You have a wonderful system! I have watched a lot of planner videos, both functional and creative, as well as bullet journaling, but I have never seen anything as clever and effective as your system. I love the way you map your days as a series of Next 3 Things list, and breaking those down into pomodoros. I have never seen that anywhere else. And I really like your system of listing your goals for the month under various categories that remind me of mind mapping, then using those sublists to feed your daily goals routine. Absolutely genius! I think your system combines the best features of bullet journaling with none of the drawbacks, such as spending a lot of time drawing calendars and spreads. Best of luck on everything you are working on, esp. your Ph.D defense!
Wow, that really means a lot. Your words of encouragement are so sweet and kind. I really appreciate it. There was a lot of trial and error to get to a system I felt was empowering and simple. I really hope people can benefit from my mistakes and that this system can be helpful to some. Thank you again
The 3 things is a great idea! My job is so hectic, I can never do one thing at a time because I have to move from one thing to the next depending on how urgent it is. I think that system will keep me on track and I can get more done. Thanks!
Brilliant video🎉 Next 3 Things list is awesome and not overwhelming,even Your system of goal mapping of monthly and then daily goals seems so common sense but implemented like this, never seen it. For someone that has some adhd tendencies this gives that warm peaceful feeling😂❤
Thank you so much, that means a lot! I really hope this comes in handy. It's definitely helped me feel less overwhelmed and a little more focused and have more clarity of mind.
I rarely see a system that speaks my language but all of this is just how I think. I love mind mapping! I love the idea for your goals for the month and then using the next three things. It really seems so much less overwhelming. I have never understood the pomodoro method and you made it so simple and clarified the concept. I am going to try this tomorrow! Thanks for a great concept and good luck with your defense!
That really means a lot, thank you! I'm quite a visual person so the mind mapping helps me take a step back and look at the bigger picture. It also helps me prioritize and not get lost in the details. How did it go with using the system today? Hope it was helpful :)
it's awesome to see another PhD planner! I can relate to your check lists 😃 we don't have e a defense in my program, just independent manuscript reviewers. But I can imagine how stressful it can be! best of luck!!!
That's amazing! So nice to see other PhD-ers and grad students sharing their tools and tricks to survive and thrive in the program ( I love your videos!). I'm curious, what's your PhD on?
@@PaperJoyPH That's so cool, my PhD is in adolescent nutrition. And I very much agree, I think the only way i survived my phd so far was through the support of others
That's a really creative and practical way to use the Hobonichi Cousin. I use mine more as an archive but I may borrow these ideas for my work bullet journal.
Loved that “next 3 steps”. I’m a programmer analyst balancing multiple projects and it can be a mess to figure out where you when you finally get back to the project. At nearly 60 I wish I had continued my early years practice of written planning. Years have passed into a blur. Even if it was testing payroll taxes something I did in the 90’s I would like to say “here look I did this necessary but maybe boring to others task”. Somehow the seeing & holding would be wonderful. So that’s one of my reasons for planning now
Wow, thank you for sharing! I, too, see many videos showing beautiful spreads. I’m not creative enough to do all of that. I bought an A6 Hobonichi planner to do my daily journaling. I love how you use the cousin to mind map your daily tasks. What a creative idea! I didn’t buy a cover for my Hobonichi either. I just purchased a cheap plastic cover. I think you’re the first UA-camr I found that also doesn’t use those fancy covers. For a while I thought I was in the wrong for not buying a cover🤣 again, thanks for sharing! I have more ideas for my 2023 Hobonichi A6 Techo planner. 😊
Thank you Kassandra! I love that you're also pragmatic and practical like me .. I felt like maybe I was missing out on the hobonichi experience when I hear people raving about the cool covers (and some of them as soo beautiful!) .. but yeah, I'm more than happy with my clear plastic cover hahaha and I'll keep admiring other people's cool set ups from afar. Also happy to hear you also use the A6 for daily journalling, the length of the page is the perfect size for me to brain dump and reflect ... and also learn how to be concise. thank you again for reaching out :)
Thanks Amy! Ya I was using this system on scrap paper, notebooks, and rocketbooks before getting the hobonich cousin. Definitely don't need anything fancy to use this system :)
Ahh I'm so excited to hear how it goes!! (and to hear about your doctorate) I can't imagine how much you must have on your plate, I hope this system helps
What a nice system/set-up! Very unique, functional, and productive! I generally avoid daily planners because I don't think I have enough "stuff" to fill in the space, so I use weekly set ups instead, but I love seeing how people use their dailies! Hope the PhD work goes well--I bet you can't wait for it to be over!
Thank you so much Mara! I'm both excited and nervous for this next chapter after my PhD. and I completely understand, I really love weekly planners, especially the hobonochi weeks set up
This is a great set up. I love it. It could work for so many things. I am not working on a PHD, congratulations on that by the way, but my husband has stage 4 lung cancer, so I could use it to keep up with phone calls, appointments, what I need to do next, Thanks for the idea.
Thank you for sharing something so precious. I can understand the overwhelm that can come with caring for a loved one - our family has experienced something similar.. and to be honest, at times just thinking about the 1-3 next concrete things/tasks really helped me feel more joy and less helpless .. and helped me be more present with my dad when he was ill. Sending some love along to you, your husband, and your family
This is such a unique take on daily planning and I LOVE the idea of "the first 3" and "the next 3" - going to find a way to fit this into my system for sure. Good luck defending your dissertation! :)
Oh my god, I wanted to reference this video this month and searched FOREVER to find you again! I use my A5 for planning and my A6 for gratitude logging or free hand journaling!
Thank you Amy! Yeah, I really appreciate the aesthetically pleasing spreads that people share on youtube, but it hasn't been sustainable for me. Definitely enjoy using practical planning that feels empowering
This is great! It's very similar to how I use mine, except instead of the cool "mind map" thing you have, I just have a subject header and then a list underneath of what I want to do in that area. I have multiple jobs, so my headers are usually "household tasks," "personal," "UA-cam," and then each of my jobs. I also have a separate journal, but I'll sometimes jot down a few thoughts and feelings on the page. I really love the "next 3 things" thing! I wish I'd done that back when I was doing my master's degree because I'm sure it makes sitting down to work the next day a lot less overwhelming. "The blank page" can be so terrifying!
