Planning, "calendaring," & habit tracking
Repost from April 18, 2024
I used to have a love-hate relationship with planners and calendars. I'd experience bursts of energy and spend a day eagerly filling out my planner with important dates, to-dos, and reminders followed by extended periods of neglect. Since entering graduate school, I've re-discovered a love of "calendaring" in a hard-copy planner.
I'll be honest and give credit to the creation of Mahina Made's Nā Lā Maikaʻi planner for helping me keep track of my life for the past four years. I'm on my fourth edition of this local brand's planner, and it continues to work for me and my needs. It's a blank planner featuring headings for the days of the week, holidays, and Hawaiian proverbs in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi and English. There are also extra pages for journaling each month, which provides space to doodle and reflect.
During the 2023–2024 academic year, I've been really inspired by YouTube girlies who do bullet journaling (@ErinSmith and @megnotesbujo) and productivity (@thebeekid) content. Whenever I feel like I'm in a slump, I'll just scroll through their accounts for ideas. Here are a few that I've been using to record deadlines and maximize my productivity:
monthly bookshelf – list the books read each month
reading journal stats – document the books and pages read throughout the year
mood tracker – reflect on your daily mood and compare/contrast over a month
habit trackers – monthly challenges and changes to routines
Project 50 – 50 days of nutrition, physical activity, and productivity changes
Planners may not work for everyone. Some people prefer keeping track of their day on Google Calendar or Notion. For me, digital options work best to track meetings or work sessions with friends on a day-to-day basis, but my planner is better for journaling and long-term reflecting.
I think a shift in my relationship with planners and calendaring changed when I stopped viewing them as a monthly chore and rather as a creative tool to stay organized. Once I internalized this positive outlook toward my planner, it became easier to remember filling it out every month. It became more enjoyable for me to design spreads and use them in my daily practice. Sure, there are days or weekends when I won't open my planner, but I've made it a habit to check in with it — and myself — at least once each week to track my academic, professional, and personal progress toward my goals and celebrate successes.
If you're looking to build a relationship with planning and habit tracking, here are a few of my favorite planners/calendars and writing supplies:
