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organization || planner VS bullet journal | which one do you need? | ad

IoanaFebruary 28, 2020

How do you decide between a planner and a bullet journal? There’s pros and cons to each organizational system, and you’ve got to pick the one that suits your goals, lifestyle and preferences!

Get some inspiration by seeing what a bullet journal and planner could look like, how you can transfer from one system to another, and ultimately – how to choose your favourite!

A huge thank you to Clever Fox for sponsoring this video and gifting me the two planners I used to help you pick between the organizational systems!

the questions

Here are some questions to get you started. Keep track of how many your answer YES and NO to!

  • Do you often make lists?
  • Do you like having everything in one place despite clutter?
  • Do you find setting up a planner spread every month or week appealing?
  • Do you find it hard to get all the planner features you’re looking for in one planner?
  • Is every week different for you?
  • Do you dislike routine?
  • Are you in an expansive/changing stage of life (vs. a consistent one)?
  • Do you have a low price point?
  • Would you value personalization over aesthetic/professionalism?

If you answered YES to more than half of these – try BULLET JOURNALING!
If you answered NO to more than half of these – PLANNING might be for you!

the Pros and Cons

both systems

  • SPEED | depending how you use them, both systems can be as fast or as time-consuming as you like!
  • ORGANIZED | you’ll need something that’s more organized than your chaotic life if it’s going to work!
  • GOAL SETTING | a good organization system will help you set and accomplish your goals, with reflections along the way.
  • CREATIVE & CRAFTY | you can really do this with any system! It’s all about HOW you get creative with it.
The Clever Fox Planners are an excellent blend between personalization and structure.

unique features of a planner

  • INSPIRING | the preset layouts can give you ideas and provoke some good reflection!
  • STRUCTURED | planners are very systematic and this can make it easier to flip to the pages you need in a hurry.
  • PROFESSIONAL | because someone else professionally made it, your planner may be more suited for a professional environment.
  • AESTHETIC | don’t fret if you’re not an artistic type, since your planner can fill that role for you!

unique features of a bullet journal

  • FLEXIBLE | you can literally do anything with your bullet journal. Anything.
  • PERSONALIZED | there’s no constraints on space, topics, or prompts!
  • ARTISTIC | blank notebooks are the perfect inspiration to get artsy, crafty, and messy.
  • CLUTTERED | speaking of messy – most bullet journals are simply chronological, which can be hard to index and search.
  • POSSIBLY TIME CONSUMING | this is highly dependent on you, but generally having to set up your own spreads can take longer.
  • LESS EXPENSIVE | plain notebooks, lined notebooks, that cheap dollar store notebook – they’re all bullet journals!

the video

Check out Clever Fox’s awesome line of planners and dot grid notebooks!

USE CODE GET20OFF for a 20% discount on all products!

Website
http://bit.ly/2Cxd373

Amazon
US (all planners & dotted notebooks)
Weekly: https://amzn.to/392mDMB *
Daily: https://amzn.to/2T3BQr4 *
Pro: https://amzn.to/2Tl3IWJ *
CA (classic planners only – weekly, daily, PRO weekly, budget)
Weekly: https://amzn.to/386rUS3 *
Daily: https://amzn.to/3833MQ9 *

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cleverfoxplanner/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cleverfoxplanner

Clever Fox’s planners are beautiful AND functional. If I were to make a planner, it would look very similar to these bullet-journal-inspired layouts. There’s gratitude logs, reminders to reward yourself for your accomplishments, and a habit tracker – all with a level of customization and personalization that is rare in regular planners.

Do you prefer a planner or a bullet journal? Let me know in the comments below!

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Comments (1)

  • organization || my favourite Clever Fox planner-inspired reflection prompts – Mistral Spirit

    March 3, 2020 at 2:26 pm

    […] used it in my latest video to compare the two systems and when flipping through it, I realized there were so many reflection prompts that I absolutely […]

    Reply

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Nice to meet you!

Hi, it’s Ioana! I’m a blogger, brand marketer, and recent Queen’s Commerce alumni. When I’m not drinking coffee, reading, studying or exploring the city, I dabble in creative projects like this one!

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mistralspirit

ioana | bujo & organization
So glad I overcame my initial hesitation toward th So glad I overcame my initial hesitation toward this book being about video games. It’s a delight for my brain so far and I’m not ashamed to admit that I spent all of this morning and afternoon reading (it was glorious) and I’ve learned 3 new words I adore:
- dilettante
- Weltschmerz
- palimpsest

Pls note: photos taken “while reading” are obviously not as impromptu as they may appear on Instagram. They’re usually when (a) you’re on a reading intermission because you either haven’t started or are getting a bit tired of reading for so long or (b) there’s a long period of descriptive text that doesn’t necessarily represent the quality of the book and is a good time to hashtag let-me-take-a-selfie. So don’t read this one page and form an opinion about the book. Instagram isn’t reality. 😜

Pls also note I’m only 40% through the book so my review isn’t definite. I’ve been burned before by jumping too excitedly to recommend a book (in this case, TV show) to everyone around me before realizing it gets WEIRD later on. So take my moment of excitement with a grain of salt - more thoughts to come!
Just received this new pen from @bulletjournal and Just received this new pen from @bulletjournal and @leuchtturm1917 @leuchtturm1917canada! 👀 Here’s a closer look!

