Workflows Update: Why I'm Choosing an Undated Planner for 2021

A few weeks ago I wrote about how pretty much all of my work “systems” broke down in 2020. Working from home full time revealed the ugly downside of working analog in a tight space: paper, lot’s of it, and not the good kind. Rather, I found myself overwhelmed with what I call “junk paper”, such as copies of memos, e-mails, letters, etc. that I tended to print out to read, mark up, and never use again.

My work circumstances also revealed a lot of pointless redundancies. For one think, I’ve realized that it probably makes very little sense for me to keep a traditional paper planner. I have far too many appointments, tasks, and reminders that I need to manage on a daily basis for it to be practical. Given that so much comes in through e-mail, it’s more efficient for me to manage these types of tasks electronically rather than transcribing entries back and forth between my phone and a planner.

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That said, I don’t want to give up planning on paper entirely. The value of sitting down to write out your primary tasks and goals can’t be understated, yet I don’t need to do it every day, or even every week. Instead, I tend to lean most on this technique when I’m overwhelmed and need to prioritize. An undated planner offers the flexibility I need without having to worry about “wasting” blank days and weeks in a planner that uses a dated format. Used this way, the undated planner may even last me for more than a year.

Favorite Undated Planner Options

Fortunately, undated planners have surged in popularity over the past few years, and you now have multiple options when looking for something that meets your needs. Today, I’ll take a look at a few different options.

1. Write Notepads Weekly Planner. This landscape spiral-bound notebook offers a large, week-on-two-pages format that offers plenty of space to manage tasks and even schedule your days down to the hour if that’s how you’d prefer to use it. I have one of these set aside for 2021 and plan to rely on it heavily, as Write Notepads paper is among the most versatile for all types of writing instruments, and landscape notebooks fit perfectly beneath a keyboard.

2. Traveler’s Notebook. You can’t understate the versatility of the Traveler’s Notebook system. Perfect for those looking for a highly customizable, compact notebook, TRC (“Traveler’s Company”) sells a range of undated planner inserts that you can include alongside standard notebook refills. My favorites include the Weekly “Free Diary” (a week-on-two-pages layout), but there are daily and monthly versions as well.

3. Field Notes Undated Weekly Planner. Prefer something less fussy, durable, and ultra-convenient? Field Notes’ simple 56-Week undated planner features a spiral binding and a sturdy chipboard cover. It’s also arguably the most portable of anything on this list.

4. BaronFig Mastermind Week Pad. Don’t care about saving your planners for posterity? Baron Fig’s weekly planning take on the standard Mastermind Desk Pad (another personal favorite) comes three pads to a pack for just $9 - a full year’s worth of weekly planning. Once you finish a week, tear it off and start fresh! I’ve used these periodically at work, but my job usually requires something with a larger format and more writing space.

5. Midori MD Notebook Journal (A5 Dot Grid). For the ultimate in unstructured, undated planning, you can always go the Bullet Journal route, and this Midori A5 Notebook Journal with blank dot grid pages and the place for the date in the upper right-hand corner will serve you well. Of course, you can substitute your own favorite brand of journal or preferred ruling, if dot grid isn’t your thing.

Where to Buy

You can find some of the options discussed above currently in stock at the T.G.S. Curated Shop. Others can be found at our sponsor Vanness Pens, or purchased directly from BaronFig. In addition to shopping for yourself during the waning months of 2020 (yay!), planner-style notebooks make great gifts for stationery enthusiasts and professionals during the ongoing holiday season.

Five Surprisingly Practical Uses for Washi Tape

Rather than dramatically expanding my collection of pens and pencils, I’ve spent time during the past year exploring new types of stationery and desk accessories I had previously ignored. One such product is washi tape - the decorative Japanese masking tape that’s exploded in popularity in recent years. Though I admired all the colorful options and clever patterns, I didn’t see how I could justify purchasing washi tape for my own use. When I started carrying washi tape in the shop earlier this year, I pulled a few rolls out of inventory and was shocked at how much I ended up going through. If you’re someone who has been on the fence, wanting to dip a toe in the expansive pool of tens of thousands of different tapes available, here are five of my favorite things to do with washi tape:

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I’ve started flagging pages in my notebooks and journals with folded over pieces of washi tape.

