Reddit mentions: The best planners, refills & covers

Hey /u/Asteri00 ! It sounds like you are interested in starting a podcast and a YouTube channel as a hobby. Good for you! Although my subject interests differ from you, I podcast for a hobby as well so hopefully I can help.

You have a LOT of great questions. In the future it might be best to ask these types of questions in the /r/podcasting subreddit. From what I understand this subreddit is more geared towards listeners and fans of podcasts whereas the podcasting subreddit is more for podcast content creators.


Some of your questions are difficult to answer because you haven't stated a budget. A computer, for instance, can be as little as $500-$600 USD through $5,000 USD. Most computers will work for audio production these days okay but if you are wanting to do a video show as well that takes a bit more processing power and drives the component specification requirements up. We cover the various computer component specifications that you need to look out for in Better Podcasting Episode 107: Podcasting PC Hardware. In general I try to look for a decent refurbished "gaming" system available at Woot. I find I've been able to score the most bang for the buck there.

I've done some extensive work looking for decent headphones over the years. I wrote an post titled Podcasting Studio Monitoring Headphones that contains a lot of the considerations I've found to look for as a user. And we followed up with Better Podcasting Episode 147: Selecting Headphones and In-Ear Monitors in September of last year. Currently I'm using the Shure SRH840 and Sony MDR-7506 but still recommend the Audio Technica ATH-m40x and ATHm50x as well.

For editing I use Vegas Movie Studio 15.0 Platinum and Audacity although I think Movie Studio 16.0 is out now too. I've also heard great things about Reaper and Hindenburg Journalist and Hindenburg Pro. If you want to see me using Movie Studio and Audacity I have editing WalkThrough videos available on a YouTube Channel.

For recording I use XSplit or OBS Studio for video and a Zoom H6 recorder for audio. I can also recommend the Zoom H5, the Sound Devices MixPre-3, the Zoom L12 and the Rodecaster Pro all for audio recording. I've lost way too many recordings over the years due to computer and software failures so I do recommend some sort of dedicated audio recorder if you can fit it into your budget, but to start off with I usually recommend a Samson Q2U microphone into Audacity to record to see if it is something you want to pursue more.

BTW - you didn't mention a microphone. If you wanted to prioritize video a shotgun microphone like the Rode NTG4, the Audio Technica AT875R or the Sennheiser MKH-416 would be a consideration. Otherwise if you were going for a radio station look (and prioritizing audio quality) the Samson Q2u, the sE Electronics V7, the Sennehiser MD-46, or the Electro Voice re320 (available in a great package deal at BSWusa) would all be recommendations I would make.

I don't use a ringlight but Curtis Judd and Ray Ortega have great YouTube channels for home and professional video gear recommendations. If you talk to Ray tell him SP sent you his way.

Trello makes a great tool for combining research and production flow. We've been using it on Better Podcasting for over a year and really enjoy it. It's collaborative too so if you have cohosts or a production team you can share ideas there. For shownotes on a particular episode we do write them out in a shared Google Doc which seems to be the Best Practices as you prepare to actually record an episode.

Because the podcasting space is so saturated, unless you have a huge following going into it I've heard from a lot of people that it takes three years to start to gain significant traction. We published Better Podcasting Episode 78: The Cruel Reality of Starting a Podcast with information about expectations of starting a podcast.

I do NOT use my real name but several of my cohosts do. It's your personal choice. However, if you plan to engage listeners on Facebook you'll have to use your real name. Facebook is very particular about that.

I don't use a notebook for organization but I do use a daily planner. I picked up The Emergent Task Planner this year and have enjoyed it so far. In the past I've used the Franklin Covey method and planner but you cannot find them anymore and they are expensive so I switched a few months ago. I also have a little journal for daily thoughts. It's nothing special - just a journal from the local store that you can find anywhere but it helps when I have the time to put into it.

Two more things to note. Our first six episodes of Better Podcasting were designed specifically to help new podcasters start a show. We've heard a lot of great feedback on them so hopefully they can help you. Also, as luck would have it we just recorded Better Podcasting Episode 168 Ways To Use YouTube this week. When it publishes on Monday it will give you some more ideas and tips on how to use YouTube for your show.

I hope this helps. It was a lot of information. Don't be afraid to ask us questions! There is a lot of great help out there for you. And I hope you are back to 100% soon!

~SP

Fellow speed freak checking in. I relate to this issue so much! I've developed many different methods for dealing with this, I'm not sure which will help you the most, so I'll just leave them here, for your review.