I agree, the blank page definitely can feel overwhelming! I love that you use divide up your tasks by headers too. I think when i do multiple jobs, I need some sort of master list to get a better sense of the big picture, or else I get a little lost
I have health issues that keep me from planning even a few hours. This is the first way of planning that might actually work for me and not be so frustrating when I can’t follow or be productive. Thanks so much for sharing!!
Wow, this is an incredibly innovative and functional system. I can see why you are so motivated and successful. Managing your PhD along with your work, community and teaching commitments makes me tired just looking at it, lol. I am impressed and inspired. You go girl!
I started using your system for the daily pages in my Cousin for my graduate research studies and this has been so helpful!!! I'm so grateful to you!! :)
Been wanting to use hobonichi for a while but I have never stuck to planners for longer than a month, but this system is giving me a lot of courage as a university student to try it out! I would love to see your weekly spreads as well, I never used monthly as thinking that far advance just hurts my head and makes me anxious; the most I would have is exam dates. Looking forward to more videos!!
wow.. joining in the chorus here to say this is such an interesting and thought provoking way to use the dailies. We all have multi units of work and play to manage and it feels like a linear plan isn't always very effective. I will definitely be trying this as a way to balance all the things. Thank you so much for sharing!
Subbie #412 here: Great video!!! Really enjoyed seeing how you funnel down from monthly to daily to current. Definitely envision this method keep the overwhelmed feelings at bay. Also, one of the best Pomodoro incorporations without having an entire second planning page.... Hoping you are considering showing us how you use the yearly, monthly, and weekly sections - PLEASE!!!!
Ah I'm honoured! Thank you for subscribing Nancy :)!! The system definitely helped me feel less like a deer in headlights and helped me have a little more clarity of mind. I'd be happy to share how I've been using the other parts of my planners - thank you so much for the suggestion and encouragement
Glad I stumbled on your video! Totally inspired with this fresh layout. It resonates with both my left and right brain. Needed something new other than my usual columns and rows. I had the Hobo Cousin but abandoned it in Q2 and just moved back to my ever reliable plain notebook 🤣
Thank you so so much. I'm really happy to hear! and I'm totally for plain notebooks! for so long I would use random scraps of paper to draw out my game plan :)
Such a great system you have created for yourself to share with us! I brought a A5 cousin for 2023 and have no clue how to use since its a larger size. Happy Planning!
Congrats on getting the cousin!! I think you'll love it :) I know.. the big blank daily pages felt so daunting at first! and it felt like I really couldn't make those beautiful spreads I've seen on IG and youtube. If you find inspiration here or on other youtube channels, feel free to share here, I think we all want to learn
Wow! So happy to have found your channel! Juggling (sort of) the same range of tasks, a daily mindmap looks like heaven to me, so I will definitely try this out tomorrow. Also, the "next tree steps" seem like a gamechanger! Thank you for this video, I definitely look forward to your next one. Kindest regards :)
wow this is so different from anything ive ever seen! excited to try this out! itll def help me manage what seems like huge and impossible tasks to my adhd brain
Thank you for sharing this. A long time ago, I took a programming class and spent some time learning how to design flow sheets. I fell in love with it! The idea was to design programs but the way it was laid out? Looked like my brain! So I started using them to plan life goals and daily tasks. It looked a lot like yours.
@@pensandpears I remember when I was learning, the assignment was to make a flow sheet for How to fry an egg. I thought that was so silly. So I'm doing all the little drawings in the little steps and things. Took it up to her. She handed it back to me and said, you didn't crack the egg. I thought she was being ornery, but when you're drawing out a project or a goal, if you forget to crack the egg? You don't even get an omelet!
I loved to see how you use your Cousin! I also use mine as a planner but my days are not really full. However, it it is really nice to see that other people use their dailies. Really loved it, and your handwriting! I wish you all the best for your phd defense :)
This is a really great system! I like the way you write it out sort of like a mind-map, and "the next three things" is such an interesting way of organizing!
Thank you. I'm not a planner but I love the idea of the next 3 things. I think I could use this before putting away my novel writing for the day. Very helpful.
It's definitely helped me so much when writing papers and dissertations. It makes picking up the writing process a lot more seamless. Would love to hear about your novel writing and what you're currently working on :)
@@pensandpears I have been working on a gothic romance set in the mid-19th century. Good luck with your dissertation. I have an MFA, so I'm somewhat familiar with the work it takes; but I dissertation is much more work than a thesis.
This is such a great system! I wish you’d shared this when I was still working on my PhD full-time! I’m definitely going to implement some of these techniques in my work planner now which is very similar to how I managed my PhD and just as chaotic. Looking forward to more videos from you!
This is a brilliant system! I got my first cousin yesterday and have been so overwhelmed watching everyone else’s system. I’m going to try yours because it’s the only one that has made me excited and not overwhelmed! Thank you so much for sharing! New subscriber! 🤎🤎🤎 happy new year!
I absolutely love ur system !!! Ty for sharing. I think I'm going to incorporate it with my planner for 2023, as I already started to feel overwhelmed by just looking at all the space the Hobonichi cousin has lol . New subbie here ☺
Thank you for sharing this system! As a fellow (2nd year) PhD who has been struggling with overwhelm (large master task lists), and particularly with starting tasks to get into a flow + maintaining good work habits without an imposed schedule, this is immensely useful. I will gladly be trying your system out for dailies when my planner arrives. 🧠🙏🏽 I appreciate how realistic and flexible this is, which is so key for me doing a lab-based PhD where plans can change. Having tried a number of note-taking and organisation systems only to still end up in paralysis, I’m really hoping gamifying my tasks and prioritising on paper using Hobonichi Weeks (master task lists & wellness journaling, in bag) and Cousin (on office desk, in bag only if it becomes a lifeline) will help. 😊 Once again, thank you so much. On a personal note, I feel like this might finally be the answer that solves my year long crisis of 100 post it notes, Google Tasks and Google Cal mess and the daily battle with executive dysfunction. I suspect I have undiagnosed ADHD which has gone under the radar through strong support systems until I entered grad school… any tool to save me is so appreciated!