1. Page Markers. A reader tipped me off to this one back in the spring. If you’re not overly concerned about being able to move the bookmark at a later date, a small piece of washi tape folded over the edge of a page can serve the same purpose as a Book Dart. (Of course, tape is not archivally safe and will technically “damage” your page, so I’d recommend this technique only for your own personal journals or books from your own library.)

2. Sealing Letters. One of the benefits of the T.G.S. Patreon Program is that I send a handwritten thank-you letter to all supporters. (In fact, the latest batch is getting ready to go in the mail, so if you haven’t received yours yet, I haven’t forgotten about you!) Sometimes I will break out the delightfully old-school sealing wax to ensure the envelopes stay closed, but washi tape can serve the same purpose. I’m also trying to track down some holiday-themed tape to incorporate into my family’s holiday cards.

3. Journaling and Commonplacing. Maybe “scrapbooking” is the better term, but because I tend to save everything, I have boxes, folders, envelopes - you name it - with all sorts of memorabilia and souvenirs tucked away. I’ve done better in terms of just letting some of this go, but I’ve also started to organize things into my journal and commonplace book. I dislike glue, so I mainly use washi tape to stick things like ticket stubs, small photos, post-its, and clipped periodicals into my journals and notebooks. Ultra-thin washi tape doesn’t add bulk to the page.

4. Gift Wrap and Packaging. With the holidays approaching, you can do better than standard cellophane tape! As with letters, washi tape can add personality to your gift wrapping while still performing a useful purpose. Those of you who have ordered from the store may notice some washi tape “samples” on your envelopes or interior packaging.

5. Well…Just Tape. Washi tape may be thin and easy to tear with your hands (no scissors required!) but it’s not flimsy. It’s durable and holds up surprisingly well to pretty much any task where you would reach for standard masking or cellophane tape. And it’s definitely a lot more fun. I’m currently searching for the perfect small tape dispenser that I can use to keep a roll or two loaded and ready to go on my desk.

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The selection of washi tape currently in stock from iLootPaperie. Taco Tuesday, anyone?

Whether they like it or not, my family is going to be receiving a lot of washi tape in their stockings this Christmas. If you’re looking for a charming, inexpensive gift, or simply want to add some personality to your day-to-day office supplies, consider giving washi tape a try. The T.G.S. Curated Shop stocks a selection of unique tapes that I’ve personally chosen, priced anywhere from $2-6 per roll. I’m constantly searching for new patterns, so keep checking back for additions.

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands that it carries. For in-depth discussion of our curated retail selections, including more gift ideas, check out our 2020 Holiday Gift Guide.

Five Favorites for Fountain Pen Day (and My Own Personal Distraction)

Since yesterday started out as extraordinarily unproductive, I spent the morning cleaning out far too many inked fountain pens (seriously, I had no idea how many I had inked up) and filling five of my personal favorites in celebration of Fountain Pen Day, which is this Friday! Here’s what I chose, with a link to the corresponding review and, if possible, where you can still buy the pen if it’s not a special or limited edition:

1. Montblanc 149 Red Gold. The size of the Montblanc 149 has grown on me over time, and whether or not the pen works for you personally, you can’t deny that it’s an icon. As with another pen on this list, this one features a stock Montblanc broad nib, which actually writes more like a stub, and is in fact one of the best stub nibs in my collection.

2. Sailor Pro Gear Imperial Black Edition. I’ve let this favorite sit for far too long. Not only is the Sailor “HF" (hard fine) one of my favorite nibs, but the size fits my hand perfectly when the pen is posted. I’ll never let this one go, as this particular pen carries special meaning. And yes everyone, seven years later, the black ion plating on the nib and trim is still intact.

