Not a review
This was meant to be a planner review.
Instead: here's why I won't be doing (many) reviews. And how incredibly hard, and wonderfully liberating, it is to do something purely for fun.
A year or so ago, I decided I wanted a space to talk about planners. I created this website, and added one post, because I had info to share that answered some immediate community questions.
And then I did nothing else. For a year. I kept thinking about it: how much I wanted to go and talk about my planner and productivity obsession. All the different things I could do.
Finally, in August this year (2023), I got myself started. It required letting go of the perfectionism: allowing myself to publish my second draft (I'm not about to publish my first draft, there are limits!). This compromise let me start creating - and it was fun.
At the same time, I started an Instagram and YouTube. Because . . . because that's what you do when you want to talk about planners, right?
I pretty quickly let go of the Instagram, beyond the occasional short video of me talking with my cat. I found the platform irritating to use. This felt like a win: I was focusing on the platforms (website and YouTube) that I actually enjoyed!
And then I got stuck again. I'd got a new planner, and intended to do a review of it. Because . . . because that's what you do when you want to talk about planners, right?
I procrastinated. And then I tried. I really really tried. I picked review criteria, and wrote a page explaining how I review. I created a template, so my reviews would be standardised. I drafted the blog post version. I recorded a review. I recorded it again.
I hated it:
- I was getting nothing out of producing this.
- I didn't like my reviews: my tone, my structure, anything. I wanted to make sure I was giving my honest opionin, but found myself focusing on the negatives too much. Anyone listening to the review would have thought I hated the planner. I actually like it - I've used it for the past two years, and may still use it in 2024, although it has some competition now.
- I felt I was adding nothing of value. The planner in question (the Erin Condren 2024 hourly, in case anyone's wondering) already has dozens of reviews. There's simply no need for another one, and I was bringing nothing new to the conversation.
And then it clicked. I don't have to do this. There is no rule that says if I have a planner blog, I must do planner reviews. I can do my own thing. If it's a topic where reviews are useful, I can link to other creators: people who do great reviews, with proper production values, and fewer cat interuptions.
I'll maybe still do the occasional review. If I happen to get a product where there isn't much info out there, and a review from me would actually be useful, that feels worth doing.
This is good news for the blog, which was in danger of slowly dying as I endlessly procrastinated reviews.
It also prompted more questions:
- How often do I do things purely for fun?
- How often is what I want my primary criteria?
- What does it feel like to create simply for the joy of it?
It's funny, because I don't think I'm particularly selfless. My life is pretty well set up for me. My house, and career, and interests, are all things I chose for myself. And yet, when I really dig into it, how many things can I point to where I chose just for me, and not in part because of other factors: expectations from family, friends, or society? The demands of work? The need for life's basics?
There's nothing wrong with caring about other people, by the way. If you want to live an ethical life (and not be a dickhead), then considering the needs and wishes of family and friends, and your duty to society at large, is really important.
But just occasionally, and being careful you're not harming anyone, try having no rules. Whether it's a blog, or a hobby, or how you decorate your room. Pick something and try making it purely for you. You may be surprised how hard it is.