I truly don't know how you don't have mire subscribers yet. I'm sure you're going to be incredibly successful once more people find your videos. You've been hands down the most helpful planner/organization tips channel I've ever found, and trust me I follow a lot lol. Thanks for making these videos!
You say “lazy”; I say “efficient” lol. I like a lot of these tips! I always do deco second because I want to make sure all of the space I need is available and then I can put deco in on days that are over if I didn’t need all of the space 😊
Definitely do a few of these myself! - No more than 2 highlighters per month (one grey, one color) - 2 pens (one that can write over the highlighters and one fountain pen in my day-to-day ink) - I go through one pass of a single sticker sheet over the entire month just to add a touch of deco… then add more if I feel like it on the week/day off. But I purposefully just add one or two here and there as a base but purposely place them in areas that make sense. Overall, works for me when I’m just not feeling like doing more. Helps tons that I do this at the very beginning of the month and then the rest of the month is flexible to however I’m feeling.
The thumb-tab idea is a game-changer for those who haven't tried it. I am in rings so the ruler I use as the 'today' marker is in upside down with the tab at the bottom - so much easier to find!
I cant speak for others but as someone with autism/adhd i can say that lazyness is certainly often misused as a term. I think some people definitely hate doing the same thing several times, which can be seen as lazyness and there are some that procrastinate doing tasks which is called the same. If that actually is just lazy or its a symptom of some other problem, be it mental or social, i cant say. On the other side, many ppl with handicaps are branded as lazy when you are working yourself to the bone (as you seem aware of, so this is just to make sure we are all on the same page.)
I call it "efficient", not "lazy". :D I rarely use deco except on my monthly header pages, the rest is purely functional. I use removable tabs too, because they don't affect the neatness of the book. I only need the tabs for the pages I'm currently using. Another thing I like to do is draw up all my spreads for the coming month, on the last weekend before the month start, because I'm generally more motivated and have more spare time to get it all done at that time.
You are a GENIUS Rachelle! I needed this today as I am just so tired from work and as much as I love to plan, planning today feels a little like a chore, lol! Such awesome and useful tips I look forward to using them this week. TFS!
I do this on my Hobonichi Cousin daily pages - planning comes first, then journalling, and then I throw down some washi or a fun sticker later (or doodle, if I'm feeling really creative). I've also discovered the joy of thumb tabs at the bottom of my Cousin - I use the Midori Chiratto metal tabs, as they don't take up much space on the page and are obviously very durable!
Good product rec! I love to know your process in terms of what takes priority. I feel like lots of people just think meticulous spreads appear out of nowhere but there's always a step A to step B to step C when putting down info. Thanks for sharing!
Perfect timing, Rachelle, as I recover from some medical care that has left me with very low energy today. I keep my work and personal planners separate, and I’ve found a tip that really helps when I need to take care of a personal item during my work day, such as calling to schedule a medical or dental appointment. For some reason, if I just put a sticky note in my work planner with the reminder to call my dentist, I don’t get around to it because I invariably get interrupted while looking up the number in my phone, and just never get back on track with that task during my busy day. I’ve learned that I will make the call if I just take the simple step of writing my dental office’s phone number on the sticky reminder. This trick also works for other calls I might be putting off or trying to avoid. I hope this tip helps someone else who has a similar need. ❤
I'm definitely on the struggle bus when it comes to my planning system as of late; mainly ever since I got back from my vacation a few weeks ago. I'm going to take this advice and plan this week's Classic Happy Planner spread with function first and then add decor; this will be especially helpful since I have quite a few appointments this week and a random late shift on Tuesday since I swapped days off with someone. Thank you as always for the great advice, Rachelle!