3. Pelikan M800 Stone Garden. One of my favorite special edition releases from 2018, Stone Garden is still, aesthetically, my favorite M800 and one of the Pelikans I would likely keep if I ever considered seriously downsizing my collection. Oddly enough, this Pelikan still hasn’t sold out at select retailers, sometimes at a discount.

4. Montegrappa Miya. A relatively recent pickup from this year’s Baltimore Pen Show, I decided to swap in a 14k medium nib in place of the 14k Flex and now this pen is a perfect everyday writer. As I mentioned in my original review, the Miya is one of the most well-balanced luxury fountain pens out there, and I hope Montegrappa decides to do more with this particular shape and design. While this celluloid variant is pricey, Montegrappa has been experimenting with different materials, including acrylics that are paired with stainless steel JoWo nibs.

5. Montblanc Virginia Woolf Writer’s Edition. I have two of Montblanc’s “Writers Edition” fountain pens, both purchased as N.O.S. years after their initial release. The textured and contoured Virginia Woolf edition won’t be for everyone aesthetically, but again, you can’t argue with the Montblanc stock broad nib. The stubbish nib on this pen is even better than the broad nib on my 149, and I’ve heard rumors that Montblanc pays extra close attention to the Writers Edition nibs (or at least they used to). (Long-discontinued Limited Edition)

How are you planning to celebrate Fountain Pen Day? I’m hoping for a calm evening enjoying my pens and journals. I have a feeling we’ll all need it.

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Fountain Pen Day Special

This Friday, I will be running a special promotion in the T.G.S. Curated Shop that will be announced in tomorrow’s Deals & Drops. If you don’t feel like waiting, ALL orders this week will receive a complimentary T.G.S. Stencilboard Bookmark. For other Fountain Pen Day celebration specials, be sure to check the “Sponsors” page on the Fountain Pen Day website for additional specials and promotions.

Workflows: Resources and Recommendations for Working from Home

During the past several months, one of the most common requests I’ve received has been to talk more about my workflow. Now that I’m working from home nearly full time, what tools/products do I use and how do I effectively balance digital and analog in terms of actually getting stuff done? Well, to be honest, I’ve been avoiding the question because I don’t really have a good response yet. Things changed so quickly that I’ve adapted reactively rather than proactively, and my workflow is a mess. In fact, I’m not even sure that I can say that I have one. This past week I actually delved back into my own archive of work-related posts to see if I could figure out how to get myself back on track.

1. Strategic Paper Replacement. The biggest culprit? File organization, namely what to save on paper and what to save electronically. If left to my own devices, I’ll always print something out and work off a hard copy with pen or pencil, but unless the project requires deep concentration or is especially complex, it’s unnecessary. Moreover, I’m left with a ton of “junk paper” that needs to either be filed or shredded. My solution? I’m going back to the iPad Pro/Apple Pencil, and trying to be more mindful of what I actually print out. Sure, it involves an up-front investment, but now that I’m having to purchase my own printer toner and printer paper (and lots of it), not to mention dedicating my own personal space to storing physical files, it will eventually be a wash.

2. Workspace Organization. In the “before times,” my home office served primarily as a library/hobby space, but became a combination law office/library/stationery store/file closet overnight. For the first few months I had piles of notebooks, notepads, journals, binders, printed out legal briefs and exhibits, and more stacked up on the desk and floor, in addition to products for the shop, products for review, and my own collections of books and stationery. Over time, I’ve streamlined my desk setup to a core set of items, and it’s actually turned into one of the most pleasant workspaces I’ve ever had. But in order to further reduce the clutter, I don’t have much of a choice other than to “go digital” in strategic areas.

