Anyone use a Hobonichi?

[Finnabair]

I am considering getting a Hobonichi A6 or Weeks for next year. I have never seen one IRL and no stores near me carry them. I would be carrying with me in my new CoPilot. I am not in the habit of carrying a paper planner with me but do carry an A6 notebook and a selection of Micron pens with me to make lists, Zentangle, etc. My thought is that one of the Hobonichis could serve dual purpose of planner and doodling space. Anyone use either of these and have thoughts?

[x3n0n]

I think you'll find that lots of people have thoughts: https://forums.tombihn.com/not-about...thread-13.html



I'm also thinking I'll probably get my first Hobonichi in December; debating between an A6 (English) Planner or a Weeks (or letting "Santa" decide).

[Bogiesan]

I used a hobo for several years. I used a Franklin DayPlanner for three decades before that. Life changed. I don’t need a paper planner any longer.

the appeal of a paper planner over an app on your phone is the same reason many of us like to use fountain pens and Moleskine-style notebooks while we use pencils in our planners because plans change. But you’ve really got to examine your willingness to make such a huge change in your habits.

In the olden days, I always had my nice leather zipper Franklin ring binder with me because I needed it for just about everything, personal and business. These days, i only need the phone’s little calendar app for the very few things I must schedule and juggle.

Also, the hobo techo, in all formats, has a huge international following. You can find avid fans and devoted users on reddit, facebook, and many online forums. You can, of course, just buy the techo or a set of weeklies for $20-50 and see if it fits your existence. There are also several competitors, some from Japan, others from China and the USA. Big market, personal paper planners. Have fun shopping.

[Finnabair]

Hey, Bogiesan, I lugged around various Franklin Planners for 30+ years, too! Loved them. Still have them but the leather binders, while beautiful, are just too heavy for me now.
I do use my iPhone calendar for appointments. For jotting down notes and lists, drawing and doodling I carry an A6 Leuchtturm and a pen case everywhere. It won’t be a change for me because I’m already carrying similar items.
X3n0n...I’m torn between the Weekly Mega and the A6. Santa won’t have anything to do with it I like the Weekly Mega for all the extra blank pages and the extra page space but wish it was in English for the quotes.

[x3n0n]

I expect mine to be less of an organizer and more a daily journal/diary with occasional long posts (taking notes on a finished book, for example). A daily A6 would be plenty big for my use, and I think a Weeks (non-Mega) would be enough to cover it if I'm prepared to write across both pages when I have a lot to say on some specific day.

Re: Santa; I tend to buy enough things for myself that my family struggles to find gifts for me, so this might be an easy one for someone.

[Traveltech]

i love my hobo weeks. it's fairly small so slides easily into any bag. Though I use phone apps for almost all scheduling, I like to keep a record in the paper journal as well. I color code entries according to type, which gives this introvert an idea of when I'd better schedule a social event! ha!
But my primary use of the Hobonichi isn't for scheduling, it's for planning, and recording ideas, etc. I have book list pages, travel planning, lists of restaurants we want to try, etc. I'm not a journal writer, but note activities I've done with friends or the grandkids. It's fun to look back at the end of the year. HTH

[TavaPeak]

I use a Cousin for journaling. Prefer the Weeks for schedule and planning—love the size and flexibility. Would be a great size for travel, or for a journal. Love my A6 Sedona cover, but don’t love the A6 format.

I got hooked on Hobonichi through these forums. Resisted the fountain pen jazz for a couple years, and then...

[moriond]

I also started with the A6 in English, and then moved to the Weeks (and Weeks memo books). The A6 does have a lot of pages, but I could use the same book for a number of years. So it depends on how much you write. (I looked at the MegaWeeks, but concluded I would prefer the standard — which would also fit in more places and pockets; I answered a question about the fit in the larger Luminary 15 Side Pocket, and I’d bet MegaWeeks would not fit easily there.)

[G42]

Thanks Hobonichi-Enablers...
I just ordered a Weeks to try out next year, to manually track my weight training, cardio, yoga, etc. - my calendar is all normally on Google, but this should help with tracking details.

[tress29]

Thanks Hobonichi-Enablers....

I know, right?! I've spent a lot of time researching paper this morning!

I'm a Franklin Planner, Compact, two pages per week gal. My planner houses my address book, password hints, and check book registers. Even if I found a "new" weekly format planner, I'd still need the old one for all the other stuff! But maybe it could live at home, instead of on my desk at work?

[notcras]

I come from the opposite direction: I wrote out all of my todos on post-it notes before moving to the hobonichi. I have an e-calendar, but I find I internalize the calendar and my todo better if I do it on paper.

For those who moved from the A6 to the Weeks, what was your reasoning? Also, do you mind the primarily Japanese text annoying (I know it would be perfectly useable, but just curious)?

[Finnabair]

Thanks, everyone for your input! I have a Weeks coming tomorrow but am already wondering if I should have gotten a Mega Weeks. I keep a Brownline Daily planner (A5-ish size) on the kitchen counter that basically serves as a daily to-do list for stuff like ‘buy dog kibble’ or ‘order whatever’. Stuff that I don’t want clogging up my iPhone calendar and setting off alerts all the time. I have done this for the past four years, and I like it because I can flip over a to a date in the future and make a note of something I want to get done that’s not immediate. This system has taken the place of various messy lists scattered all over the counter. Problem is, sometimes I need to consult that planner when I am not at home.
My hope is that I can use the Weeks instead and also have a good paper to Zentangle with me in one handy book that’s with me in my CoPilot all the time. I almost bought the A6 instead because it’s in English but I find myself very intrigued by the format of the Weeks...calendar and drawing area on one spread.

[Finnabair]

Ok, curiosity got the better of me...now I have a Weeks and a Weeks Mega coming tomorrow, with the same Calm Navy cover. I’d like to compare side by side and will return the extra one.

[Kirri]

I've been using hobonichis for about 4 years - I love them. I use a Hobo cousin for work and have converted my partner to a mega weeks but have switched to Nanami Paper Cafe Book A6 (same size and Tamoe River Paper but with no writing on the pages, just a grid) instead of a Hobo A6. I have to draw in my own months at the start of the book, I stick in a year at a glance calendar for the year and following, and then write a date at the top of each page. That means the remaining pages are all blank to use for notes. Much simpler and I don't have any excess pages preprinted with lists I don't need or Japanese information I can't read.

[G42]

I've been using hobonichis for about 4 years - I love them. I use a Hobo cousin for work and have converted my partner to a mega weeks but have switched to Nanami Paper Cafe Book A6 (same size and Tamoe River Paper but with no writing on the pages, just a grid) instead of a Hobo A6. I have to draw in my own months at the start of the book, I stick in a year at a glance calendar for the year and following, and then write a date at the top of each page. That means the remaining pages are all blank to use for notes. Much simpler and I don't have any excess pages preprinted with lists I don't need or Japanese information I can't read.

I have a Nanami that I use for free form journaling... but I'm going to try out the Hobo Weeks for events in time that I want to track

ETA, it's a Nanami B6... I carry it in an A5 GW with pens, etc, there's extra space...and the rubber band thingies they sell are cool