1.) Wake up early. This is key for me, because if I sleep until the world is awake, I get dragged along with the frantic momentum of a city full of people trying to get things done. This, in turn, makes me more frantic and rushed. Waking up early is an art, not a science. You have to be tired enough to go to sleep early, and you have to eat light, or not at all after sunset to release the energy drain from digestion. Ask anyone who's into fasting or intermittent fasting, they'll tell you: if you have 4-6 hours of not eating before you get in bed, your need for sleep will be practically cut in half. YMMV, but I just got back from a trip to Japan, I started eating a sushi meal in the late afternoon, and nothing afterwards. I started waking up at 3 or 4AM, totally clear.


2.) Crush a super hard workout first thing in the morning. A lot of people who are "fast" have untapped energy reserves. Literally you get frustrated because you can't express your energy completely, everywhere things are stopping you, or slowing you down. Not in the gym. You can go as hard as you want. Not at a hot yoga class. That will take the piss out of anyone, believe me. If it's your first time you'll be close to blacking out. But AFTERWARDS: you will be chill. I bet you $100 USD if you crush a hot yoga class before 8AM, you will be zen as fuck afterwards. You have to burn through your energy reserves first thing in the morning. It sets up a victory mindset in your subconscious - you've already crushed a major goal, so you don't need to rush toward accomplishing something more vague - and you've actually used your body and gone close to your limit (hopefully) so you get the satisfaction of having used your full power.


3.) Gratitude. I keep a gratitude journal, called the five minute journal which is a very minimalist approach to doing morning journaling. You write 3 things you're grateful for, and hopefully you truly feel that gratitude in your body. You write 3 things that would make today great, and you write 3 affirmations. That's it. You can do it in less than 5 minutes. Then, in the evening, you do the process in reverse. 3 great things that happened (hopefully you feel grateful for these), and a spot to write how today could've been better. It's really awesome for setting an emotional tone for the day - it actually conditions you to appreciate little details in your day, which will help when something stresses you out - you'll be able to find the flip side or the upside in anything. Somebody cuts you off? Now you feel grateful he didn't clip your car and take your mirror off. Drop your groceries? Now you feel grateful that cute person helped you pick them up. Etc. Having a gratitude practice is really important for learning to master your emotions, and a gratitude journal actually helps you track how you're doing across days, weeks and months, to see if you're making incremental progress.


Listen closely: Gratitude can actually make you invincible. If you can feel gratitude at will, literally nothing can take you out. You might receive a glancing blow, but as soon as you activate the gratitude, you're back on your game. This is why I practice Gratitude more consistently than anything else in my life.



and finally, the overall mindset of gradual progress:


THE ULTIMATE MODE I got this from James Altoucher's 1% Rule for Creating Habits. You have to take a view of your life that you're getting better 1% every day. This is so, so important. It's very difficult to make positive progress rapidly. Elite people understand this principle. You can do something Destructive rapidly - you can end relationships, ruin your reputation, shave your head, blow up your car - destruction is fast. But creation takes time. Look at nature, the way plants grow. It's gradual, incremental progress that eventually begins to spiral into exponential growth. Finance people call this compound interest.


If you make 1% progress every day, that doubles every 72 days. That seems like a lot of days until you're actually doing it. My workout routine, for example: I hit the gym at 4:30AM every morning and I bring my tiny pocket journal with me. I write down my workout that morning, usually only about 30-45 minutes. But then, the next day I have to beat my previous workout. I alternate parts of my body, so if I do abs and chest on Monday, then on Wednesday I flip back, see what I did, and I have to beat that, even by 1%. It doesn't seem like much. If I do 100 pushups on Monday, I have to do 101 pushups Wednesday. But it's not really that slow. I go for 200 pushups, even if I have to take breaks and grind them out, because again, I'm like you, I'm a hyper creative person, so I'm going for full burn first thing in my day. I love the feeling of totally destroying my previous record.


so you can see how, months from now, I'll be crushing 500 pushups before 5AM, that's nasty by anyone's standards. But I don't start by forcing myself to torture myself in the gym for hours going for those 500 pushups. I just take the 1% mentality, that I'm gradually upgrading everything, and down the road a ways, I'll be totally killing it. It's the same way a bamboo plant grows. You have to water bamboo sometimes for a year or two, and meanwhile you see no growth whatsoever. But you can't dig the plant up because it's not apparently doing anything. It's building an intricate network of roots down there. And then overnight it grows 60 feet. Did it really grow 60 feet in one night? No. It had to build that steady, incremental foundation first.


hope this helps.


tl;dr, wake early to establish yourself in a chill vibe. practice gratitude. go hard on a workout first thing in the morning to set up a victory mindset, and make incremental progress every day knowing that weeks and months down the road you'll be crushing whatever you've come here to do. stay on the ball.

My pleasure!

