My planner setup is simple and functional.  I have two components which are my A5 Filofax Saffiano and a Rhodia web notebook.

Previously,  I was a bullet journal and bullet journal only person.  I loved being able to keep everything together in a single book.  No trying to remember all of my notes and ideas, but the sure knowledge that anything I write down is all in one place.

However, after a long time of keeping everything in one journal I couldn’t sustain it.  I simply didn’t have the time.  For my life, at this time, I function best with monthly, weekly and daily views of my schedule. It came down to a choice between taking the time to draw out each weekly layout or use that time to do something else. Now, I know, the first thought is just draw them ahead of time!!! I cannot.  I know this because any blank space really disturbs me.

I would worry about if I draw my week layout ahead of time if I have left the correct amount of space for each day to be slotted in between each week. There is also the added pressure to fill up the space in my daily view section so no empty space is left.  I like my daily view to follow the week that it corresponds to in my planner.  So, for my peace of mind and to save more “me time” all of my weekly planning is done in my A5 Filofax. This gives me more free time after a long week to do other activities besides planning to do things.

Forward planning is primarily what I do in my Filofax.  This allows me to see my overall schedule and appointments at a glance in my weekly view. I am able to more easily plan all of my other tasks,  projects and fun activities.

My Rhodia notebook houses my monthly and daily views.  The monthly view is the only overlap between my two planners.  This ensures that I can see the big picture regardless of the planner I am currently looking in at the time. My Rhodia also has everything else that I do. This includes thoughts, ideas, drawings and anything else that comes to me during the course of the day.  It is also the most accurate and in depth look at my day to day schedule.

So far,  I really like the system that I am currently using. While I do use a few other notebooks,  these are my only planners.