appreciate the idea of consolidating my planners. I have tried it in the past and I got very overwhelmed which is why I have them separate now. But, times/plans change so maybe I need to give it another shot and see what happens. ❤️️
I think you're being too hard on yourself. Burnout is normal. I also think in categories and like having different planners for different things and the need/want to use them ebbs and flows. I'm currently in a "there's too many" phase so I'm only using one planner right now for everything. It definitely took a load off when I decided to do that because I'm doing the bare minimum and don't need more than one. The other planners are still there and I will most likely dip in and out of them. I think where the indecisiveness and pressure comes in is when we think about the money we spent and "completing" our planners. I'm always thinking about the archiving too. It might be interesting to see if there's a pattern... Like certain months or seasons where you do less or more and think about why. And that could help you choose planners (or even combine some) for the next year. You are most definitely not alone though. I go through it every year.
Thank you for sharing 💝💝 I am going to try combining planners again. In previous years, it has not worked for me and I get very overwhelmed, but times change and maybe I need to give it another shot!
You're giving yourself too many rules, use what you want when you want. There are no planner police. Do what you enjoy and makes your life efficient and productive. There's nothing to say you can't change how you use each book nor if that changes several times within a year or if you stop using a planner for a bit and then come back to it. We put ourselves into rigidity for no reason and what we need is being flexible. You've said it's a hobby and with hobbies we do what we like and makes us happy.
My way of avoiding planner burnout is by having only one planner for the whole year, and not forcing myself to use it when I don’t feel like using it. I also discovered that when I want to change my planner, the restlessness doesn’t actually come from me not being happy with my planning system, but with some other aspect of my life. Once I figure out what is really the issue, and I address it, the desire to switch planners disappears.
This!!
Yep. I strongly believe in keeping a planner going for at least six months, if not a year. Changing planners every week is a form of consumerism, and limits creativity by not allowing someone to think outside the box and find new ways of making an existing journal work.
Thank you for sharing! ❤️️ I think that is a very interesting concept that the restlessness comes from and outside source. Something to journal about!
That is a very important distinction to make. It requires a lot of self-reflection which is probably what we need more than planners and notebooks.
All those "is it ok..." are ok options, including not knowing. Sitting with the unknown is a 24/7 useable comfort/skill. We're not really *here* for planners or ink, we're here for the intangible element that is you. And when you're here, you're here for you. Do you, because we have everyone else already.
💝💝💝💝💝Thank you 💝💝💝💝💝
Ditto!
Yesssssss!! This comment right here
What a kind comment! I agree!
❤❤❤❤❤
What im wondering is why do you put this much pressure on something that is your hobby? Hobbies are about fun and having a good time. When you don't feel this you can do what ever you want, even stepping away from it (for a while). Don't worry so much and do what feels right. And if you are unable to connect to your feelings just make a decision and when it feels wrong change it again.
I appreciate your outlook! I love my hobby, and I love talking about it and sharing it with others. But, the planner is also a tool that I need to keep my life organized, so there will always be a certain amount of "pressure" to use it. I think putting things to the side or coming back to things that work for use is a great way to go about a solution. 💝
Thank you for saying this. I'm coming from the disc planner world where we change things up quarterly, monthly. I have one bound planner, and love it more and more. The take a note planner.
I find that using more than one book is extremely overwhelming for me. I was a hobonichi cousin girl for years, and i never used the daily pages as a one day per page. I always used the dates instead of page numbers, so I would always have about 1/3 or 1/4 of the pages left after using it for the year. This year i decided to use a 520 page Sterling Ink notebook as a planner / bullet journal and I set it up over the course of several weeks for the entire year, for both work and personal. I basically combined a vertical weekly with a horizontal weekly planner in one. I’m not gonna lie… it was a great effort to set everything up for a whole year, but I couldn’t be happier! I made one book to rule them all with EXACTLY what I need and only what I use. I might have to supplement with a few more TN inserts because I don’t think 520pages will be enough for the year. So having something completely custom to you might be better than trying to fit into something pre-printed…
Wow! If you have a video on your set up I would love to see it. That sounds amazing fitting almost 2 planners into 1! I used to bullet journal a long time ago and got tired of setting up spreads all the time, and I think that might be what I am feeling now with setting up daily journal pages. I love the idea of having an another planner in the blank pages though. Such a wonderful idea! ❤️️
Do you carry your one book around with you? How big is it? I am in an A5 HON this year and I love everything fits and is just 1 book, but it’s sooo heavy!! Do you go out of the house with yours?
@@mydandeliondiaries Unfortunately I do not post on social media at all. I am really enjoying the content you create, though! 😍
@@Emilywilson10222 I use a Sterling Ink 520page tomoe river paper notebook in the Standard TN size, in a Moterm Companion cover. So yeah, it's a hefty boy. It's not as heavy as a Hobonichi Cousin, but it's still a bit of weight to carry around. And yes, I do carry it back and forth to work and home daily. I've gotten used to it, because my commute is really short. However I feel naked if I don't have it with me.