Yes, I certainly couldn’t meditate immediately after waking - that’s a definite invitation for “Sleep: Round Two!” :D

I like to journal ahead of time because it gets my mind going, and sets a positive outlook on my day. I don’t really have a set type of journaling though. I write about experiences, moods, dreams, concepts, goals, etc. It’s more of a “stream of consciousness” journal style. Whatever pops up. I also am working on presentations and writing a (non-fiction) book; so I work on that as well.

I am switching this slightly though; I’ll be writing/working on the book & presentations in the morning for an hour (because that’s when I feel most creative), then meditating. I’ll move my journaling to the evening because it doesn’t require creativity, and I think the brain dump will help me sleep better.

As far as recommendations for journaling, I would say to start with something easy and pre-formatted if you are looking to build a habit. Like a daily journal to build regularity. A gratitude journal - like The Five Minute Journal is a great way to start. I’ve bought these as gifts for my wife and various friends, and everyone has said they have been a very positive change.

I like what Happiness Researcher, Shawn Achor says about gratitude journaling & practices; by taking a few minutes each day to write down/remember specific instances to be grateful of, we rewire our brains to monitor for positive experiences throughout our day, like an app on our smartphones that run in the background. This in turn makes each day more positive and rewarding.

For me, I seem to stick with routines better if I simply schedule the task ahead of time. I have no issue on weekday mornings getting everything done in my routine. Ironically - I have more difficulty meditating on the weekends, even though I really enjoy sitting for longer periods and I have a lot more time available. On the weekends, there are a lot more distractions and I have had more difficulty setting a routine because, well, it’s the weekend. :D

Any way - there’s another novelette for you:D

Feel free to ask more questions - I’m happy to help. I wish you the best.

So everyday I write down everything I want to get done and check off what I completed. For me it’s:

Yoga every single day, whether it’s 7 minutes or 60. Just to build the habit I make sure to get on my mat. I follow Yoga with Adrienne on YouTube and practice at home to save money!

Do skincare routine (cleanser, serum, moisturizer, spf in the day)

Crest whitening strips (only for this month)

Take my vitamins

Spend 15 minutes tidying up

Listen to an educational podcast or audiobook (I also have comedy podcasts I like but shoot to listen to an educational one daily)

Plan my meals for the following week by Thursday of the week prior (even if it’s just acknowledging scheduled dinner plans, it’s not always meal prepped)

I also write my spending goal for the day. Currently I’m on a week of “no spend days” because I’m extra budgeting after overspending but sometimes it’s 20 or 40 or whatever is feasible for me (weekly budget divided by 7 usually works for me).

So I write all these things down and put smiley faces next to the things I complete. I tried writing them on a whiteboard, in a normal notebook and to-do list apps but none of it motivated me until I bought this planner from amazon:

Simple Elephant Planner - Best Daily & Weekly Agenda to Achieve Your Goals & Live Happier - Gratitude Journal, Mindmap & Vision Board - Undated - Lasts 1 Year w/Bonus eBooks & Stickers (Pink) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DQP1V7Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_q-qYCbG7A98T9

I think because it’s pretty and flexible, it made me want to use it! This notebook also has an area for weekly reflection under “successes” and “challenges” so for example my challenge this week is that twice, instead of doing morning yoga I put if off till the evening and didn’t get as much as I wanted out of out. While I probably won’t flip back to this weeks page, writing it down made me acknowledge it and I’ll likely keep it in mind moving forward. In terms of being held accountable with the planner: at first I just didn’t want to not get a smiley next to one of my tasks so would make myself do everything even if it was half-assing it (I’ve done 3 minute yoga practices before and still counted it lol) but eventually my daily structure became second nature and now enjoy having structure. It’s weird- at first it seems like a burden to have another to-do list after work but then becomes a source of pride!

I also have my household supplies and groceries on auto-order on Amazon subscribe & save and Amazon fresh and have automatic deposits into savings / 401k / bills so that’s all taken care of too.

Hope this helps!!

Amazon sells a Field Notes 56 Week Planner
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017OAACSI/?coliid=ICFGW2H0JSU2U&colid=1C2P1FGVXL68R&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it
It's a bit misleading because the product name makes it seem like it's for 2016 only but reading the reviews, it looks like the dates can be filled in.

I also found the Field Notes Resolution 3-pack on Pencils.com
https://pencils.com/product/field-notes-resolution-3-pack/
One of the notebooks contains a blank, 56-page "date book" which looks like basically a weekly planner with the dates left blank.
I've only ever bought one pack of Field Notes notebooks. I like how nice and portable they are, so I imagine that the calendars will be perfect for carrying with you. Good luck!

Every morning and evening I do the '5-minute journal' routine. I open up Google Drive, copy paste the format, and do the exercise. You can start with this right away :-). This takes about 5 minutes on each end.

I also use momentum to further nudge positivity and inspiration into my life. This free Google chrome extension serves me a nice quote, a gorgeous vista, and a focus of my own choosing with each new tab I open.

