SMARTER SIZE
Customers told us they wished it were a little bit smaller—so it plays better with other notebooks and easily goes wherever you do. Plus, the new cover construction created a tuck-flap for loose notes.
CHARCOAL + SHINE
The linen-feel cover is still soft to the touch but in charcoal gray and now wipeable—it won't smudge or stain. Plus, a new rose gold stamp will note the year on the right edge of the cover—and our page markers turned rose gold to match. (The foil stamp isn't shown in product photos yet because we're still awaiting the final sample, but follow on Insta to get a glimpse).
SIMPLIFIED STRUCTURE
Weekly view, mini-month and two priorities a day. Why so minimal? Because if you have more than two priorities—you might have no priorities. Your decision about what's actually most important each day will revolutionize what you can accomplish in a week.
SET YOUR OWN HOURS
AM-to-PM hours have been replaced with a dot grid to support any style of day; jot hourly appointments, block creation time or make lists. The space is intended to be used vertically below each date, but can now accommodate broader thoughts and sketches if that's where your week takes you.
And of course, it's still all about...
We always benefit when we become stronger editors. One way to practice your editing chops is to collect a lot of something (ideas from colleagues, ways to make pie crust, black suede booties) and pick among them. Cross off contenders as you disqualify them from your top three spots. This is editing. You’re reducing a set of something loosely connected into a clear, coherent point of view that is easily understood by others.
And who are you to edit? Well, you’re you. And it’s weird for you to not form an opinion of your own, so go through the motions until it feels natural.
]]>That's why the vertical-day format of our 2019 Planner is so comfortable to use. At first glance you might say, "that's not enough space for me!" But by the end of week two you'll find that you listen more intently, note less and have greater clarity about what happened in your day.
The hourly break down is a reference that easily becomes bullets or anchors a grid.
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The OCO Planner was rooted in a similar moment years ago when my multicolored (and truly chaotic) digital calendar cheerily greeted me at my desk. Sure, that calendar would help me navigate my day but it was jam packed with invites, overlapping obligations and deadline reminders. Digital calendars are a great tool to receive requests from others but terrible to sort priorities for myself. What was the old school way? Paper.
A paper planner used to ground (but not rule) my weeks. I write down wild ideas, plot trips with friends and rarely pencil something in on a day that is already jammed. Writing out my priorities for the week by hand requires my brain to make the decisions instead of my inbox. That consideration to guide my week on the page is akin to waiting on my anti-digital coffee every morning. It’s a habit that sustains me, efficiency be damned.
Free space at the top of each day.
Critical to self-management, each day starts with a free space. You will jot the two tasks—that no matter what—must happen today. This habit is borrowed from the book by Tim Ferriss—4-Hour Workweek—and it significantly reduced my stress when I was in a start-up with a bottomless stream of work that could (or couldn’t) be done.
Vertical days—not horizontal.
Most people love to make lists and take notes in bulleted phrases. These types of notes naturally create narrow, vertical columns. The hourly breakdowns are there as an aid, but a quick pen squiggle easily turns them into bullets or boxes. It's said that the smaller the space, the higher-quality the notes. Your brain will know that you need to listen with full focus and you'll jot down only what matters most.
Dotted lower-third.
Not a formal grid, not yet lines. Dots help you carve up the space in the way that suits you. Maybe this is a place where you capture to-dos, draw little creatures, or sketch out a linear process? You might transfer inspirational quotes that support your energy throughout a week. The most ambitious people turn the book 90-degrees and the dots become a super-column for planning a bigger concept.
Year-at-a-glance with bullets.
As you gain confidence to set your own direction each week, your goals will likely stretch out in front of you as well. You’ll plan longer-term as you become less and less reactive.
The year-at-a-glance pages are meant to capture two things:
Intentions: Before the month begins, plan for what you want out of it: more focus, stronger habits, to help a colleague? You decide. Then, as you face the week on Monday, get yourself sorted on your weekly spread and then flip back to the intentions you bulleted for this month. Ask yourself if there is an area of work that seems especially aligned to that intention. Use that reflection to re-prioritize your week, putting energy directly toward fulfilling that intention.
Celebrations: It’s reinvigorating to remind yourself of small wins—because the big stuff doesn’t happen very often (certainly not often enough to buoy you through personal growth). At a week’s end, scan your pages and transfer a win back to this month’s bulleted spaces. Go here when you need a boost mid-week.
Contrast-color blank pages:
There are some ideas that are too big, too exploratory for the weekly view. Blank pages give space to map a narrative of a presentation, sketch orthographic projections of a product, or draw as meditation, letting your pen lead the way. This is your ultimate free space to support the inner creator in you. You can number these pages and note reference them in your weekly spreads. You can use the brass page markers for an easy flip-back during a deadline. Whatever you do, make sure to use them in a way that supports your focus and clarity—this is the place for that practice.