Seriously, I’ve watched A LOT of functional planner videos and nothing had the different buckets in such an accessible way. God is good. This is exactly what I needed to see.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I begin work on me doctoral degree in the spring, and I will continue to teach English at both Southern University and Columbia College. This method will help me so much.
Hi Trease! Honestly, this makes my heart so so happy. I really wish you the best of luck in your doctoral degree and I hope this helps in a small way! What are you planning on studying in your doctorate?
Subbed! I love your system, I'm going to steal this for work since sometimes it gets so overwhelming. Thanks! Edit to add: I add tasks to my To Do that I've already done all the time! It feels so good just being able to check-mark and makes me way more productive. For work it also helps me remember what all I've done!
I have a similar modified bullet journal notation: one slash for something in progress, a completed X for something that gets completed, and a right-facing arrow for something that gets moved to another day. For something I delegate, it gets a left-facing arrow and for something that gets canceled, I put a circle in a box. I've also started adding a dot to the box when I'm waiting on something. So I was going to post something for my grad class, but I was waiting on one of my students to turn something in. That post was on my list with a dot. When he didn't turn it in on Monday, it got an arrow and got moved to Tuesday. When he turned it in on Tuesday, the dot just got covered by the X. I like the Next 3 Things as a tool for those days/weeks when I'm overwhelmed. That seems like an excellent way to put a leash on a whirlwind. And much better to have those tools during your PhD than work on developing them after, like I did.
You have come up with a very cool system! I love this video. I think I'm going to incorporate the next three things into my planner. It's such a good idea. Thanks for the video and good luck with your dissertation!
Thanks you for sharing, it was insightful. Journaling is about what works for you and I think you found it. I also watch a bunch of videos and compare journals but I remind myself what I want to get out of my journal
I agree, it really helps me to remind myself of the reason why I want to journal/plan in the first place, it makes me feel more purposeful and intentional with how I choose my time and the techniques I use
I love how you use your planner. It was a little hard to watch because of the movement and blurring. But overall, I really enjoyed what you shared! I am going to use some of these ideas for sure!
I'm so sorry, I didn't expect it to get so blurry. I'm hoping to learn how to avoid that in the future. Thank you for your patience tho! I really hope some of the ideas come in handy :)!
@@pensandpears Yes!! I enjoyed your approach to the HoBo! I have the 5 year and am a programmer/gamedev mostly doing art on the side and your ideas work for me. So much inspiration. I would suggest.. setting it down, maybe and flipping through. The movement while holding it is just a little hard to adjust for the camera maybe? I am not an expert. And not trying to be rude. Just sensitivity I guess. Still great information! And I will put it to great use!!
This is a great video. I have not seen anything quite like it! I wish the cousin had enough notes pages too allow a page for monthly planning each month.
Thank you Marsha! I agree! It would be so helpful to have more pages in the back of the cousin, but I guess that one blank page at the beginning of every month's daily pages can be used for that. I've used that page in the past for monthly goals, but prefer the smaller pages in the weeks.. the smaller page pushes me to make smaller, realistic goals that just include the important stuff
I love, love, love this! I am an avid user of mapping. I use it with studying, goal setting and such. Never thought to use this method to map out intentions for my day or to organize my intentions for the month. This made my day! This was a major planning shift for me. Thank you for sharing. I look forward to more nuggets for you that support practical planning. 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩
Seems like a a very effective system. I use the pomodoro technique for productivity as well, it helps me stay on task. I try to do 4 of them then break. Your flip through is so satisfying!
Thanks for sharing your system! Right now I have a weekly planner and an A6 for journalling. I'm planning to just move to a Cousin next year so that it's all in one book but this is giving me some new ideas!
That's amazing! I used that set up in 2021 (weekly planner and A6 for journalling and really loved it.. just gradually realized i needed a daily planner when my tasks felt overwhelming). I'm curious, how do you use the weekly planner to plan now? is this the hobonichi weeks?
Wow - love this system. I haven’t seen this method anywhere else and I’m so glad I stumbled across your video. It’s such a great way to break things down whilst keeping the priorities in sight. I use a separate Cousin just for work and personal, though I further split work into a planner book - the Cousin and a Stalogy for meeting notes etc as I hate closing them down just because we get to 31 December. This means I have plenty of space on the Cousin, so I’m going to use this weekend’s daily pages to do my goals for the rest of the month for each of my project areas at work (using the David Allen definition of a project being anything that takes multiple steps), and then kick off my dailies on Monday using your method. I also like the idea of assigning Pomodoros ahead of time - genius. My personal planning is going into a weeks for 2023, I think, so it’s portable, and I’ll keep a journal in a Stalogy or a Cousin, perhaps.
Thank you for the suggestion Bridgett! I've been thinking about my 2022 planning system and what has worked and what hasn't. I've definitely been working through trial and error. Maybe that would be helpful to share? I'd also really love people's feedback so we can find a refined planning system together :)
A wonderful system! I love how you incorporate a bit of bullet journaling, mind-mapping, the pomodoro method, all of it! Already incorporating your ideas and it’s helping me out so much, thank you for sharing!
I love your system! I'm going to start doing this myself to ensure I stay focused on my goals. I'm working on my masters and I have a big research paper to do that's been feeling really daunting. I'm glad I found this video.
This is the freshest approach to using the Cousin that I’ve seen! A member of Mid-Life Planners with Purpose and PLAN to Enjoy Life - functional planner group shared your link. PLAN has a monthly focus, and the October 2022 focus is Project Management. Your approach to daily planning can so easily and effectively work with project planning. I love to focus on greater life balance to enjoy my life to the fullest, and your approach of mind mapping the month and days, as well as the next three provides a great visual! Thank you for taking the time to share your system! You inspired me!! I hope to learn more about your system AND when you can add Dr. to your name.❤
Dear Liala, that means so so much, thank you!! and thank you for the encouragement (I've been away from youtube the last little bit.. just successfully defended my PhD yesterday and so happy to be back!)