The format for the 5-minute journal:

After waking up

I'm grateful for:

• (3 items; e.g. house, food, friends, family, job, transportation, cup of coffee, another day, anything really)
  
  What would make today amazing:
  
  
• (doing this and this job, enjoying time with X, fulfilling this goal, eating, working out, etc..)
  
  (And I add these two to the original '5-minute journal' routine)
  
  Metta
  
  
• (wishing love, wellness and freedom to 3 or more people)
  
  Intention
  
  
• (a specific intention I keep for that day like gratitude, mindful eating, smiling, etc.)
  
  Before going to bed
  
  Amazing things that happened today
  
  
• (3 or more things that made today special/awesome/cherishable)
  
  (I added these two to the original '5-minute journal' routine)
  
  Intention
  
  
• (reflection on how you're intention fared)
  
  Insights and lessons learned
  
  
• (a reflection on insights of the day. I typically always have 1-2 important insights I like to consolidate. Unfortunately this doesn't lead to immediate internalization but it is a step towards that ;-)..)

I can't bring myself to spend the money on the more popular leather covers like CS and Foxy Fix, so my "upgrades" are in utility and aesthetics rather than quality. My current favorite is my Webster's Pages TN cover in Diamond White. (Amazon link) Pockets in the front and back, and wide enough for those who like having more than a few inserts. It comes punched with two holes on each end, strung with 4 elastics. I improved it - added a third hole to each end and then mounted grommets on the holes, and then strung it with six elastics. I'm actually surprised by how much I love this thing.

I also have this leather cover, which is really good quality for the price. Unfortunately, I messed up the leather and until I do something with that, it's out of commission. Currently, I'm considering Angelus leather paint as an option for salvaging it. I grommetized that one too. Ever since I got my little grommet kit, I just grommet anything I can. LOL

One area where I've definitely upgraded is my inserts. In addition to using Midori inserts for my weekly and monthly calendars (I used to just print my own), I've been getting Tomoe River inserts on Etsy. So far I've gotten them from Paper Penguin Co. and I've got in order in transit from GoodInkpressions. I've switched to using fountain pens almost exclusively, so good FP-friendly paper has become essential.

Broken dishwasher, broken washing machine, broken dryer. Dishwasher now fixed but we don't have a dryer at all and our washing machince just buzzes and doesnt wash. Ended up going to the local laundromat to do all of my laundry and sheets. Still not sure if we're renewing the lease. Maybe I should just find another place to live >(

I bought project highrise during the summer steam sale. That was a lot of fun. Oxygen not included is hard for me. I can't get the whole filteration system working (air and water)

Bought a game called Mint works. SUPER FUN! EVEN IN SOLO MODE! I'm going to go play some more of it right now. Can't wait to try playing it with other people. I do have a few other board games coming from amazon: Pandemic, Treasure Hunter Game, Gloom Second Edition: Unhappy Home expansion, Dairyman, monopoly deal, and i preordered splatoon 2

I finally was honest to myself and worked on my budget and student loan repayment plan. Budget looks kinda ugly. I'm terrified. There's never going to be enough money in this world... Also, I've been overspending like crazy. I'm really good at budgeting when I see the numbers. I was just in denial for the longest time because I wanted to treat myself. I didn't have the "college experience" so i went out a lot, ate out a lot, and overall threw money at crafts and animals. I'll have to be more findful now.

I wanted to get another hobonichi, but realized that they won't have them for 2017 anymore. I started looked at other notebooks. I do have a midori, but I don't really want to use it for bullet journaling. It gets quite expensive because I want to use that and keep that more as a notetaker/jot it down. I bought this STALOGY which looks pretty good. I'll be keeping an expense log, bullet journaling, and random notetaking in it.

I bought a vintage sewing machine recently. The singer slant-o-matic. I used them as a middleschooler in home economics and it's 100% BOMB. I was thinking about getting a more modern machine, but went Nah. The set I bought also came with a bunch of extra bobbins.

Last week I was at a fair and saw some people doing pillow lace/bobbin lace. It looks so awesome. I want to try it! It's a bit costly to get started though... I'm going to hold off on it for a while and use nontraditional materials to make some lace.

Since I'm really struggling with making friends and DOING SOMETHING that's not gaming, redditing, animals, and cleaning... I figured I could go take some community college classes (interior design, fashion, flower arrangement, etc), cello lessons, piano lessons, modern dance/ballet/jazz/hip hop lessons, sewing lessons, or something like that to get me out of the house.

