Reddit mentions: The best planners

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.

You're welcome and thank you also! I find one thing that really helps me is truly staying organized in all aspects. Clean home, filled out planner, dry erase calendar, daily routines. Depending on your needs, you might not have to be so strict about it, but I recommend a good planner for sure. I use this one. It is awesome for keeping track of everything short and long term as well as giving encouragement! I've turned many friends onto it as well. But even if you don't use this one, any one that has the weekly and monthly overviews will be great at helping you stay on top of your assignments which is a big part of not getting overwhelmed.

Edit: Also, about that planner I linked; they do release a new one every six months, so if you're interested in that one, you could pick it up before the start of the new year so you can start off with a full planner!

I'll leave a few options that may not individually cater to all your needs, but are good options

Planners that I am familiar with (but may not have tried):

- passion planner (structured): I have one and mine is b5 (7x10 inches). I got this one for free through so I didn't get to choose which version I got (academic). Mine is weekly (2 pages/week), and monthlies; each day is broken down by the half hour (but is not 24 hours). It's completely formatted and is directed towards goal setting/self reflection (weekly/monthly/general). It does include blank pages, and a blank space per week to do whatever you want. I don't use mine much because it's too structured for me, and I don't like the prompts/I never use them so it's a waste of space to me. I have seen people cover up/use the space dedicated to making weekly goals for other things using washi tape/stickers etc. paper quality is mid-high, lays flat-ish. Price is above your desired budget though. is available on amazon.

- Traveler's notebooks: essentially a soft cover planner filled with composition books. You can put in books to categorize your planning. A lot of freedom; you can make your own layouts (on blank/grid etc) or buy specific notebooks (budget, daily, notes, addresses etc). Paper quality varies, can lay flat. Prices vary (depending on cover and inserts)

-scribbles that matter b5 size(customizable): a bullet journal. completely DIY so you can make it however you want. paper is mid-high, dotted, lays flat. available on amazon.

-Pocketo A4 monthly planner (customizable): Basically the size you want. It's super minimalist and it's a monthly planner, but you can easily use it as a weekly and break your days down. available on amazon

- Amazon basics (structured): it's 6 months and is fairly structured, but it is weekly and daily (each day is 1 page). I cannot speak for the paper quality & it doesn't appear to lay flat. It's not exactly broken down by specified hours, and there are "dedicated spaces" on each page.

- High performance planner (by Brendon Buchard) (Structured): available on amazon, 2 page dailies, with prompts for reflection. available on amazon.

- Hobonichi Cousin or Hobonichi cousin avec in A5 size : Hobonichis are on my "things I desperately want but cannot afford at the moment" list. It's very popular though. Nice layouts (1 day/page), but highly cutomizable, there are no "dedicated sections"/prompts so you can use the space however you want (they are printed with faint grids). They are in japanese but it isn't overwhelming (people simply cover it up with stickers or washi tape, but many just leave it as is). There's a page at the beginning of each month to help you plan ahead & a few blank pages are also included. It lays flat and uses tomoe river paper (which is why it's so expensive). It's also from 5 AM to 3:30 AM, which a lot of daily planners don't do (ones that I've seen tend to go to 12AM or even earlier).

​

Planners that I have never heard of/aren't mainstream (from amazon)

- Roterunner Purpose Planner(structured): is B5, weekly but days are broken down into hours. Basically like bullet journal but someone has already done the layout for you.

- Potage 12 Month Undated Planner Hourly (structured): weekly, days are broken down into hours

-Lemome 2020 standard diary planner: simple, no prompts, daily, has tabs, lays flat

​

If none of these are to your liking, you can use these search terms to find more (A4 /B5, daily, houry, diary, planner, appointment book)

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-end rant^(lol) -

I give myself a lot of flexibility. Like, a stupid amount of flexibility. My opening page even says:

> You are not perfect, there are no perfect days. If you use this book as intended, it will become a ratted mess. That is the ideal. Use this book as much as possible, but don't be afraid to mess up, and don't hold yourself to using it daily.

I don't use it to plan much, honestly. I write notes, ideas, I roughly plan my week. But I do have a backup planner with actual dates and stuff in it, just in case I need a bit more structure. The date grid at the top helps though, because I can circle the date that the page was written, and then draw an X on top of days that are mentioned on that page. So if I'm at a Doctor's appointment on the 15th, and my next appointment is on the 3rd, I would circle the 15th and X out the 3rd. It's a small system that I just came up with recently that seems to really help guide me to just dump everything out onto paper.


The best book I've found to use for a bullet journal is Standard Notebook No. 3 OR No. 12, if you're a fan of wire bound books that are a bit smaller. I found both of them at my local ginormous bookstore, but both can be purchased online too.

They have a bullet journal marks template which is kind of neat, but the inside is just a date grid on top, a subject line, and then along the left is checkboxes, and the rest is just lined. My one small issue is that the grid is technically 29x29 which makes it basically unusable for even # week planning. (Like, I can't just have 4 lines per day. It's like 4.14 lines, technically.)