Laziness is a BS concept, it is a capitalistic construct. I am neurodiverse and I can be highly hyperfocused and work long hours and forget times. Then there are times that I can be unfocused. When I do not get things done to someone else’s timeline, I am not lazy, it could be that I am down a rabbit hole of adding above and beyond what is necessary for the project. Or I just need a rest day to avoid burnout. I just watched a video on CNBC about Americans and use of vacations, and it kind of reinforced in me why I may not want to move permanently back home from the EU. However, being an immigrant and finding a job that needs employees in this time, with such low unemployment rate is damn near impossible. Think how the some of the companies in the US treats certain immigrants from certain countries for certain jobs. I love thumb tabs! And I wish I could convince myself of minimalist journaling with 3 pens like you, but this girl loves her Hi Tec Coleto pen colors, highlighters and brush pens, and colored pencils. I used Thumb tabs in my in JT Techo (weekly and dailies) but then the ink transferred to the tab and I became sad because I decorated the tabs with a pretty sticker over it. Big mistake. Now maybe I will just use the blank ones so I can switch them out.
YES high key on the laziness being a capitalist construct! Also, whatever amount of supplies feels sustainable and good for you to use! If it gives you joy, it's worth keeping in your system :)
If you do want tabs on every month but don't like the way it works... I always do the month I am doing (so in my planner I have tabs for jan-may) and then do it every time I start a new month 😆 for the day I'm at I have a pencil board in between so I can open it up there. Just a tip for people who like the tabs!
Love this video. My lazy tip is keeping 2 planners! 😆 I have an ugly one (which I never decorate, it’s purely functional) and a pretty one (which I use as memory-keeping and I decorate it only when I feel like it).
Really object to using the word lazy to characterize days when we feel bad (emotionally or physically) and/or need more rest. Lazy is a moral judgement and an attempt to shame people. It’s important to recognize our limits without shaming ourselves for them and to get out of the habit of using that shaming language both for ourselves and others.
Love this comment, thank you for saying! I totally agree. I think when we are low energy we need to take care of ourselves and find work arounds, but the word "large" does often come with a charge.
This is totally what I do when I don't have time. However when i'm just lazy/feeling bad and I do have time, decorating it is the only thing that motivates me haha
I don't, but if there's interest I could certainly see about trying out the product! I've just never used it before. Do you have recs of Happy Planner channels to check out?
Great video as always. Im so burnt out right now and i just want something that works. I think my brain likes the deco but as you say, it might stop me from actually using it later. Or i know it does. I probably need a simple planner and save the decoration for journaling. But its hard because a boring page also makes me not want to use it, so balance??
The balance is tough! I love a pre-defined set of stickers or colors to work with so that I can save on the decision fatigue of choosing what to stick down when decorating a page. And it can just be peaceful. I hope you get some rest with your burnout and stuff, that is super hard!
I am going to try plan first then decorate. Plan makes me calm when I no longer keep things in my mind and know what’s ahead. Decorate tiny bit makes me joyful. But sometimes later do prohibit me to do first fully or not at all. Yes. Decision fatigue! I am going to keep your advice to ❤ and to real practices. Question. 4:05 and 4:39 were those tombows color ? Would you know what #? I have been looking for ones that pop but not strongly
Hi New to your channel. I love it! I find it very helpful. This will help me stay organized. Question- do you have a amazon page with links to items you use- pens, highlighters, etc? 0:12
Maybe in the future, make an example to show how one is filled out, so it still protects your privacy but also helps others visualise what one looks like. If you don't want to glue it in, just insert it in and not glue it in
I always decorate second as to not take up any of my writing space it’s very smart and makes planners much more functional !!!!!!! It’s ok to say it’s being lazy don’t let the over sensitive people get to you 😊
I like it a lot! I personally like it more than the cousin although the cousin is a great planner. I have a video from a while back comparing them (though this was before I used the common planner much).
100% laziness is a silly construct. It's too pejorative to actually be motivating; it's just another way to make productivity seem morally good, capitalism, max weber, etc, etc
Not wanting to decorate is hardly lazy! Planning is setting out what needs done and how it’ll get done when it needs done. Only on YT is it filled with stickers and art and washi by default. That is not planning. If you want to decorate go for it and good luck to you - but please don’t call people, including yourself, lazy for wanting to stick to the meat and bones of how to get your stuff done.
Agree - it's a tool not an art project for some (most?) of us, though seeing what others do is useful. Two pens (Sarasa vintage and a toning highlighter) is all I use, changing to another pair each month. Definitely no stickers, and only very rarely any washi. Often wonder if those with the heavily decorated planners on YT have a plain functional one in the background that they use in real life!
