As I have done since starting this blog, I would like to share my planning and organisation set-up for 2024. As you might know, I use the bullet journal method adapted to my specific needs, and I mainly plan on paper. After going a few years in pure bullet journal method (i.e., using a blank notebook and writing up my own spread as I went along) when I started freelancing in 2022 I felt the need for more structure, in order to keep track of future appointments and tasks.
That is why for 2024 I have decided to use the Wonderland 222 All-in-one planner, which promises to be a perfect combination of structure and flexibility, and which is available from European retailers without having to pay double the original price of the planner in shipping and taxes. In this post, I am briefly going to explain how a plan to use this notebook-planner combination, and how this will help me keep on top of both my personal and work-related tasks and appointments.
Indexing and finding things
One thing I like about this planner is that it comes with pre-numbered pages, and a space in front of the book to index your content. If you are familiar with the bullet journal method, you will know how important indexing is in order to find your way around your planner. Even years after you have stopped using it, indexing allows you to find and re-read specific notes, memories, or information you might need. So having an index is very important for me, and the beauty of this planner is that I do not have to go through the whole book writing page numbers. Instead, I can start indexing straight away.
Keeping track of things
One important part of my planning includes keeping track of things I need to do on a regular basis. I have explained this in my 2022 and 2023 bullet journals, but again this year I do not need to draw up a yearly index myself, as there is one already printed in the planner. I am going to use the one you see in the picture on the left above to track health-related items (such as vitamins, colds and other symptoms, exercise, etc.), while I have added another one to track home-related tasks such as changing the bed sheets, watering specific plants, and so on.
What I am really excited about though is to use the pre-printed habit tracker (picture on the right above) to count the hours I work and therefore I have to bill to each client. I have done that in a monthly spread in 2023, but I think the monthly tracker available in the Wonderland 222 planner will make things easier. I know, I could easily track this digitally (which I do as a backup), but as I have written somewhere else, there is nothing for me like writing on paper, it helps my memory and gives me a sense of permanence that digital planning does not. So I insist in keeping track of all these things on paper, and it has been working great so far.
Marking appointments and future tasks
Of course, one of the most important things I need to keep track of in a planner is where I need to be and when, especially since I work as a freelancer and therefore I do not have an institution which keeps a calendar of my appointments. For this purpose I have always preferred a traditional planner compared to the bullet journal, because it makes scheduling events in the future much easier. This year, the built-in dated planner of the Wonderland 222 will help in may ways.
Firstly, I am going to use the monthly spread as a future log, where I jot down lessons, appointments, and events as they come in. I have the whole year already laid out for me, so I can do that for any month in the future, without worrying about the information getting lost. Then every week I plan to transfer the appointments and tasks that have been confirmed into the weekly spread, so that I can have a clear overview of my week, of when I have time to plan lessons or go to the swimming pool, and so on. Visualising my week in this way helps me stay productive and avoid overbooking myself — I mark travel time as well as lesson time, in order to make sure I allow enough time between lessons to go from one client to another.
Secondly, I plan to keep this part of the planner as professional looking as possible. I love using pretty stationery, writing with brush pens and fountain pens, but I take this planner everywhere with me, and I open it in front of students and clients. This is why I would like to have the part that I will most likely use at work (i.e., the dated section) minimal and clean, so that I can open it up at work without worrying about someone peeping at a cute sticker or my personal notes.
Daily planning
Finally — and this is what really sold me the planner — I cannot wait to try the final “daily” section of this notebook. As you can see, this section is undated, and therefore can be used exactly as a bullet journal. This is where I can really put to good use the bullet journal method by creating daily logs where I can write down any notes, ideas, tasks, appointments, journalling entries… anything! The fact that the section is not dated allows me to use as little or as much space as I need every day, without worrying about leaving the page blank, or running out of space.
I am also going to use this section for the so-called “collections”, i.e., two-page spreads on specific notes, topics, projects, etc. Again, if I am at work, I can simply open the notebook at the next black spread and start taking notes, and I can worry about organising them later.
Potential problems
Some of the challenges I predict I might have to face with this planner include definitely its bulkiness. The planner is in A5 format, and as it is (without not having been used) it is about 2 cm thick. This means that when the planner will be used, it is going to get really fat. I generally like bulky planners, and I travel with a backpack so I don’t mind carrying a bigger planner. However, towards the end of the year this might become a problem and might make me leave the planner at home most of the time — defying its purpose of being a catch-all notebook!
Other potential difficulties might be due to the quality of the binding and of the book in general. This is my first year using this brand, so I am not sure how their product will hold up to the heavy daily use I put it through for the whole year. I hope I will not have this kind of problem, but I cannot be sure until I try.
All in all, I think I am going to enjoy using this planner. It is made of my long-time favourite Tomoe River paper, and it seems to have all the layouts I need, plus a little extra freedom to allow me to customise as I wish. I hope it will be a nice companion for 2024.
What about you? What are you planning to use as your 2024 planner? If you can, please share it in the comments, and let me know your thoughts on my system or experience with Wonderland 222 products.
Happy planning! 🙂
All pictures for this post have been taken from Wonderland 222’s official website.