Using Field Notes notebooks as a weekly planner
How I set up a Field Notes notebook to use it as a weekly planner
I have been carrying a Field Notes notebook for quite a while for things like taking random notes, brainstorming, making lists, and doodling. They are the perfect size to throw in your pocket or bag and I love that they come in different designs and different paper types (blank, grid, lined, etc…). They are also made in the USA, constructed very well, and their history is cool as well.
About five months ago I decided to try setting up a Field Notes notebook as a weekly planner book. I still keep all of my dates and reminders in my phone, but I thought that maybe having the current week at a time in front of me in written form might be helpful to keep better track of things and help me focus. I typically set up the pages for each week on Sunday or Monday and the act of drawing out the grid I have come up with and filling it in helps me plan and think about what is coming up that week.
In addition to a section for each day of the week I have set up the pages with a To Do and Notes section. For this setup I find that the notebooks with the grid type of paper work best. Though the dot grid paper would probably work ok as well.
In the front of the book, I put a more long term list of To Do items. These are not things that need to be done on a specific date but bigger and more time consuming tasks that I want to do that need extra time and/or planning. So, they are there for reference and then can be added to a weekly page as desired. With the list in the front that leaves enough pages for 22 weeks of planning pages in each notebook.
For each day of the week the items that I document are obvious. That is where I note appointments, birthdays, anniversaries, etc… The pretty standard things that most people put in a calendar.
In the To Do section, I put things that I need to do that week. (Or at least the things I SHOULD do that week!) The Notes section is more for things I need to remember or maybe research, notes about things I need to buy, and items that should be a To Do in the near future.
Below is a photo of my current setup for carrying my notebooks, pen, pencil, eraser, and ruler. You can read about the full setup in a previous blog post that I wrote.
Arc Company Marksman case, Field Notes notebooks, eraser, Zebra pen, Zebra pencil, and Pacific Arc ruler
I would also recommend checking out the Plan Your One Life channel on YouTube! Brittany makes great videos for those of you into planners, journals, notebooks, fountain pens, inks, markers, and more! Look through her list of videos for ones about Field Notes and other pocket notebooks for inspiration. Also, check in the descriptions of those videos and Brittany has a code that you can use to get a discount on your first purchase on the Field Notes site! (She also has some other useful links in her YouTube profile page that you might find handy!)
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