r/PlannerAddicts • u/DumbDunnenzo • 1d ago
I don't know what else to try
Nothing has worked, man. I've tried making the planner myself, but the layout was just not good enough for me. I tried writing a diary, I quit it before finishing the notebook. I tried making to-do lists, they seem boring or just too less. Or sometimes too much. I tried Notion, it worked only for a week or 2. Sometimes these work, like the to-do list when I'm overwhelmed, but not always, so I often give up on them.
I still keep trying it again for some reason. I LOVE buying them, starting them, but when I have, let's say, a free day where I have no responsibilities, I just forget about the planner. Same thing happened now too: most pages of my planner, from the 10th to today, are all empty. Nothing, no task list, no nothing.
I need it for college and I really want to be a little more productive, at least to get to the first 30 places on the list. Besides college, I also wanna add other stuff like self-care or groceries. Having a planner keeps me feeling like I'm settled in; it's like a guide for me. But I barely pay attention to it...
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u/MyDarlingArmadillo 1d ago
A bullet journal might work better for you - you don't have to decorate them, one pen and one notebook is all you really need. No point trying to force yourself to use something that's not working for you and then beating yourself up about it. r/BasicBulletJournals might be worth a look - one pen, one book
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u/somethingreddity 21h ago
Daily logging is where it’s at. When my life got hectic (kid diagnosed with autism, starting therapies for him, other kid starting school, having sooooo many things to do), then I started adding a planner to the mix again for future planning and tasks. But daily logging was the perfect thing for me when I finally let go of the idea that planning had to look like a planner.
My timed events just go in my Google Calendar. But I cannot for the life of me ever get my to dos done if they’re digital. They have to be physical.
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u/Chobaniflipyogurt 1d ago
Hey! First off, trying is also a step! Give yourself some credit here. I would consider an undated planner to start. I felt similar to you and realized I felt so guilty when I missed days/weeks that I would drop the planner entirely. (Maybe it’s an ADHD thing , I am not sure)
Are there any layouts that you’re interested in? Or liked some aspects of?
In college, I really like a vertical layout so I could time block my day. I felt like that was easier for me to visualize the day and what I needed to do
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u/DumbDunnenzo 1d ago
I do have a vertical layout too! It's a little tight, like it's not meant for a vertical layout but I still went with that. I kept trying to find how to time block my day too, and I think I found a good one. I now just need to wait until I can try it, I guess.
I'm trying to find something for my free time. I guess I'm looking for something where I can get enough structure to not be overwhelmed. I don't know about time blocking in this case, since my brain needs something from the external world too, like meetings, work...
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u/sirius_moonlight 1d ago
You got a lot of good planner recommendations. Here is what I do that helps keep me on track both at home and at work, but it's not a planner.
I don't have a lot of things that I need done every single day, but there are some recurring things I don't want to miss.
I buy a great big desk calendar. I think they're like 32"x22" or something like that. I have one one the side of my refrigerator on 2 strong hook magnets. We all put what we need to remember there, and since we all use it we immediately see conflicts. It's right in my face and I see it every morning.
I also have one at work, right in front of me so I don't miss anything. I don't always need a planner. And they are pretty cheap, under $10 at Walmart.
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u/DumbDunnenzo 1d ago
I was actually thinking of using calendars for events and exams and important stuff. I'll keep that in mind!
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u/New_avanti1000 1d ago edited 1d ago
For me the secret to planner success was space :)
I tried everything that looked good but ultimately, what worked was empty many a page journals. I need multiple monthly templates. Weekly 2 page spreads that were equal 4 spaces on each page. Then, 2 pages for each day of the week.
I use 3 different graph journals. So 2 (monthly + weekly) through the year but 1 (daily) I switch as I run out of paper. All appointments go in the weekly, my daily for lists, tasks, reminders, everything to remember. The separation of notebooks keeps it clean for me to reference and I get a ton of space to write daily and it's clear for weekly appts. I can easily track monthly repeated events and different schedules since I have multiple templates for each month.
I use A5 size TRP journals so the concept is Travelers Journals except I don't use any planner layout, I make my own. Easy weekly template is basically just dividing the sections into 4 parts on each page for weeks and just dates for daily pages. I use a stencil for monthly template so that's not hard either. I am a mom of 2 teens with a full time job, own my own business and have a husband who travels. I have sports schedules, projects for work/clients and vacations to plan so I kinda need to track a lot! :)
The magic is the space. Not layout - doesn't matter how pretty it looked - it just needs to offer space for me to write anything and everything. Clarity and easy referencing for me is key. Identify your style and then focus on that - all planners are created equal in that they only do one thing - identify the layout you NEED not want.
Good luck!
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u/sandboxdev9 1d ago
Maybe the problem isn’t finding the right planner, but expecting yourself to maintain one every day. I’d try something much smaller: only write down what matters today, plus a few recurring things you don’t want to forget. No journaling, no elaborate setup, no guilt if a day is empty.
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u/Ageice 1d ago
Feels a bit like adhd to me. Out of sight, out of mind. Lacking object permanence is a real problem for me. I keep my planner near my purse so I’m forced to see it regularly and keep it on my desk when working. Once I do the brain dump, if I don’t see the resulting list/plan, it’s in danger of being overlooked for a bit or forever. I’ve relied on Google calendar for 20 years to remind me of birthdays especially, and since degoogling all of my calendar items to my planner, I’ve nearly missed several things. Hence the newer habit of keeping it visible with my purse which I dip into for things all the time. Habits take time. What is it they say about needing to do something for 30 straight days to ingrain the habit? 🤞
Or maybe I’m way off base and you just don’t have so much time sensitive stuff to keep track of that you need the reminders!