I think perhaps the clue is in the name - burn out. It’s a clear sign (to me) that you just need to stop until your energy and mojo are replenished. And that’s perfectly fine! There’s no need to beat yourself up about not feeling “it” for everything. This is your journey and your journals, you don’t owe anyone, including yourself, a show. I suggest you focus on what’s giving you joy and give the others a rest. Doing nothing is also journaling how you are feeling at a point in life. If you get an urge to write something, great. If you want to draw something, great, if you have an ink you want to log, great. And do it in whichever book you feel like doing it at that time. Nobody is perfect and I do wonder if the burnout that’s so common after a while is because there is so much pressure to be perfect. Life is not perfect, we are not perfect and trying to make journals perfect is, to my mind, lying to ourselves. It’s simply not a true reflection of us or our life. Ease are up on yourself. The urge will come and in the meantime the blank pages are still telling your story. Apologies if this is bossy, I’m the eldest child who is also a post menopausal Virgo. There was no other outcome 😊 . ❤
Haha it was not bossy 💝💝 Thank you for your input!! I'm an eldest child who is also a Taurus so I'm stubborn and don't like to quit haha. I agree that "pretty" planning is fun, but not always the best when needing to actually use what works for us! I appreciate your candor 💝
Last year I bought 8 Common Planners, by February I completed switched every single planner. Now I have a bunch of Common Planners sitting on the shelf. I'm beyond happy that I made the switch.
Same! Not 8 but I bought a bunch of common planners and I only use one and have went back to hobonichi and stalogy for everything else
@@bri1188 Yeah, thankfully I got a lot of undated and notebooks. I only had one that was dated for the 2024 year.
@@ZayaPlans that’s smart! Sadly all of mine are dated for 2024
Thank you so much for sharing! I'm glad you found a switch that worked!
It’s okay to do whatever it is that brings you joy and to NOT do what you’re not feeling right now. Burnout is a real thing and I think stepping away from the planners not serving you right now isn’t a bad thing. I changed my whole lineup last month so I get it entirely.
Thank you!! I'm glad to know I'm not alone in feeling some type of way with planners right now ❤️️
@@mydandeliondiaries You’re definitely not alone. A lot of the creators I watch have expressed similar feelings about planner burnout and the desire to switch things up. I’m always gonna encourage people to do exactly what makes them happy and nothing more or less. Planning shouldn’t be stressful or require so much of our energy. Like I always say, once things begin to feel like work and the fun is gone, im over it.
I miss about 6-8 weeks in my planners per year on average. That’s why I prefer undated planners. I know this about myself and I know I have to schedule in breaks throughout the year. You gotta be realistic.
❤️️❤️️ I love this! ❤️️❤️️ Thank you for sharing! I wish there were more Undated planners. They really do make it easy to "take a break" without feeling guilty of wasting pages. Hopefully we can see more undated planners in 2025!
I love the idea of scheduling a change up!! Or at least a break to evaluate! What a great, proactive way to handle the planner burnout/fomo/boredom!
In April I moved back into the Hobonichi Cousin and have not looked back. I hated the undated back pages of the sterling ink, so now in the days I don't use my daily I put in a large art sticker. It makes me feel less like a failure for not journaling.
This is wonderful!! I love the idea of using a large art page instead of journaling if you miss a day. ❤️️ I think that may be a permanent solution for me if I pre-set up daily pages in the sterling ink.
@@mydandeliondiaries I got the idea from Talks from the Heart. She uses the large Sweet Kawai Designs stickers but whilst they are funny, they are not really my style so I adapted it slightly.
This hit home for me as well. I started in a hobonichi weeks that I love but also set up a bullet journal. Going between made me not want a planner at all. What I've😮 realized is that in my bullet, I can have both. I set my weeks to match my mood and how busy I will be. So I get structure and freedom all in one.
How wonderful! Thank you for sharing, I think this is what I am looking for is a balance between the structure and the freedom!
I didn't know that there is such a thing as planning burn out. That's what I was feeling last year. I thought I was just being lazy. Glad that you shared your thoughts.
Thank you for watching! 💝
I really, really considered the Sterling Ink book, but the lack of dated pages really held me up. Listening to your talk has helped reassure me that sticking with the Cousin is the way to go. It is hard. I have had a couple of hiccups this year, but overall, the Cousin really is The One Book to Rule Them All for me. Good luck figuring it out, the struggle is real...
Thank you! I am missing using the Hobonichi Cousin as my main planner. There is just some sort of "magic" in it for me. The Sterling Ink is wonderful too though, and could honestly be molded into whatever is needed at the time, but I think the lack of structure is what has burned me out on it. Maybe I'll make the daily pages look "Hobonichi Like" and it will bring me more peace haha
I feel this! This is why I set up quarterly. 😅 I like having bit of a refresh on a regular basis
Thank you Elena! I may take your approach and do a quarterly notebook like you show on your instagram 😊
@@mydandeliondiaries it feels very natural, because we have different needs in different seasons - and this way, I can keep everything more or less cohesive without feeling like I need to "keep up" with anything. I also know blank or unused pages will bother me, and I won't get BACK into that planner if that happens, so I try to keep my system of 'things I need daily' to 2-3 things TOPS so it's very sustainable. One is my EDC for planning, another one is for daily memories (a6 5 year techo), and then I let myself use whatever else I want/need as a supplement/journal/for funsies.
Thank you so much for having this chat with us, and for not only discussing the burnout but the *indecisiveness* aspect of the planning life.
Back in March I bougth an undated daily planner for a small planner business on Amazon, and I LOVE the quality of the cover and the paper; but customizing daily pages isn't as fun as it used to be for me a couple of years ago. In fact, it seems more labor-intensive while trying to avoid the same spreads day in and day out. Weeklies are definitely my jam! I'm currently using a Hobonichi Weeks Mega that I've been absolutely loving; I don't need to put a whole lot of info in it and it still leaves room for decor/customization.
