Which Planner Inserts Should I Start With?
One of the questions we hear all the time is...
"Okay... but which inserts do I actually need?"
We get it.
When you first discover a Traveler's Notebook planner, it's easy to think you need every insert we make. (Trust us... you don't!)
After years of helping women build planners they actually enjoy using, we've found one thing to be true:
The best planner isn't the one with the most inserts.
It's the one you'll actually open every day.
Start with the basics.
If you're building your very first planner, here's what we almost always recommend.
A Monthly Calendar
Think of your monthly calendar as your big-picture view.
Birthdays, appointments, vacations, bill due dates, school events... this is where the things you don't want to forget belong.
Even if you're not someone who plans every single day, you'll probably find yourself flipping to your monthly calendar all the time.
A Weekly Layout
This is where your planner starts working for your real life.
Some people love a traditional weekly layout. Others like checklists, horizontal pages, or extra room for writing. That's exactly why we offer several weekly options.
There isn't a "best" weekly layout.
There's just the one that makes planning feel easy for you.
A Notes Insert
If we could talk every new customer into one insert, it would probably be this one.
Life is full of random little things.
- Grocery lists
- Gift ideas
- Brain dumps
- Meeting notes
- Measurements
- Things to remember later
- The name of that restaurant your friend told you about
A notes insert becomes the place where all of those little bits of life can live instead of ending up on sticky notes or the back of an envelope.
Now comes the fun part...
Choose one or two inserts that fit your life.
Love to read? Add a reading insert.
Trying to meal plan? We've got one for that.
Running a business? We have those too.
Want to journal more? Absolutely.
Working toward a goal? Yep.
The point isn't to build the planner someone else thinks you should have.
It's to build the planner that helps you.
Here's something we tell people all the time...
You do not have to get it perfect the first time.
One of our favorite things about a Traveler's Notebook planner is that your inserts can change whenever your life does.
Need more notes? Swap one in.
Finished with a project? Change it out.
Want to try a different weekly layout? Go for it.
Nothing is permanent, and that's exactly what makes this system so much fun.
Don't feel like you have to fill every elastic.
Seriously.
Some people love four inserts.
Some eventually grow into six or even eight.
Some change them every season.
Others use the same four for years.
There isn't a right number.
If your planner is helping you stay organized, remember what's important, or simply feel a little less overwhelmed... you're doing it right.
If you asked us...
If you walked into our shop today and asked, "Where should I start?" we'd recommend:
- A monthly calendar
- A weekly layout that feels right to you
- A notes insert
- One or two inserts that fit your everyday life
From there, just start using your planner.
After a few weeks, you'll naturally notice what you're reaching for, what you wish you had, or what you don't use nearly as much as you expected. That's the beauty of a Traveler's Notebook planner—you aren't locked into one setup forever. You can add, remove, or swap inserts whenever your life changes.
We've seen it happen over and over again. Most people don't build their "perfect" planner on day one. They build it a little at a time, and that's exactly how it's meant to work.