I love your system!! Man! I’ve done mind mapping but never thought about it in regards to goals/to-do’s thank you for sharing! Good luck with your Ph.D. I’m sure it’s done by now! But thanks for sharing!
Cousin newbie; been ‘mapping’ out best layouts. This definitely works and am so glad you shared! I’m more than curious how you set up weeks and months as well as utilize the other additional pages, monthly index pages, etc. included in the cousin.
Love your mind map daily pages, very organized and functional! I'd love to know how you used the monthly/weekly pages in the cousin since you're also using the Week. Thank you for sharing.
hello! wanted to let you know that i just started using a form of your system for daily task-keeping and it's working out really well. i'd love to see more of your organizational strategies and methods of staying on task (all the things you do!), as it seems to work for my type of (adhd) brain. good luck on your defense!
Wow. Just wow. This is amazing! I joined the Hobonichi for Academics group because I am trying to figure out how to manage life in my planner (school, work, house, family, etc) and this is perfect! I know this is an older video, but I am going to start doing this. Truly life changing! I am curious how you utilize your weekly pages?
I love this! Wonderful vid and system! I do not use a daily planner but now I wish I did. lol I Love the 3 next things and the circles for the time! I am going to be using both in my system now so thank you! And on the bullet journaling way of writing if things are done or moved etc...yep you are doing them correctly. You can make your own key and do what works for you. I do the same as you and it always works great for me.
Thank you so much! Yeah the "3 next things" and circles/pomodoros have been a game changer for me. so so happy they can be helpful to others too! and thank you for the confirmation about the bullet journalling techniques, its a whole world of planning/journaling I'm unfamiliar with but fascinated by :)
This is so helpful! I’ve been trying to figure out daily planning that’s not overwhelming. Im so tempted to schedule every minute but when I run out of time or miss a goal it throws the entire day off.
oh man, me too. this forces me to think about focusing my attention on the most important thing.. then celebrating when its done, and gives me the flexibility to change up the plans without any guilt
Thanks for sharing your system! I use a similar key for my tasks, with a few extras: if I have a conversation or reference material that I may need in the future, I write an ℹ️ and a ➕in red ink for tracking family health issues (eg. fever, nausea, etc.) which makes it easier to find patterns. One exception is that I use X for incomplete or dropped tasks and a green highlighter for completed tasks. Wishing you continued success on the path to your PhD!
This is very interesting. I’m also more on the functional ‘side’ than on the decorative. Would be very interested to learn how you use the other components of your plannk g system (eg the Weeks).
This is quite possibly the best planner video I’ve ever seen.
You have a wonderful system! I have watched a lot of planner videos, both functional and creative, as well as bullet journaling, but I have never seen anything as clever and effective as your system. I love the way you map your days as a series of Next 3 Things list, and breaking those down into pomodoros. I have never seen that anywhere else. And I really like your system of listing your goals for the month under various categories that remind me of mind mapping, then using those sublists to feed your daily goals routine. Absolutely genius! I think your system combines the best features of bullet journaling with none of the drawbacks, such as spending a lot of time drawing calendars and spreads. Best of luck on everything you are working on, esp. your Ph.D defense!
Wow, that really means a lot. Your words of encouragement are so sweet and kind. I really appreciate it. There was a lot of trial and error to get to a system I felt was empowering and simple. I really hope people can benefit from my mistakes and that this system can be helpful to some. Thank you again
So yeah: "The next 3 things" THAT is worth a SUB! Excellent stuff!
Ah thank you Mary! That means a lot!
The 3 things is a great idea! My job is so hectic, I can never do one thing at a time because I have to move from one thing to the next depending on how urgent it is. I think that system will keep me on track and I can get more done. Thanks!
Thank you Dulcie! I hope its helpful
Brilliant video🎉 Next 3 Things list is awesome and not overwhelming,even Your system of goal mapping of monthly and then daily goals seems so common sense but implemented like this, never seen it. For someone that has some adhd tendencies this gives that warm peaceful feeling😂❤
Thank you so much, that means a lot! I really hope this comes in handy. It's definitely helped me feel less overwhelmed and a little more focused and have more clarity of mind.
Clean, simple, functional! I love your use of “the first three things” and “the next three things.”
Thank you so so much, it's definitely helped me stay more focused and less distracted and overwhelmed by a long to do list
I rarely see a system that speaks my language but all of this is just how I think. I love mind mapping! I love the idea for your goals for the month and then using the next three things. It really seems so much less overwhelming. I have never understood the pomodoro method and you made it so simple and clarified the concept. I am going to try this tomorrow! Thanks for a great concept and good luck with your defense!
That really means a lot, thank you! I'm quite a visual person so the mind mapping helps me take a step back and look at the bigger picture. It also helps me prioritize and not get lost in the details. How did it go with using the system today? Hope it was helpful :)
it's awesome to see another PhD planner! I can relate to your check lists 😃 we don't have e a defense in my program, just independent manuscript reviewers. But I can imagine how stressful it can be! best of luck!!!
That's amazing! So nice to see other PhD-ers and grad students sharing their tools and tricks to survive and thrive in the program ( I love your videos!). I'm curious, what's your PhD on?
@@pensandpears There should be a PhD planning peeps support lol. My field is palaeobiology. How about you?
@@PaperJoyPH That's so cool, my PhD is in adolescent nutrition. And I very much agree, I think the only way i survived my phd so far was through the support of others
That's a really creative and practical way to use the Hobonichi Cousin. I use mine more as an archive but I may borrow these ideas for my work bullet journal.
Thank you! I'd love to hear how it goes :)!
Loved that “next 3 steps”. I’m a programmer analyst balancing multiple projects and it can be a mess to figure out where you when you finally get back to the project.
At nearly 60 I wish I had continued my early years practice of written planning. Years have passed into a blur. Even if it was testing payroll taxes something I did in the 90’s I would like to say “here look I did this necessary but maybe boring to others task”. Somehow the seeing & holding would be wonderful. So that’s one of my reasons for planning now
Oh I agree, there's something so gratifying about written planning!