Back in late 2019/early 2020 I dove head first into the Happy Planner community and was obSESSED. I'm thinking part of it had to do with the fact that it was a creative outlet during the pandemic...then by late 2022/early 2023 I was just over it. I had to confront my planner consumerism, because let's face it: any of the well-known, name brand planners are not inexpensive. And other than a few stikcer books, I was basically done with THP line. Then yesterday when I was at JoAnn Fabrics, I found an *undated*, Classic Dashboard Layout planner that was on clearance - it came out to $13.00! I even had a brief conversation with the cashier about how hard it is to find undated planners in store when it comes to THP, so yeah - I couldn't pass it up. I don't mind decorating undated weeklies, but the undated dailies I've learned is just too much.
And to answer your questions, it's totally okay to take a break from using your planners. I've been noticing over the past couple of weeks that many folks in the planning community are getting burnt out from planning their routine/tasks that don't change, and I've reached that point as well - so you're definitely not alone there.
Sorry for such a long ramble! lol I'm curious as to what others are thinking about planning things that don't necessarily need to be planned out for them. I hope things go well as you test out what's working/not working!
Wow what a journey! I am so glad you are loving the Hobonichi Weeks Mega and that you were able to find an undated Happy Planner for such a great deal! (I LOVE when craft stores have major discounts).
I appreciate not being alone ❤️️ Maybe this is just a "season" that everyone is going through then and we will have our ducks in a row in a week or two ❤️️. No need to apologize for the long comment! I love to see it all ❤️️
Same. I have an entire hoard of happy planner and don't even use it anymore... I really need to sell it off and make some money back lol
I’m in the EXACT same place right now!!! I built my system not expecting portability to be something I wanted/needed. Come to find out, my physical planner has become a security blanket of sorts and I don’t WANT to leave the house without it. So now I’m considering getting a Weeks and copying over my entire 6 months (from Dec to now) from my A5 into the Weeks size common planner.
If you do decide to get the weeks and copy over the last 6 months I wish you the best! It is a project I'm sure. I love the N2 from SI, it is probably my favorite size she has done.
Aw, you sound so sad in this video, but I love how honest you are. It’s okay, we all have moments like this! I’m using a Sterling Ink A5 as my main planner too. I did my own minimal set up at the beginning of the year to the blank pages because I wanted a little structure and a day per page (I was also in the Hobonichi Cousin last year, but some of the little details started to annoy me).
Basically, I added a strip of washi and stickers to the pages for key dates throughout the year to help keep me on track - first day of each month, new and full moons, seasonal changes, sun moving into a new astrological sign.
I also knew I didn't want to manually date the pages, so I got a little rotary date stamp on Etsy. I just stamp the date each day as it comes (or I can pre-stamp a few pages if I know I'll be traveling). This hybrid of a little pre-planning to give myself structure has worked great! Hope you're able to figure out something that works well for you!
Thank you! I do find the quotes and colors of the hobonichi to be mildly annoying, and that is why I went with the Sterling Ink. I think I will try out "pre-dating" a few weeks of daily pages and see how it goes. Having a little bit of structure would balance out the all or nothing! 💝
I think the answer to all these questions is ‘yes’ lol there’s no wrong way. I used to feel discontent/burnout and was constantly looking for planner peace. Until I realized that the feeling of needing/wanting something different is part of the process. It’s not something ‘wrong’, it’s something that naturally happens. I started looking at it like an experiment. All of it. This helped with my perfectionist and completist tendencies. Instead of feeling like, I didn’t complete this planner, I didn’t finish it, I didn’t use it the same way for a year, it’s not consistent, it doesn’t look the same throughout, this won’t be the complete organized record I wanted it to be, etc. I started looking at it like ok, here’s what worked, here’s what didn’t, on to the next experiment! And if you take that planner you want to set aside, and put a little note in there ‘stopped using for this reason, continued in this or that planner’ then it is STILL an accurate and complete record of your life! It becomes a record of how you progress and evolve, how you adapted to what you needed in your life. Even if that reason is just ‘im bored’ you still learn something about yourself and how you like to plan! lol I usually take what feels good, and change up one or two things, for at least a month. Then decide where it goes from there. I also tend to ‘plan’ the change for about a month. For example… I felt like I didn’t have enough room for daily task lists in my N2 vertical common planner. So for about a month, I started sticking lists in all the places I could think of to use them in that planner. And making mental notes of what worked and what didn’t. After that month- I decided yes I do want more daily space. So instead of changing completely back to an A5 (I was tempted). I pulled out an undated daily weeks print pression planner and added that in. I’ve been doing that for just over a month, and now know what I like and what I don’t about this system. Long term, I don’t want the two separate planners, but it’s giving me ideas of where to go from here. I have found ‘planner peace’ in the fact that I will never find it. lol that I ENJOY the process of figuring it out. You have such a carefully curated system, could it be that the mystery of ‘will this work’ is what you’re missing? Maybe the burnout feeling is just your signal that you need a new challenge or direction? Remember that time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time. The same applies to planner supplies 😂 lol
Thank you, this really helps!
I love this ❤️️❤️️ I had not considered adding in pages into a book when I need more space, or when something isn't working. That is a GREAT idea! I 100% am going to try implementing that. I also love your question of the challenge! I think you may be right. It's my brain craving a creative change up.
Perhaps your A5 could be your every day and garden book...with all those blank pages.