3. Planning My Time. A couple months ago I wrote about using a planner to structure my days and stay focused, which has helped me in that I actually complete one task before I pick up another. Otherwise half-finished projects start to pile up, adding to the clutter (both mental and physical). Incorporating a timer into my work routine has also helped, though I opt for a gentler hourglass/sandglass timer as opposed to more jarring buzzer or phone timer.

4. Apps. I’ve never actually written at length on things like apps and productivity software, partly because what I use isn’t exciting. I work primarily in Office, PDF Pro, Dropbox, and Apple’s suite of stock apps like Mail, Notes, TextEdit, and Calendar. Sure, “better” options likely exist, but people get so wrapped up in finding the “ideal” tool for the job that they spend all their time (and money) switching between apps and don’t get any actual work done. I do have a couple of specialized writing apps that I’ve used for years, such as Scrivener and iWriter Pro, and recently I’ve experimented with using the powerful (and free) Notion to manage my content calendar for this site. The challenge for me is to mindfully choose these tools when it makes sense, especially for things like notetaking and annotation where I instinctively reach for a pen.

I’m a work in progress, and fixing my workflow has been more of a struggle for me than it probably should. I love working with physical media, and my brain definitely functions better on paper than on a screen. But at the same time, new systems need to evolve where the sheer volume of documents and information we’re expected to process makes this unmanageable. My goal has always been to choose the best tool for the job, and I’m slowly coming to realize that the best tool for a specific job may not always be my preferred tool.

I’ve been advised that the “Fun iPad” is no longer work appropriate.

If you’d like to hear more about these and similar topics, let me know. I’m definitely open to delving deeper into the intersection between the digital and analog areas of our lives, and for a while I published a newsletter, Digital Divide, addressing these issues. I’ve considered bringing it back, but I’ve never asked the readership. Meanwhile, what work from home challenges are you experiencing? Have any of you had success addressing similar issues transitioning to full-time remote work?

Essential Office Supplies and Accessories for the Home Office

I’ve spent a lot of time (and I mean a LOT of time) thinking about optimizing my workspace now that I’m 97% remote, and it appears that things will remain that way even post-Covid. Previously, my home office basically served as dumping ground for household mail, hobby supplies, and whatever the dogs had dragged upstairs while I was at work. Now? It’s arguably a much more pleasant and productive place than my “real office” ever was. Most of this has involved basic decluttering and purchasing more functional shelving and storage, but I’ve also consolidated a lot of my desk accessories and office supplies, clearing some out and purchasing more functional replacements. I’m still working on bigger issues (such as choosing a better chair and hardwiring my home Wifi to ensure better speeds through the house), but I’m pleased with where things stand.

Continuing my prior discussions of home-based work, today’s post contains a mix of “gear recommendations” and discussion of general office layout choices that have worked for me. By way of background, my job involves approximately 80% writing, so my setup focuses on creating spaces conducive to reading, writing, and research, and having the tools I need for that readily at hand. Since everyone has different job requirements, these recommendations may or may not be on-point for you, but I do hope you find them helpful. So, with that in mind, what do I consider “essential”?

1. WASD “Code” Mechanical Keyboard. Even though I work extensively by hand, the keyboard is still my primary input device. A mechanical keyboard, which features a mechanical switch for each key rather than a rubber dome or membrane, increases my typing accuracy and is much easier on my hands and wrists over longer sessions in front of a screen. Though I’ve owned multiple mechanical keyboards over the years, I’ve sold nearly all of them off in favor of WASD’s “Code” Keyboard, which combines understated basic black design with rock-solid durability. Since I prefer stiff, clicky keys, I use the version with Cherry MX Green switches.

2. Landscape-Style Desk Pad. For years now, I’ve used a landscape-style desk pad or notebook on my desk beneath my keyboard for impromptu checklists, quick calculations, and drafting by hand. Typically, for notes that don’t get saved, I love the Baron Fig Mastermind desk pad. Lately, I’ve also used the Write Notepads lndscape-orientation spiral notebook, which is lined and therefore nice for drafting.