Wow, thank you for sharing! I, too, see many videos showing beautiful spreads. I’m not creative enough to do all of that. I bought an A6 Hobonichi planner to do my daily journaling. I love how you use the cousin to mind map your daily tasks. What a creative idea!
I didn’t buy a cover for my Hobonichi either. I just purchased a cheap plastic cover. I think you’re the first UA-camr I found that also doesn’t use those fancy covers. For a while I thought I was in the wrong for not buying a cover🤣 again, thanks for sharing! I have more ideas for my 2023 Hobonichi A6 Techo planner. 😊
Thank you Kassandra! I love that you're also pragmatic and practical like me .. I felt like maybe I was missing out on the hobonichi experience when I hear people raving about the cool covers (and some of them as soo beautiful!) .. but yeah, I'm more than happy with my clear plastic cover hahaha and I'll keep admiring other people's cool set ups from afar. Also happy to hear you also use the A6 for daily journalling, the length of the page is the perfect size for me to brain dump and reflect ... and also learn how to be concise. thank you again for reaching out :)
I love the simplicity of this and that one could use this system in any notebook or planner.
Thanks Amy! Ya I was using this system on scrap paper, notebooks, and rocketbooks before getting the hobonich cousin. Definitely don't need anything fancy to use this system :)
I'm a mom of 2 small children polishing off my doctorate and I can't wait to implement your system! Thank you for sharing!
Ahh I'm so excited to hear how it goes!! (and to hear about your doctorate) I can't imagine how much you must have on your plate, I hope this system helps
How?!
What a nice system/set-up! Very unique, functional, and productive! I generally avoid daily planners because I don't think I have enough "stuff" to fill in the space, so I use weekly set ups instead, but I love seeing how people use their dailies! Hope the PhD work goes well--I bet you can't wait for it to be over!
Thank you so much Mara! I'm both excited and nervous for this next chapter after my PhD. and I completely understand, I really love weekly planners, especially the hobonochi weeks set up
I am inspired by your system!
Thank you so much Thereasa
The best planning system I've seen on UA-cam
wow. there are so many interesting planning systems out there, so this really means a lot! Thank you Maria :)
Great content and lovely presentation. subbed
Thank you so much Mike, I really appreciate it!
This is a great set up. I love it. It could work for so many things. I am not working on a PHD, congratulations on that by the way, but my husband has stage 4 lung cancer, so I could use it to keep up with phone calls, appointments, what I need to do next, Thanks for the idea.
Thank you for sharing something so precious. I can understand the overwhelm that can come with caring for a loved one - our family has experienced something similar.. and to be honest, at times just thinking about the 1-3 next concrete things/tasks really helped me feel more joy and less helpless .. and helped me be more present with my dad when he was ill. Sending some love along to you, your husband, and your family
This is such a unique take on daily planning and I LOVE the idea of "the first 3" and "the next 3" - going to find a way to fit this into my system for sure. Good luck defending your dissertation! :)
Thank you so much!! I would really love to hear your experience using it and anything thoughts or suggestions you might have :)
Your planner pages are beautiful! Truly a work of art-thank you for sharing!!
Thank you so so much Michelle! I really appreciate the words of encouragement
Wow, incredible system. I was looking for another person who uses a system with both the A6 and A5. ❤
Thank you so much Kady! What do you use your A5 and A6 for?
Oh my god, I wanted to reference this video this month and searched FOREVER to find you again! I use my A5 for planning and my A6 for gratitude logging or free hand journaling!
Awesome system. Get your goals accomplished by breaking down. I love it.
Thank you so much Rebecca! Ya they definitely feel more manageable with the tasks are bite-sized
Thank you for sharing! Love your system, esp since it was about planning and not decorating.
Thank you Amy! Yeah, I really appreciate the aesthetically pleasing spreads that people share on youtube, but it hasn't been sustainable for me. Definitely enjoy using practical planning that feels empowering
This is great! It's very similar to how I use mine, except instead of the cool "mind map" thing you have, I just have a subject header and then a list underneath of what I want to do in that area. I have multiple jobs, so my headers are usually "household tasks," "personal," "UA-cam," and then each of my jobs. I also have a separate journal, but I'll sometimes jot down a few thoughts and feelings on the page.
I really love the "next 3 things" thing! I wish I'd done that back when I was doing my master's degree because I'm sure it makes sitting down to work the next day a lot less overwhelming. "The blank page" can be so terrifying!
I agree, the blank page definitely can feel overwhelming! I love that you use divide up your tasks by headers too. I think when i do multiple jobs, I need some sort of master list to get a better sense of the big picture, or else I get a little lost
This is extremely helpful. I planned to do mind mapping for my goals. To see it used on a daily basis is awesome!!!!! Thank you thank you ❤
Thank you! I'm so happy to hear
I agree with everyone else, this is the best planner video I've seen. Practical and functional ideas that I can incorporate immediately. Thank you!
I loved all of your methods! Thanks for sharing! I would love to see how you use your weekly pages and monthly spreads!
Thank you so much Lydia! that's a cool idea, I'd be happy to share :)
I have health issues that keep me from planning even a few hours. This is the first way of planning that might actually work for me and not be so frustrating when I can’t follow or be productive. Thanks so much for sharing!!
Oh this means a lot, I really hope this system feels empowering for you
Wow, this is an incredibly innovative and functional system. I can see why you are so motivated and successful. Managing your PhD along with your work, community and teaching commitments makes me tired just looking at it, lol. I am impressed and inspired. You go girl!
thank you soooo much. Your words are so sweet and encouraging
I started using your system for the daily pages in my Cousin for my graduate research studies and this has been so helpful!!! I'm so grateful to you!! :)
Been wanting to use hobonichi for a while but I have never stuck to planners for longer than a month, but this system is giving me a lot of courage as a university student to try it out! I would love to see your weekly spreads as well, I never used monthly as thinking that far advance just hurts my head and makes me anxious; the most I would have is exam dates. Looking forward to more videos!!
wow.. joining in the chorus here to say this is such an interesting and thought provoking way to use the dailies. We all have multi units of work and play to manage and it feels like a linear plan isn't always very effective. I will definitely be trying this as a way to balance all the things. Thank you so much for sharing!
Thank you Janet! I'd love to hear how it goes :)
Thank you for this video. I have a Cousin also. Your ideas are changing the way I plan. Thank you!Many blessings!
Thank you! that makes me so happy to hear
This is a brilliant system! And I can see it’s working for you well. Thank you for sharing with us. Good luck with your PhD.
Thank you so much
Subbie #412 here: Great video!!! Really enjoyed seeing how you funnel down from monthly to daily to current. Definitely envision this method keep the overwhelmed feelings at bay. Also, one of the best Pomodoro incorporations without having an entire second planning page.... Hoping you are considering showing us how you use the yearly, monthly, and weekly sections - PLEASE!!!!
Ah I'm honoured! Thank you for subscribing Nancy :)!! The system definitely helped me feel less like a deer in headlights and helped me have a little more clarity of mind. I'd be happy to share how I've been using the other parts of my planners - thank you so much for the suggestion and encouragement
Glad I stumbled on your video! Totally inspired with this fresh layout. It resonates with both my left and right brain. Needed something new other than my usual columns and rows. I had the Hobo Cousin but abandoned it in Q2 and just moved back to my ever reliable plain notebook 🤣
Thank you so so much. I'm really happy to hear! and I'm totally for plain notebooks! for so long I would use random scraps of paper to draw out my game plan :)
Such a great system you have created for yourself to share with us! I brought a A5 cousin for 2023 and have no clue how to use since its a larger size. Happy Planning!
Congrats on getting the cousin!! I think you'll love it :) I know.. the big blank daily pages felt so daunting at first! and it felt like I really couldn't make those beautiful spreads I've seen on IG and youtube. If you find inspiration here or on other youtube channels, feel free to share here, I think we all want to learn
Wow! So happy to have found your channel! Juggling (sort of) the same range of tasks, a daily mindmap looks like heaven to me, so I will definitely try this out tomorrow. Also, the "next tree steps" seem like a gamechanger! Thank you for this video, I definitely look forward to your next one. Kindest regards :)
Thank you so much!! I'd love to hear how it went?!
wow this is so different from anything ive ever seen! excited to try this out! itll def help me manage what seems like huge and impossible tasks to my adhd brain
Thank you Natalie! Please come back and share how it went.
This is such an original planning system! Thanks for sharing~
Thank you so much Mia!
Thank you for sharing this. A long time ago, I took a programming class and spent some time learning how to design flow sheets. I fell in love with it! The idea was to design programs but the way it was laid out? Looked like my brain! So I started using them to plan life goals and daily tasks. It looked a lot like yours.
I agree! I feel like its a visual representation of a more organized version of my brain.. feels a lot more familiar to me then just long lists
@@pensandpears I remember when I was learning, the assignment was to make a flow sheet for How to fry an egg. I thought that was so silly. So I'm doing all the little drawings in the little steps and things. Took it up to her. She handed it back to me and said, you didn't crack the egg. I thought she was being ornery, but when you're drawing out a project or a goal, if you forget to crack the egg? You don't even get an omelet!
@@ConstantCompanion i love that sooo much! Its a good reminder of being thoughtful and not underestimating all the steps needed to get something done!
I love the idea of doing the map instead of just lists! I may try this
Me too, I realize I'm a very visual person and appreciate seeing things as a mind map instead of a never-ending list
Love your system. I will definitely apply to mine. Thank you for sharing.
I'm so happy to hear! I really hope it comes in handy :) please come back and share how it went, and if you have suggestions to improve it :)
Thank you sooo much for this video. I think this system will help me so much. Can't wait to try it!
Thank you Amanda
I loved to see how you use your Cousin! I also use mine as a planner but my days are not really full. However, it it is really nice to see that other people use their dailies. Really loved it, and your handwriting! I wish you all the best for your phd defense :)
Thank you so much Lívia! I really appreciate it
i looooved this! it's making me re-think how I use my work planner. Loved listening to you talk as well.
Thank you soo much! (and i love your videos :) ).
This is a really great system! I like the way you write it out sort of like a mind-map, and "the next three things" is such an interesting way of organizing!
What a great system! I’m definitely referring back when I set up my next planner. ❤
Thank you so much Emilia!
Thank you. I'm not a planner but I love the idea of the next 3 things. I think I could use this before putting away my novel writing for the day. Very helpful.
It's definitely helped me so much when writing papers and dissertations. It makes picking up the writing process a lot more seamless. Would love to hear about your novel writing and what you're currently working on :)
@@pensandpears I have been working on a gothic romance set in the mid-19th century. Good luck with your dissertation. I have an MFA, so I'm somewhat familiar with the work it takes; but I dissertation is much more work than a thesis.
This is such a great system! I wish you’d shared this when I was still working on my PhD full-time! I’m definitely going to implement some of these techniques in my work planner now which is very similar to how I managed my PhD and just as chaotic.
Looking forward to more videos from you!
Thank you Erika! (Congrats on your PhD! I'm curious, what was it on?) and I'd love to hear how implementing these techniques go for your work planner!
This is a brilliant system! I got my first cousin yesterday and have been so overwhelmed watching everyone else’s system. I’m going to try yours because it’s the only one that has made me excited and not overwhelmed! Thank you so much for sharing! New subscriber! 🤎🤎🤎 happy new year!
Thank you for sharing your daily planner. I just started a bullet journal and hope to stay consistent with it.
Thank you so much! Best of luck with your bullet journal!!
This is a great system and I think I will use some of these ideas in my job as a project manager for a grant. Good luck with your defense.
Thank you so much Jackie! I hope it comes in handy! Best of luck with your grant applications!!