I have given that some thought. I tried adding in the garden tasks to my weekly pages in april and it worked out okay. I appreciate your comment!! 🥰
I think taking a step back is good solution that way if you come back the following month and really miss it than you know it belongs in your system! If not maybe just keep taking breaks until that spark comes back. It’s okay to switch and get rid of and add whenever you think you need to. That’s what I love about planners is there is no one solution to everything or for everyone!
Quoting Patton, plan, plan, plan, and right before the battle, throw them away. From Yoda, Do, or do not, there is no try (or plan.) Plan a break each month to celebrate your planning & completing your checkpoints of projects. I prefer undated formats for this very reason. Good luck with your planners.
Thank you!! I love your quotes haha. I do like Undated planners and hope to see more of them being released.
I can very much relate to your struggle. I appreciate that you shared your thoughts and feelings with us! Whatever options you choose will give you new feedback to keep growing and help you let your planners work for you instead of the other way around. This can look different as time passes.
I also want to reiterate that we (your viewers) watch your content because of your uniqueness and energy, and we'll still be here. ❤
Thank you Aubrey 💝💝💝
I’m a hobonichi day-free devotee after years of stressing out over dated pages. One thing that’s really helped me is filling in old journals or blank journals with morning pages. Not pretty or planning, but so useful. So now I have a day-free hobonichi as my planner, next to a blank hobonichi for my morning pages. I love it!
That is wonderful! 💝 Thank you for sharing!
Also, Thank you for your transparency❤ I look forward to seeing how you finish the year and refelect back to this struggle with how you overcame ❤
Thank you for listening! This video honestly was a little vulnerable for me as putting things out there usually gets a 50/50 response.
They are your planners and you can do whatever you want. Nothing against The Common Planner, and everyone is different, I tried using it last year but I didn’t gravitate to it. I left it and continued with Hobonichi Cousin and Weeks. I do use other planners for other uses but my everyday carry is a weeks, my health is a weeks, and my memory, journaling and highlight of the day is a cousin. I love them and I can’t let them go. I also use a plum paper for my To Do Book and Erin Condren for work. I use travelers notebook for my cafe and tea journal. :-) I love all my planners and journals but my core are Hobonicho. You don’t have to use them every day to love them either. Use what you want. It’s also ok to let some books go. You should spend your time doing things that are joyful for you.
Thank you! 💝💝
Same here! The burn-out/undecided situation is very real. What I saw helped me was to ser the "problem" planner to a side for 1 full week and see if i could manage without it, the again another week, at that point I could see if i actually was using it or if it was just a burden and if so, i could reuse in other ways (i have even torn pages out of a "problem" planner and used for edc mini notebooks that I make and staple together for on the go notes. Good luck and just know you are not alone!
Thank you!! So many good tips!
Thank you for doing this video! Being a newbie, I got caught up in the early release of planners and purchased 5 planners for 2024. I was becoming so stressed trying to keep up. For a peace of mind, I gave away 2 planners. I’m already thinking 2025 to ensure I won’t make the same mistakes. Good Luck! 🌸
Thank you for watching! I think a lot of us are looking at 2025 already and getting an idea of what we might need. I hope you find what you are looking for!
I know I go back and forth between wanting the blank option to do whatever I want and desiring the structure. When I have the structure I get to the point of resenting it, then I flip to the blank option and begin to resent it in turn. It happens about twice a year and I think the root of it is liking change but also wanting the comfort of the known. I get SO nostalgic for hobonichi when I'm not it it and nostalgic for sterling ink when I'm not in it! I know in life I'm like that too. Tell me what to do, but don't you dare tell me what to do. I don't have any fixes, but I relate. Maybe have the option of both at anyone time and be ok with having gaps in them both. Money is money, but notebook and planner peace is priceless for those of us stationary hounds.
I've noticed that I also feel something similar about twice a year. I think I've come to the conclusion that I need to go with half-year planners/notebooks so that I feel less pressured to keep going with something that stops working for me at some point and can instead re-evaluate my needs/wants and move into something new/different if I need to without the guilt of spending even more money.
@melissascripts 🙌👏👏👏 This is EXACTLY what I feel! I agree that "money is money" and planner peace is 100% priceless, but buying a new planner is something I am trying to avoid haha. I really like your solution of having both options though 🥰
@cosmos0000 The half year books is a great solution!! Plus, if you don't end up using one of the halves there is the possibility of reselling it. 🥰
@@Cosmos0000 I totally agree about the practicality of half year books. BUT then I miss a lil' chonky book. Sigh.
@@melissascripts completely understand, which is why I have yet to do it 😅 lol
I have one planner that I do everything in and on the weeks where I'm too busy or tired or don't have a lot going on, I'm ok with the blank pages. Like you said, those pages tell a story too. Hope you are able to gently work through the burnout and find something that will work.
