Notebook Meeting 2025

This meeting could not have been an email. Let’s talk techos.

The 2024 Lineup

I mostly stuck to the plan with my planners in 2024, with the exception of the Hobonichi that was neglected and abandoned by the summer. My personal log book for 2024 was the Nanami Paper Cafe Note B6 adorned with a rather handsome leather cover. The Cafe Note uses Sanzen Tomoe River paper with a small grid layout, but is also available in lined. The paper is perfect for my fountain pens in regular rotation, and also works well with the gel and ballpoint pens that occasionally make it into my hand. This book mostly lived on my desk, and also accompanied me on a handful of journeys. My goal was to write something every day, and I more-or-less accomplished that. I may not have written an entry every day, but every day eventually got an entry. This book served me well, and I really enjoyed the B6 slim size. It’s an excellent middle-ground between the A5 and A6 size notebooks that saturate the market.

Speaking of the B6 Slim sizer, my bible-size Plotter also served me admirably. This was my work planner/notebook for the year, accompanying me to meetings both virtual and in person. I used a variety of inserts this year, including a number of undated daily and monthly formats. I still haven’t found my ideal setup, but I’m having a lot of fun with the search.

In preparation for the changing of the guard, I briefly experimented with the YOSEKALAB Two-Month Weekly Planner. For $9.50 you get a B6 notebook with eight weeks of various popular planner layouts. The product was designed to give people an opportunity to try different planning styles before committing to one for a year and, well, they nailed it. The planner uses fountain pen friendly paper so you can use all your favorite pens without worry. Although I ultimately decided to move forward with a traditional weekly layout in my formatted planner for 2025, using this little book gave me some important insights as to what else is out there. I highly recommend the Two-Month Weekly Planner by YOSEKALAB for anyone who is trying to form good planning habits, or looking for something new next planner season.

The 2025 Plan

So obviously the Plotter will still be featured heavily in the rotation for 2025. I’ve purchased a pack of Plotter’s 2025 weekly inserts for meeting and task scheduling. I was thinking of skipping the the first-party inserts this year until I had an epiphany. It turns out that the weekly pages become a vertical scheduler when you turn it sideways. (Sometimes you can’t see the low-hanging fruit until it smacks you in the face.) I’m also heavily reliant on the “Meeting Notes” insert from the Raymay DaVinci line. I’ve also tried to incorporate their accordion-style Monthly Planning insert, but I can’t quite get the hang of vertical project trackers. They may see a second life as a simple task/milestone tracker, but only time will tell. Given my purpose for the Plotter, I wish I had a weekly refill that only covered Monday through Friday. Until I either find one or make one myself, the stock weekly refills will work just fine.

I admit I had my doubts about the Plotter system in the beginning, but I have really grown to love the format. The ability to add and remove pages at will has really changed how I interact with my daily plans. Pulling sheets once they’ve been filled or swapping whole sections when I feel like switching things up has shifted my whole outlook on planners. This is my main knowledge-keeper for 2025, but I’ve got a couple other things cooking. The cost of getting into a Plotter was also a big sticking point for me. These things aren’t cheap (about $107 for the smallest, cheapest option with one pack of refills) but if you’re willing to spend around $200 on a really nice fountain pen, you’re probably willing to spend the same on a nice notebook system.

Playing a supporting role in my work-scheduling endeavors for 2025 we have the Kokuyo Campus Diary. The Campus family of notebooks are very well known for their quality and price, and frankly I’m overdue for a closer look. I intend to use this as a desk book for work tasks. A non-traveling counterpart to the Plotter. Stationary stationery. We’ll see how it goes.

If the Plotter is my work schedule tracker, this Leuchtturm1917 Pocket Weekly is my personal tracker. While on a trip to Portland last year I stopped by Oblation in a mood to shop. I ended up not finding much that I really needed or wanted in that moment, but before I could talk myself out of it I had purchased a little black book. I’ve spoken before about my love for the aesthetics and tactility of Leuchtturm1917 products, and it’s nice to have one in regular rotation again. Even if it’s a bit redundant.

Lastly we have my personal book for the year: a B6 leather notebook from Galen Leather. As I mentioned up top, I’ve really taken a shine to the B6 format. I didn’t necessarily need more space than the B6 slim offers, but I’ve been a Galen fan for a while and this was as good an opportunity as any to throw a few dollars their way. This book uses Sanzen Tomoe River paper, so you get an extraordinary amount of space while keeping a fairly compact notebook. I am beginning to grow tired of the overly-airy feel of Tomoe River, but it’s still the most reliable platform for fountain pen writing. And easy to find in pretty much any format these days.

So that’s it! My planner plans for 2025 are set in stone. But enough about me. What are you using this year?

Disclaimer: All products mentioned in this article were purchased by the author for the purpose of review and personal use. All opinions stated are my own.