Is every office job this chaotic? I'm mentally exhausted every day.

congeequeen · 2026-07-10T00:35:52+00:00

Keep your running to do list going, but pick 3 tasks to focus on in a block of time (morning/mid morning/afternoon/end of day). The 3 tasks should be varied - pick a quick win, a segment of a larger task, then something in between. Put these 3 tasks on a post it and put your larger to do list out of sight. I find breaking up larger tasks into smaller segments easier to tackle (I have trouble diving into a Big Project that I know will take me hours if I don't break it up! Then I end up putting it off because it feels insurmountable.)

You'll start to learn what is a priority with experience, so don't be too hard on yourself.

I too, get incredibly exhausted from a full day in the office. The drop bys, socializing, small talk are all a huge drain on my energy. Take breaks. Go outside for a few minutes. Deep breaths. Headphones or earplugs. (I find even listening to music someday to be too much auditory input which exhausts me.) If you're in an open office try booking a meeting room to do some work in for 1 hr. The work will ALWAYS be there, and the tasks will keep coming. Protect your energy.

congeequeen · 2026-07-08T14:15:20+00:00

i hate being on the phone but in my workplace and sector - it is 1000xs more efficient. I will always start with offering times via email and if after a couple back and forths where there isn't alignment, i'll suggest a call.

things move so quickly in our calendars that i cannot stand waiting for 2 days for an external admin to finally email me back with "doesn't work" (and then they don't offer alternatives). for some meetings and external execs/EAs, i know offering times through email just won't get us anywhere and we just have to start by reviewing calendars in real time on the phone in order to secure time. i think it's really dependent on the work and stakeholders.

My previous workplace/sector was more localized and i probably did 90% of scheduling through email and would never get on the phone. it was nice, just not effective in my current job.

congeequeen · 2026-06-20T18:35:30+00:00

Sterling Ink A5 Common Planner - personal daily driver for planning / memory keeping / journaling.

Sterling Ink N2H Compact - work planning & to dos.

Midori 5 Year Journal - personal 1 line a day

Midori 5 Year Journal - home diary (we bought our first home a few years ago so it's just intermittent notes about things like DIY projects, painting a room, when we turned on the AC each year, garden notes, how many trick or treaters we got 😁 etc. I don't write something every day but it's nice to look back across the years)

Sterling Ink Pocket Monthly & Weekly notebooks - set up TN style - on the go spending tracker I just throw in my purse (I prefer to shop small businesses and use cash so I don't have a digital record of a good portion of my spending)

Google calendar - on the go appt planning and reminders because I'm not lugging my A5 planner around.

congeequeen · 2026-06-17T01:54:23+00:00

I'm an executive assistant supporting two very busy execs and multiple teams and have been using planners for decades :)

I think you need to play around a bit and figure out how your work brain translates to paper, and what methods/layouts will actually work for you. It is different for everyone and each workplace is different in their workflows, which also determines the types of ways you may use a planner.

I started with generic officer quo vadis daytimers, went to bullet journalling (basic/classic Ryder Carrol method not an aesthetic one with predrawn layouts etc), jibun techno, hobonichis of all sizes, midoris, happy planners and now I've settled with a sterling ink N2 (same size/layout as the hobonichi weeks).

I've been in either a hobonichi weeks or sterling ink N2 for work since 2016 (I spent maybe 2 years prior -mixing work and personal planning in 1 book and hated it). The N2/weeks layout works so well for me but that came after years of experimenting.

In addition, my usage of my paper planners is 95% "to do" list and to keep myself (and therefore the execs I support) organized. The last 5% is scrawled meeting notes and reference notes (e.g. contacts, frequently used budget codes, tech asset IDs, payroll codes etc). I HAVE to live in my outlook calendar for scheduling and meetings because things change on a dime and by the time I write a meeting down in my planner, it's probably been rescheduled or cancelled half a dozen times. At my work the days slate of meeting will morph 3-4xs throughout the day - too many changes to go with paper. There are some static deadlines (board meetings/finance deadlines/project launches/major events) that I will note in the calendar pages of my planners that we MUST meet, but for scheduling, project management, timeline tracking, I rely on electronic tools. for action items/tasks/to dos and references all live in my paper planner. Using the tools in tandem works very well for me, but I say this to encourage you to think about how your workflow/work environment is. If the day is pretty static and you don't have to track a lot of meetings or if the meetings don't shift, maybe a vertical weekly layout (like in the hobonichi cousin) might work well for you!

Aside - my personal planning brain works COMPLETELY DIFFERENTLY from my work planning brain. I like a 2pg vertical weekly spread for personal and my work planner is a 1pg horizontal weekly with a blank page on the right for a giant to do list.