Thank you! I love the outlook ❤️️
I relate to the burnout and the indecisiveness. I'm discovering your channel through this video. Funny, because I recently switched to an A6 bullet journal, in a dollar store notebook. Previously, I was using a happy planner system, with specific paper and printables, and doing my own layouts, and the specific 365 perforating device. I've been using this system for 3y and a half. Before that, I've been a bujo girl for almost 5 years. For now, I'm just focusing on what is working for me. I use a monthly and weekly planner, very simple and minimalistic. And if I need a daily, I create one. My weekly pages look a bit empty sometimes, if a week is quiet, or not really planned ahead. One of my other issues could be the dotgrid, because I love writing in cursive, and I forced myself to write in capital printing letters, and smaller than usual on dotgrid. And also, maybe consider the size. I've tried B5, A5, and A6. So far, A6 is cool for me, and I wouldn't love a taller version, but not a wider one. I've decided to try out some things with notebooks from the dollar store, so I can compare if lined paper is better for me, and what size fits me the most for now. Blank pages, trying out new things, putting something aside because it is burdening you, and evolving, thats totally okay, and I would even say that it's great. I'm grateful I found your channel. Thank you for sharing your struggle. Hope my answer helps =)
Thank you of much for sharing!! 😊😊😊 Buying notebooks in differently sizes from the dollar store to test out size/paper layout is a FANTASTIC idea!
You are not alone!!
I feel you. I was so sure the laurel Denise planner would solve all my planners woes so I bought four. I made it two days after I bought stickers and set it up. I’m pretty sure I’ve been in over ten planners this year. I think half it was planner fomo issue.
Planner fomo was a big topic this year. I think there were so many "new" options and the marketing for each was a bit overwhelming...I wish you luck in finding something that works for you!
Hi DD. I asked you recently about your mention of ‘inking up pens for a month’ and why not leave pens inked up all the time. Thanks so much for mentioning that topic because I was inspired to thoroughly clean my fountains that had been sitting here for ages with ink in them - feeders, converters, the lot. What a job! They were quite mucky and I’m shocked. So never again for me now. I love colour, so now I’m going to ink up with a nice colour plan for the month too. Thanks. Xx ❤
I'm so glad it helped! Yeah....I made the mistake once of leaving a pen inked for 3+ months and didn't write with it at all. The feed was CAKED with red ink and I had to take a soft toothbrush to get in-between the tines because it was not coming out. Even with soaking in water. Lessoned learned!
@@mydandeliondiaries yes, that’s exactly what I found and had to do - and I have a lot of Lamy pens and coloured inks. Thanks again for the serendipitous mention of ‘inking up for the month’. I’m glad I was paying attention. 🌿🎈
I have always only used one planner at a time, but switched planners pretty regularly. It felt completely wasteful. Last November I decided I was going to use one planner only- the Cousin. I redated the 2024 November and December Cousin pages to accommodate 2023 and have been using it ever since. April was a mess, lots of empty pages because of a death in my family. I thought about just buying an April start Cousin and starting over, but I spent $65 on my current planner and what a waste to only use six months. So I taped the April pages closed and kept going. I'll buy a 2025 Cousin and start it in November again this year.
I am so sorry for your loss 💝 I love how you utilized your planner to accommodate your needs, without purchasing a new one. I am doing my best to not buy a new planner too so this was very helpful! ❤️️
I completely understand. Its my first year using TRP and so its my first uear in a hobinichi... I have spent EVERY single day in my cousin and now my A6 and i love it so much.... A few weeks ago, i made the decision to get my first sterling ink planners and got the N1 and B6 Full year... I already had the B6 wonderland222 but it wasnt working for me... I think my cousin, my A6 hon and my N1 standard as my EDC is going to be best for me... I dont NEED all the planners... But it takes time to find what works for us... Dont feel bad over it. Pretty sure EVERYONE in the planner community has felt this way at some point or another. Do what works for you.... Even if it means changing halfway through the year... You won't use something that doesnt make you happy.
ETA: have you considered making date stickers for yourself like sterling ink has? All you have to do is print them out and lay them down... Set up a week at a time and see if that works for you? Honestly i wish i could find another company that prints the dates out so i can date my sterling ink when i know ill be journaling every day.
Thank you for sharing! 💝 Yes, I actually make date stickers in my shop and have been using them in the dailies but was previously doing one/two days at a time. I'm going to try doing a week at a time and see how it goes!
I really struggled for a while, and I thought the issue was size; but it turns out I was just getting ahead of myself in my weekly and needed to utilize my monthly better. Now I'm not prefilling my weekly pages until the Sunday before (I do Monday start). Also, for my garden planner I'm doing photos. That is bringing back the joy because I get a much better view of the situation.
This is a great idea! I think doing a photo a week on the weeks I'm not busy is a great way to fill the space but also keep on top of what is going on. Thank you so much 😊😊😊
Keep going with your common planner!
Oh man I can relate to this. I did go with a B6 Common planner this year, and I have just not bonded with it. I only have about a handful of the blank pages used. In January I found my old non used A6 Hobonichi from 2020 and use that for my gratitude journal and I am SO happy in it! I have 2 Hobonichi weeks and 1 Common planner weeks and I am bonded with the hobo's my planner and my health recorder and enjoy using those. So for me, I found out that I am a Hobonichi girl and overflow goes into a Midori A5 journal. In the common planner I have decided to use photos of my garden and sky in it documenting all that, so it will still get used, just in a different way.
Thank you for sharing 💝💝 I think I am a Hobonichi Girl at heart. But I do love the CP Weeks better, so I at least can make peace with that for right now. 💝
I’ve been trying to use dated journals since the Lock Down. That didn’t work at all. I have journals with huge gaps. But I have to have a deadline to get anything done.
I wish I could repurpose some of the journals that are dated and empty. Just the pretty ones deserve my time.
I can understand your burnout especially since making videos are time consuming. Be kind to yourself. We have all been at this point multiple times in life where we can’t keep up or life is exhausting. Your followers will appreciate your honesty and you can help them get through difficult situations.
