In My Planner – Eden

We're connecting with team members, friends, family, and loved ones to chat about how they use their planners in their day-to-day lives, and specifically, why they love their particular planner. 

Looking at someone's planner is an intimate view of how they live their life. Beyond the obvious scheduling of appointments and other commitments, the way one uses a planner says a lot about them.

Up next in our planner series is Eden, who works at our sister company, 26 Projects, as a digital marketing specialist. 

I’ve been an unsuccessful planner my whole life. I remember being eight years old and writing on my dog wall calendar every little detail of my week… for about a week. Yet, planning and writing have always been something I’ve wanted to incorporate into my daily routine. Spending the evening with a lit candle and writing with colourful pens seems so peaceful. So this upcoming 2022 year, I’ve committed to making this dream a reality by investing in an amazing quality weekly planner and everything I need to write and decorate on the pages.

The first thing that drew me in about the 2022 Mark + Fold Diary was the limited edition neon colour – this isn’t a planner you can ignore! Mark + Fold are known for their exclusivity and quality – each batch is individually hand-wrapped and numbered in pencil. Sections are thread sewn and attached using a cold glue method, creating a robust and sturdy journal. And maybe the best part: the cover is made from used plastic bottles. I like to support brands that have ethical practices and are environmentally friendly, so it was a no-brainer to buy the 2022 Diary.

I’m someone who tends to leave the month view pages blank and fill everything out weekly. There’s a year overview of each date and the corresponding day of the week at the front of the planner, which is all I need. If there is an important date I need to keep track of, I can highlight it and go to the supporting week view to see what the event is. This diary lays flat, so it’s super easy to write in and decorate. The week-per-double-page layout has lines to keep all my details in order and a bulleted section at the bottom of the page for freehanded lists or drawings. 

I tend to use a double note system to keep my work and personal life separate. I keep a large planner on my desk for my daily work tasks and keep all my projects and schedules organized. The Mark + Fold diary is A5 size, so it fits in my bag and will be used for keeping track of personal things like appointments, my social schedule, and how well I’m sticking to my budget on the go. If there is something super important, like a whole day plan or a vacation, I will write it down in both planners!

I’m a big fan of having fun decorating my planner – I use different coloured pens, stickers, washi tape or sticky notes of things to remember. I like to write in this diary using the Caran D’ache 849 Popline Ballpoint Pen. It writes seamlessly and also perfectly matches the colour of my planner. To highlight certain events and plans, I use the Colour Pens by Midori and Zebra Mildliners. They don’t smudge my writing and are the perfect way to colour coordinate all my recurring to-do’s. My favourite way to decorate is stickers. They bring me a little bit of happiness every time I open a page to a cute dog face or a colourful banner.

I literally cannot wait to use my 2022 Planner – I think this is the most excited I’ve ever been to write and design the tasks of my everyday life. Being organized and having somewhere to store my schedule will make this upcoming year the best one yet!