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Tuesday, February 18, 2014

What I love about different types of planners

My problem is, I love ALL the planners! That's why I have such a hard time choosing just one to use. Each type is great, for different reasons. Here's what I love about them.

What I love about...Filofax personal size binders
My personal size Filofax binders
(Across the top: pink Finsbury that matches my wallet, purple Finsbury, Aqua Finsbury, Chili Cuban (shown in this video). Bottom from left: Orchid Aston, Kendal (also shown in this video), Holborn zip in Wine, Ivory Deco, and my beloved black Buckingham.)

A personal size ring binder was the planner that got me started on my planner journey. A few years later I bought my first real Filofax, the black Buckingham at the right. And the rest is history, as they say!

I always tend to go back to a personal size Filofax in times of crisis or transition, and I've finally figured out why. I can have everything I need inside the binder, for grab-and-go efficiency. I've used a personal size Filofax in emergency situations and while living in places where I might have to get on an airplane to evacuate at any moment. When I have everything I need in my carry-everywhere Filofax, I'm ready for anything at all.

What I love about...A5 / Classic / Desk size binders 
My A5 Filofaxes, Success Choice and Daytimer Malibu binders
(My A5 Filofax Finsbury binders and Domino on top, bottom left Success Choice binder, A5 Boston Filofax, and Daytimer Desk size Malibu that arrived today from Terri! Thanks Terri!!)

A5 (and similar) size binders are great because you can put A5 / 5 1/2 by 8 1/2 inch pages in them, any brand or style you want. You can fold a full size page and put it in. You can print pages easily, punch them and put them in. You can even cut up a bound planner, punch the pages and pop them into your binder. This is the easiest size to customize because the paper is standard size. I wish the binders weren't so big and heavy, because I would love to use this as my everything-in-one book!

What I love about...bound weekly planners
Some of my 2014 weekly planners
(Across the top are my Plannerisms planners. Bottom starting from left: Quo Vadis Space 24 planner, some Paperblanks planners, Brush Dance datebooks.)

Of course I love weekly planners--I designed one! I love bound weekly planners because they give you maximum planning in the slimmest and lightest book. A binder with an equivalent page size will be bulkier and heavier than a bound weekly book.

I also love the variety possible with weekly planners--formats, extra features, other content, designs, quotes--the possibilities are endless, which makes them fun!

What I love about...day per page diaries
My 2014 day per page diaries
(Left to right my Journal 21, Daily 17, Large Green daily Moleskine like I used as my journal for years, Pocket Purple daily Moleskine like I used successfully for a couple of years, A6 Hobonichi planner, A5 Hobonichi Cousin, and this year's version of the Time Traveler diary I used and loved last year.)

I've had a special place in my heart for day per page diaries ever since I saw my sister's Textagenda all those years ago. My favorite planner I've ever used is a day per page diary. And last year I finally had journaling success with an A5 day per page diary after years of not being able to get into the habit.

There's just something about day per page diaries I love. I find the chunkiness of day per page books aesthetically pleasing. I love the amount of recording possible on the large daily pages, and I love the idea of having my entire year permanently recorded in one archival book. I can't effectively plan ahead in them, but day per page diaries are great record books.
2014 Moleskine large and pocket size day per page diaires

What are your favorite types of planners? Or like me do you enjoy different types of planners for different reasons?

6 comments:

  1. This must be part of my planner problem--when I see a planner, any planner, I can list all the good points. I don't think of the negatives at all, whether they are actual problems (won't lay flat) or that they are negatives for me (too heavy for me). It's like I am a salesperson "selling" myself the planner and I can never resist the sales pitch.

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    1. Ugh isn't that the truth!! I love one because it's comprehensive, but it's too heavy. I love another because it's so portable, but the pages are too small. And on it goes!

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  2. I'm no longer fickle about planners the way I used to be, but I can see your point. We want it all, but it's simply not possible -- for example, you can't have both portability and comprehensiveness, as you say. There's also the question of content vs. cover. How many times have we been seduced by a gorgeous binder or cover, ignoring the weird page layout or icky paper because we loved the exterior so much -- until we got it home and tried using that weird layout? Yeah. . .

    - Tina

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  3. The ever present dilemma. I love all ring bound but I don't really like bound planners. I like being able to add, subtract and move around.

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  4. I KNOW ring bound is best for me. I know it.

    Every now and then, I stray. :/

    http://giftieetcetera.blogspot.com

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  5. I have two ring-bound planners, one letter-size from Day Runner Business Pro System, the other a classic from Franklin Covey. I have used the Day Runner planner for 30 years. I set up the Franklin Covey to use the Getting Things Done system, but I have never "moved into it." Now I saw a letter size and a classic ring bound planner on Ebay, bid on them, and bought both. So I love ring bound planners but don't know what to do with the ones I have.

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