Putting in research time to find the perfect stationery product is worth it-especially when the product is expensive. Decide how you will use it, pick out the best option, budget accordingly, buy it, and GREAT SUCCESS!
I love it when a plan comes together, right up until it doesn’t.
That was the experience with my original A5 Plotter. The Orange Shrink leather, the brass binding, the perfect page and insert setup-I was thrilled with the entire thing. But the setup, as a whole, didn’t end up working for how I work. No matter how independently great a product is, if it doesn’t work for you, it is time to move on.
That I stuck with the A5 size Plotter is a testament to how much I like the idea of it. I thought through how I use it, and why it didn’t work for me in the end. The main issue was the standard pages, and not using them enough. If it were my one and only work notebook, it would be ideal, but given the fact I use 2-3 different notebooks during my work week, I never settled in with forgoing my standard, bound, hard cover A5 journal. The Plotter task pages and calendars were great, but there wasn’t enough there to keep me in it full time.
Given all that, I thought about what would work for me. Portability was at the top of my list. A5 notebooks are portable, of course, but my work isn’t mobile. I don’t need to pack my stuff and commute, or bounce around an office from meeting to meeting. My A5 stays at my desk, but I do work in different areas in and around the house, and want to have a smaller notebook tagging along.
The Plotter Narrow on top of a traditionally-sized A5 notebook.
Last summer, around the time I was thinking about all of this, I had started to realize I wanted to change out of the A5 Hobonichi Cousin as my planner for 2023. It worked well for me for the first seven months of the year, but by August, it was clear that one page per day was about 3/4 of a page too much.
How can I swap into something more portable, with efficient planner pages, room for notes and tasks, is high-quality, and can be fun to use?
Enter the Plotter Narrow.
I’ll admit that this was a bit of a risky move. Choosing the A5 size seemed low-risk at the time, and you see how that worked out. The Narrow was a format that I hadn’t used in a while, but there were similar products-Traveler’s Notebooks, Ro-Biki Note, for example-that I like the idea of. Could the Narrow, and requisite internal setup, be the answer?
My Plotter Narrow Specs:
Exterior Material: Pueblo Leather
Size: H7" × W4.1"
Binder: 6-hole
Hardware color: Silver
I was able to have this setup put together for me at the San Francisco Pen Show in August, 2022, and it has been in use ever since. The size has been ideal, allowing me to use it at my desk, but also able to easily carry it around as needed, even sliding it in a pocket for a short time (not ideal due to the rigid hardware, admittedly, but I can make it work for a bit.)
Two page per week layout.
The internal setup has been ideal. When I first purchased it, I added in the 2mm Grid Sheets and To Do List Sheets to slowly work my way into the setup. After about a month of using it, and in conjunction with the decline in usage of my Hobonichi A5 Cousin, I added in the Monthly Schedule and Weekly Schedule refills to round out my planner needs.
Monthly view.
To complete my build, I added in the Leather Ring Supporter for a more comfortable carry, the Leather Pen Holder Lifter and Band Lifter for section separation and added functionality, and capped it off with the Envelope Folder for loose-sheet storage in the back.
My setup is complete. Over $200 later, yes, but complete nonetheless.
The key was moving my planning back to a two page per week style. I’ve used this layout previously in an undated Traveler’s Notebook refill, and more recently in my William Hannah Planner. While the concept of a one page per day setup-as found in the Hobonichi Cousin-is great, it is not the most beneficial to me. Two page per week has proven to be ideal for how I work.
Plotter standard pages are perfect for notes …
… and a Currently Inked log.
Add in endless note options with the standard grid sheets, a spot for a running task list, and a broader annual calendar, I think I’m set. And it doesn’t hurt that I love how Plotter paper performs with any pen or pencil I throw at it.
Getting into the Plotter Narrow was a process. I had a false start with the A5 size, but it has found a new home. And the Narrow has found a home with me.
(I bought the Plotter Narrow from Plotter USA at regular retail price.)
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