Remember how I tried to use the Midori Hibino, then that didn’t work out? Then I went back to the Hobonichi? Well….. I feel like I’m just 100% done with using the Hobonichi planner. Actually, I know I am.

I started using a Hobonichi planner around 2019-2020-ish. I loved it at first because I was always busy. Well, let me rephrase that: I kept myself busy. My journal ecosystem was just one journal, and it was fantastic. I had a calendar, a planner, and a journal all-in-one. I felt very organized, and it kept me writing each day. Then, after a while, I found myself just writing to write because the Hobonichi was dated. Then I found myself planning to go out or set up an appointment for this and that because it gave me something to write in my planner. Yeah, I was not about it after a while, and I found myself burnt out. All for what?! Just so I can fill pages with activities that I really didn’t want to do. But I felt like I had to do it because it was in my planner. After having this type of planner for about 4 to 5 years, I just could not do it anymore. As they say, if you know that something needs to change and you don’t change it, that is now a choice. So I switched it up, and yes, I am one happy girl!

My journal ecosystem consists of 2 journals: a common place and just a regular-degular, no-pressure journal. Both are Leuchtturm notebooks, but one is an A5 (regular journal) and the other is an A6 (common place journal). My small green Leuchtturm is my common place journal. People use their common place books for educational purposes, but I use mine for more than that. I write down things I need to remember, different types of lists, and just random quotes and thoughts that come into my mind. Recently, I’ve been using my common place journal in place of using my phone. That’s been a journey, a long one, but still a great journey to digitally detoxing.

My regular-degular journal is my go-to; I have no pressure of writing in it daily or finding ways to fill the pages. I just grab it and write whatever I feel like. I do write about my day, and I also write about the books I finish and put in my review and thoughts about said book. If I wanted to, I could do a weekly planner or a calendar. It feels SOOOOOOOOOOO good to not feel like I need to plan out anything or think of a “weekly planner spread”. I usually use my stickers from Pepper Cut Studio and Amazon, and go about my writing. If I really want to remember an event or even a moment, I’ll even scrap a journal about it. I really want to try a “Junk” journal spread one time just to see if I actually like it or not. At this point, this notebook is a free-for-all!

Writing gives me an outlet to vent and also organize my thoughts and feelings. Which is why writing is one of my favorite hobbies. I remembered back in primary school, I only used a notebook. Then, in Middle school and High School, I had a Filo and a Journal. Then in College, just a journal, and now, just a journal and a tiny notebook that holds my reminders because I tend to forget.

Anyhow, if you journal, what notebooks or planners are you using? It’s almost 2026, which planners are you going to get for the New Year?!?! UNTIL MY NEXT POST!

Don’t forget that happiness is in the little things you do to make this world a better place. Be kind to yourself and be kind to others… and as always look out for yourself and one another.

– C