On Wednesday, I went bouldering for the first time. I'm a bosssssss. JK. I haven't worked out in ages. My arms basically fell off when I woke up thursday morning. Couldnt even flush the toilet, open the fridge, or open the door. They even felt swollen. My legs were fine though. Normally with swimming, I get soreness in my core and legs. This is definitely a new muscle group I'm not used to have pain in. I've been taking some tylenol to help with my pain. Not sure if I like this enough to go back. I stopped going to the gym because I specifically didn't want large shoulders. IDK why when I work out, my shoulders just get bigger and bigger. My torso is a XS/S but my shoulders are an M. I'm absolute terrified of heights as well... So...maybe this isnt the sport for me. It's fun though! I'd go again, just wouldn't get a gym membership for it.

I found I was much more focused working on a whiteboard whenever possible. I got a cheap one for about $15, worked great.
Also web browser plugins that restrict website usage during work time, so I blocked facebook, most of reddit, twitter, things like that from 8am until 1pm and from 2pm until 5pm. Works great.

Also (and people are going to think I work for this company because I'm always advising everyone to try it) I bought this diary and followed their work principles to the letter (outlined in the first 10 or so pages), it's an amazing product:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Action-Day-Weekly-Planner-2015/dp/9935915026/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1427625367&sr=8-2&keywords=week+planner+diary

Use it for everything, not just college stuff.

Edit: Also, make sure you take a number of 10 minute during the day, step outside and just breath some fresh air.
Another - Bananas for energy, not coffee!

It's definitely a big fandom! I really enjoy being apart of it. I'm really introverted so having a place like the Tolkien fandom on tumblr to go to is really fun. Also here's a link,it didn't work the first time because I'm on mobile.

That's good you still have an appetite! I hope you feel well soon, sinus infections are so annoying.

I am mildly addicted to planners. What got me started in the beginning was a weekly planner that had seven days on the left side, and plain lined notes page on the right side. Something like this. I fine this format most practical and simple for general purposes. You can plan your week on the left side, and throughout the week, make notes and to-do lists on the right. Whenever you have something you need to do at a later time but not a fixed deadline, write it down in the notes page, and cross it out when done. At the end of the week, migrate any outstanding items to the next week.

I also use Outlook for scheduling to some extent, but I prefer analog system than digital. Just try different things and see what you like. If you decide to go paper route, I recommend starting with simple weekly format (monthlies don't allow much space for free notes and dailies can be too fine-grained and overwhelming.) One thing to remember, planners are only as good as how often you look at them. Unless you remember to review at the end of the day or start of the day, etc, it's useless. So, choose a method that's convenient for you to carry and review.

MY PEOPLE! I spent literally 2 weeks stressing about finding the perfect planner for this year because the one I used last year was acceptable but it didn't really fit my needs.

I ended up going with the PlanAhead Organizer because I was really looking for something that I could shove important receipts into if I needed to or take notes about something inside and not lose forever. You have to go to the customer images/video to get a feel for how awesome it is because the provided images uh suck.

This thing is amazing so far. It has everything: monthly calendar, weekly calendar, budget planners for every month, address book, a 3-card plastic sleeve, a clear plastic pencil bag, a note pad, an interior zipper pocket. I LOVE IT!

On the topic of goal-setting, for daily tasks and productivity I recommend this product called The Emergent Task Planner. I order it on Amazon but there's a free version online too if you want to print it out yourself.

For big goals and long-term planning I always have a really fine quality leather-bound journal (my dream journal) that I use to plan and track big things like housing, vacations, lifestyle changes, etc.

Thinking big and breaking it into smaller bite-sized chunks is the only way I can keep myself focused long enough to get anything done!

Thanks for the congrats and the informative comment. Some things I'll definitely take into consideration or haven't thought of yet:

• "Bring the most basic of lunches on day 1."
  
• I'm working the second shift (6pm-4am) so "lunch" might not necessarily apply, but considering the potential awkwardness of eating around this time, I think this advice is huge.
  
  
• "Come bearing a blank, voided check to sign up for direct deposit."
  
• This is something I always forgot in past jobs. And since I didn't do it on the first day, I kept putting it off until it just never got done.
  
  
• "Don't immediately make friends."
  
• Without the context this may seem like weird advice, but I can definitely appreciate this. Especially your, "People who get to friendly - who try to set the tone of the office for you may just be looking for a crony." Underrated advice here.
  
  
• "...ask your boss if you can shadow someone in the department for a bit. They will either give you something else to do, or point you to a trainer."
  
• Shows initiative too. I hadn't considered this.
  
  
• "Take copious notes... specifically named project planner notebooks"
  
• Like this? It's only $5.49 too.
  
  If you don't mind sharing, how'd you get out of the situation where you corrected your boss's boss? Was your immediate boss also disappointed?

I have an action day planner. I like it because it has room to write down your goals and it's designed to help you get things done. There's even enough room to write things like grocery lists and any other random notes you might need.