Personally I use a weekly undated (Yes I have to date it.) paired with a Master To Do List. Keeping my to do list separate from the days I have an appointment or a deadline clears up my calendar. No reason to stress over things I do every week on certain days and time like Church. I can just put a Bible sticker on Sunday and I will remember. That’s better than wasting my money and stressing over “needing” to do it. If I miss a month it’s OK. That’s gives me time for quality over quantity. Much more cost effective. I buy high quality stickers and washi in stead of buying huge amounts of things I’ll never use.
At this point I think I’m going to cull my supplies that aren’t special and donate them to the school. Teachers are always needing supplies that the schools don’t pay for. Thank you for this video. I’m following you now I’ve found your channel. Love from Oklahoma.
I am one of your listeners who appreciates your honesty!
Thank you for sharing! I love the idea of donating your extra supplies to teachers. They really do put in a lot of their own supplies to make their classrooms unique. I also love your idea of having a "perpetual" masterlist that is separate and you take from week to week. That is a great concept!
Have you ever thought about making a a monthly perpetual schedule for your reoccurring daily tasks ?
This is a great idea! I have a monthly perpetual book for important dates, but I think having one for tasks would be really beneficial too! 💝
Omg this is exactly what I'm going through! I also have the Common Planner (B6) and by March I was already not loving the vertical layout, so I've been reformatting it to a horizontal layout with washi tape and markers, but the process got so tedious, I just stopped using my planner for April. I'm trying to get back into it for May, but I've gone back and forth so many times as to whether I should just buy a new planner. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and getting the conversation going in the planner community.
Thank you for sharing! 😊 I would love to see Catherine created a B6 horizontal, I think that would be really beneficial for so many. I personally am trying not to buy another planner, but depending on how you feel do what's best for you! I would try setting up multiple weeks at once for the month and see if that helps!
The indecision is real and honestly I have more fun jumping into whatever I fancy taking some deco that’s movable with 🎉 (I.e. pocket rings art into moleskine pocket planner) ❤
That is wonderful! Thank you for sharing 😊
It's funny that this video popped up because I actually feel the same! I used the hobonichi cousin for 2 years in a row and I was so excited to use the Sterling Ink A5 Full year Common planner in lieu of the cousin and the "creative freedom of the undated pages." But I miss the structure, I miss the visual representation that the Cousin gave my life. So I Have decided that starting July I will be in the cousin. I'll stick it out until then in my common planner until then, but when the second Avec book started I'll go back to my "home" book and take this as a lesson learned. Don't fix what's not broken. ALSO, how cool would it be if I had years and years worth of hobonichi cousin books. That would be a wonderful collection at some point. I hope you find your planner peace again!
I think having a whole shelf of Cousins would be so amazing. I think I have learned that I need the structure in my planner but I don't want to buy anything new for this year. So starting 2025, I will likely go back to the Hobonichi Cousin.
Totally get you! I reduced the number of books I am in for same reason. I started the year with some journals and now I am only in one. I still feel like I have more planners than what I reach for but I am going slowly😬
Thank you! Going slowly is 100% what I'm striving for 💝 I don't want to rush in or out until I'm explored the options.
Would it help to think about what you are loving the ones that you are loving to help decider why you are burned out on the others?
I would say yes! I think for the the ones I am loving they are very "easy" to fill in. They don't take more than a few minutes each. For the ones I'm feeling "burnt" on maybe I need to try an approach that limits the information I'm writing. 🥰 Thank you for commenting 🥰
What you talked about I have also had to self-reflect on. I ended up deciding that I would be more dissatisfied if I split my year up and started a new planner/journal. Instead, I am told myself I will go back to the Hobonichi Cousin in 2025. For now I will use my SI B6 Compact and Hobonichi A6 Techo. If I leave a page sparse or blank, that is fine. If I feel like doodling, using pages for scrap notes, using stickers or whatever, that is all fine. In the end, I can look back and appreciate my memory of what I did or didn't do.
Thank you for sharing! 💝💝💝 I love how you are going about using your planners 💝
Hi Danielle,
I wonder if you’re frustrated and tired vs burnt out? I’m sorry if that seems challenging but I’m genuinely asking you to consider. It sounds like you may not have a high tolerance for inconsistency and are therefore frustrated. Perhaps, consider setting the expectation that, although you are extremely energetic, you have only so much energy, and when gardening/outdoor rolls around, you shift to a different planner gear. We can’t do ALL the things.
To me, it seems like you are already (and intuitively) designing a journal/planning practice for this time of year which is exactly what I’d do!
My humble request…..please don’t be frustrated. It’s really not a worthwhile use of our energy. We simply manage expectations.
These experiences help us to see that often it’s not the planner it’s our expectations. This realization gives us something juicy to workshop in our books.
Thank you!! Don't apologize for saying anything "challenging" all topics are welcome in a discussion! ❤️️ I wouldn't say that I am frustrated, but maybe I am tired. I love the goal of setting an expectation. We really can't do ALL the things no matter what we think haha. I have journaled A LOT on these feelings, and am really glad to see that I am not alone in this community. I promise not to be frustrated 💝 Our planners and journals are tools to help us not hurt us!
I am in the same boat currently
Ich habe das Jahr ein Kinbor in B6, der einfach etwas zu klein ist und zu wenig Notizseiten hat. Im April habe ich dann gewechselt. Nach einem Fehlversuch mit einem Wonderland 2222 B6, bin ich jetzt in einem Sterling ink a5 zufrieden. Falls es den Kinbor nächstes Jahr wieder in a5 gibt, bin ich aber relativ sicher das ich wieder auf diese Marke zurück greife.
