As a student and now a teacher, this is a question I’ve been asking myself for many years. My work/student year has for a long time began in September. It’s the beginning of the new school year. Also, because my birthday is at the beginning of October, that also feels like a new beginning. Work goals only make sense to be set in September and some life/personal goals I set in October. But then I have this again in January because, well it’s January! Somehow I feel like this is a bit redundant and it just gets a bit… much.
I would like to simplify things and have one type of year (academic or fiscal) for work and personal. Have one planner where I don’t feel like I have to carry last years monthly pages in January because I want to refer back to something for work that happened in November! But then again, won’t I be doing that if I decide to start from September? I just know that I will want to carry the months of the current calendar year with me for reference purposes. Aaarrgh!
So here is my dilemma! I have tried having a separate planner for work (more on that in another post) but then my bag gets really heavy with all the things I lug around and I’ve started leaving my personal planner at home in an attempt to minimise the weight of my bag for health purposes. But then what’s the point in having a personal planner when it’s not on your person?!
So I’m putting this question out there to the public. I would love to hear some opinions and thoughts about this. Are you a teacher or a student who also feels the same way? Have you found a system that works for you? Or do I just need to embrace that life is messy and things can’t always fall in line they way I want it 😝. Anyway, all thoughts are welcome!
P.
Random Pastimes of a Restless Mind 
One idea might be to focus on three months at a time, carrying just pages from previous month, current month and following month. Obviously this won’t work if you’re constantly scheduling events way in advance, but I find that plans beyond the end of the next month are few and far between and a simple note to add them to the pages later is enough. If I do “double-book” there’s plenty of time to change things. I also rather like that feeling of freshness that archiving the old month and adding the new month brings. Saying that, this isn’t at all how my planner is at the moment, but I enjoyed working this way a couple of years ago.
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HI Pamela. Thanks for your input. This is what I’ve ended up doing, just because I’m in smaller rings in a pocket sized planner. I’m also experimenting with making all my work planning digital. I’m thinking to upsize next year to a A6 binder, so perhaps it changes.
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