## intro [(00:00:00)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=0s) - The One Book July challenge involves consolidating planner systems into just one book, and this is the first year participating in the challenge [(00:00:07)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=7s). - The challenge has been going on for many years, and the goal is to discuss the successes and failures of the experience [(00:00:13)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=13s). - A setup video for the challenge is available, but this video will focus on the highs and lows of the experience [(00:00:28)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=28s). - The planner used for the challenge is the Australian Inc common planner, which has monthlies, weeklies, and space for dailies or notes pages [(00:00:42)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=42s). - The planner is a good candidate for an all-in-one book system, with features like goal planning and space for notes [(00:01:19)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=79s). - The planner is a Sterling Inc common planner with a motorm cover, and the usual setup includes rulers, stickers, and pens [(00:00:59)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=59s). - The planner was chosen because it is an all-in-one system and the user has been consistent in it for many months [(00:01:12)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=72s). - Alternative options for an all-in-one planner include a Hobanichi cousin or a Kenmore knockoff of a cousin [(00:01:55)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=115s). - Catherine, the creator of the planner, has closed the pre-order for 2024, but undated and extra copies may be available later in the year [(00:01:44)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=104s). - The user did not notice a significant change when switching to using just one book, likely because they were already consistent in the planner [(00:02:07)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=127s). ## giving up digital tools [(00:02:13)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=133s) - During One Book July, it was challenging to give up digital products, including apps on the phone and desktop, [[Google Calendar]], and other planning tools, in addition to reducing the number of physical planners and notebooks used [(00:02:13)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=133s). - The goal was to reduce the overall number of planning tools used and rely on just one notebook, which proved to be difficult, especially when it came to digital apps [(00:02:32)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=152s). - The main digital apps that were hard to give up were Google Calendar, which is shared with a partner and used at work, and a digital Notes app, specifically the [[Apple Inc. | Apple]] native Notes app [(00:02:57)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=177s). - Google Calendar was difficult to give up due to its importance in sharing schedules with others and its personal usefulness as a productivity tool [(00:03:11)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=191s). - The digital Notes app was also hard to give up because of its convenience for jotting down notes on the go [(00:03:36)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=216s). - In the last week of July, a digital app called Done was used to help set up new habits, as traditional habit trackers in planners have not been effective in the past [(00:03:53)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=233s). - The Done app features [[IPhone | iPhone]] home page icons that track progress, making it a useful tool for staying on track with habits and tasks [(00:04:15)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=255s). - Overall, it was found to be challenging to give up digital productivity tools, which is not surprising given a typical preference for being a hybrid planner [(00:04:27)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=267s). ## journaling in the common planner (or not) [(00:04:33)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=273s) - Journaling was a challenge during One Book July, and taping off pages in the Common Planner was used to keep personal journal entries private, but this method was only used once due to difficulty in getting into journaling in the planner [(00:04:33)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=273s). - The Common Planner is capable of handling journaling in addition to productivity and planning, but it didn't feel like the right space for journaling, leading to the use of other journaling systems [(00:05:08)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=308s). - A small notebook was started to be carried around before One Book July, serving as a notebook, sketchpad, and wallet, with a pocket in the back for storing cards [(00:05:18)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=318s). - The small notebook was used for daily journaling, sketching, and tarot readings, and it was easier to pull out and use than the Common Planner, especially in situations where the planner couldn't fit [(00:06:09)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=369s). - The small notebook was found to be helpful and enjoyable to use, and it will likely be incorporated as a mainstay in the journaling system going forward, serving as a catch-all spot for noting down thoughts and ideas [(00:06:39)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=399s). - The small notebook's portability and convenience made it a preferred choice for journaling on-the-go, fitting easily in a pocket and allowing for quick note-taking and sketching [(00:06:27)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=387s). ## flip through [(00:06:59)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=419s) - A monthly spread was set up at the beginning of July as part of quarter three planning, but it wasn't referenced much except for experimenting with dividing days and scheduling videos [(00:07:04)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=424s). - The monthly spread will be re-evaluated for the next month, with an August plan video to be released that will go over the new setup [(00:07:33)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=453s). - A look-ahead monthly calendar page was used to experiment with monthly layouts and plot out some things, instead of using a blank notebook or printing something out [(00:08:07)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=487s). - The weekly sections were not used for the first two weeks of July, with the first entry being in the last week of June and the first week of July being blank [(00:09:02)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=542s). - A blank weekly spread was used to sketch out a timeline and plot some things out, even though it was not originally planned for that week [(00:09:30)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=570s). - [[Skillshare]] is a community of creative individuals creating courses on various topics, including digital productivity skills, video editing, photography, crafts, and illustration [(00:09:56)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=596s). - A course on Skillshare, "Writing for Self-Discovery: Six Journaling Prompts for Gratitude and Growth" by Yasmin Cheyenne, is being checked out, highlighting the importance of journaling [(00:10:17)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=617s). - Yasmin's course on journaling is a valuable resource for self-reflection and self-care, providing guidance on the best questions to ask oneself during a journaling session, and can be completed in as little as 10 minutes a day to cultivate a fulfilling journaling routine [(00:10:25)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=625s). - A one-month free trial of Skillshare is available to the first 1000 people who click the link in the description box, allowing viewers to explore Yasmin's course or something new for free [(00:10:52)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=652s). - The weekly spread is used for planning out work schedules and events, and features a kit from Hubman and Chub Girl [(00:11:18)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=678s). - The daily pages are used for brain dumping and brainstorming, and feature to-do lists and notes [(00:11:57)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=717s). - A segmented list system was initially planned, with separate lists for personal, work, and [[YouTube]] tasks, but was ultimately replaced with a single massive brain dump [(00:12:09)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=729s). - The [[Priority Matrix | Eisenhower Matrix]] is a four-quadrant system used to prioritize tasks based on their importance and urgency, and was used to organize the brain dump [(00:12:50)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=770s). - The Eisenhower Matrix features four quadrants: important and urgent, not important but urgent, not urgent but important, and not urgent or important [(00:13:05)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=785s). - The matrix helps to focus on what's important and urgent, delegate tasks that are not important but urgent, schedule tasks that are important but not urgent, and eliminate tasks that are not urgent or important [(00:13:30)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=810s). - The journaling system has been helpful in making sense of the brain dump and prioritizing tasks [(00:13:40)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=820s). - The only journaling done in July was in a single notebook, which was not frequently used due to its clunkiness, resulting in only one page of journaling being completed, which is private and not shared [(00:13:53)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=833s). - Dailies were created using a kit from Hubman and Chub Girl, and they turned out well, with immaculate to-do lists, notes on potential no-buy changes at work, planner thoughts, a gratitude list, and notes on starting a new video game [(00:14:28)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=868s). - The dailies were found to be fulfilling, and it is likely that they will continue to be used in the future [(00:14:59)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=899s). - Therapy notes were also kept in the notebook, which was found to be useful due to the ample space available [(00:15:13)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=913s). - A page of dailies shows different headers for different weeks, doodling, writing, and practicing lettering with brush pens [(00:15:34)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=934s). - Quotes from songs, such as Taylor Swift's "Last Kiss," were also written down, along with some micro journaling [(00:15:55)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=955s). - Notes were taken on body care, including products to try, showers, and moisturizing, in an effort to improve skincare [(00:16:29)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=989s). - The planner does not appear as full as expected, but this is because only relevant information is written down, rather than filling space [(00:16:48)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=1008s). - A book was read in July, but no further details are provided [(00:17:04)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=1024s). - The goal is to take book notes from a recently read book and put them in the Sterling Inc common planner, which is considered the best size and setup for note-taking. [(00:17:09)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=1029s) - The Sterling Inc common planner was chosen after experimenting with other book journals in the past. [(00:17:22)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=1042s) - The plan is to distill the book knowledge and put it in the common planner as notes for future reference. [(00:17:32)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=1052s) - The experience of doing "One Book July" is being shared, and others who participated are encouraged to share their experiences in the comments. [(00:17:40)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=1060s) - Questions are asked about how others approached "One Book July", such as whether they did a digital detox, used only paper products, or journaled in the same book they planned in. [(00:17:50)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=1070s) - The importance of the community is acknowledged, and appreciation is expressed for being subscribed and for being part of the community. [(00:18:01)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=1081s) - Viewers are invited to watch another video, follow on [[Instagram]] at "Rachel and Theory", or wait for the next video. [(00:18:10)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM&t=1090s) ## Sources - [website](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2IqL9R2dM)