I’ve tried to love dated planner systems, whether it’s the Hobonichi Techo, the Jibun Techo, or even the dated version of the Traveler’s Company Weekly + Memo, but my specific planning needs change so frequently that I have a hard time sticking to a single system continuously through the year. I much prefer being able to switch between different undated books and inserts. For example, there are times when I need a full day-to-a-page layout, other times when I want a week-on-two-pages layout, and yet others when I don’t need a planner at all and roll with a blank notebook. Here are what I consider the five key benefits of an undated planner system:
No “Planner Anxiety”: You Can Skip Days/Weeks/Months Without Wasting Paper. The obvious benefit is that by using an undated planner, you can skip time for things like vacations or less-busy periods without leaving blank pages. As a result, you can use your planner longer (if it’s a bound book) and avoid wasting the unused dated sheets (if you use a 6-ring binder or other loose-sheet system).
You Can Choose Your Start Date. Did you start a new job in the middle of the year? Did your scheduling needs change? Do you simply want to try organizing your time a bit differently and experiment with a new method of organization? With undated planners you don’t have to wait until the New Year nor purchase a dated book that’s already half-expired.
You Can Use a Blank Week or Month to Help Plan a Standard Routine or Schedule. I personally do this when I’m trying to set a fixed work schedule or workout routine. You can take an undated week and pin it to your wall or pinboard with whatever “repeating” information you need to include and use that as a reference when setting up subsequent weeks.
You Can Easily Keep Two Calendars Side-By-Side. This is one of the biggest advantages for my own personal situation. For example, with undated calendar pages, I can take two consecutive “months”, date them both for May, and have two calendars that track different things (i.e., a schedule or appointments calendar, followed by a content calendar for T.G.S.).
The Flexibility to Explore Different Formats and Layouts. Over the years I’ve found that companies tend to be a bit more creative with their undated planner layouts. If the company doesn’t have to worry about the dated planner “expiring,” they can experiment with different formats, and you can even use them all and jump back and forth between them as your needs change, as noted above. Case in point is the Laconic Tokyo series, which we’ve carried for a while and features all sorts of unusual refills and inserts that include “Gantt Chart,” “Spreadsheet”, “Think”, “Life” and more. They’ve recently released these in a 6-ring A5 binder format, in addition to the softcover A5 notebooks that fit notebook systems like Lochby and Roterfaden.
For as many people out there who love choosing and buying their annual dated planner, in the years I’ve spent running this site, I’ve also found that just as many - if not more - prefer the undated variety. Though we still carry some dated planner refills (such as the annual Traveler’s Company releases) in our own shop, undated planners outsell the dated versions by a fairly wide margin. If you value flexibility above all else, and therefore consider yourself “not a planner person” since dated planners sometimes seem rigid and inflexible, you may want to consider the more notebook-like undated experience.