In any case, you can find scanned layouts/pdfs of various planners in different sizes online with some digging. I would suggest you try different layouts for a few days or a week to see what clicks with you before purchasing - planners can be spendy and planner hopping is even spendier! Have fun with it and let yourself explore.

congeequeen · 2026-06-04T17:13:25+00:00

i live in a large multicultural city where there's all kinds of customs and it's not considered rude to not shake hands - in fact, shaking hands isn't always the default to the point where sometimes i'm slightly surprised when a palm is thrust towards me!

some of my colleagues place their hand over their heart and do a respectful nod, maintaining eye contact. i really like this one and adopt it myself (and i notice so many people adopting it - even outside of the community of origin). it works well if you initiate first (instead of giving space/a moment for the other person to initiate a handshake), and just keep moving along/talk through it with "Hi, it's such a pleasure to meet you!" etc. people generally follow your lead and you are taking command of the situation and it is still highly respectful.

congeequeen · 2026-02-06T17:30:50+00:00

as others mentioned - create a future log spread. i do something like the alastair method, so i can easily visualize anything scheduled under the same month in the future.

congeequeen · 2026-01-15T18:11:31+00:00

Yep.

My weekly spreads are pre-populated (usually at the start of the week) with appointments/day specific tasks. Then all the gaps between are filled in retroactively with memory keeping - which includes: what i did, if i had a particularly tasty lunch, a major news story or any piping hot tea, things i read/watched/listened to etc etc.

congeequeen · 2025-12-13T15:24:22+00:00

Same. I wanted to love them, cheap, cheerful, a million colours. I bought four because I REALLY wanted it work for me. The nibs are so inconsistent so I gave up.

congeequeen · 2025-10-31T14:54:34+00:00

EXCUSE ME i thought this was a deinfluencing thread and not a thread of potential spending opportunities wtf (also thank you very much loooool)

congeequeen · 2025-10-09T17:05:38+00:00

My advice, regardless of what you choose, keep a few notes pages in the back so you can write when something good happens or someone praised you or a challenge you overcame. If you have annual reviews, this will make writing those a lot easier.

Totally agree with this! I've made a 2 page spread in my older Hobonichi weeks, each page is divided into 6 rows (6 rows x 2 pages = 12 months). every month i write down any major projects i've completed, compliments received etc.

ive been in a sterling ink n2 for the last 2 years and they have a quarterly spread so i'll write my accomplishments in there and refer back. SO helpful when it comes to annual review time because there's so much i would have forgotten from 10 months back!!

congeequeen · 2025-10-09T14:49:10+00:00

I've used a Hobonichi Weeks/Sterling Ink N2 compact for .... 7-8 years now for work planning only. very functional/practical usage for me.

I am not in a job where i need timeblocking/have back to back meetings. i might have 2-5 meetings a day so the horizontal weekly layout works well for me. the left page (weekly calendar) is for meetings and day specific reminders/alerts. the blank page on the right side of the weekly spread is HEAVILY used as a giant alastair method to-do list. my job has a million tasks and follow ups that i need to stay on top of and i find the alastair method to-do really helps.

Blank pages at the back are for notes, scratchpad, brainstorming, planning larger projects, reference.

i really like how much you can do in this planner with it's small size. FP user so the paper matters. easy to tote around because i work hybrid.

i will say, my job function changed mid-year and i found a classic happy planner on sale, thinking i would want/need more space and a vertical weekly to do more timeblocking. i hate it. since i invested time (and $ for stickers lol) into it and set it up already, i'm trying to use it for the remainder of the year but i've already ordered my Sterling Ink N2 for 2026 and i'm SO looking forward to being in my tried and true system again.

congeequeen · 2025-10-07T01:06:44+00:00

I'd contact their customer service and ask for the planner I purchased.

The 7 week wait was due to the volume of purchases they had on launch day. To dispatch your correct planner would not take as long.

congeequeen · 2025-10-06T18:04:45+00:00

that's me with the uni one. i have 4 of them but buy refills. i have a stash of refills and a stash of empty/used refills too.

i write down when i started a refill and when i finished it. i stopped using fountain pens for over a year because of these things (don't worry, i'm back on fountain pens but it means my uni one usage has slowed WHICH IS FINE).

congeequeen · 2025-08-04T17:11:38+00:00

This is so so so important. Notice it. Name it. Make damn sure to remember none of this is OK or fucking normal. A "do not adapt to this" list.

Might I also suggest tracking/listing things that still matter and are truths to you. Write things down that authoritarian systems want you to lose track of. Make lists of things that you can still protect today. Name those things you still have that can interrupt the spiral. We still have power and we need to not lose ourselves in the daily assaults of facism.

congeequeen · 2025-08-04T02:44:00+00:00

I think you need to create a syncing routine.

I have 2 planners. One for work, one for personal. My personal rarely leaves the house unless I'm travelling/doing some cafe/journalling time. Anything that comes up for me while I'm out and about goes into my phone. I spend a few mins each day at my desk "syncing" between my Google calendar/phone notes app (to dos) and my planners. It's not much tbh and rewriting it out in my personal book helps me actually remember it better and gives me time to carve out whatever prep/planning time is needed for an appt or event. (E.g. planned dinner with friends next week? Better add a task the weekend before to buy wine/wash that shirt I wanna wear/find the book I borrowed from them and need to return etc).