It’s not to early to start thinking about 2025 I’ve started purchasing already for 2025 I’m currently trying the Sterling ink Horizontal full year TN I’m using it from May to Dec this year it will be my only option because I don’t have any more options available I’m also using new leather goods so I know if the system I intend to use with travelers company will actually be functional I don’t live in more than 1 planner unless that planner is completely planned out for me the moment I have to “correct” or add will completely derail things for me you are not alone eventually I’ll film my Travelers company setup or whatever moving forward this year
Thank you for sharing 😊
I always want to have multiple books, each one with its own specific use case, but then i get overwhelmed or bored or distracted and I generally come back to roost in a multi-purpose book. So far this year it's been downgrading from a beautiful Hemlock and Oak weekly, A5 stalogy and A6 Hon to - you guessed it - a Cousin. (I also had gotten an A5 Common Planner but the lightness of the print was too hard on my eyes - I love the TN size tho! but...haven't found the perfect use for it...) I made a bunch of pro and con lists and journaled and noodled but what it came down to was looking at what, if anything, have I consistently or somewhat consistently used in the last 3 years and what hasn't. And to no surprise its the Cousin or something very similar (I used an Aura Estelle weekly for half a year and its one of my favorites to flip through) Long rambling short, it's okay to learn something isnt useful anymore, or for the time being. You can put things away and revisit them, redate them, cut out the blank pages for other uses, etc. Just don't shame youself for whatever choice you make, whether its buying something new or putting things aside - we're all our worst critic and looking through the comments, you're not alone in the planner mayhem department!
Strong agreement with no shaming!
Thank you so much for sharing!! ❤️️ The more I journal and write it out, the Cousin looks better and better, but I'm not going to buy a new planner since the CP is practically a "stripped" down cousin. I'm going to try predating the daily pages and see where that leads me.
I’ve been feeling overwhelmed with my three planners and decided to use only one planner for everything (Hobonichi A5) and Hobonichi A6 for my mental health and gratitude. So I downsized basically to two planners. Maybe a part of your burnout is because you use too many planners. Why not try to use the A5 you have for everything planning related including the gardening planning? Try it for a week or two and see how it goes. Just a suggestion 🤗
This is a great suggestion!! I tried in April to add more of my other planners into the A5 weekly section and it worked out alright but I think I got bored with it 😅 I do think having multiple planners is still my jam, but I think combining some for right now would be a great solution ❤️️
Great video, I've definitely been through this as well; I made a video about it too ^_^ I'm now definitely trying to 'go with the flow' and planner/journal hop when I feel the need for a change. I'll keep the old planners, just in case I wanna go back! Ultimately we should do what makes US happy, not what others say (as long as we don't get ourselves in debt or something ofc!)
Thank you Ezra!!! I will be heading over to your video 🥰 I think planner hopping/journal hopping is great for these types of moments. I like to keep my old planners when I make a change just in case too haha. ❤️️
@@mydandeliondiaries I recently tossed all my old journals, so I could "get a fresh start" and not see my old journals and regret them, worked pretty well for me :) But now I am keeping some, just to be able to fall back!
Randi dog plans makes date stickers that look like the hobonichi dates. Maybe that would scratch the itch for you?
Thank you for the suggestion! I will check out her stickers!
The Sterling Ink planner works for me for work because I use the blank pages as a notebook (for all my meetings) and can note down the page number against the meeting in the weekly section, which also holds my to-dos. However, I purposefully did not get one for personal use as I had tried a notebook to do some journaling last year and found that I was struggling because it wasn’t dated. I was wanting to put something visual to separate entries which kept me from using it as I might not have had time to do that. So I got a cousin. I have been trying to use the cousin as a health and well-being journal. Weekly spread for logging sleep, meals, water, hobbies and dailies for journalling. Unfortunately I have been in the worst case of burnout that I have ever experience this year, which has resulted in now being signed off from work for some time. So I found that I couldn’t do this activity that I was wanting to do to help my well-being. It was just too much. I’m ok with having the blank pages. Once I’ve got my recovery a little further on its path, I may be ready to go back to it - but I’m also thinking about whether I should use a different system for next year (am thinking about a weeks or techo a6) as well as maybe repurposing it if I’m just not feeling like I can use it for that at the moment (am thinking I could use it for a hobbies and language learning focus).
For my reading journal, I’m using a techo a6. The plan was to write notes about the book I was reading each day - a mindful way to savour my reading. At first I did this every day, and even started thinking the a6 page was too small. But I’m the last couple of months I have barely written at all, or I write notes only when I’ve finished the book. I’m ok with that too. This is supposed to be fun and if my brain isn’t up to doing it, then I shouldn’t force it.
And for my EDC (weeks mega), well I use it as I need. Some weeks a lot, some weeks never. Next year I’ll probably change to a std weeks, but overall I’m happy with this.
Basically, I’m trying to follow the advice of my counsellor to be kind to myself. Maybe that’s some advice you need too. I’m ok with blank pages - they tell their own story about my year. I hope you find a way to enjoy using yours again
Thank you so much for sharing 💝 I love that you are working to find what works best for you!