I still use some bullet journal marks, but usually my journal just consists of to-do lists and other lists. It's mostly a list book. A list of dog names, a list of step goals, a list of food that I like to eat. Stuff like that. I fully recognize that I'm never going to be a bullet journal guru, but as Jessica says in her journal video: the best planner is the one you use. So I try to not nail myself down too much in terms of "rules" or "semantics" otherwise I get caught up in doing things "the right way." That's not to say my journal is chaos though. It's not. I still have an index. I still have a somewhat defined order for where things go on what pages. I still have numbers in my lists, etc. I just allow myself more freedom than the original creator intended, I think. I think at best it could be called a bullet-like journal.

By far the worst attempt at bullet journaling I had was the dot grid. I used a lettchurn (however you spell it) dot-grid "bullet journal" for awhile and it was just distracting. I had to constantly be counting dots because my brain couldn't parse the information (dots and spacing) properly. I spent so much goddamn time trying to draw perfectly along the grid that I hated using that notebook and gave up.

I think in order to be successful, you gotta own your ADHD. You gotta stand there and say "yeah, I am gonna fuck up. But I can also fix it, and it's not the end of the world (usually)." The more you own yourself, the more you accept yourself for who and what you are, the better of you'll be. Not just journaling, but everywhere.

My recommendations:

1. Organize yourself. What do you want to get done by the end of the semester? (Probably a lot of it is "the stuff on the syllbaus"!) Now, how do you want to move towards each of those things across each month? Okay, now within each month, how do you want to spread those goals across each week? Then at the beginning of each week, you see where you are at (on/off track), adjust if necessary, then plot out what you want to do each day.
   
   
2. Reorganize yourself. You want to dedicate regular time to reorganizing and reorienting. I always liked organizing, and until I was medicated, I never got organized enough to be effective. Now I am more effective, and I also realize that for me, at least, organization is essential. It helps me feel safe and effective with what I am doing, which is important for keeping me engaged versus constantly pulled away by the feeling that this isn't the right thing, or something I need or want to be doing. It also means I am in control versus doing it only because it is due tomorrow and I'm panicking, which is important to me.
   
   
3. Mess up. You're not going to do what you planned each day. You're going to use that to make less ambitious plans, or you will switch up your strategy in a slight, low-cost way, or you will just forgive yourself and move on. And then you'll get too ambitious again and mess up again. And you'll eventually want to arrive at what are the most important things not to mess up on, and what are you willing to sacrifice? This is also why reorganizing yourself is so important. It plans for you not doing everything ideally to plan. That is actually a part of planning it turns out! :) People who stick to plan to do because their plan is changing to fit where they are at, versus them running to catch up with it.
   
   
4. Take care of your time and self. At least for me, ADHD has meant doing everything last minute, against my will, with panic and terror. I was fast and efficient and working until it was done. Switching strategies was weird. I would estimate time as if everything was done at run-from-a-bear speed (it isn't -- working in advance feels slower and less efficient), and then try to finish everything on the list anyways (which was usually not possible). What I learned was that my most important priority for the day (except when there really is a deadline) is to keep a regular schedule. The second I start staying late (despite showing up early), I am screwed... because then I feel like I have more time, and I slow down more, and then I feel run down and like I am getting no me-time, and... it all spirals out of control. Keeping a regular schedule -- including waking up early every morning -- has made me feel 100% more stable.
   
   
5. Ask for help as soon as you know you need it. It is okay if you're not sure why you need it -- and if your professors are buttheads, that is their problem and you can learn that and find another way to get help without having to feel bad, but definitely at least try asking first. Many educators will appreciate the initiative and engagement.
   
   By the end, you should have small goals towards each of your final projects (for instance, week one might be "write down a few ideas for the paper that is due at the end of the term" and week two might be "write down more ideas" and week three might be "google a few of those ideas")... such small goals they'll feel stupid. That's just about where you want to be. :) Those "stupid to make" goals turn into "woah, I can still fit this goal in even though I lost track of Mon-Wed! Let me bang this mofo out! YAAAAH I DID IT, I AM A CHAMPION!"
   
   ---
   
   Planners!
   
   I really like my Triple View planner -- it looks like this, where the to-do list and the days of the month (on left and right sides) are always visible. Then each day of the month has its own page (Sat/Sun share a page), and each has enough space for me to block in appointments and track how else I am using my time right next to the time scale, and then, closer to the spine, I will write in To-Do items planned for that day! The last two (as you can see in the image) for each month are devoted to a more traditional calendar view. (The 2017 one is here.)
   
   They also have weekly/daily ones, for if you just need to track appointments, aren't doing much on Sundays, and they'd probably be thinner I would imagine -- they look like this and can be found here.
   
   I use this planner along with post-it notes for a very useful planning notebook. For instance, for a long time, I took small post it notes and stuck them over the to-do list so that it was an always-visible but also reusable to-do space (since I had many smaller activities I was having to do regularly). Now, I have large, lined post-it notes like these, that cut in half, and I stuck one to every Sat/Sun page, so that when something occurs to me that I need to do sometime next week, I can quick jot it down there, and at the end of the week, I can move that forward easily until I get them written down and planned out on my master to do list.

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 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!

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.

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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.

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"

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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'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

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.

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

It doesn't fit all your specifications, but...

• Muji weekly
  
• Muji monthly
  
• Field Notes planner

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.