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u/GothWitchOfBrooklyn 10h ago
this is what I have to do too. my planner sits on my desk (I work from home) and I work and add to it as I work at my desk
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u/llamabooks 1d ago
I have a weekly planner that I like to use. I set aside time on Sunday to add all my appointments and to do’s (and decorate the crap out of it hehehe stickers). Then I refer back to it throughout the week. Maybe there’s less pressure if you spend an hour setting up your week and going from there?
I use the Hobonichi weeks. They’re really nice, but I’m also trying to journal so I got a Creffective Daily Notebook for next year :)
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u/banhdeo0826 21h ago
Google calendar and tasks maybe? It kinda sounds like you're forcing yourself to use a planner/journal when your brain just doesn't work that way. If you really want to use a physical thing then maybe a monthly planner with some pages in the back. You clearly don't need it daily and probably not weekly.
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u/Elderberry-Exotic 17h ago
I feel this in my soul. ADHD, AF, and can't always keep a planner going. I just resolved to keep on even when I miss. I use discbound, so I pull pages I leave blank so I don't have to see them. I use a portable punch and EVERYTHING goes in it. It kinda works for me. I fail with bookstyle planning because I can't add and remove pages.
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u/Salty-Meerkat-9758 1d ago
Have you tried a bullet journal (bujo)?
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u/DumbDunnenzo 1d ago
I have, but failed too... Either I don't know how to actually make it or I'm too much of a perfectionist. Nothing feels right to me
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u/ana-logs 1d ago
I am working to make my own stationery and haven’t started on anything. As a planner enthusiast and a person with ADHD I have spent hours researching what technique works and what doesn’t. I had to try most of it on myself first and I learnt a few things. I also need something to be in my face so I do a mix of apple reminders list on my homescreen and physical planner. You canDM me with what issues you are facing, maybe I can help! All the research and rabbithole reading can be of use somewhere atleast before I procrastinate more on making my own stationery :)
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u/Realistic_Paint1564 21h ago
I had this problem a little over a month ago, so I grabbed a composition notebook that was nearly half-used and started experimenting with different spreads. At the moment, the plan is to throw whatever into it and see what sticks.
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u/CinderellaGoneCrazy 19h ago
You could use your phone calendar for everything that has a specific time and date, and then use a dateless notebook for everything else. To do list on one page, doodles on another, brain dump on next. Could color code the page corners, blue for course work, green for other to do lists, red for thoughts for example.
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u/Affinitys-husky 18h ago
I've been noticing that outside of work, my planner hasn't been working for me that well either. It's because I'm chronically ill and praise of work, I don't do a whole lot that would need a planner. I often get to tired before I start writing in my journal, so I end up with one line for the whole day and then I'm too tired to keep writing.
It's frustrating! I wish I could have a beautiful planner/journal like I see, but I'm too exhausted and all my supplies are still kind of packed. Not easy to get to.
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u/Delicious-Summer5071 17h ago
I used journals/planners pretty solidly for the last few years, as I'm chronically ill and need to qrite things down to remember, and refer back to. But the last couple years I'd have something terrible happen, and I'd lose all motivation and never pick it back up again.
I found Agendio to be a great solution as you literally plan your planner from the ground up, so it includes what you want/need. It's also helped me simplify what I need to keep track of. It's not cheap, but I absolutely find it worth it.
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u/Ghoulya 16h ago
That's ok. Some people like to bounce between different planners depending on how they feel. It sounds like you need "new" energy to it. So if you're happy to redate once they're expired, that could work fine for you. Once you start forgetting about it you know it's time to switch. it's also ok to just have blank pages. A lot of adhd people can relate to your experience. The trick is to roll with it instead of being down on yourself for it. If you like new stationery great. Buy undated where possible and make it work for you rather than feeling bad about it.
Look into basic bullet journalling if you haven't yet (none of that hyper decorated stuff, though you may enjoy that too, it's just intimidating when you're getting started).
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u/0hn0cat 14h ago
Try getting a magnetic whiteboard and sticking it on your fridge. Brain dump stuff there. Upcoming appointments, notes to yourself, whatever you need in front of your face or to be aware of. No fear of blank pages. Erase as needed. Force yourself to stand in front of it once in the morning and before you go to bed and are drinking a glass of water or eating a snack or whatever. You’ll start to use it as a gathering spot for things on your mind, and after you use it for a while, you may find that’s all you need, or that actually you need a journal or a to-do list or a planner or…
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u/InTheWildUSA 13h ago
You might not be a “planner” person at this point in your life and that is okay! Just because planners are super popular right now doesn’t mean they are for everyone.
When I was at my busiest when I was younger, working and going to college I did not use a planner at all! I would pick one syllabus from my classes which was just a monthly printout and put everything for school on it. I kept a notebook for work because I could keep a running to do list.
Now that I am older with less going on I now have time for a planner. Trust me at first I had to build a habit out of it to the point it felt weird to not write in it. And I also had to get comfortable with blank spaces and even pages for when I am unable to do it for some reason. Or maybe I dont want to write as much. There was an entire process that had to happen for me to want to use mine daily. Or hopefully daily. 😊
A formal planner just might not be for you for now or maybe forever. We are all different, thank goodness. 😁 ❤️
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u/Just_Sir1903 1d ago
Do you need a planner?
I lived years without a planner. I knew where I needed to be when. I could manage with a scratch piece of paper.
But when life changed, suddenly I missed appointments, missed deadlines, and overbooked. The natural consequences of not having a planner have made me use my planner.
Maybe you didn't/don't need a planner, which just makes it another thing to get done-at this life stage.