This is a 15-day late post but I’m uploading it anyway. This is how I setup my 2022 journal- nothing fancy but it works for me. I’ve already seen a number of journal / planner setups using Notion and another app I can’t remember but I have opted for a free journal app and other productivity tools that seem to cater to my needs.

The application I’m using is Microsoft OneNote for a number of reasons. One of them is it is free. Having my information be used for one reason or another is a risk I’m willing to take for being a cheapskate. I’m pretty sure their privacy statement contains all the relevant information that I’m too lazy to read. I like the convenience of being able to access the app using my phone, tablet, and laptop. The other reason is its simplicity: I can have multiple notebooks, sections, and pages so I can keep a number of notes in it and customize them according to my needs.

My 2022 Journal has the following parts:

• Monthly view – I got the Cream and Black Simple Typographic Business Wall Calendar template from Canva. It’s a no nonsense calendar and I can simply put images on it for that photojournal feel. IG is there for a reason but there are some photos I don’t want to share to the world.
• Weekly view – To be honest I don’t think I’ll be needing this section but I have alotted a page. I can remove it anytime I want anyway.
• Daily view – The embedded video shows how my template for my Daily Journal.

I don’t intend to use my Monthly view section for planning. I use Trello for project monitoring including content creation since I prefer such activities to be tracked e.g. how much time I spent creating a blogpost or a video, how many times I changed the schedule etc. As for my routine/ habits tracker for activities like exercising or language learning, I use Habit and Google Calendar Goals.

Of course, distractions are inevitable so I’m also using Forest, “a focus timer for productivity”. I like seeing my trees grow the more I concentrate on an activity.

What apps do you use for journaling or planning? Do you use Notion or Microsoft OneNote?