Techo Kaigi

[lunabee34]

Techo Kaigi is a Japanese term that refers to an evaluation of your current planner set up. Since the new planner season is about to begin, let's host one here.

What's working for you? What's not working for you? How will you be planning and journaling in 2025?

Comments

[stefanyeah]

Oooh, interesting. Let's see…
I've only started with planners this year, so I'm still in the figuring out process.
I've used the Hobonichi A5 Yamazakura Hon and the Weeks this year. I thought the Weeks would be perfect, with the page for the days and the other page for any notes or maybe sketches. It didn't work. I have no idea why, because theoretically, I still love the concept.

However, I started using the Hon's Weekly Pages, because boy, did they *click*.
I also managed to write something into the Hon almost every day, only missing like one or two. Sometimes there's a full page filled, sometimes it's just one or two lines.

So, what I did for appointments this year was: Put everything into the Weeks, because that's the one I'm carrying around. (I've filled the monthly pages AND the normal week pages.)
When at home, I sat down and put the appointments into the Hon and then into Coda, Zapier then put the appointments into the family calendar in Notion.
It's too much and when going to appointments that required me to bring a larger bag, I just took my pretty Hon along and forewent the Weeks completely.

My plans for '25 thus were:
1) A5 Cousin Avec, because that's the one with the Weekly Pages and split, so it's thinner for carrying around. (Spoiler, it's not a lot thinner when you add a cover…) I'm still excited to only have one analogue calendar to deal with, though.
2) English A6 Hon for use at home and further experimenting with different themes and so I understand the bonus pages and quotes in the Japanese Avec.

However, they announced a Godzilla special edition Weeks. So that's my number 2 planner now. I will use it for fandom things. Already put a few events and prompts into it.

---

I've also fallen in love with the concept of Travelers Journal and got a cheaper variant that's not got the knot on the back, but on the spine and a few pockets inside from Wanderings. Let's see what how that'll turn out in usage.

[lunabee34]

Ha! I am the same. Theoretically I love the concept of so many planners, but then I start to use them and they don't work for me even though I continue to think they are neat or aesthetically pleasing or whatever and wish they would work for me. LOL

[stefanyeah]

Yes. And now that I know those weekly pages work for me, at the moment, I'm looking at others. But none of them feel good. Like the Jibun Techo's pages that even incorporate day and night hours in a nice way. And yet, and yet, the actual design is too notable for me.

(I've also fallen into the planner/journal youtube rabbit hole for a while. But I know, a lot of those won't work for me.)

[lunabee34]

It's so soothing to look at the pretty things, though. I love reading stationery blogs, etc.

[stefanyeah]

It certainly is. :D

I kinda like those "plan with me" and "my planner setup" videos for background noise. It seems they have a body doubling effect on me, because at some point, I'm back to writing/typesetting/whatever and don't even notice them anymore.

[lunabee34]

*nods nods*

I'm into ASMR, and I think the ones that are ASMRish in nature, too, that just show people writing with dip pens or making a spread in their planner or unboxing stationery items.

[stefanyeah]

I think ASMR is very hit or miss for me. (Also, I'm not sure if I always recognises what's ASMR and what's not.)
People writing and drawing, yes, I can see that. Bernadette Banner doing her cutting and sewing bits, hellsyeah.
All those restocking things, that youtube shows me in people talking against restocking? Nope. (But that might also be the overconsumption madness inherent to it…)

[lunabee34]

Mostly I watch videos of people getting facials and massages. LOL

[stefanyeah]

That's a genre of videos?! The more you know. XD

[lunabee34]

Yes! I mostly watch Korean and Japanese language ones. There's something so soothing about listening to those languages for me.

[stefanyeah]

I might try and look for some of those, my curiosity is piqued.

[lunabee34]

Here's a few of the ones I watch:

https://www.youtube.com/@esteASMR/videos

https://www.youtube.com/@asmrtwix/videos

https://www.youtube.com/@ShiliASMR/videos

[stefanyeah]

Thank you. I'll have a look. :D