The file folders on my list would help me organize my desk.

When cleaning, try to stick to one room before moving on to to the next. It really helps you get it done faster and more efficiently.

You could be having some sort of dissociation going on if autopilot is how you're actually experiencing your actions.

What works for me is having a planner that's structured less for scheduling out your day (though that's there too) and more for reflection on each day and each week (like a short diary), and planning for the week ahead. Intentionally looking back and thinking ahead is really important for psychological health IMO, some people just do it naturally but if you don't then even starting to do it a little bit more helps.

This is the planner I have: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071X46FDQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I don't use it 100% of the time, and that's part of why I can use it. It's habitual enough that I usually update it, check it, etc, but I let myself blow things off or forget to check it sometimes. It's about helping me identify and remember what's important to me on a larger scale, not about making myself into a some ideal "productive" person who'll do everything I write down.

Frankly if there's 80 things to do no wonder you're not doing them. Narrowing that down to even 2-3 competing choices to do with your evening ahead of time can greatly reduce the decision paralysis (I fill out a week at a time once a week, on the weekend or like today I'll do it this evening because I didn't get to it yesterday).

Pardon my horribly messy handwriting. But this is the current journal I’m using:

Nitoms STALOGY 365DaysNotebook A5

The pages are great and it has exactly 365 pages so one for every day if I want to do a daily planner setup. But that doesn’t leave me with any extra for monthly or weekly layouts which would definitely help plan out school assignments and future plans.

Which Hobonichi would work best for what I’m looking for and it there a huge difference in layouts? This one has a very faint daily time stamp along the right side of each page that I don’t use too often unless there’s an appointment for that day.

Idk what kind of work you're in, but maybe a Panda Planner would help you? It's expensive but worth it. They have another version that's cheaper. Or just old fashioned writing down everything down helps me.

Your worth isn't tied to your work or your ability to get shit done or have it "together." You're enough. You deserve recovery and to not punish yourself for your shortcomings and challenges. It's a process, not perfection, and you're doing you're best. And remember that relapse highlights areas we need to work on. So keep fighting.

​

I use The Five Minute Journal. In the morning I find that it's useful to start with gratitude and filling out out for a few minutes helps to energize me before my morning mediations

I'm using both BuJo and the Panda Planner Pro as part of my workflow and I couldn't be happier with the very clean separation of concerns. My BuJo is now my written record of my day, how I spent it, and the important things went down. My Panda Planner is more meditative and reflective of my goals, things I can do to achieve them, and holding myself accountable for their success (or helping me figure out why they didn't happen).

I've been doing mine in a regular notebook as I just write out bills and what I need to save. I track my spending in a iPhone app called HomeBudget.

But this coming paycheck I'll be paying off my CC (💃🏾💃🏾💃🏾) so Ill be resetting that app and probably switching up my budget/tracking method. I've been looking at buying this to aid me.

Adams Home Office Budget Book, Weekly/Monthly Format, 10 x 7 Inches, White (AFR31) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001C864KE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_93aVBbFT68CRF

Good luck

I actually like that, but it's perhaps a bit too largeish. I'm looking for something the size of a standard piece of paper. Thank you though!

edit: I found this based on your recommendation which appears to be exactly what I was looking for. Thank you! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XHHBYKS/ref=s9_hps_bw_g229_i3

I tried, but I’m too much of a perfectionist. The last time I tried to BuJo I messed up the formatting and got so frustrated I threw away the notebook lol. I’ve been using a Moleskine Weekly Notebook Planner for the last 5 or so years and it really works for me, so I figure why stray from a good thing. I can log my daily activities and what not on the left, and the right side of each page has notebook lines for whatever else I need to write.

It's a hell of a lot of money. You could always try out a Stalogy 365 notebook in A5. It's £21 delivered to the UK.

There's a half-year one for £16-ish if you want the thinner Avec style notebook.

Same dimensions as the Cousin, very similar paper. It's a "free" journal so you basically mark the date and such on the page using the pre-printed information. You can start it at any time, which is a nice bonus, and you can also use multiple consecutive pages for a single day if you want, which is a bonus. Oh, and it costs a third of the Cousin.

From the reviews I've read, it's got less of the planner stuff in it but is a bit more flexible. It's supposed to be good quality, though maybe not quite as nice as the Cousin. I've ordered one for myself to try out.

Hooks. Hooks. Hooks. I have hooks by the front door for everything. I have a magnetic cloud key holder so I don't misplace my keys. Hooks for my bags and coats throughout the apartment. I have a tile in everything I own. Important things are brightly colored: orange wallet, lime chartruce water bottle ect. so I can find them quicker.

