How To Set Up Your New Planner

THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE FOR HOW TO SET UP YOUR PLANNER…
1. Audit your previous planner
2. List what you need
3. Prep the planner
4. STICK IT IN A DRAWER AND DO NOT THINK ABOUT IT.
5. Bring it back out and revise after your brain has had time to marinate
6. Set that ish UP
OK yeah, maybe not EVERYONE who has a nice set up does this, but it is a pretty good method. What method do you use? LMK down in the comments ♥️

[@mrSlush50]

I hadn't thought of the sticky notes which is a great idea. Another option, use a "shadow planner." If you're anything like me, you probably have multiple failed planners laying around. Use one of them with lots of space left to try out all your new ideas during November and December. Get all the kinks of your new system worked out and then when January rolls around you'll have everything streamlined and be ready to go. Same idea as presented in this video, but it has the added benefit of making use of one or more of the extra planners we all have sitting on our shelves collecting dust and imparting guilty feelings on us every time we glance at them.

[@RachelleinTheory]

Suuuuch a good idea!

[@VintageRayne]

I used a notebook to make a mock set up of the planner I was looking at buying. It helped a lot. Turns out starting the week on Monday actually is just what I needed lol

[@LanceR63]

Love your videos and your mindset on success. My name is Lance. Simple life, Im 59 year old widow living in Florida and a 7/11 clerk of the store right next door to my condo complex I've been in and out of bullet journaling 5 years, I would drift off for a couple months and get back on. I can tell when my life is not participating in any type of journaling or planning. Here is something Im not hearing in the community of planning and bullet journal in general. Whether you live/work in your car, a bedroom, a dorm room, and apartment, an RV, a tent, or a mansion 20 br home, its important to me when starting journal your environment needs to be tidy and picked up so you can focus what to put down on paper and execute. You can't function living out of a clothes hamper and bed unmade. my best weeks of Journal and planning when I have a consistent tidy home and environment. Hope this makes sense. keep up the awesome work!!! Would love to see a tour of your study/studio!! Keep up the good work!

[@RachelleinTheory]

Hi Lance! Thank you so much for introducing yourself. I can also tell a LOT when I'm not keeping up with my journaling and planning because my life gets a liiiiitle haywire lol. I agree that a nice clean space is SO refreshing but I fear an office tour of mine would disappoint you for I am pretty messy 😂 It has a lot to do with how well my mental health is doing. But I do plan to do an office tour eventually. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@lindaturley3762]

I paid a fair bit for a customised a5 planner in October, excitedly filled it with highlighters, birthdays, anniversaries work time off, school hols, paydays and an abundance of stickers…. I pulled it out yesterday and I hate what I did to it!! Good advice😊

[@notjustanybeth]

Putting it away for a while is an important step. I discovered this by accident once, just because I was afraid to commit in pen. Turned out to be a good thing.

[@RachelleinTheory]

I so agree. It's super important so your brain has time to just chill and process it in the background.

[@momokeen]

I literally just filmed my complete mess of a rough draft before watching this video actually! I really appreciate how well-structured your video is. After the chaos of what I just went through, I needed a palate cleanse 😂.

[@RachelleinTheory]

Thankfully that's one of the steps in my process 😂

[@mellodi]

When I started watching planner tube I was shocked with all the predecorating. I usually use calendars or journals for writing and when I have some space left in the end I stick in some washi or stickers. But it is definitely a good idea to think about what you want to include in your notebooks and revise the old planners. Sometimes you may get a good idea this way 😉

[@diana_prince_1]

I agree with the decorating. I am a creative and crafty person but ironically I do not feel inclined to turn my planner into an art project, I just need it to be more productive! I do not mind a little bit of washi tape or stickers, but I'm a minimalist when it comes to my planner.

[@bamber4757]

I appreciate this video so much. No one talks about the technicality of structuring your planner. I go to these videos with the sole purpose of getting ideas to help me figure out how to set my planner up and every time I meant with a bunch of creative wash tape infused, planners that I honestly don't know if they even have any structure. It's so confusing. Great for scrapbook inspo not so much with functionality. Thank you so much! This was perfect. I watched this while drinking my Pumpkin Spice Latte-- such a vibe. Happy Planning everyone!

[@Okie_Stitches]

And here we have a girl after my own heart! Great video. I love all your videos!!

[@RachelleinTheory]

Thank you Christie!!

[@Okie_Stitches]

@@RachelleinTheory thank you!

[@ginahouston9352]

Thanks! ...realized what i'm doing haphazardly could actually be organized and got an ink+volt for 2024... saving this vid for reminder every year 😍

[@RachelleinTheory]

Thank you so much!! I'm so glad it could be helpful!

[@visi7891]

you are truly on our side 💚 thanks for actually breaking down a process/method

[@RachelleinTheory]

You are welcome ♥️♥️♥️♥️

[@aeolanyiramoon6260]

The happy folders in the background are so cute :')

[@RachelleinTheory]

Thank you 😄 they’re ikea!