I absolutely love ur system !!! Ty for sharing. I think I'm going to incorporate it with my planner for 2023, as I already started to feel overwhelmed by just looking at all the space the Hobonichi cousin has lol . New subbie here ☺
Thank you for sharing this system! As a fellow (2nd year) PhD who has been struggling with overwhelm (large master task lists), and particularly with starting tasks to get into a flow + maintaining good work habits without an imposed schedule, this is immensely useful. I will gladly be trying your system out for dailies when my planner arrives. 🧠🙏🏽 I appreciate how realistic and flexible this is, which is so key for me doing a lab-based PhD where plans can change.
Having tried a number of note-taking and organisation systems only to still end up in paralysis, I’m really hoping gamifying my tasks and prioritising on paper using Hobonichi Weeks (master task lists & wellness journaling, in bag) and Cousin (on office desk, in bag only if it becomes a lifeline) will help. 😊
Once again, thank you so much. On a personal note, I feel like this might finally be the answer that solves my year long crisis of 100 post it notes, Google Tasks and Google Cal mess and the daily battle with executive dysfunction. I suspect I have undiagnosed ADHD which has gone under the radar through strong support systems until I entered grad school… any tool to save me is so appreciated!
This helped me wrap my mind around all that I have on my plate. Thank you!!
Seriously, I’ve watched A LOT of functional planner videos and nothing had the different buckets in such an accessible way. God is good. This is exactly what I needed to see.
Love this! I’ve just gotten back into mind mapping and this would be great use in my Hobonichi- thanks!
i love mind mapping too
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I begin work on me doctoral degree in the spring, and I will continue to teach English at both Southern University and Columbia College. This method will help me so much.
Hi Trease! Honestly, this makes my heart so so happy. I really wish you the best of luck in your doctoral degree and I hope this helps in a small way! What are you planning on studying in your doctorate?
I’ll be returning to my undergraduate campus, Grambling State University. I really cannot stress enough how much this has helped me. Bravo to you!
Subbed! I love your system, I'm going to steal this for work since sometimes it gets so overwhelming. Thanks!
Edit to add: I add tasks to my To Do that I've already done all the time! It feels so good just being able to check-mark and makes me way more productive. For work it also helps me remember what all I've done!
Thank you Dezerae!! So happy to hear I'm not the only one that does that!
I have a similar modified bullet journal notation: one slash for something in progress, a completed X for something that gets completed, and a right-facing arrow for something that gets moved to another day. For something I delegate, it gets a left-facing arrow and for something that gets canceled, I put a circle in a box. I've also started adding a dot to the box when I'm waiting on something. So I was going to post something for my grad class, but I was waiting on one of my students to turn something in. That post was on my list with a dot. When he didn't turn it in on Monday, it got an arrow and got moved to Tuesday. When he turned it in on Tuesday, the dot just got covered by the X.
I like the Next 3 Things as a tool for those days/weeks when I'm overwhelmed. That seems like an excellent way to put a leash on a whirlwind. And much better to have those tools during your PhD than work on developing them after, like I did.
Hey Jacob! I love that system! It sounds quite organized and systematic. :)
I love your system. Thanks for sharing
Thank you! It's definitely evolved through trial and error :) I'm so happy you enjoyed it!
You have come up with a very cool system! I love this video. I think I'm going to incorporate the next three things into my planner. It's such a good idea. Thanks for the video and good luck with your dissertation!
Thank you so much Heidi
Beautiful workflow. Thank you for sharing this. Nice ideas.
Thank you so much Ares!
Thanks you for sharing, it was insightful. Journaling is about what works for you and I think you found it. I also watch a bunch of videos and compare journals but I remind myself what I want to get out of my journal
I agree, it really helps me to remind myself of the reason why I want to journal/plan in the first place, it makes me feel more purposeful and intentional with how I choose my time and the techniques I use
I love how you use your planner. It was a little hard to watch because of the movement and blurring. But overall, I really enjoyed what you shared! I am going to use some of these ideas for sure!
I'm so sorry, I didn't expect it to get so blurry. I'm hoping to learn how to avoid that in the future. Thank you for your patience tho! I really hope some of the ideas come in handy :)!
@@pensandpears Yes!! I enjoyed your approach to the HoBo! I have the 5 year and am a programmer/gamedev mostly doing art on the side and your ideas work for me. So much inspiration. I would suggest.. setting it down, maybe and flipping through. The movement while holding it is just a little hard to adjust for the camera maybe? I am not an expert. And not trying to be rude. Just sensitivity I guess. Still great information! And I will put it to great use!!
@@FroggyRaeCreations That's really helpful! I'll try that, thank you :) and best of luck with your work and your art
@@pensandpears You are welcome. Thank you for taking it in kindness and such. Best of luck to you also! I look forward to more videos!
You have inspired me and I cannot wait to try your system out. Thank you so much for sharing. 😊
AMAZING system, absolutely loving it. Thank you!
Fantastic video. I love your planning system and would like to see more about it.
That's amazing!!
Thank you so much Lais!
This is a great video. I have not seen anything quite like it! I wish the cousin had enough notes pages too allow a page for monthly planning each month.
Thank you Marsha! I agree! It would be so helpful to have more pages in the back of the cousin, but I guess that one blank page at the beginning of every month's daily pages can be used for that. I've used that page in the past for monthly goals, but prefer the smaller pages in the weeks.. the smaller page pushes me to make smaller, realistic goals that just include the important stuff
Absolutely fantastic. Thanks so much for sharing.
I love, love, love this! I am an avid user of mapping. I use it with studying, goal setting and such. Never thought to use this method to map out intentions for my day or to organize my intentions for the month. This made my day! This was a major planning shift for me. Thank you for sharing. I look forward to more nuggets for you that support practical planning. 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩
Thank you so so much Teresa!! I'm so happy it can come in handy :)
I love your system! Thank you so much for sharing ❤
Thank you so much Kristy!
Seems like a a very effective system. I use the pomodoro technique for productivity as well, it helps me stay on task. I try to do 4 of them then break. Your flip through is so satisfying!
Thanks for sharing your system! Right now I have a weekly planner and an A6 for journalling. I'm planning to just move to a Cousin next year so that it's all in one book but this is giving me some new ideas!
