a giveaway and some goals

part 1: you can plan on it

earlier this week, i signed up to host an interview dinner in january (cara, yes, it’s your day!) and found myself without a place to note it! clearly, this means that 2010 planner season is upon us. i think i’ve already decided on my system for next year, but the wonderful karen from exaclair sent some samples my way . . . which means it’s time for another ghost world paper giveaway!

after all, even i would not attempt to commit notebook treason by using multiple 2010 planners at once. (i guess). (probably).

the planner up for grabs in this giveaway is the rhodia weekly notebook, in the 4 x 6 size and orange (yay!) color. i’d love to test it out, but i’m sure that none of you want to win an already-been-written-on notebook — that would just be sad. so i will do my best to review it without trying it out!

the notebook is made by quo vadis, but is in the iconic rhodia style, complete with bright orange cover, grid paper, and fairly minimalist design.

here it is without its paper sleeve. the cover has an embossed rhodia logo and is made of flexible coated cardboard that has a leatherlike feel.

specs from the quo vadis website:

Week on left, Rhodia’s famous grid for notes on right
12 months, January to December
7am to 8pm schedule
Extra white, super smooth paper
Crisp two color print – grey and orange
64g, acid-free and pH neutral paper
Tear-off corner opens to week in progress
Sewn binding
Attached address book
Elastic closure

glamour-shot image from quovadisplanners.com:

my slightly-less-professional version:

here is my overall take on this planner:
love
♥ eye-catching orange color! easy to find in your bag, and mood-enhancing overall (at least for me).
♥ blank page on right format — and a list or table-friendly GRID. oh, i love graph paper.
♥ small and compact
♥ elastic band to keep everything closed up neatly
♥ the paper is indeed very white and smooth. i suspect it would be nice to write on, but i will not taint the prize by finding out for sure!

don’t love
☑ the cover material. it looks nice now, but doesn’t feel uber-sturdy. i am worried about how it might look 12 months from now. then again, i am really hard on things, so my standards in this area are high!
☑ the weight of the paper. it is a bit too see-through and thin for my (picky) taste. the larger version (6 x 9) has heavier (90g) paper, as opposed to this one which is 64g, and i think i might like that better.

overall, it is a lovely little book that would be great for anyone looking for a compact 2010 planner with ample space to write lists and other notes (love for grid paper a plus!). to enter to win this planner,

✰ leave a comment at the end of this post telling me what kind of planning system you currently use now

✰ if you have a website/blog, link to this post on your site.

both of the above are required for entry! the winner will be drawn in the (early) AM on wednesday, october 14.

part 2: personal manifesto!
i felt the need for some detox upon returning home from vacation, but . . . it didn’t happen. instead, i just remained in vacation mode, with respect to productivity, sleep/eating habits, and overall attitude. the result? i feel . . . less than 100%!

i now feel that i am fully ready to relinquish the lazy vacation life in exchange for feeling energized and on-top-of-things again! this means committing myself back to:

☑ healthy eating. the past 10 days have been less than nutritionally ideal — so many desserts and snacky-type items, and less Real Food. i’m ready to turn this back around now. it is amazing how much this impacts my energy and overall sense of well-being.

☑ working on my morning routine! i’ve gone back to old “AHHGHGHGH I’M LATE MUST RUSH!#$*@#” AM habits. i don’t think i’ve even had time to dry my hair once this week.

☑ reading. for work, just 20-30 minutes/day . . . i know i can do this!

☑ overall attitude. i think i’ve gotten an early case of senioritis. sometimes it really is hard to get motivated on ‘easier’ rotations — laziness inertia, perhaps? there is actually a lot of learning to be had on my current rotation, and i will try to embrace it.

☑ sleep. there needs to be more of it. 6.5 hours = not even close to enough.

☑ mindfulness. yes, the M-word rears its ugly head once again. i will work on focusing on one day, one hour, one task at a time — lately i’ve been so bogged down by future projects and ‘what ifs?’. it’s time to be present.

now.