Weekly planning using multiple notepads (from Typo)
If you find you don’t need the space of a traditional bound planner with all of the extra pages, pocket folders etc. then a good alternative is a weekly planning notepad. They’re usually undated so you can stop and start planning with them anytime without ‘wasting’ any weeks. They’re also ideal when you run out of space in your planner.
Before the Pen
I found this set of 3 Typo notepads on clearance for $10! I was going to ARC them but opted to just leave them as notepads.
I’ve planned using a notepad before but not using 3 at the same time…
After the Pen
I liked the different sizes as each notepad was suitable for different things.
I thought about tearing the pages off the notepads and adding to my ARC discbound notebook but opted to leave them as notepads – there’s something about writing on a thick, fresh new notepad that just makes the pens write even smoother.
The largest notepad is A4 (full page size).
I opted to use the list notepad for Europe trip planning (see what stationery I bought on the trip here)
I converted the to do list into a habit tracker using thin washi tape. The color was almost an exact match for the Typo notepad <3
You could write habits to track on any notepad then laminate and write on with a dry erase / whiteboard marker to create a recurring habit tracker.
I liked the different pen thicknesses to provide a contrast – I definitely prefer thicker pens for headings so they stand out more.
Related: Favorite pens for writing headings in my planner
I did my usual drawing checkboxes for blog post workflow:
- D = Draft
- E = Edited
- I = Images
- P = Pinned to Pinterest
- V = Video filmed
I didn’t bother allocating meals to a specific day – I just worked out how many servings from each thing to work out how many meals I need to cook.
I didn’t need the ‘next week’s problem’ heading so covered it up with gold foil washi tape and wrote my own ‘Little Things’ title. I was going to use my label maker to create a label to go over the top of the washi but ran out of clear tape.
Supplies Used:
- Aqua thin washi tape from this rainbow washi tape set (my new favorite washi!)
- Gold marker pen from the Reject Shop
- Kikki k gold pen
- Gold ‘foil’ washi tape from this set my sister’s shop, Carefully Crafted
Pros of planning using multiple notepads
- Can easily be torn off, punched and added to a discbound planner (my favorite type of binding) or stuck into your planner with a bit of washi tape
- If you need just a bit of extra space to plan, a notepad is a good option
- Notepads are cheap
- As they’re undated you don’t ‘waste’ anything if you don’t use it in consecutive weeks
- The width of checklist notepads are usually just the write size. Sometimes I feel like I’m wasting space in a planner or notebook unless I rule a line down the middle of the page to create columns
Cons of planning using multiple notepads
- Using multiple notepads meant things were a bit ‘scattered’ rather than all in the one place
- Unless your tear off the pages you need to have all 3 notepads which wouldn’t be ideal if you want to take them with you – I opted not to tear them off as it’s super smooth to write on a fresh notepad stack 🙂
- Sometimes weekly planning notepads don’t have enough room for planning – especially in the daily planning spaces
- Most weekly planning notepads are landscape page orientation (doesn’t bug me but it does mean you need to turn the page on it’s side if you choose to punch it and add to a binder, ARC notebook etc.)
Would I plan this way again?
Yes, but if I used multiple notepads again I’d probably ARC them – it’s easier to keep track of them if they’re in the one notebook.
I tend to use sticky notes for extra things that pop up during the week but might start using notepads with a bit of washi tape instead!
More weekly layouts:
- Week 29: Plum Paper Me Planner
- Week 17 (Part 2): Daily planning using to do lists categorised by time
- Week 39: Weekly Planning using Studio Stationery notepad
- Week 40: Using the MAMBI Happy Planner Horizontal
More Planning tips:
- Favorite washi tape for planning, planner decorating & color coding
- 20 Productivity & Time Management ‘Rules’ I Live By
- How to color code bill paying in your planner (7 different ways)
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