As we are nearing the end of this year and of this writing streak, I have been setting up my Hobonichi for the new year. This is going to be the 4th year using an Hobonichi Techo, the 2nd year using a Hobonichi Cousin.

What’s Hobonichi?
Hobonichi is a Japanese journal, it comes in different sizes, and it’s a more structured way of bullet journaling.

What’s Bullet Journal?
It’s a fully customisable journaling method that uses a blank notebook.

I started bullet journalling at the end of 2016, using a very cheap spiral notebook, because I didn’t want to invest in something more expensive if I didn’t stick to it. Instead, I didn’t, so in 2017 I created my own bullet journal using three notebooks, which was the subject of my very first post on this blog: Tina Strange and the Deathly Bullet Journal – Part 1. It was thick, but it lasted me for 2 years, until I received my first Hobonichi for my birthday in 2018, and I found planner peace.

I currently use a Cousin, which is an A5, and for 2022, I decided to treat myself to a cover. I used to do my own covers (you can read about them here and here); for 2021, I didn’t bother for the obvious reason that my journal barely left this house; and for 2022, I decided I deserved a proper nice cover. Initially, I wanted the Animal Crossing one, but ended up with a classic black.

So, why do I bullet journal?
Over the years, it had helped me putting structure to my life: it helps in managing my anxiety by planning and to do listing, so that I off load my brain. I journal on it, even if not daily, and often not very deeply. I use the month spreads as a gratitude log: every day I write something I was grateful that day.

In my first ever bullet journal, I tried all sort of spreads and trackers: daily, weekly, monthlies, step trackers, project trackers, etc. etc. Initially, I was very creative, then over the year I shedded most decorations, and I now keep it very simple, using the monthly and weekly pages already set up in the Hobonichi for personal and work planning, and using the daily pages to journal and work notes. I have a couple of dedicated pages to track projects and renovations, but overall, it’s mostly lists of things to do.

Here’s a gallery of picture from over the years: