My Plan for 2025 | Sterling Ink, Hobonichi, Papertess Designs

[@RachelleinTheory]

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[@kelly.tee.33]

I’ve taken all my 2024 unused planners and pulled out all the blank pages. I trimmed them and stapled them together and now I have a scratch pad with really nice quality paper, and I feel good about the fact that everything I bought will end up getting some use.

[@wildlyimaginable]

Fantastic idea Kelly that I WILL def be using. Thx!

[@abbylynn8872]

I love this and do this as well. Just disc punch and create a new notebook❤

[@thepeacefulprof]

Wonderful idea!

[@MirandaPurpleClouds]

That is a great idea! ❤

[@Ambient70]

Great idea! Our office does something similar with old reports and such that have a lot of blank or mostly blank pages in them. About once a quarter they go through and pull all those pages out, cut them into notepad-sized pieces, and get them made into post-it notes that everyone can grab as needed. I may start doing this with some of my old, mostly unused notebooks!

[@melissabennett6571]

I have the 5 year and it’s by far my favorite way to journal. I started out strict with myself because I wanted it to be consistent from year to year but my life isn’t consistent. It’s a beautiful hodgepodge of little moments, big news, hopes,quotes, interests, movie reviews, doodles…. And it’s so fun to look through as a result. Even my kids add to it and enjoy looking at it. It’ll be a family treasure one day ❤

[@bad_anima]

I really like your intros! A lot of planner channels just go straight into the overhead camera but I like knowing what people look like. It feels weird to me if I watch someone's Plan With Me video and I know their dog's name and I know they have a haircut appointment Thursday at 4:00 but the only part of them I've ever seen is the top of their hands. I'm glad you're feeling good about your planners going into 2025! Hopefully each year we get a little bit smarter about what we need in a planner, but also, knowing that sometimes as seasons of life change, so do our planning needs.

[@cathycirina-chiu6972]

i so appreciate you sharing the 'spiritual' aspects of your planning/journaling practice. love your vids.

[@tyresseferguson2462]

I love an undated planner mixed with blank pages. It provides the versatility that I need without having to planner hop. I love seeing the whole year in 1 planner.

[@karalozano5764]

"Absolute unit" made me laugh every time lol I can't get on the small planner train. Not only does my hand fall off but my brain feels confined to the page space and I like to mind map too much. Excited to see how you use the manager's notebook!

[@Pixel-Vine]

The manager's notebook looks so handy for big long term projects/businesses. I'd like a separate tome specifically for my online business and I'm super intrigued by this! Thanks for the referral to Papertess

[@DaiDo-ys3uw]

Im my experience, redundancy is the main thing to avoid. If you journal in your 5 year book, why should you write something similar in your main calendar? If you put down tasks and appointments in your private calendar, why should you double your work and write them down in your work calendar again etc. But if the system avoids these pitfalls, it usually feels much better. At least in my life :)

[@paula6477]

I really like the idea of an undated planner that I can start whenever I want and use until it's full.

[@wildlyimaginable]

Exactly Paula! I decided to use an undated planner this year and will not be going back to a dated one anytime soon. Didn't feel good leaving all those blank pages cause the date had passed already.😥

[@betisbaby]

I few weeks ago i realised that i had like 3 unused planners from previous years and now i have one that i use just to learn how to draw lmaoo Also, i realised that i didnt use my planners and i was obsessed with having a thing or two from this and that planner, so what i did was to modify and make my own planner from all those combined. I now have a personal check system for goals, projects, routines, habits and weekly revisions from one. The calendar and weekly version that i use as time blocking (the one divided by hours) of the Hobonichi planner and another weekly version from another planner that i really love bc it has a lot of space and i can write all my tasks there.

[@Chaos_and_Creativity]

I would LOVE to hear how you pieced it all together ❤

[@betisbaby]

@Chaos_and_Creativity what do you mean? I put them all together in a pdf and is basically a monthly printable (i could find a hobonichi pdf of this year, so I extracted a month and a week and made them undated and for the other planner i scanned it and also undated it, it was just one week so it was easy) and then when I have the planner printed (is like 40 pages in an A5 format which is like 10 folios) I make some holes and add it into an AliExpress plastic folder

[@betisbaby]

@@Chaos_and_Creativity I hope that makes sense to you!

[@Chaos_and_Creativity]

​@@betisbabyyes this is amazing, thank you!

[@theothermrslandgraab]

In '25, I'm using an A5 six-ring binder as my personal planner, Hobonichi Weeks for work, Resilience Agenda's daily edition of Mental Fitness Diary & Planner to regain my mental health, AND One Line a Day 5-year memory book for tiny captures of my life. I'm feeling super confident and content with my selection.

[@abbynoyce8273]

I do love that dashboard in the Manager’s notebook, and scooted over to Papertess to look more closely at it. I don’t think those weekly spreads work for me, but I experimented this month with imposing a dashboard on my CP monthly and I really like it! Looking forward to seeing how you use it!

[@MirandaPurpleClouds]

Congrats to the promotion!!

[@JL-ol2wf]

Appreciate your content. Approachable, honest, straightforward. Thank you.

[@emmz91]

I can't wait to see a mid year update on this system! I think its going to be great.

[@chunk0651]

Excited to also try out the 5 year journal this year! Omg

[@shelbyn1440]

Your videos are awesome! Thank you for all the helpful info. Based on your earlier videos about various planners, I decided on a Hobonichi A5 for memory keeping/journaling and a Weeks for planning/EDC. You’ve introduced so many great planners but I went for Hobonichi because of the covers!! I’m not creative and wouldn’t decorate covers on my own so it’s nice to buy a couple in each size and switch when I feel like it 😊

[@bouquettragedy]

I’m so excited to start using the 5 year in January. I’m planning on using the Cousin for goals, and journaling, weeks for planning, observations, media, etc… Along with the Hobonichi calendar for work… .really debating getting a TN as a commonplace journal - tempted to get the Tokyo starter kit!

[@desleyart]

This is so fun. Last year I did the hibonichi cousin avec, hobo weeks(that I never ever used) and the take a note. This year I just got the jibun techo first kit. And a separate plain hobinichi grid notebook. One is the scheduler/planner and the other is the Bujo. I need the structure and the freedom. And the jibun techo first kit has a blank “idea” notebook I can use as “scrap” paper for thinking.

[@Chaos_and_Creativity]

I actually loved the Jibun Techo... I love how I only have to change out the middle parts and I don't have to write things over and over again. I got them for $2 at Barnes and noble at some point. And I won the PTD so I'm using it in that cover!

[@Chaos_and_Creativity]

I just wish I understood what a lot of the things in the Jibun Techo meant so I could use it correctly lol I ended up with the daily mini too and that was my favorite for on the go!!

[@zg6879]

I have found that my tiny handwriting makes my Hobonichi Weeks Mega planner totally doable as my all in one place. However, I’ve never used one before now so let’s see how this year goes!

[@katismith]

I am continuing with the Weeks Mega as my medical planner. And I'm going with the Sterling Ink B6 for the rest.

[@CaffeineByTwilight]

I too bought way too many planners for 2024. I will be finding uses for all that unused paper. I also got a 5 year Hobonichi. I'm so excited for it!! I waited until 2025 because I wanted to have that round number. lol

[@EdieBrown]

I appreciete that you shared your thoughts. I'm trying digital this year, retiring the habit of switching paper planners monthly. It's a waste of paper and space for me. Money too. I look forward to your journey.

[@instamash]

I'm switching jobs either at the tail end of this year, or early next year. That means I'll finally be able to let go of my work phone and use a paper planner again. A5 seems like the best size, and since I won't know for a while how my work days will be structured, I'm going to start with just a notebook I'll be dating as time rolls by.

[@addicted2analogue]

Jibun Techo a5 slim cover works well. It’s not leather; but, feels sturdy enough to get me through the year. If, I stick with it, I’ll buy a custom leather cover for 2026.

[@Chaos_and_Creativity]

Yay! I said the same thing. I saw someone comment on it the other day and I was so happy because I have two of them. I got them when Barnes and Noble had them for $2 a piece.

