I really had some reservations going into this planner after I received it because I was trying to simplify my planning for work and home into two books, and thought maybe I had gone too big or picked something with too much flexibility that I wouldn't be able to use it all. So I wanted to share how I am using the planner and why after just a few weeks I am in love with it in case anyone here is on the fence about it.
Yearly Overview: I just bought a few washi circle dots to track my cycle and stick them over the day of the month it falls on.
Vertical Yearly Overview: I am writing down the days I begin, and end a book. I love to track my reading, and set goals every year, so this is a low pressure place to mark how long a book takes me.
Quarterly Pages: This is probably the most abstract use of these pages but I am diving into astrology as a "study" subject this year, and I love marking the planetary movement here. I use symbols in the spaces for planets and astrological symbols in the small boxes.
Monthly: This is where I am really appreciating the extra space of the B5, while using these pages to track appointments. My monthly overview is one of my most heavily used sections because seeing how busy a month is really helps me pre-plan and make the best use of my time. I am not currently using the outer sections, but I love that they are there if I need them, and plan on using them to make cleaning schedules now that I have better familiarized myself with the book.
Dashboard: This is my least utilized space at the moment while I learn how to use it but I am currently listing goals under The Month's Goals section, and under Habits / Tasks listing any habit tracking I am doing and drawing boxes across the weeks as I complete things. I am not pressuring myself to use all the space because I want to use the Monthly List to write my work sales in later on, and the other spaces organically as I need them.
Weeklies: These pages are what make this planner my planner peace, unicorn, please never ever take this away from me or I'll wither away and decay planner. I have had such a hard time merging my work and home planners in the past because I like to keep my tasks separate but need to reference both all the time. It is just how my brain works, and I am sure it's clinical. I am using the vertical days for work and then, I turn the sidebar into a horizontal weekly planner for my personal appointments and home tasks... IT'S LIFE-CHANGING. To have everything in a two-page spread, but also separate enough that they don't muddle, AND the B5 gives me enough space to do both. No words, absolute genius!
Cosmo Air Light Paper: I knew it was great because I have used it before but I am really loving it even more in this weight. I used to use it with fountain pens, and gel pens but these days I have switched to pencil and it's just as dreamy to write on.
I will 110% already be buying one next year (I am already manifesting that it will be available) because it has already helped me so much these past few weeks. I am even keeping better track in this book, even though I am doing such a low-pressure and highly functional, you don't have to fill every little bit of space, kind of year. Because it's just soooo easy to use.