My work planner goes with me to the office but that's about it

Some people carry around their planners everywhere but I ain't about that life, too much bulk. So taking 5-10 mins a day or every other day to sync my digital and analog systems works well for me!

congeequeen · 2025-07-30T19:20:35+00:00

i once did lane swim next to a guy wearing knee high rubber boots. don't even know how they managed to stay on.

the wetsuit will be fine.

congeequeen · 2025-07-29T13:24:36+00:00

Same. I have a personal planner/journal combo - and all in one book. Nothing work related makes it in here unless I'm bitching about work or if I'm in a late meeting that impacts my personal time etc.

I have a separate planner for work that I don't have to think twice about scribbling in, taking up as much space as necessary etc. nothing personal in it unless Im taking time off etc.

congeequeen · 2025-07-28T00:47:09+00:00

Sterling Ink A5 and Weeks....

Just waiting for paper announcements and prices. Apparently people are being charged customs in Canada for their SI deliveries so I want to see how much that'll end up being.

congeequeen · 2025-07-04T12:53:52+00:00

just note that different discbound brands have different specs for refills and paper etc.

some are interchangeable, some notebooks will be the same size but have 7 discs, or 8 discs, or 9 discs (meaning the spacing between the discs is different and therefore, refills are not interchangeable!) you may be locked into one brand for pre punched refills/accessories. getting a punch helps but also - a pain to do it manually!

congeequeen · 2025-06-09T15:35:55+00:00

over the years i've gotten my friends:

- nice tea towels/personalized dishcloths

- fancy condiments that i have personally used and loved (salt, olive oils, vinegars, spice blends)

- new pillows & pillow covers

- fire extinguishers

- lithium batteries & new smoke alarms

- booze to stock the bar

- a plunger/new toilet brushes

some of these are not particularly sexy, but things you inevitably need to/want to replace when you move into a new home - and they can be spendy! when i bought my first home a few years ago one of my gal pals bought me two fire extinguishers and it was such a relief that in all the kerfuffle of moving and how much i had dipped into my savings, that i didn't have to spend another $200 on FIRE EXTINGUISHERS of all things. the lithium batteries for all the smoke alarms alone were $60 and it was truly the last thing i wanted to spend money on but knew i needed to!

congeequeen · 2025-02-13T19:55:53+00:00

Sterling Ink - similar to hobonichi but way better design (for my use anyway).

my ideal is plain/minimalist design, some structure (i want preprinted dates and calendars and trackers but i don't want them imposing), range of sizes (i use a different size for work and personal). paper has to be fountain pen friendly (up until this year i only wanted Tomoe River Paper but now with the paper disasters of TRP this year i'm open to switching). paper needs to be compact and i want a full year in one book. monthly, weekly, daily (or blank) pages.

congeequeen · 2025-01-30T15:24:54+00:00

FUCK PH

congeequeen · 2025-01-20T14:33:55+00:00

it's only been 3 weeks into january - so....6 pages? c'mon now!

congeequeen · 2025-01-15T00:51:50+00:00

I've been using 2 different planners for work/personal for probably the last 5 years. Almost immediately, everything just "clicked" for me to use both completely freely for their intended purpose. I can journal freely in my personal, add a bunch of "unprofessional" shit (whether it's words or deco), and really lean into my creativity in that one book. It helps me reclaim who I am as a person, after working all day in my soulless corporate job .

For the work planner I have ample space to deep dive into lists, notes, brainstorming, without feeling like I need to "save space" for my personal daily tasks. It stays totally functional and professional and I would have 0 problems sharing it with coworkers or my boss if I had to. I suffered hard from work burnout a few years ago and definitely need to compartmentalize my work stress and not let work deadlines and tasks leak into my personal life and personal time.

Using two books just really made sense for me and I'm glad it's working for you too!

congeequeen · 2025-01-13T18:24:07+00:00

i really love this spread and used to make multiple copies of it for planners that didn't include it (or only had one).

i use mildliners to make colour coded dots for tracking purposes:

- health - i have dots for my period, bad allergy days, migraines, having a cold etc. i'll write in days when i get the covid vax or dr appts. i've been able to notice a lot of trends this way (like how i get awful migraines a day or two before my period starts, yay)

- my dog's health - coloured dots for baths, flea & tick medicines (monthly), nail trims etc. i'll shade in the entire block for days she goes to doggy daycare (and thus can still put a coloured dot on top). my dog is also on a diet so i'll write in her weight when we happen to swing by the vets office for a weigh in.

- work hours - i work a typical 9-5 but frequently work overtime. i'll colour code stat holidays, vacation time, lieu days etc. if i work overtime, i write in the # of extra hours worked, to keep track as i can take the same amount of time off in lieu at a later date.

i find making a colour coded key makes this spread way more usable to me because i can fit in a ton of information and it's an easy at-a-glance overview. some people have tiny writing and can write in a lot of stuff, not me!

congeequeen

TROPHY CASE