[@aeolanyiramoon6260]

@@RachelleinTheory So cool, thank you so much now I know what to buy when I get there next time :) The video was great, too

[@toriialaniz]

Thank you so much for this video! I have been so stressed all month because I have my brand new 2023 hobonichi that I ordered and all of the other KZbinrs have already moved in, and I haven't. I don't want to mess it up, so I feel like I can't start it until I decide what pen I'm going to use for the entire year, what sticker book I'm going to use for the entire year, I just feel like I have to commit to one thing and one thing only and it's been super stressful. Your video made me feel so much better about it, and now I plan to follow your tips and start in my new hobonichi in January.

[@RachelleinTheory]

Torii!!!!! I’m so happy that this video could do that for you 🥺 the Hobonichi (and other snazzy planners in the book bound world) can often feel way too precious in our hands. But planners are destined to be messy because plans change and things happen. In terms of pens, one thing I will do if I’m getting stressed out about perfection is just use a different pen for each week once in a while. It helps me add some variety to my planner and feel a little less precious about perfect handwriting and consistency. So I guess my rec is to purposefully break consistency early & often so that it’s not so stressful 😂 Anyways, thanks so much for watching and glad it was useful to you ♥️

[@andreasilver24601]

I'm barely moved in and it's the eve before New Year's Eve. LOL It isn't a race or a competition. You move at your own pace and do what works for you. :)

[@nerd26373]

We appreciate your effort and hard work. Keep up the good work as always.

[@emmahill6832]

SO useful! Thank you!

[@southerngalcharm4460]

Thank you for a great video. Looking forward to the next.

[@jasbookish]

i'm so ready and going to put ur ideas into action now!

[@bearin29]

Love your commitment, simplicity, and straightforwardness. You have a new subscriber!

[@bearin29]

PLUS, fabulous snippets of advice all throughout. Thank you for your help.

[@flyspotter4404]

Thanks for the tips!

[@emilygentry6424]

Love all your videos! I let my first hobo cousin totally overwhelm me last year, but after watching your videos I’m ready to use it (and a weeks mega LOL) as needed. 2023 is the year to be flexible, welcome mistakes, and remember this is a hobby that is both functional and a playground for creativity ❤ Thanks so much for your videos!

[@RachelleinTheory]

Thank you for commenting Emily!!! That totally is the theme of the year!

[@mrsp5713]

Exactly @emily cortavarria I have the same experience.

[@wendyhoward2699]

Great video. Blessings.

[@angelapreciousworld]

Amazing video thank you

[@lukemotivationalideas4415]

U r so so creative I m trying to develop a theory.. So,m going to use ur planner

[@thelivichronicles]

currently binging your videos! Love these especially for the new year!

[@RachelleinTheory]

Thank you Olivia

[@JustScribble]

I've always done this process and used post-its to make notes on what I'll be using each section/page for whether using a preprinted planner or a bujo. I cover lots of things in my audit process. Portability, decor, spreads that work and don't, things I wish I'd done better, things I really need, goals I have and how the planner can help me with those and more.

[@RachelleinTheory]

This is awesome added detail. Everything needs to be considered in the audit!

[@jasbookish]

ur vids are always so smart!

[@RachelleinTheory]

Thank you Jas!!!

[@SilverScale.]

This is a great video... very concise, very practical advice re: the planning process, not just specific ideas on what types of things to track or specific planning layouts. A true how-to, as opposed to a what-to. Love it!

[@RachelleinTheory]

Thank you so much!! This is exactly what I was trying to do haha

[@deniseholmes7958]

Wow! A concise, practical process! I'm moving from three years using of an EC softbound to a Cousin...plenty of chance planner anxiety there! All the things you talked about. This and your other videos have really helped me along the path to planner peace... ☺️ Thanks!

[@RachelleinTheory]

Omg Denise! This is exactly my goal. Thank you so much for commenting and I'm so glad I could help!

[@andreasilver24601]

I should have put away my A6 health and wellness planner lol I decided to partially revamp some of the things I was going to do with it and luckily the tracker was only inked for December.

[@ThekocholateJournalist]

Thanks for the tips. This was really helpful! New subscriber.

[@RachelleinTheory]

Aw thank you so much for the sub!

[@ThekocholateJournalist]

You’re welcome!!

[@sambbbb]

I'm completely in love with your and Megan Rhiannon's channels rn. I'm struggling with whether to abandon my ECLP (poor fit for me, bad purchase tbh, but now I know!) for a Wonderland A5 or Hobo Weeks (or both bc gosh the mon oncle cover is cute) and I'm enjoying watching random planner videos to let my brain come to conclusions in the background. There were originally ~10 other contenders in the running so I'd say it's going well.