Can you tell I had so much fun unboxing this 😅 It’s my new desk pen for days that I want to feel a little ✨fancy✨

#gifted #pen #amwriting #bulletjournalleuchtturm1917 #gelpen #journal #journaling #planner #studygram #aestheticstudy #bujo #bulletjournal #bulletjournalpen #bujopen #minimalistplanner #bulletjournaling #bulletjournalcommunity #penlover
Vote in the comments for your top 2 on-location sk Vote in the comments for your top 2 on-location sketches! 👆 Check my IG story from today more more details, but there’s an @usktoronto call for submissions for an art expo/sale happening in Jan/Feb. Since they’re looking for on-location sketches and I have plenty, I’ve decided to submit and see what happens!

They would all be for sale so I’ll donate anything that comes of it to a related cause. ❤️ 

Which of these 2 do you like best? 👆

#urbansketchers #urbansketch #sketchbook #sketching #artjournal #travelsketch #drawyourday #sketchbookart #watercolor #illustration #urbansketching #sketchjournal #fineliner #finelinerdrawing #moleskine #watercolortraveljournal #watercolorillustration #traveljournal #travelwatercolor #traveldiary
One final art supplies haul from @currysartstore M One final art supplies haul from @currysartstore Mississauga this weekend! 🥺 So sad that they’re closing - I remember they’ve moved locations a number of times but they were always my favourite art store growing up. ❤️

And let me know if you’ve tried any of these supplies because I haven’t! Super excited to play with some new paints - specifically the metallics and also practice more acrylics after my summer painting class at @visualartsmississauga. 🥰

#artsupplies #unboxing #artsupplieshaul #artistsupplies #torontoartist #currysartstore
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So glad I overcame my initial hesitation toward th So glad I overcame my initial hesitation toward this book being about video games. It’s a delight for my brain so far and I’m not ashamed to admit that I spent all of this morning and afternoon reading (it was glorious) and I’ve learned 3 new words I adore:
- dilettante
- Weltschmerz
- palimpsest

Pls note: photos taken “while reading” are obviously not as impromptu as they may appear on Instagram. They’re usually when (a) you’re on a reading intermission because you either haven’t started or are getting a bit tired of reading for so long or (b) there’s a long period of descriptive text that doesn’t necessarily represent the quality of the book and is a good time to hashtag let-me-take-a-selfie. So don’t read this one page and form an opinion about the book. Instagram isn’t reality. 😜

Pls also note I’m only 40% through the book so my review isn’t definite. I’ve been burned before by jumping too excitedly to recommend a book (in this case, TV show) to everyone around me before realizing it gets WEIRD later on. So take my moment of excitement with a grain of salt - more thoughts to come!
Just received this new pen from @bulletjournal and Just received this new pen from @bulletjournal and @leuchtturm1917 @leuchtturm1917canada! 👀 Here’s a closer look!

Can you tell I had so much fun unboxing this 😅 It’s my new desk pen for days that I want to feel a little ✨fancy✨

#gifted #pen #amwriting #bulletjournalleuchtturm1917 #gelpen #journal #journaling #planner #studygram #aestheticstudy #bujo #bulletjournal #bulletjournalpen #bujopen #minimalistplanner #bulletjournaling #bulletjournalcommunity #penlover
Vote in the comments for your top 2 on-location sk Vote in the comments for your top 2 on-location sketches! 👆 Check my IG story from today more more details, but there’s an @usktoronto call for submissions for an art expo/sale happening in Jan/Feb. Since they’re looking for on-location sketches and I have plenty, I’ve decided to submit and see what happens!

They would all be for sale so I’ll donate anything that comes of it to a related cause. ❤️ 

Which of these 2 do you like best? 👆

#urbansketchers #urbansketch #sketchbook #sketching #artjournal #travelsketch #drawyourday #sketchbookart #watercolor #illustration #urbansketching #sketchjournal #fineliner #finelinerdrawing #moleskine #watercolortraveljournal #watercolorillustration #traveljournal #travelwatercolor #traveldiary
One final art supplies haul from @currysartstore M One final art supplies haul from @currysartstore Mississauga this weekend! 🥺 So sad that they’re closing - I remember they’ve moved locations a number of times but they were always my favourite art store growing up. ❤️

And let me know if you’ve tried any of these supplies because I haven’t! Super excited to play with some new paints - specifically the metallics and also practice more acrylics after my summer painting class at @visualartsmississauga. 🥰

#artsupplies #unboxing #artsupplieshaul #artistsupplies #torontoartist #currysartstore
Black Friday SALE on now at @thewashitapeshop 💃 Black Friday SALE on now at @thewashitapeshop 💃🏼 20% OFF everything - link in bio or visit thewashitapeshop.com to shop what feels like an entire art gallery. 😜

So hard to pick but I was most excited to get my hands on this new PET tape designed by @tonia_tkach - it’s called Forest Houses and comes as both PET tape and washi tape. How cute!

#pettape #originalwashitape #thewashitapeshop #washitape #washitapes #scrapbooking #craftjournal #aestheticjournal #artjournal #craft #journaling #bujo #stationery #stationerylover #sticker #bulletjournal #scrapbook #bujoideas #bulletjournaling #journalwithme #bujosupplies #stationerystore #starioneryshop #stationeryhaul
Sounds from a day in the life preparing for @nanow Sounds from a day in the life preparing for @nanowrimo last month. 🥰 Please send over any motivation you can though because I haven’t written in a WEEK. 🙈😭 Turns out it’s harder than I thought to write 50k words in a month during the literally busiest week at my day job, while also spending time with my boyfriend, family & friends… and helping to keep our apartment at least somewhat in order. 😅 Posting this video to inspire myself is already working though so… let’s see if I can make it past 6k words today! 💪
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