That's amazing! I used that set up in 2021 (weekly planner and A6 for journalling and really loved it.. just gradually realized i needed a daily planner when my tasks felt overwhelming). I'm curious, how do you use the weekly planner to plan now? is this the hobonichi weeks?
Thank u! for sharing very informative! May God be with you in all your future endeavors.
Thank you so much Maria! Wishing you all the best as well
Love this layout! Thanks so much :)
thank you Lori!
Wow - love this system. I haven’t seen this method anywhere else and I’m so glad I stumbled across your video. It’s such a great way to break things down whilst keeping the priorities in sight. I use a separate Cousin just for work and personal, though I further split work into a planner book - the Cousin and a Stalogy for meeting notes etc as I hate closing them down just because we get to 31 December. This means I have plenty of space on the Cousin, so I’m going to use this weekend’s daily pages to do my goals for the rest of the month for each of my project areas at work (using the David Allen definition of a project being anything that takes multiple steps), and then kick off my dailies on Monday using your method. I also like the idea of assigning Pomodoros ahead of time - genius. My personal planning is going into a weeks for 2023, I think, so it’s portable, and I’ll keep a journal in a Stalogy or a Cousin, perhaps.
Thank you for sharing! Can you do a video on your complete planning system?
Thank you for the suggestion Bridgett! I've been thinking about my 2022 planning system and what has worked and what hasn't. I've definitely been working through trial and error. Maybe that would be helpful to share? I'd also really love people's feedback so we can find a refined planning system together :)
@@pensandpears it definitely would be helpful!
A wonderful system! I love how you incorporate a bit of bullet journaling, mind-mapping, the pomodoro method, all of it! Already incorporating your ideas and it’s helping me out so much, thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much Liane! I'm so so happy to hear that it's been helpful!!
Love this so much!!!
Thank you Anne Marine!! :)
I love your system! I'm going to start doing this myself to ensure I stay focused on my goals. I'm working on my masters and I have a big research paper to do that's been feeling really daunting. I'm glad I found this video.
This is the freshest approach to using the Cousin that I’ve seen! A member of Mid-Life Planners with Purpose and PLAN to Enjoy Life - functional planner group shared your link. PLAN has a monthly focus, and the October 2022 focus is Project Management. Your approach to daily planning can so easily and effectively work with project planning. I love to focus on greater life balance to enjoy my life to the fullest, and your approach of mind mapping the month and days, as well as the next three provides a great visual! Thank you for taking the time to share your system! You inspired me!! I hope to learn more about your system AND when you can add Dr. to your name.❤
Dear Liala, that means so so much, thank you!!
and thank you for the encouragement (I've been away from youtube the last little bit.. just successfully defended my PhD yesterday and so happy to be back!)
I love your system!! Man! I’ve done mind mapping but never thought about it in regards to goals/to-do’s thank you for sharing! Good luck with your Ph.D. I’m sure it’s done by now! But thanks for sharing!
Cousin newbie; been ‘mapping’ out best layouts. This definitely works and am so glad you shared! I’m more than curious how you set up weeks and months as well as utilize the other additional pages, monthly index pages, etc. included in the cousin.
Genius. So productive and inspirational. Thank you for sharing a snippet of your fantastic mind with us.
You're so sweet and encouraging, thank you so so much!!
Love your mind map daily pages, very organized and functional! I'd love to know how you used the monthly/weekly pages in the cousin since you're also using the Week. Thank you for sharing.
🎉! Oh I love this!!! Thank you!
Very functional planning system you have, I like it!
So curious what the weekly and monthly sections look like.
Thanks! I can definitely share in an upcoming video, its quite simple and functional I think
hello! wanted to let you know that i just started using a form of your system for daily task-keeping and it's working out really well. i'd love to see more of your organizational strategies and methods of staying on task (all the things you do!), as it seems to work for my type of (adhd) brain. good luck on your defense!
ahh!!
Awesome system! Would love to see how you use your travelers notebook :)
This is awesome! Thank you for sharing. I would love to see how you use your weekly spread too. 🙂
Thank you Trina! I can definitely share my weekly spread, its nothing fancy but helps me visualize my goals and commitments :)
Great video and great process.
Thank you so much Kimberly!
hi!! thank u for sharing this!! ur process is very unique and i'm excited to try it out :)
Wow. Just wow. This is amazing! I joined the Hobonichi for Academics group because I am trying to figure out how to manage life in my planner (school, work, house, family, etc) and this is perfect! I know this is an older video, but I am going to start doing this. Truly life changing! I am curious how you utilize your weekly pages?
I love this! Wonderful vid and system! I do not use a daily planner but now I wish I did. lol I Love the 3 next things and the circles for the time! I am going to be using both in my system now so thank you! And on the bullet journaling way of writing if things are done or moved etc...yep you are doing them correctly. You can make your own key and do what works for you. I do the same as you and it always works great for me.
Thank you so much! Yeah the "3 next things" and circles/pomodoros have been a game changer for me. so so happy they can be helpful to others too! and thank you for the confirmation about the bullet journalling techniques, its a whole world of planning/journaling I'm unfamiliar with but fascinated by :)
This is so helpful! I’ve been trying to figure out daily planning that’s not overwhelming. Im so tempted to schedule every minute but when I run out of time or miss a goal it throws the entire day off.
oh man, me too. this forces me to think about focusing my attention on the most important thing.. then celebrating when its done, and gives me the flexibility to change up the plans without any guilt
Thanks for sharing your system! I use a similar key for my tasks, with a few extras: if I have a conversation or reference material that I may need in the future, I write an ℹ️ and a ➕in red ink for tracking family health issues (eg. fever, nausea, etc.) which makes it easier to find patterns.
One exception is that I use X for incomplete or dropped tasks and a green highlighter for completed tasks.
Wishing you continued success on the path to your PhD!
This is very interesting. I’m also more on the functional ‘side’ than on the decorative. Would be very interested to learn how you use the other components of your plannk g system (eg the Weeks).
Definetly a new subscriber :D
Wow, that really means a lot, thank you!
@@pensandpears You’re welcome :D