[@krystenburkhardt-hansyn]

That managers notebook is exactly what I need to run my yoga business. The only problem that I have with it is that it’s not in rings or a disk. I have to be able to add information, I have to be able to move stuff around, but more importantly, I want tabs so I can flip to where I’m going quickly. And I don’t like the way that a planner looks, or a bound planner looks, when it has those paper tap sticking out the side it looks messy to me.that is a perfect idea and if someone put it into rings or a disk form, I would buy it because I’ve been looking for that for like the last six months. It’s a beautiful planner.

[@lisabethhobbs]

PaperTess has printable available on Etsy as well…not sure this dashboard is available as a printable insert but there’s a whole world of printables on Etsy so you can create a rings planner that works best for you. Something to consider. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@deniseholmes7958]

Hobonichi Weeks Mega in chili pepper for personal and Wonderland 222 A5 Core, unstacked weekends, in Coastal Pine.. mainly for work. Also a Hobonichi A5 notebook, "who's there?" (Cats) cover design. I'm thinking I'll use it for overflow and meeting notes, but I might make it my commonplace book so it stays around longer. (the cover is so stinkin' cute! ) I'll be interested to see how the managers notebook works for you. I'm intrigued by Papertess Designs' products. Thanks for the fun video.

[@toryevanss4512]

I'll never be an undated planner person, because I like having the physical pages to orient me to what part of the year I'm in. I'm totally fine with having lots of empty pages if I'm not using it for a while. I've loved my Common Planner this year (vertical weeks), and bought the same things except the "compact" version for 2025 because I'm not using anywhere near that many of the blank pages. I'm also not buying a Hobonichi Weeks this year, so it's a bonus that the compact Common Planner is small enough to carry everywhere. Rachelle, this is a fantastic time for you to start the 5 year journal. I've been terrible about keeping up with mine, but I'm still glad to have it and I do keep writing in it even when there are a lot of blank spaces.

[@mjzigzag]

Congrats on the promotion! For A5, I really like Superior Labor covers. One day I'm going to pony up for a Galen Leather cover though 😅 RIP my wallet

[@annelyle5474]

I'm mainly in B6 next year - for me it's that sweet spot between big enough to feel comfortable in but not so big it hogs the desk, even left open. I have a Sterling Ink Common Planner vertical for my main planner, a Wonderland222 Core Planner for meal planning and household projects, and a Sterling Ink Daily for my actual journal. However I'm going to be experimenting with an A6 notebook for work, as I commute by public transport (with laptop) so I want to avoid anything heavy - I really just need somewhere to jot down notes during Zoom meetings, make ad-hoc to-do lists on busy days, etc, since most of my planning is digital anyway (Trello and OmniFocus).

[@Risici_Bloom]

THE MANAGER’s! I’m trying to figure out what to do with it - but I know it’s perfect. Watch the pen test videos and do your own. I may make copies of the pages and do some tryouts on those.

[@sandyseibelhager7131]

I also waited on the five year until next year because i wanted the years to line up. I got the sterling ink one but I almost wish I had bought the hobonochi one because it has the years preprinted

[@noche-polar]

How interesting, your 2025 set up is almost the same as mine :D I’ve also decided to purchase separate planners for work and personal plans (Sterling Ink B6 Daily planner and B6 Slim Common planner respectively), and their 5 year diary to log my day-to-day life in few sentences, while continuing my long-form journal separately (in my old Leuchtturm notebook). I hope your setup will give you the feeling of satisfaction during the whole year 2025 🤍

[@syddlinden8966]

I'm using up dot grid A5s I've had for a few years and testing a minimized version of the hobonichi layout - page a day with time tracking, and monthlies up front - to see if I like that before spending on an actually hobonichi. I have bought some trp notebooks in a couple gsms to try out the paper tho. My overall goal is to nail down a perfect one book system for all my tracking, notes, common placing, and journaling. A step order lol

[@GigiMurakami]

That Manager Notebook looks great!

