Unsolicited Advice is a pocket-size dated agenda that gives you space to plan your life with encouragement, tiny handwritten advice, and jokes (that literally nobody asked for).Â
Wait... another year? Didn't we literally just do this?Â
I swear it was 2016 like five minutes ago but here we are, getting ready to do it again. We'll be challenged, we'll celebrate, we'll set goals, screw up, and chase them again. Life is hard sometimes but I feel like it is, you know, worth it. If you're like me, the new year is a time of reflection and planning, when everything feels especially possible.Â
Give yourself the tools you need to "succeed" (whatever that means).Â
Sure, there are apps for this, but there's no substitute for a paper planner, which not only holds up to 365 days of data, but also doesn't require a secure wifi connection. There's something special about putting pen or pencil to paper, and that's also why there are about a million planners and agendas out there.Â
Why are planners boring, expensive or both?Â
Cheap planners are easy to find but have literally zero personality. Fancy planners might have like, revolutionary new layouts or colorful tabs or whatever but they also can be so nice that you're afraid to write in them. It's like, I'm trying to get my shit together and it's going to be a little messy and I just need to feel supported by someone who gets me, you know?Â
A simple, no-nonsense* planner you can actually use.Â
It's small, it's lightweight, it's cool but not too cool, and it's not too precious. This planner has evolved since 2011 and strikes the exact right balance between a functional planner and the weird little DIY "planner and life coach" it grew from. I'm 90% sure you'll actually use this thing all year. Fun activity pages in the beginning help you set your goals, but like, only if you want to. Favorites like the "Instant Grams" emergency social posts are back again, and throughout the year I'll surprise you with activity pages every few weeks. Each new month starts with a full page calendar grid to cross off the days as they go, and a monthly goals writing page. The actual weekly spreads put the focus on you, so there's enough open space that you can plan ahead, or use this as a dated diary to recap your life as it happens. I'll pop in to offer advice, doodles, moon cycles, mercury retrograde warnings, holidays (all the real ones plus some of the fake ones), and an end-of-week catch up section.Â
It's child-ish, but not for children.Â
My brand of "backhanded optimism" does contain some (scribbled-through but vaguely legible) expletives so this book might not be for all the people in your life. If you're okay with the occasional reminder to "cheer the f*** up" or plan all your "exciting s*** happening," then you and I are gonna get along great! *does actually contain some nonsense lol
This year's cover has one of my most popular phrases: "EVERYTHING WILL BE SO GOOD SO SOON JUST HANG IN THERE & DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT TOO MUCH."