My place is a wreck right now though. My dog just brought in a dirt clump from outside and spread it alllll around the kitchen, there are clothes random places for no reason and I have pens everywhere but I can't find one. No idea where my wallet is. -sigh-

I just picked up this planner. I'm not new age and I'm not really into the law of attraction, but I liked that it has half hour increments and allows to set overall goals for each week.

You could give him a cute fancy pen like this one and/or a journal like this one or this one

That's what I was thinking, it seemed to be going way too fast. I used the black cartridge that came with the pen and it lasted a good while, somewhere around 3 to 4 pages.

Is it possibly because of the gold specks in the Emerald of Chivor? I'm very new to the FP game, so I'm entirely inexperienced beyond what I see on this sub.

What I'm writing on is this brand of paper, but in a standard legal pad format (just what I had on hand, I'm going to be purchasing quality paper soon).

If you need a little boost getting goals accomplished, I recommend: "The Five Minute Journal"

​

https://www.amazon.com/Five-Minute-Journal-Happier-Minutes/dp/0991846206

I started using The Five Minute Journal fairly consistently about a month ago, and it has helped me go to bed more easily. I dwell on negative thoughts less. It's nice. I'm thankful to the dude that recommended it, even though I only saw him a couple of times.

I've been using this Field Notes 56-week Planner this year.

It's simple and undated, which fits my needs quite well. I'm just writing down distance, pace, some details for workouts, weather and how my body feels. The only con is that I wish it had more room to write for Sat/Sun, but since I treat Fridays as rest days anyway, I just use that space to describe my weekend long runs.

I'd recommend Stalogy (A6) over the Hobonichi brand. [Same Tamoe River paper] Thin paper, cheaper, but lacking in the same page template that the Hobonichi has.

So what you're paying for is the extra design that Hobonichi put in. Ask yourself whether the extra Hobonichi page design adds $50 of value on top; if so, get the Hobonichi.

I've been a little obsessed with Filofaxes recently, and I found a great alternative on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B829V04/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A2W7N58A491TIT

It's only 9 dollars! NINE! It's the standard personal size. (I'll submit it as a link)

I have never been successful with an budgeting app or site. I do a lot better writing all my monthly expenses and purchases down in a budgeting book. Here is the link of the I get from Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001C864KE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

If you have Microsoft office or different version, you can use Microsoft Excel and they have various budgeting templates you can use. You'll most likely have to change the categories to your own though

Maybe the Five Minute Journal would help? It’s more focused on mindfulness. (Edited) Here’s a link to it https://www.amazon.com/Five-Minute-Journal-Happier-Minutes/dp/0991846206

https://www.amazon.com/Travelers-Notebook-Elastics-Distressed-Standard/dp/B07DHKK17J/

https://www.amazon.com/Travel-Journal-Notebook-Journals-Travelers/dp/B075NKSBC2

It looks cool. It shows it's age due to the leather letting itself get scratched. As you change so will it, and so will your thoughts.

also, one of the most badass men alive, Marcus Aurelius wrote a journal daily. Dude spent half his life in war and was considered one of the greater emperors of Rome.

Stalogy365 editors series in A5 is, to me, the closest you can get with a reasonable price, but it's very minimalist and not really dated. It has all twelve months in a line, numbers 1-31 on a line and days of the week on a line, very small and light in the top corner of each page where you can highlight or circle the info.


Edit for link https://www.amazon.com/Nitoms-S4101-STALOGY-365DaysNotebook-A5/dp/B00LFEBTCI

This looks like it could be promising: https://www.amazon.com/NotePro-Undated-Daily-Planner-Inches/dp/B0006HVGTG

five years now, I have been getting this incredibly unfussy Moleskin weekly planner. I like that it has the days of the week on one side, but then has an empty, lined page on the right where I can write down the address for a place I need to go to that week, or something that I want to look up, or just a list of things I want to finish. I use my planner to write down what I want to make for dinner each night, I'll jot down when an autopay is going to be pulled, and I think when there's too much going on in a planner, like some of those REALLY planned out Erin Condren planners, it actually makes it harder to use.

Haven't seen one that fits that exactly...[this one perhaps.](
http://www.amazon.com/NotePro-Undated-Daily-Planner-Inches/dp/B0006HVGTG) But for bullet journaling I like a bit more free-form, blank slate type of thing like any of these:
http://www.rustico.com/store/journals/notebooks/navigator-leather-notebook
http://store.bulletjournal.com/
https://www.etsy.com/listing/216957008/monthly-bullet-journal-set-of-3

There's the Nitoms Stalogy which has similarly thin paper. From what I've heard from others in this sub, it's not as awesome as TR but still pretty decent.

Edit: Added link.

Action Day Planner this one combined with the uniball multi pen this pen help keep me organized fairly well.

