a tour of my louise carmen agenda + planning system

the art of looking forward to things

**first-ever video included in today’s newsletter 😅

I’m deeply neurotic, to say the least. In fact, planning obsessively and constantly being in a state of anticipation are at the heart of who I am. Maybe it’s being Type A; Maybe it’s having Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Whatever the reason, I’ve learned to appreciate my hypervigilance. After years of unproductive worry and eventual introspection, I’ve concluded that being a chronic planner is actually valuable. And brings me a lot of peace.

Let’s be honest – looking forward to things - anticipating – is almost more enjoyable than the things themselves. I wonder why that is.

When I was little, I made packing lists for overnight trips as soon as I learned about them. I loooooved ‘playing school’ mainly because I got to scour my dad’s paper scraps + borrow my mom’s highlighters + pretend to make lesson plans. The act of writing intentions on paper and having a stack of books on a pretend teacher’s desk made me feel grown up.

Since turning 30 and learning myself better, I’ve realized that planning has been a huge component of my personal success formula. My ability to cast a distant vision, anticipate the needs + behaviors of others, and map out exactly what needs to happen and when to achieve a certain outcome has made me an excellent project manager, business owner and a thoughtful friend. Because my brain is so busy, I physically NEED to maniacally plan to ensure my future comfort. Otherwise, I crumble!!

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The best part about writing things down in preparation for something exciting, is referring back to your written plans. Taking an intentional moment to locate your notebook, caressing the cover and flipping through pages of thoughts from days past. God, I love the sound of someone thumbing through paper.

** many of my newsletters are ‘too long for email’ — if you’re reading this from your inbox, be sure to download the substack app and peruse the rest there :) **

Fellow stationery lovers understand that part of the joy in owning notebooks is simply holding and keeping them around. The ritual of giving attention to your notebooks and planners scratches an itch that nothing else can satiate.

Let me begin the juicy part of this newsletter by saying, I’ve experimented with every planner under the sun since college. From brightly colored Erin Condren notebooks to pared down bullet journals, I’ve explored what feels like every corner of the planner universe. For the last four-ish years though, I’ve stuck with my tried and true Filofax. My mom, who is also a planner connoisseur, gifted my first Filofax to me back in 2013. I find it to be the most reliable. A classic, too. The customizable ring-bound system was one that has worked best for my style of planning because the agenda itself is inherently beautiful and fully customizable. With that said, we’re branching out just a *tad* this year. To something just as beautiful but a lot more French.

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