It’s New Year’s weekend already! I had a great 2023 and look forward to 2024, but I still feel as though I have a lot to do before I can dive into next year with as clean a slate as possible. I typically don’t make really rigid plans or resolutions, but most years I do take some basic steps to start the New Year “clean”, such as straightening up my house and office, emptying out my various bags, flushing pens, and taking donations to charity drop-off. For those who are curious about what exactly I’m doing this weekend, here are five things I’m currently focused on.
**Note that I’ve omitted most of the business-specific things such as starting to pull together tax documents, counting inventory, etc. because they probably aren’t of interest or relevant to other people. If I disappear for a few days around the New Year, it’s likely because I’m working on one of these.
Cleaning Out My Pens. By the time December 31 rolls around, my office is in thorough need of a cleaning (including at least three or four pens that I’ve forgotten I had inked). As a general matter, at the end of the year I flush all of the pens currently in rotation and pick five to re-ink (with new inks!) to start January 1. Even though I generally dislike flushing pens with ink still in them - especially if it’s a combination that I enjoy - I can be kind of superstitious and equate starting the new year with the previous year’s pens still inked to waking up on New Year’s Day with the Christmas tree still set up. (People have strong feelings on this, but for me it always comes down 12/31.)
Setting Up My Planners/Journals. More out of necessity than anything else, I’ll spend New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day setting up my planners and journals. I’ll write a bit more about this next week, after I truly finalize the setup: I’m currently planning on reintroducing the Hobonichi planners but perhaps using them in a different format than intended. I don’t keep a paper planner and manage my calendar digitally, but I do keep several running journals where I track how I spend my time.
Writing Out My Analogue System. Relatedly, I picked up a tip from a book or a podcast (I can’t remember exactly where) that recommended you write out exactly how you intend to use a specific “system”, laminate it, and either carry it with you and/or post it at your desk. It helps ensure you’ll stick to your “plan.” While some might find this rigid and restrictive, I like this idea (especially for the first several weeks of the year) because I’m trying to make some significant changes to how I’ve traditionally done things in the past, and I need to build some new writing and journaling habits.
Scripting a Month of Reviews/Content. I use the term “scripting” loosely, but the first few months of the year can be light on both pen shows and new releases, and combined with post-holiday exhaustion/chaos, the time can get away from you. I like to hit January 1 knowing what my first month will look like in terms of the reviews I plan to work on and pieces I want to begin drafting. Towards the beginning of February, I get a better sense of what the upcoming year is going to look like, including months where I’ll be traveling heavily, and then can start building out the full annual content plan.
Making My Pen Show Travel Arrangements. As I mentioned in my personal reflections on 2023, I want to rethink my travel strategy for 2024, including spreading out the travel a bit so it doesn’t feel as though I’m spending weeks on the road at a time. There are certain shows I would never miss - both D.C. and especially San Francisco - but what about all those shows in-between? And then there’s the issue of attending at least one international show. This all will take at least an afternoon to think through, both in terms of travel logistics and funding.
Looking for something to help you kick off the New Year? Be sure to check out our ongoing New Year’s shop promotion, where you can snag 10% off all notebook systems (including covers, refills, and related accessories) using the code “NEWYEAR24” at checkout. There’s also several products with clearance pricing throughout the shop! Check the link for details. Several of us will also be discussing our plans for 2024 on tonight’s Patreon Meetup! Patreon members should check the Patreon feed for details.