3. Compact Pen or Tool Holder. Who would’ve thought that it’s distracting to have dozens of pens and pencils scattered all over your desk? I’ve tested out lots of pen holders, and my favorite remains my “Divide” from Dudek Modern goods, which holds a dozen pens and pencils in addition to pocket notebooks. That said, Mike only makes these in occasional batches, so you should also consider Galen Leather’s ToolComb, which I recently reviewed. I currently use both.

4. Notepad or Tablet Stand. As a proponent of handwriting your first draft of pretty much anything, I do a lot of typing from hardcopy. While I’ve used more expensive aluminum tablet stands to hold notebooks and legal pads upright while I transcribe handwritten drafts, I discovered these simple and inexpensive folding metal book stands that are not only adjustable but fold flat for storage if you need to temporarily reclaim the desk space.

5. Standing Desk. Moving around during the day is key to my own personal productivity (and it’s also healthier). My primary workspace is an extremely large, 1970s-era wooden desk (referred to in our house as “the battleship”) that I inherited from my grandfather, which allows me to spread out but will never win any awards for ergonomics or design. When I need a break, I use a podium-style adjustable desk from Levenger that is big enough to pull triple duty as a writing desk, laptop stand, and even a shipping station when I’m packing orders for the store. I love this thing so much that I’ve actually purchased two of them over the years, with a second currently sitting unused at my downtown office.

6. Lap Desk or Clipboard. Another thing I’ve learned about myself is that I can’t go an entire day without going outside, though it’s easy to find yourself in that situation working from home if you don’t need to leave to get lunch, etc. I make an effort to go out on the porch or patio and work for at least an hour to get some air. I’ve experimented with a variety of lap desks, but I keep coming back to clipboards. I have a black canvas version I picked up years ago at Papier Plus in Paris, which I don’t believe they sell anymore. I recently found these Penco fiberboard versions in A4 size that also make a great mobile work surface.

7. Dedicated Work/Personal Notebooks. Prior to 2020, I had started using a single large notebook for all of my notes to reduce the weight and bulk of what I had to carry back and forth between home and office. Now, I’m back to using three to four different notebooks to better separate my work life from my personal life (which is hard to do when worlds collide).

8. Desktop Pencil Sharpener. I’ve found myself using more and more graphite for work purposes. While I still use my fountain pens to journal and when I’m otherwise writing for my own enjoyment, pencil can be less distracting since I find myself focusing on the actual work as opposed to the ink, paper, nib, etc. My go-to all-purpose pencil sharpener remains the Carl Angel-5/Classroom Friendly pencil sharpener, with the handheld M+R Brass Bullet taking on an increasingly prominent role when I’m working on the porch.

9. Whiteboard/Chalkboard. For planning and sketching out ideas free-form, and for making running lists of tasks in a place where I can see them, sometimes there’s nothing better than a wall board. I say “wall board” because I’m seriously considering moving away from a whiteboard to a traditional chalkboard. It can be hard to clean a whiteboard, and even the “low odor” markers give me a headache. Plus, if I really want to go all “mad scientist,” I could paint an entire wall of my office in chalkboard paint and…. well, you get the idea.

10. Annotation/Highlighter Pencils. I dislike liquid ink highlighters, especially for marking up handwritten notes. They smear everything from ink to pencils. I much prefer highlighter pencils, and for years I’ve used these Caran d’Ache Graphicolor highlighter/graphite combination pencils. I also enjoy the Graphicolor red/graphite annotation pencils, which form a key part of my reading and journaling kit.

What home office items do you find indispensable to your daily work? I’m interested to hear! Please feel free to leave a comment or message me directly using the “Contact” link!

This post contains no affiliate links, thought it may contain links to past reviews on the blog and a handful of items in The T.G.S. Curated Shop.