I have seen some talk about their “messy” planner which i believe would look a lot more like mine - scribbles and all! I think some of the final planners are beautiful, and all power to those who decorate as a hobby, I just dislike the use of the word Lazy.
Laziness is 100% made up by capitalism 🫠 but your tip of minimizing your tools (something you mentioned in another video since my binge of your channel 😅) has changed the game for me! I can do so much with just one pen and I was letting the need to feel like my planner is cute stop me from even using it 🙃 so thank you!
This is so relevant. Planning 1st and decorating second helps so much on days when I am too tired.
Yeah! And once you get into the habit of that, it's so much easier to just jump right in. Thanks for watching.
I truly don't know how you don't have mire subscribers yet. I'm sure you're going to be incredibly successful once more people find your videos. You've been hands down the most helpful planner/organization tips channel I've ever found, and trust me I follow a lot lol. Thanks for making these videos!
This is... such a nice compliment. Thank you so much, it's really meaningful that the hard work is being recognized :')
I didn't even notice how few subscribers she had until reading your comment! I just assumed she was a bigger youtuber.
Omg THUMB TABS! It really is what life’s about. If I only had thumb tabs for my brain! 🧠😅😅 😅
Thank you! Best tip I’ve heard in a while. Simplicity!
You say “lazy”; I say “efficient” lol. I like a lot of these tips! I always do deco second because I want to make sure all of the space I need is available and then I can put deco in on days that are over if I didn’t need all of the space 😊
Absolutely, its totally those of us who are not willing to go the hard route who come up with the best solutions 😉 Thanks for commenting!
Definitely do a few of these myself!
- No more than 2 highlighters per month (one grey, one color)
- 2 pens (one that can write over the highlighters and one fountain pen in my day-to-day ink)
- I go through one pass of a single sticker sheet over the entire month just to add a touch of deco… then add more if I feel like it on the week/day off. But I purposefully just add one or two here and there as a base but purposely place them in areas that make sense.
Overall, works for me when I’m just not feeling like doing more. Helps tons that I do this at the very beginning of the month and then the rest of the month is flexible to however I’m feeling.
The thumb-tab idea is a game-changer for those who haven't tried it. I am in rings so the ruler I use as the 'today' marker is in upside down with the tab at the bottom - so much easier to find!
Isn't it wild how just shifting the tabs around makes such a huge difference!!!
A simple but effective change!
I cant speak for others but as someone with autism/adhd i can say that lazyness is certainly often misused as a term. I think some people definitely hate doing the same thing several times, which can be seen as lazyness and there are some that procrastinate doing tasks which is called the same. If that actually is just lazy or its a symptom of some other problem, be it mental or social, i cant say. On the other side, many ppl with handicaps are branded as lazy when you are working yourself to the bone (as you seem aware of, so this is just to make sure we are all on the same page.)
Absolutely, agree with all this 100%! Thank you so much for commenting. ♥️
I call it "efficient", not "lazy". :D I rarely use deco except on my monthly header pages, the rest is purely functional. I use removable tabs too, because they don't affect the neatness of the book. I only need the tabs for the pages I'm currently using. Another thing I like to do is draw up all my spreads for the coming month, on the last weekend before the month start, because I'm generally more motivated and have more spare time to get it all done at that time.
YES batching your set ups is SUCH a hack. Thanks for sharing!
I like the first tip. When I add deco, they don’t look pretty but they make sense to me. I am learning to accept it as it is.
Thumb tabs!! I love thumb tabs, they are life changing! I use some sticky tabs but also those metal index tabs from Midori work too.
You are a GENIUS Rachelle! I needed this today as I am just so tired from work and as much as I love to plan, planning today feels a little like a chore, lol! Such awesome and useful tips I look forward to using them this week. TFS!
Thank YOU! It's terrible when planning feels like a chore so glad these could inspire you a lil 😉
I do this on my Hobonichi Cousin daily pages - planning comes first, then journalling, and then I throw down some washi or a fun sticker later (or doodle, if I'm feeling really creative). I've also discovered the joy of thumb tabs at the bottom of my Cousin - I use the Midori Chiratto metal tabs, as they don't take up much space on the page and are obviously very durable!
