How I Plan My Weeks + My 2022 Planner

After about four years of consistently using a bullet journal, 2021 was the year I decided to switch things up. 2020 had left me, like most of us, burned out and I needed a system that did the thinking for me. I tried apps for managing lists and tasks (which I hated) and bounced around between a few planners. Some were great, but none were quite the right fix.

As 2022 gets closer, I started searching for the one planner system that could carry me through the year. Because I tried so many systems this year, I knew there were a few things I was looking for in a planner and a simple system that worked to keep me on track of tasks, meetings and events.

Here’s what I knew I wanted in a planner:

• A small size that made it easily portable (the one I picked fits in my Girlfriend Collective belt bag!). All of my notebook testing helped me realize I love B6 size notebooks/planners.
• Super minimal design inside and out — I want my writing and plans to stand out and I don’t want to get sick of the cover over time.
• Thin, crisp paper — using a Hobonichi Cousin made me fall in love with Tomoe River Paper.
• Pages to plan the months, weeks and days all in one book.

The Wonderland222 B6 size planner checked all of these boxes. And, because the planner starts in November, I’ve had the chance to “settle in” to it over the past three weeks. I love this planner because it provides just enough structure but still allows for a lot of flexibility. I also got the companion B6 notebook to go along with it, that I use for notes.

You can take a look at the fresh planner and notebook on my Instagram! Here’s how I plan every week, using both:

Braindump/Open Tabs

I recently saw someone rename their brain dumps to “open tabs” and I think that’s so smart! I braindump often to help keep my mind clear and free to process the actual things I have and want to do. Brains are for having ideas, not storing them, so I store them in my notebook. On Sunday, I sit down and dump everything down on the page — tasks, meetings, shopping list items, notes, books to read, literally everything. Then, I go in with a pen and highlighter and pull out priority tasks or things that require action so that I can add them into my planner.

The Monthly Spread

I use the monthly calendar in my planner as a sort of future log. It mirrors my Google Calendar, but I like having everything written down in one place. I use it to dump super high-level items (birthdays, meetings, appointments, etc) so that when I go to plan my week, they’re already logged.

Weekly Plan

Once I’ve done my brain dump, I’m ready to plan out each week. First, I look into my monthly calendar and pull anything from there that’s happening that week. Next, I go in to my brain dump and see which of the priority tasks/items from the week belong on my weekly schedule. If something has to happen on a specific day, I’ll add it there, but I also keep a running to do list of items that should or could get done that week, but aren’t attached to a deadline.

Daily To-Do List

This is just what it sounds like — what needs to happen that day! At the top of the list, I write out the meetings/calls and appointments I have that day. If I have any daily habits I’m trying go implement (like checking my bank account every morning), I add it to the top of my list, too. Then, I’ll flip back to my weekly to check for any tasks that had to get done that day. This list ends up being a mix of work tasks, personal tasks and small notes that I take during the day. I use the blank daily pages at the back of my planner to make my list and when I run out of space there, I’ll use the notebook.

Ideally, my perfect planner would have enough pages in the back for a year’s worth of daily notes.

When I worked 9-5, my work tasks were always in a separate notebook that I left at the office. Now that I’m freelancing, it makes more sense to keep everything together.

And that’s pretty much it! It’s simple, and keeps me organized and on task. I feel good about bringing this system into 2022, but I’m also a planner nerd, so I’d love to hear what you’re using and how you plan your weeks!