Back to my comfort zone…and my Hobonichi’s.

I know many of you out there gave #OneBookJuly a whirl and while I did follow through with my plan for the month of July, I am so happy to be back in the comfort of my Hobonichi planners.

I wrapped up July and put away my personal size Filofax Finsbury with a great sigh of relief, but with also a sense of accomplishment.  I managed to use the ringed planner the entire month and while I did have to supplement with my Hobonichi Weeks and Cousin Avec, I staved off the desire to give in and leave the Fuscia Finsbury in the dirt.  Plus, I even managed to gain some insight into certain apps that I had previously written off as not useful to me.  So all in all, #OneBookJuly was a big success for me.

Now, with that being said, the one thing I was unable to do was to use the digital planner that I had purchased. Unfortunately, I just never found myself reaching for my iPad Pro to plan.  I use it to film my videos for my YouTube channel and for some basic recordkeeping but otherwise, it just wasn’t as convenient as my Samsung S7 Edge, even though it is so far advanced from my phone.  I like my iPad Pro, its an invaluable piece of equipment, but I am a true analog planner.

I need the feel of the paper in my hands, the drag of a fountain pen, the crinkle of the pages.  It’s all part of the experience for me.  Planning & journaling isn’t just about keeping track of all the minutia of my day, it is literally a ritualistic process that keeps me balanced.  I enjoy my time in “my books” as I like to call them.  It gives me a sense of satisfaction and completion when I check something off my TO DO List.  It fills me with happiness to make lists and to write things down that need to be done.  Its not simply about making sure I don’t forget anything.  I could use any blank notebook for that.

No, I want the full experience, the whole enchilada, the full meal deal.  I want to feel, touch and enjoy the moments of joy I have when I get to sit down at my desk and write.  Unfortunately, a digital planner gives me none of that.  I do love technology and I am a gamer girl deep in my soul, but the Art of Planning is something that requires a full range of sensations that I can not gain from a device.  It has to be analog.

I am sure some psychoanalyst out there will tell me its all in my head, and if that’s the case, so be it.  If loving Analog is wrong…I don’t wanna be right!

Which brings me to my comfort zone.

Hobonichi.

I love my A5 Cousin Avec more than almost anything else in my stationery stash.  It comforts me beyond anything else I have ever used.  Couple with that my Hobonichi Weeks Mega and I am in pure analog heaven.  I do also use a Hobonichi English Planner in A6 for my Miracle Morning tracking and I even added a Jul-Dec A6 Techo but my plans for it changed so it sits lonely for now.

Currently, we are getting the first glimpse of the new 2019 Hobonichi Life Books and I am enjoying the experience, especially since this is my 2nd year now.  I am much less stressed this year because I know exactly what I want, I just have to make it through all the sneak peaks to be 100% sure, then come mid-September or October I will place my 2019 order.

I am not one to rush and buy everything just to have it sit in the box and taunt me for months, so waiting, while hard, is always a better idea for me.  But we will see what happens in a couple months.

I have included the link to my August Update in my Hobonichi Cousin Avec & Mega Weeks here for you in case you want to check it out.

Here’s to you Hobonichi Lovers & Japanese Planner aficionados!

…and here’s to a fun-filled September of sharing unboxings and figuring out all the new things to come!  ❤