[@pamelasmith7120]

Hey Rachelle, can you please link the sticker pack from stirling ink for me? I can't seem to find the pack. I purchased an undated TN size for next year and I'm freaking out a little about it and my writing now... lol. This looks brilliant 😊

[@Jackie.D329]

I am not getting the hobonichi this year. I realized I don’t use the daily. I have the 5 year to quick journal in so I don’t need the daily section in the regular planner. Sometimes if my days are busy but for the most part I only use the monthly and the weekly. So it’s just really expensive for something I only use a tiny part of. I just got something from target this year, it’s cute and was under $20. It’s the waav planner.

[@stephaniewood8263]

Do you still work with scrum teams? I’m interested to see how you use the monthly with the monthly/weekly section to capture sprint goals. I’m going to try and use some of the weekly spread sections to capture week over week employee goals and support needs.

[@ileanagiles]

What is the link for the manager notebook?

[@CaliberDawn]

Did u test the 2025 paper quality?

[@Stormbrise]

Jibun Techo is an A5 slim and has several covers for them. I have still not bought a planner for next year. Just putting off the FOMO for another day.

[@SandraPawula-ss7sy]

I love the Hobonichi Weeks and am committed to it. However, I am curious about Paper Tess Designs.

[@laurenkaznowski6459]

I have purchased so many planners for next year! I’m ready to figure out what I’m using. Would you mind sharing a link to the Stone Ridge Etsy shop? I couldn’t find it when I searched.

[@vanessasmith9646]

It’s funny because I write so big in my A6 haha. I use a broad twisbi for journal writing haha

[@ariadnyaustin]

I was going to grab a sterling ink planner until I saw the manager planner from Paperless. I'm a little bumped that it doesn't have a half-hour like the Hobonichi or sterling ink, but oh well, I bet it will work great anyway.

[@The_Planner_Diva]

I prefer to buy undated planners that way if I don’t use them I can always jump back in

[@plandsandtravels]

I accidentally bought too many dayed planners for 2025. I had a poan but got derailed by preorders for new planners, inckuding the PTD Managers Notebook. Then I went to Taiwan on holiday and fell into that rabbit hole.

[@jthoops1908]

Sterling Ink B6 daily pages.

[@maaikees]

I’m going to use the Hobonichi Weeks on the go and the Hobonichi Cousin at home. This year I have the Hon, and it is too small for my writing needs. Then I received the cousin for 2025, but knew I wasn’t going to bring her with me everywhere because of the size, and ordered a Weeks. Oops.

[@MirandaPurpleClouds]

I assume the "full year" just means that the common planner have 52 weekly layouts and then at least 365 empty daily pages?

[@sambbbb]

yes

[@MirandaPurpleClouds]

Great! Just wanted to make sure.

[@OTommy81]

How does she say she doesn’t use the hobonichi weeks and there are lots of videos on it 😂

[@Chaos_and_Creativity]

She doesn't use it enough she said, so she didn't get one for next year.... She didn't say she never used one....

[@OTommy81]

@ I understand clearly what she said and it still conflicts with the messages she sent in other videos .. I personally find it very confusing when someone puts a video encouraging to use something and then say it wasn’t effective. This is a learning for someone who started just recently in planning and journaling and all that. I watch videos, I take note and educate myself. I find the learning process very difficult when people defend the creator without making sense. So thanks for replying but this is still extremely confusing if you see what she said in the videos she posted about her weeks.

[@Chaos_and_Creativity]

​@@OTommy81 the longer you're apart of the planning community you will see that a lot of the creators change their minds on what works and what doesn't. And just because she said it would work for someone else, doesn't mean it continued to work for her. You can only take the info given and see what works best for you. I hope you're able to figure out your best planning practice! I'm a note tAker too and study some of these videos like a student so it's nice to meet another like minded individual!

[@krystenburkhardt-hansyn]

I never understood the concept of a half year planner. That to me is the biggest waste of money and time. I don’t know why sterling in creates those either. It just who wants a half year planner though? It’s just a weird phenomenon to me.

[@Jackie.D329]

The only thing I can think of is people who get bored of their planners half way through. I know I do. But I bought a whole year planner so I just have to finish it. But the last few years I have noticed I get bored of my planner after 6-7 months and want something new. There was a year I totally just got a new planner in July.