[@RachelleinTheory]

I’ve honestly never used an EC planner, what was a bad fit about it? 👀 tbh asking so I can keep justifying not trying one 😂 I just released a vid about setting up a planner lineup which hopefully may help you organize all the fancy planners a bit. Thank you so much for watching and commenting ♥️

[@sambbbb]

@@RachelleinTheory yesss I got the notification for it and bribed myself by saying I could watch it after I shower, get dressed, and eat (1.5/3 done lol). For the EC it's a bunch of things. 1. It's bulky. That thick paper and the coil are chonky. I would never take it on a trip. 2. I bought the wrong colorway for me. Everyone talks about how pretty EC colors are, but irl I dislike at least half the monthly colors. Some of them end up way too dark on the headers too, so that even a 1.0mm jet black pen is hard to read there (and I usually use 0.38-0.50 pens in planners). It feels kind of juvenile? I'd be more comfortable with the muted pastel floral colorway, In Bloom. 3. The headers on the vertical layout ended up stifling me (on top of me trying to cover half of them with stickers or washi bc I don't like the colors) because it kind of limits me to three categories, or else using the headers as their own category (if that makes sense). I do better with plain vertical columns so that I can draw in my own boxes. I'm ADHD/autistic and so I'm quite fussy about how I organize myself. 4. People go on and on about the amazing paper but I'm not that in love with it? My pens all ghost the pages anyway so I'd rather just have super-thin, portable paper instead. In some ways I like the squish it has with stickers and stuff, but I think I prefer a more neutral texture. 5. The SMELL. I put it open with a fan for weeks after receiving it and it still smells vaguely like a KFC. So gross. I've seen people say they love the EC new planner smell but I was revolted. 6. Not enough space for not-daily stuff. I've ended up using the entire bottom row of boxes for weekly things like a habit tracker, housework list, brainstorm list, to buy list, grocery list, 'next week', etc. It just exacerbates feeling stifled with the headers splitting the top two boxes? 7. Small aesthetic things. The gap between each day. It adds up to so much wasted space. The curved edges on some boxes but not others. How much space is wasted in the top left corner of every page with the month text before the margin area starts. I am doing way too much to accommodate my needs in this planner. I think it's just not the brand for me. I was a Passion Planner user for a long time and while I hate how dark the lines/text are and how overly structured it is (why is every box labeled?), I really did well with the vertical columns setup. Hence why I'm looking at Wonderland. And for Hobo Weeks I'm into being able to draw extra boxes on the left while having the right totally open for notes/trackers/etc. That was probably way more than you wanted to know, but I'm not very short-winded. I'm considering making a video about it if I can figure out how to do an overhead cam setup lol.

[@prtkvdya170]

I’ve literally just bought 2 extra planners to draft potential outlines and reflect on my current planner.

[@rhondawise1897]

What kind of planner you used, enjoyed

[@le_onionboi]

god its so funny because i havnt thought about it but i definitely do all this but a lot more casually haha its cool to see im not the weirdo when i do all this 😂

[@RachelleinTheory]

NICE

[@pointeplusplus]

A couple of weeks ago I said I was going to use the ring round system but I caved for discs really fast 😅. The rings just weren’t efficient enough and also tore my pages under heavy use. I do feel like the modularity with discs and using mostly undated stuff feels a bit like cheating in this organizational regard. Also I don’t have an “end” to my planner so I don’t have a time where I have to start fresh in a new one

[@RachelleinTheory]

For sure! Rings and discs are nice for how customizable they are. Not my thing but I hope some of the tips in this vid can still help you out!

[@pointeplusplus]

@@RachelleinTheory I definitely see why people prefer bound books, for one thing, they're gorgeous lol. I think that since I write with my paper almost completely perpendicular to me, I have a problem with writing on things that don't fold over onto themselves unless the pages are pretty small. This video is definitely super helpful though! I'm in the process of redesigning things =]

[@emilymarlow2624]

Hi Rachelle! You work in academia, so I'm guessing you attend lots of meetings! As a professional, one thing I've never been able to figure out is how to make space for task kids and meeting notes. I don't really need a calendar, I live by my Google schedule. What have you done/seen out there to combine personal and professional tasks, planning, and meeting notes? Thanks!

[@RachelleinTheory]

GOOOOD question. I attend so many meetings lol 😂 If you have seen my video about setting up my two Hobonichi weeks, one for work and one for personal, you can kind of see how I’d set it up. Which is by having a separate planner for each and carrying them around in one cover haha. I do recommend a bigger planner if you want to combine them into one set up. A planner like the Sterling Ink Common Planner (regretfully I think it’s out of stock rn!!) or a Hobonichi weeks mega with plenty of blank pages for notes in the back would work too. I keep my notes for work digital bc I always have to reference them and it’s so much easier to use the search instead of flipping thru papers. Of course there’s always a bujo, where there are infinite possibilities of combinations. But now as I’m answering this I keep having ideas for weekly layouts 🤔 maybe I should just make a video about this? 😂

[@villiahari2635]

The video is very informative, really nice☀️ But the vocal fry is quite distracting and makes it difficult to watch the video

[@subhamsrittamnayak7849]

What happened to ur voice all good ?

[@richardalvarado-ik9br]

I'm a guy so I want simplicity and no pretty colors or flowers. Black, gray, navy blue or brown.