A wrong Metro train in Chicago taught me my weekly spread is a trap

I used to plan every single day on a two page spread. Grids, habit trackers, meal slots, the whole thing. Last month I got on the wrong train during rush hour and ended up 40 minutes away. Sat there with nothing to do, so I opened my journal and looked at how much of that week was actually planned for ME versus planned for other people’s expectations. About 80 percent of it was stuff I put down just to fill boxes. Since then I stopped doing weekly spreads entirely and just do a daily note the night before. Some people swear the weekly view keeps them honest. Does the structure help you or does it just give you a place to feel guilty? Which side are you on?

2 comments

2 Comments

dylan_rodriguez1d ago

Ditched the weekly spreads too after realizing I was spending more time decorating them than actually doing anything on the list. Now I just jot down three things I want to get done the night before on a sticky note, and if I don't do them, I move them to the next day. The monthly view is the only one I keep now, just as a loose map, and honestly it feels way less like a punishment and more like a suggestion.

avery_carr5717h ago

Heard my buddy swear off his whole planner system after he missed a dentist appointment because he spent an hour picking out washi tape for that week. Now he just uses the calendar app on his phone and a single sticky note for groceries, and somehow he's never forgotten anything since. It's funny how the simpler stuff just works better when you stop treating it like a hobby.