Have some stuff Muji coming in as well but decided to post now :)

List of items -
Uni Kuru Toga Roulette: https://www.jetpens.com/Uni-Kuru-Toga-Roulette-Mechanical-Pencil-0.5-mm-Gun-Metallic-Body/pd/6547

Tombow Mono Graph: https://www.jetpens.com/Tombow-Mono-Graph-Shaker-Mechanical-Pencil-0.3-mm-Black/pd/16825

Arch Eraser: https://www.jetpens.com/Sakura-Arch-Foam-Eraser-60-Black/pd/18452

Shitajiki Writing Board: https://www.jetpens.com/Kyoei-Orions-Clear-Shitajiki-Writing-Board-B5/pd/19479

Pilot Hi-Tec-C Maica: https://www.jetpens.com/Pilot-Hi-Tec-C-Maica-Gel-Pen-0.4-mm-Black/pd/10197

Pilot G-Tec-C Gel Pen: https://www.jetpens.com/Pilot-G-Tec-C-Gel-Pen-0.25-mm-Black/pd/4561

Mono Eraser: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IFXJSW0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Kokuyo Campus Loose Leaf Paper: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017JWQ5H8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Stalogy A6 Editors Notebook: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TYDSQS2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Kokuyo Campus Notebook Set: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002C4KL8I/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Rotring 600: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AZWYUA4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Kiki’s Delivery Service Kuru Toga Pencil: https://www.amazon.com/Mitsubishi-Delivery-Ballpoint-KURUTOGA-Guchokipanya/dp/B01LYDYVZE

Pilot Hi-Tec-C: https://www.jetpens.com/Pilot-Hi-Tec-C-Gel-Pen-0.25-mm-Black/pd/41

Yeah its a 5mm grid, and 367 pages. They have it in B5 as well, which is what I tend to use as my workhorse.

This is the one I purchased and it’s pretty cheap right now if you have prime. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071X46FDQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_mBb2AbY96A7VX

For me, I never put note-taking notes in my journal. I write way too much. But I do make sure to use the same size notebook for my notes, and I tear them out by category and staple them. I don't keep all my notes in one notebook. I'd keep my personal journaling elsewhere as well.

But for my organizational journal, I got a composition notebook - just plain, college-ruled - and started with a blank table of contents. Then I numbered the pages. Then I started with lists - one category per page. I had Books to Read, Movies to See, stuff like that. I added that to the table of contents.

Then I created one page for a week, a box for each day. I later changed one week to a two-page spread. I don't copy the month onto each week. Later, I added a month-at-a-glance page, but even now I keep this monthly planner inside my journal and move it to my newest journal each time.

With the table of contents, I don't have to worry about organization - I look for it in the TOC and find it. With my weeks, however, I ended up putting the next week's page # somewhere: Like, if week of April 23rd is on page 45 and week of April 30th is on page 52, I'll write "next week page 52".

And if I start a page and it's not working, I mark it out, cross it out on the TOC, and start again on another page.

Just start... that's really all my advice! There are no mistakes!

These Stalogies very nice. I have an A5 size. the paper is very similar to TR...a tiny bit crisper. There are dots instead of crosses.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LFEBUZY/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=MDPUZTN33OPH&coliid=I374GENRSPWWIA

This specific journal lays in out in a page per day format. It's nicer in person than it looks. Has a linen cover and ribbon page marker. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0991846206/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492787659&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=5+minute+journal

I just discovered this a few months ago and love it: Nitcoms Stalogy

Well-made and uses Tomoe River paper, or something very similar. I'd show you mine, but the dog "redecorated" it. I have a new one on the way and will post pics when I'm set-up again.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B018JQR6LW/ It has a lot of nice ideas. Most of the paper is not super high quality, though.

I literally just bought a planner on Amazon two days ago... really kicking myself. I got this one which I think has a lot of the same features without being so cute. :( It just shipped so can't confirm.

Have you seen this? https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00LFEBTCI/ref=s9_simh_gw_g200_i5_r?ie=UTF8&fpl=fresh&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=desktop-5&pf_rd_r=WM5FMMWZ79TZAEST2Y4Y&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=6a6cc5dd-a0e9-4c0d-9260-d64d035f3a65&pf_rd_i=desktop

Try this http://www.amazon.com/Nitoms-S4101-STALOGY-365DaysNotebook-A5/dp/B00LFEBTCI

I'm still working out a system of my own, but it right now involves

1. This planner
   
   
2. These as an on the go planner filler
   
   
3. Notecards that I write lists of things I have to do on

Only on Amazon marketplace. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nitoms-S4101-STALOGY-365DaysNotebook-A5/dp/B00LFEBTCI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1467580057&sr=8-1&keywords=stalogy+a5

Can't say I wasn't tempted, because the total was about 22 GBP, however I didn't want to take any chances with the stupid customs fees.