]]>We spend our days similarly — most of us—working for other people. A key difference that I’ve observed between people who have a job and the people who create jobs is an ability to self-manage.
I wish it were sexier but it’s not.
My parents were entrepreneurs, I’ve built businesses with friends, and I’ve also worked for people who grew companies to be publicly traded. Along the way, I’ve seen that the entrepreneurs who succeed are business savvy, innovative and great listeners.
But their superpower is actually self-management.
If you’re working for someone else you can ensure you’re also working for yourself by proactively setting your priorities and selling them in to your boss. The best way I’ve found to do that is by setting a space for myself, away from all the office communications (email, chat, shared calendars) to get my head straight for the week. Deciding what has to get done in a day or week gives me confidence and a sense of accomplishment, despite the prevalence of “work-til-you-drop” or “busy” cultures.
This clarity lets me “manage-up and -around,” to set expectations with execs and colleagues. If my priorities need to change to help someone out or take on a surprise assignment, I can easily socialize the tradeoffs and proactively manage expectations again. It’s a win-win-win for me, my boss and my team. This habit and its practice also helps me self-manage on work that is just for me—like my launch of the 2019 Planner.
Critical to self-management, each day starts with a free space. I use mine for jotting the two tasks—that no matter what—Must happen today. This habit is borrowed from the book by Tim Ferriss—4-Hour Workweek—and it significantly reduced my stress when I was in a start-up with a bottomless stream of work that could (or couldn’t) be done.
The weekly view suggests that I’ve gotta keep myself thinking above the daily task level (that means no never-ending, out of context to-do lists). And frankly, I find monthly views best handled by digital calendar tools because they show how weeks connect into bigger milestones and deadlines. I use these physical and digital tools in tandem to keep myself and my teams aligned.
Where, or should I ask what, will you start by picking up the pen and getting your plans on paper?
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If you happened upon a popular pin, came across a smart shot in Better Homes and Gardens magazine or were referred for strategic consulting, you may have been looking for Take2TheyreSmall or jensiejean.com.
Ointment Co. combines these two sites and is now where I share beautiful things that are of value and feel good.
To get in touch for consulting, creative direction and product design collaborations by hello@ointmentco.com
]]>Since clarity and focus were no longer available in my digital tools, at least not without a time-intensive overhaul, I took out my planner, pen and paper. I made three columns and named my job's actual priorities—the things that got me out of bed and excited to come in to work every day. Then I took a stand on what needed to get done this month, then this week and less than 10 minutes later I was crystal clear on how to spend my day.
I knew which meetings to graciously opt out of and which emails (if any) needed responses before Noon. I was back into calm control of my creative energy for the day and I was sure I was in the right place at the right time. There were times I was wrong—but a really human thing happened—people pointed it out to me and we worked it out together.
Slowly the culture component of my work day (even within a highly-connected, highly-collaborative team) turned toward the outputs of the work—not the process of getting it done. The results of this change in my self-management were noticed by other leaders in the organization and I was increasingly trusted as an internal expert on getting shit done. I gently counseled colleagues and execs alike in ways they could keep focus—naturally feeding their own creative energy the only way I know how—by doing great work.
What emerged from this effort was a planner framework that focused my work in ways that propelled not only my career but the careers of those around me as well. The principals are simple:
And sure, I still accept digital invites but my course correction morphed my professional reputation from “highly-engaged” (participates in meetings, jumps right in, spreads self too thin) to “highly-accomplished” (work speaks for itself, strategic, grows colleagues) in just a few months.
Those who know me well won't be surprised that I turned this framework into a minimalist designed notebook that I'm obsessive about, the OCO 2019 Planner. I want to know what happens when you put these three concepts into action yourself.]]>
Some people call it intuition, some people say they channel ideas from their guides (can you tell I’m on the West Coast?) and some people just take action instead of taking notes at all. I’m the type that writes my intuition down and lets it simmer. If you looked in my weekly planner/notebook you’ll see I drew a logo for Ointment Co. several months before I ever discussed it with anyone.
I invite you to write something down today that might be an important clue for your tomorrow.
So we all know I have a penchant for Russell + Hazel binders, organizers and their mini datebook. The other day I was gazing at my google calendar, the bright bars that pepper my every day, and wishing I had a calendar that was of a higher-level view, so I could see the ebb and flow of projects, understand when I was likely to be swamped, and when I could say yes to small single-day projects to keep my creative energy up.
So I combined two of my faves, the Russell + Hazel mini date book with washi tapes! Hooray!
I mark multi-day projects with various colored tapes and write over them to label. Now I smile when I look at my month-in-view and can’t help but get excited rather than overwhelmed by what is coming up next!
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