My Planner Choice for 2022 (And Planner Ideas for You)
I’m a planner addict. I need to have “everything” in one place.
Otherwise, I scribble a note on a Post-It and promptly lose it. I have spent thirty minutes searching for important information I detailed, bullet point by bullet point, on the back of an envelop that cleverly hid itself in a stack of papers.
I’m not a planner compulsive. I don’t need six planners to track everything from how many breaths I took in a day to the number of times I peed. Maybe I should, but I don’t keep a separate planner for my cats.
But if it helps you to be so precise, why not?
I’ve been using and loving the A5 Hobonichi Techo Cousin (affiliate link) for four planner-glorious years, not that all those years were actually glorious themselves.
A few things I love about the Hobonichi Techo Cousin:
The fountain pen friendly Tomoe River paper. It’s thin so 365+ pages can easily fit into a planner. The paper is coated and thus requires more time for wet inks (most gel pens) to dry. Use pens or markers with fast drying ink. I’ve successfully used Micron (.01-.05), Sharpie Fine Point, and Tombow Mono Drawing Pens (.01 | .03 | .05). Fountain pens are my favorite, but they require a little more time to dry.
The combination of yearly, monthly, weekly, and daily pages all in one book.
A vertical weekly layout. My mind just seems to work in a vertical way.
The simplicity and elegance. It’s a blank canvas (with a subtle grid) for the creatively-inclined to use however they wish.
The 365 daily pages can be used for many purposes: Notes, bullet journaling, art journaling (the paper welcomes watercolor), sketching, habit tracking, memory keeping, gratitude logging—the list could go on and on.
It’s pricey. But it’s saved me time and helped me avoid frenzied energy.
There are less expensive look-a-like versions if the cost makes you faint.
The Inamio Planner is one third the price. It has a small number of note pages in the back, but not the 365 dated daily pages. It comes in sizes similar to A5 and A6 with a heavier weight paper.
The Wonderland 222 is a little more than half the price. It has the luxurious Tomoe River paper and 75 note pages in the back, but not the 365 dated daily pages. Available in A5, B6, and A6 sizes.
Time for a Planner Change
But I no longer do any of the above planner activities on a regular basis. I’ll jot a note here and there or do a brain dump occasionally—not enough to warrant 365 daily pages.
In addition, I carry a big pouch of medications, including two Epi Pens, should I have an adverse reaction to an insect bite or something else. I’m at risk due to Hereditary Alpha Tryptasemia, but fortunately, I’ve never had to use one so far.
Adding the A5 Hobonichi Techo Cousin on top of that makes it all the more ginormous and too heavy as an EDC (“every day carry” in planner lingo) for this delicate one.
What to do? Go to YouTube, of course!
My favorite YouTuber when it comes to planning ideas, Lindsey Scribbles, previously a Cousin lover with a vertical brain herself, experimented with a Hobonichi Weeks Mega (affiliate link) in 2021 as her EDC and at last found ultimate planner peace.
There’s a standard Hobonichi Weeks and a Hobonichi Weeks Mega. Both measure a slim 7.4" by 3.7". The compact size makes it perfect as an EDC.
The Hobonichi Weeks also features:
Tomoe River Paper
Yearly, monthly, and weekly pages
A grid page next to each weekly page
The standard Weeks has 68 grid pages in the back and the Mega has 213.
Could this be planner heaven? Can my vertical mind adapt to a horizontal weekly layout?
Before I plunge in to the pricier Hobonichi Weeks Mega, I am trying out the format in an inexpensive, undated look alike (affiliate link). This is a sweet planner for the price. It has a nice cloth cover but only four blank pages in the back. The paper is heavier than a Hobonichi Weeks and it works well with my foundation pen. Smart companies always copy a good thing, right?
If you want to see the Hobonichi Weeks in action, watch the short videos below. You might find ideas to incorporate into your own planning process, whatever planner you use.
Lindsey Scribbles has perfected her weekly layout with space for events, day-specific tasks, daily highlight, tasks without a date, and other lists, notes, and memories. She uses the additional back pages as a bullet journal.
Mori A uses the monthly view for a gratitude log and the blank grid page next to each weekly for a personal reflection. She uses the back pages as a bullet journal.
Sarah Martinez anticipates a busy 2022. Learning from the past, she’s decided to simplify her planning process by consolidating three planners/trackers into a Hobonichi Weeks Mega.
You can view the complete line-up of Hobinichi products on the Hobonichi website for the store located in Japan. You can purchase directly from Hobonichi, from Amazon using the links above, or from Jet Pens. If you use my Amazon affiliate links, I’ll receive a small commission, which helps me keep writing for you.
Having the right planner and planning system saves time, frustration, and possibly money. It can make planning a much more enjoyable daily interlude.
Have you chosen your planner for 2022? I would love to know your planner obsessions if you wish to share!
Originally published on Medium.
Thank you for your presence, I know your time is precious! Don’t forget to sign up for Wild Arisings, my twice monthly letters from the heart filled with insights, inspiration, and ideas to help you connect with and live from your truest self.
You might also like to check out my Living with Ease course or visit my Self-Care Shop. May you be happy, well, and safe – always. With love, Sandra