Good product rec! I love to know your process in terms of what takes priority. I feel like lots of people just think meticulous spreads appear out of nowhere but there's always a step A to step B to step C when putting down info. Thanks for sharing!
Perfect timing, Rachelle, as I recover from some medical care that has left me with very low energy today. I keep my work and personal planners separate, and I’ve found a tip that really helps when I need to take care of a personal item during my work day, such as calling to schedule a medical or dental appointment. For some reason, if I just put a sticky note in my work planner with the reminder to call my dentist, I don’t get around to it because I invariably get interrupted while looking up the number in my phone, and just never get back on track with that task during my busy day. I’ve learned that I will make the call if I just take the simple step of writing my dental office’s phone number on the sticky reminder. This trick also works for other calls I might be putting off or trying to avoid. I hope this tip helps someone else who has a similar need. ❤
YES on this tip, I love it. Thanks for sharing and wishing you a good recovery ♥
I'm definitely on the struggle bus when it comes to my planning system as of late; mainly ever since I got back from my vacation a few weeks ago. I'm going to take this advice and plan this week's Classic Happy Planner spread with function first and then add decor; this will be especially helpful since I have quite a few appointments this week and a random late shift on Tuesday since I swapped days off with someone. Thank you as always for the great advice, Rachelle!
thank YOU for watching and commenting! Let me know how it goes!
Laziness is a BS concept, it is a capitalistic construct. I am neurodiverse and I can be highly hyperfocused and work long hours and forget times. Then there are times that I can be unfocused. When I do not get things done to someone else’s timeline, I am not lazy, it could be that I am down a rabbit hole of adding above and beyond what is necessary for the project. Or I just need a rest day to avoid burnout. I just watched a video on CNBC about Americans and use of vacations, and it kind of reinforced in me why I may not want to move permanently back home from the EU. However, being an immigrant and finding a job that needs employees in this time, with such low unemployment rate is damn near impossible. Think how the some of the companies in the US treats certain immigrants from certain countries for certain jobs.
I love thumb tabs! And I wish I could convince myself of minimalist journaling with 3 pens like you, but this girl loves her Hi Tec Coleto pen colors, highlighters and brush pens, and colored pencils. I used Thumb tabs in my in JT Techo (weekly and dailies) but then the ink transferred to the tab and I became sad because I decorated the tabs with a pretty sticker over it. Big mistake. Now maybe I will just use the blank ones so I can switch them out.
YES high key on the laziness being a capitalist construct!
Also, whatever amount of supplies feels sustainable and good for you to use! If it gives you joy, it's worth keeping in your system :)
If you do want tabs on every month but don't like the way it works... I always do the month I am doing (so in my planner I have tabs for jan-may) and then do it every time I start a new month 😆 for the day I'm at I have a pencil board in between so I can open it up there. Just a tip for people who like the tabs!
ooooh like adding them as you go? I do like that a lot
Love this video. My lazy tip is keeping 2 planners! 😆 I have an ugly one (which I never decorate, it’s purely functional) and a pretty one (which I use as memory-keeping and I decorate it only when I feel like it).
Looooovely hahaha. I might call that a high and low energy planner.
Ima need thumb tabs bc the included ribbon bookmark is being slowly chewed away by my cats 🤣🤣🤣
YES haha god forbid i leave my notebook on the table.... that little ribbon is getting ATTACKED
@@RachelleinTheory true! And also if I'm journaling with my foster kittens, there will be bite marks on the page corners.
Really object to using the word lazy to characterize days when we feel bad (emotionally or physically) and/or need more rest. Lazy is a moral judgement and an attempt to shame people. It’s important to recognize our limits without shaming ourselves for them and to get out of the habit of using that shaming language both for ourselves and others.
Love this comment, thank you for saying! I totally agree. I think when we are low energy we need to take care of ourselves and find work arounds, but the word "large" does often come with a charge.
Genius ideas! Thanks for sharing 😀
This is totally what I do when I don't have time. However when i'm just lazy/feeling bad and I do have time, decorating it is the only thing that motivates me haha
Tooooootally fair tbh. Gotta get it done somehow :)
Love this content! Thanks for sharing!
