Travelers Notebook Part 3: Inserts
Did you miss Parts 1 and 2? Click the links below!
So now you have a cover you love. What are you going to put in it? How are you going to fill the pages and fall in love? For me this has been the hardest part of this process.
If you are going to be using this notebook for all your planning, then you can assign your notebooks pretty fast. You will probably need a Calendar, some kind of weekly and/or daily pages, maybe some note pages to get your ideas and lists down. Some pages to track things you want to track such as; fitness, food, habits, finances, or special occations. All of those things will easily fill your notebook.
But then you realize that there are so many choices for each of those categories. What type of calendar do you like? What kind of daily pages will work for you? Maybe you have a lot going on and you need more room then a week on 2 pages will give you. Is a Day on 1 page enough space or maybe you need a day on 2 pages so you have more writing room. Then will need to decide on how the weekly/daily pages are set up. Vertical vs horizontal, list of times vs no times, lines in your spaces vs. no lines.
This is where a lot of people get cross eyed and go into a frozen mode. It is impossible to make a decision. Why? Because you really don't know which is going to work for you until you start using it.
My First Suggestion is that you get a blank book, or one with a grid or dots and draw your own insert configurations. It doesn't really matter what you start with because I guarantee you will be changing it, so just start!
Blank Inserts
The easiest notebooks to get here in the States are Moleskines. Right now you can find them at books stores, target and many stationary stores. But it can be hard to find ones that are skinny enough for some of the covers. But like everything else with the Travelers Notebook you just make it work.
- Cutting Down a Moleskine to fit your Cover: Youtube Ray Blake
You don't draw? Look around for a set-up that looks good to you and start there. These are just lines that don't even have to be straight unless you want them to be. After using your new insert for a few days you will know what you need to tweak. Tweak away and then use those for a while and then tweak again.
Monthly Inserts
1) Growing up Goddess 2) Planner Perfect 3+4) PlanInk 5) Happie Planner 6) Taroko Shop
Tweak and use, tweak and use. Until you come up with something that you love. Think outside the box some. Put several different layouts into one book. Most of all I am giving you permission to fall in love with the process instead of letting it stress you out. It is ok to be indecisive. It is ok to try something that doesn't work at all. It is ok just play around and have fun.
Weekly and Daily Inserts
1) PlanInk 2) Rogue Crusade 3) Miss Zaeione 4) Hurry Up and Plane 5) LivPlanLove 6) Hurry Up and Plan
After some time you might realize that you love making and changing your own inserts. It gives you unlimited freedom to switch things up as your days and weeks change. If you have one set up you are in love with, make a templet and print them out and make your own book.
DIY Youtube videos for making your own books:
Don't want to draw or make your own books? There are lots of people out there making inserts you can print out and then but into a book. Or you can get mailed to you all ready to put into your cover. Do you know exactly what you want and don't see it online. Ask someone that has something similar to make a custom insert for you. They will do this!
1) Planner Emporium 2)PlanInk 3) Kelly Bangs Creatvie 4) Planner Emporium 5) RainyDay Planning 6) Taroko Shop
Notebooks as Art
Here is another thing I now for sure, (my Oprah moment). You are happy with what you have and have used it for a while and think you have achieved "planner peace". Then something changes, or you just are not as excited as you used to be about your planner and you need to switch things up. I am hear to tell you that this is a never ending process. You may want to change your cover out, you may want different inserts for your weekly pages, you may need to track something you have not been tracking. The only guarantee I can give you is that things will change. That is what elevates all this planning to a hobby, a creative outlet, and a passion. It is what makes you spend hours looking at how others are using their notebooks and implamenting different ideas.
1) Robin Mead Designs 2) Planner Perfect 3) May Designs
Creating Your Life
Embrace the fluidity and the process. Don't feel like you are doing something wrong because things are not working for you. Please, don't compare yourself to others. Have fun playing. This is for you not anyone else.
Why do I feel this is so important? During this "play" you are creating your days. Creating your days is creating your weeks, crating your weeks is creating your months and creating your months is creating your Life! There is nothing more important for yourself and your family.
What are Your favorite Inserts. Feel free to leave some links in the comments!
Links to The Other parts of this Series
Part 1 Who Started this
Part 2 The covers
Part 3 Inserts
Part 4 Accessories