I started the year with an Hemlock and Oak planner that I think is reaaaallyyy beautiful. I loved it.. but I really needed to have more space. I felt like I needed a space to brain dump and to write down my days, toughts and emotions. So I bought my first Hobonichi cousin... I love it so much. I wrote down in it everyday for almost two months now and Im proud that I was able to keep up with it. I am rarely able to maintain an habit that long. At the beginning I was using both planners... but I left out the H&O since I started using fountain pens as well and the ink is not so nice on the paper... but it makes me feel really guilty for not using a planner that is worth that much... I wanted to find another use for it... but I just feel like my cousin meet all my actual journalling needs... I dont know what to do. 😅
I'm so glad you are loving your Hobonichi Cousin 💖 I have repurposed old planners for handwriting practice, testing out planner spreads/layouts, and also just as notes on what I want to do in future planners. It feels weird to use it not for its intended purpose but I always like to use the paper since I already have it 😊
@@mydandeliondiaries yeah I thought about this option... it just feel uncomfortable to use it as something else than a planner. Makes me anxious to think about it hahaha but I should give it a try!
Same girl, same! I love my common planner but its a B6 which i thought was the perfect size... but now i want more space lol and i love my weeks but i need the mega. I thought about buying a 2nd half year in A5 common planner but i also would love a hobo ... so i saw that amazon marked down the Hon A5 (the beautiful botanicals one) to like 47 bucks so i pulled the trgger. Itll be here today some time. I just need to know what i prefer so i can start next year off right haha. Oh this video is beyond relatable 😂❤❤ we all feel you
Thank you 😊 haha. I'm glad you got a HON on sale!!! That cover is so beautiful. I agree that I want to figure this out so I can make a better go at it next year.
I am wondering if instead of having so many journals, you could use those pages in the back as a garden journal, magic journal, etc. I just ordered a CP today based on you switching from HB 😂 and now I’m like nooooooo because I’m a hobo girl. Oh, the choices.
I did think about turning the rest of the back pages into what I need for my other journals, but since I want dailies/journal pages, I'm nervous to take up more pages 😅 aka fear of running out of pages 😅😅. The choices are insane now, 2025 is going to be a debate for what to get!
That’s a great idea. The choices are insane, for sure. I’m got the half July-Dec Common Planner so I can try it and see which one I will want for 2025. I also have a weeks I use as my astrology/tarot/spiritual planner. I feel your burnout and have had to cut back on all of the planners. I enjoy your videos and I subscribed!
For the Garten one use an undated one that way you can use it the following year.
For your common planner, yes pre-dating try it and if that ain't it don't do daylies for a month.
You could merge the Garten with the common Planner.
If you buy a new one, try an undated one that way you can stop and go whenever you want.
For next year I think you should go with less planners. The Garten and daily planning could go into one. Depending on how much gratitude you could incorporate that into the common planner too. That way if you don't have a lot to do in the Garten you could journal more.
I use the owl paper planner and I have a dairy, however I journal a lot in my planner so my dairy doesn't get used as I don't want to write down the same things multiple times.
I also kwwp a 5 year journal, which I can't wait to finish. So for now I don't force myself to use my dairy and concentrate on my 5-year journal as I am going to finish it next year! Can't wait to see it all filled up.
Don't force yourself to finish something, it's alright to have empty spaces. That's why I don't use planners when I journal but empty notebooks. They don't have dates and I don't like redating or writing into days when it's not that day.
Maybe have one max two planner next year and switch to plain notebooks for the rest.
Thank you for all the suggestions! 😊
It's the sunk-cost fallacy tricking you into "sticking with it" just switch planners if you want to. It doesn't matter that much. You can always switch back again if you change your mind. YOLO.
Hahah thank you! I didn't even think about the sunk-cost fallacy!
Hi there, what you’re going through is common and I’m sure a lot of people go through it. I really enjoy your videos but looking on and maybe I’m not right about this but I think maybe part of it for you is that you have way too many planners. Is it possible that you could consolidate your garden planner and your art planner somehow into one book. Your daily pages could serve you well but allocating a certain portionfor each. Maybe that is an option for you at this time of your life. Just a thought. I do that with one book and make sure that everything is in it which keeps me from ever getting tired of it. Wish you well.
Thank you!! I do appreciate the idea of consolidating my planners. I have tried it in the past and I got very overwhelmed which is why I have them separate now. But, times/plans change so maybe I need to give it another shot and see what happens. ❤️️
I think you're being too hard on yourself. Burnout is normal. I also think in categories and like having different planners for different things and the need/want to use them ebbs and flows. I'm currently in a "there's too many" phase so I'm only using one planner right now for everything. It definitely took a load off when I decided to do that because I'm doing the bare minimum and don't need more than one. The other planners are still there and I will most likely dip in and out of them. I think where the indecisiveness and pressure comes in is when we think about the money we spent and "completing" our planners. I'm always thinking about the archiving too. It might be interesting to see if there's a pattern... Like certain months or seasons where you do less or more and think about why. And that could help you choose planners (or even combine some) for the next year. You are most definitely not alone though. I go through it every year.
Thank you for sharing 💝💝 I am going to try combining planners again. In previous years, it has not worked for me and I get very overwhelmed, but times change and maybe I need to give it another shot!
You're giving yourself too many rules, use what you want when you want. There are no planner police. Do what you enjoy and makes your life efficient and productive. There's nothing to say you can't change how you use each book nor if that changes several times within a year or if you stop using a planner for a bit and then come back to it. We put ourselves into rigidity for no reason and what we need is being flexible. You've said it's a hobby and with hobbies we do what we like and makes us happy.