We hope you're doing well. God bless you.
Love the style of your videos. Do you ever do Happy Planner content? Thx ☺️
I don't, but if there's interest I could certainly see about trying out the product! I've just never used it before. Do you have recs of Happy Planner channels to check out?
Great video as always. Im so burnt out right now and i just want something that works. I think my brain likes the deco but as you say, it might stop me from actually using it later. Or i know it does. I probably need a simple planner and save the decoration for journaling. But its hard because a boring page also makes me not want to use it, so balance??
The balance is tough! I love a pre-defined set of stickers or colors to work with so that I can save on the decision fatigue of choosing what to stick down when decorating a page. And it can just be peaceful. I hope you get some rest with your burnout and stuff, that is super hard!
Thank you...
So helpful, thank you 😊
Lazy can be the path to efficiency.
You had my subscription at "capitalist overlords."
✊😤 welcome to the channel comrade
If lazy is a trigger for you---I highly recommend KC Davis at Struggle Care. Game changer.
Oh I really like her stuff!! Thank you for commenting!
9:44 are those affirmation stickers? 🥰 Could I get more details on those?
I am going to try plan first then decorate. Plan makes me calm when I no longer keep things in my mind and know what’s ahead. Decorate tiny bit makes me joyful. But sometimes later do prohibit me to do first fully or not at all. Yes. Decision fatigue! I am going to keep your advice to ❤ and to real practices. Question. 4:05 and 4:39 were those tombows color ? Would you know what #? I have been looking for ones that pop but not strongly
I don't know the colours or if they are Tombow. But you can get Zebra Mildliners in similar colours.
YES they were Tombows! I can't recall the first one (it's like an icy blue color, almost a little lavender) but the second is the much beloved 942.
Hi New to your channel. I love it! I find it very helpful. This will help me stay organized. Question- do you have a amazon page with links to items you use- pens, highlighters, etc? 0:12
Maybe in the future, make an example to show how one is filled out, so it still protects your privacy but also helps others visualise what one looks like. If you don't want to glue it in, just insert it in and not glue it in
I always decorate second as to not take up any of my writing space it’s very smart and makes planners much more functional !!!!!!! It’s ok to say it’s being lazy don’t let the over sensitive people get to you 😊
That's my secret: I NEVER decorate
that's my secret, Cap 🫡
Did anyone find the hobonichi printout of their pages?
I can't find it (I usually do get lost and slightly disorientated on the site).
tabs!!!! I totally forgot.
When you did the memories with stickers section, do you do it at the end of each day or once a week?
I don't really have a set time tbh! At least once a week, but occasionally I get in there and do more.
How do u like the sterling vs a cousin??
I like it a lot! I personally like it more than the cousin although the cousin is a great planner. I have a video from a while back comparing them (though this was before I used the common planner much).
100% laziness is a silly construct. It's too pejorative to actually be motivating; it's just another way to make productivity seem morally good, capitalism, max weber, etc, etc
Not wanting to decorate is hardly lazy! Planning is setting out what needs done and how it’ll get done when it needs done. Only on YT is it filled with stickers and art and washi by default. That is not planning. If you want to decorate go for it and good luck to you - but please don’t call people, including yourself, lazy for wanting to stick to the meat and bones of how to get your stuff done.
Agree - it's a tool not an art project for some (most?) of us, though seeing what others do is useful. Two pens (Sarasa vintage and a toning highlighter) is all I use, changing to another pair each month. Definitely no stickers, and only very rarely any washi. Often wonder if those with the heavily decorated planners on YT have a plain functional one in the background that they use in real life!
I have seen some talk about their “messy” planner which i believe would look a lot more like mine - scribbles and all! I think some of the final planners are beautiful, and all power to those who decorate as a hobby, I just dislike the use of the word Lazy.
Laziness is 100% made up by capitalism 🫠 but your tip of minimizing your tools (something you mentioned in another video since my binge of your channel 😅) has changed the game for me! I can do so much with just one pen and I was letting the need to feel like my planner is cute stop me from even using it 🙃 so thank you!