June Q&A: Mostly Analog Planner Peace, Small Task Overwhelm, Family Source of Truth, and More!

But we will start with a planner piece submission from Lauren, who sent me her kind of Techo Kaigi as her system is working for her right now.

And I'm not going to share her personal details either, but let's just say that Lauren has been through the wringer over the past, I don't know, year and a half, just stuff going on with her partner's health, and she's just had to organize a whole bunch of things.

But she is also retired, and she wrote that she was determined not to let her days slip by.

I'm quoting her now.

She says, "I wanted structure to replace the high-pressure job I was leaving, blocking out time for the things I've been looking forward to, like volunteering for kids in foster care, home projects, travel, and getting more movement in my days." And then she went through this health crisis with her partner and has had to be a major supporter for him.

He is doing better, it sounds like, but it has been a lot.

She tried so many planners to see what worked, but then she writes that she has found a system that brings her so much joy and so much peace, and she fills them in each morning over coffee outside on the deck in her small backyard in coastal California.

So that sounds so lovely.

All right, so here is her stack.

"Everything in my current stack," she says, "is Hobonichi." So you can tell why I really like this submission.

She says, "I love the paper with fountain pens, and having multiple planners means I get to enjoy multiple covers, which I love.

First, I have my noticing journal.

I use a Avec original in A6 size." So this is pretty small.

She writes, "This is where I start each morning.

I note the weather, what's going on in the backyard, like birds, flowers, and sky, and I journal my ta-das," so her accomplishments from the day before.

She also writes out a quote and does a quick two-minute sketch of the Merlin app's bird of the day.

She's been matching her ink color to the monthly theme, which has been fun.

Then she has her media journal, and for that she's been using a Hobonichi Weeks.

She writes, "The monthly views hold quotes.

The weekly left side is split into three columns, books, podcasts, YouTube, courses, and TV, and the right side just gets a bit of washi tape and a short note about anything I particularly enjoyed or want to remember.

In the blank back pages, she puts books she's read, TBR lists, and other lists for anything she's interested in at the moment related to media." Then she has a health journal, also in a Hobonichi Weeks.

This yearly, the little yearly calendar page tracks medications, so she can see exactly which medication she's taken and her compliance and consistency with that.

She has her monthly view showing sleep data that she gets from her Oura Ring.

She likes to write it down, as it helps her to remember to look at it and notice trends.

And the weekly view tracks her Apple Watch move, stand, and exercise goals, plus a casual food log.

But we will start with a planner piece submission from Lauren, who sent me her kind of Techo Kaigi as her system is working for her right now.

And I'm not going to share her personal details either, but let's just say that Lauren has been through the wringer over the past, I don't know, year and a half, just stuff going on with her partner's health, and she's just had to organize a whole bunch of things.

But she is also retired, and she wrote that she was determined not to let her days slip by.

I'm quoting her now.

She says, "I wanted structure to replace the high-pressure job I was leaving, blocking out time for the things I've been looking forward to, like volunteering for kids in foster care, home projects, travel, and getting more movement in my days." And then she went through this health crisis with her partner and has had to be a major supporter for him.

He is doing better, it sounds like, but it has been a lot.

She tried so many planners to see what worked, but then she writes that she has found a system that brings her so much joy and so much peace, and she fills them in each morning over coffee outside on the deck in her small backyard in coastal California.

So that sounds so lovely.

All right, so here is her stack.

"Everything in my current stack," she says, "is Hobonichi." So you can tell why I really like this submission.

She says, "I love the paper with fountain pens, and having multiple planners means I get to enjoy multiple covers, which I love.

First, I have my noticing journal.

I use a Avec original in A6 size." So this is pretty small.

She writes, "This is where I start each morning.

I note the weather, what's going on in the backyard, like birds, flowers, and sky, and I journal my ta-das," so her accomplishments from the day before.

She also writes out a quote and does a quick two-minute sketch of the Merlin app's bird of the day.

She's been matching her ink color to the monthly theme, which has been fun.

Then she has her media journal, and for that she's been using a Hobonichi Weeks.

She writes, "The monthly views hold quotes.

The weekly left side is split into three columns, books, podcasts, YouTube, courses, and TV, and the right side just gets a bit of washi tape and a short note about anything I particularly enjoyed or want to remember.

In the blank back pages, she puts books she's read, TBR lists, and other lists for anything she's interested in at the moment related to media." Then she has a health journal, also in a Hobonichi Weeks.

This yearly, the little yearly calendar page tracks medications, so she can see exactly which medication she's taken and her compliance and consistency with that.

She has her monthly view showing sleep data that she gets from her Oura Ring.

She likes to write it down, as it helps her to remember to look at it and notice trends.

And the weekly view tracks her Apple Watch move, stand, and exercise goals, plus a casual food log.