by Rachel Smith
26 October 2023
Sponsored post
Ahoy, planner enthusiasts! We’re excited to bring you a fabulous competition in collaboration with the lovely peeps at Paper Avenue. This online planner store is based in Melbourne and has a diverse range of leather planners, inserts, and planner accessories to help you organise the heck out of your life.
Want one? Find out more about Kayla and Paper Avenue below, and leave a comment to go into the draw. We’ll be announcing the winner on Friday, Nov 2!
I have a bachelor in graphic design and was working as a graphic designer for 6 years in a small studio before starting Paper Avenue. I worked mostly on corporate branding – logos, brochures, flyers, etc.
I actually tried to design a leather planner in the past, maybe 6-7 years ago, but every time I tried to get it going, I always felt it was too hard (poorly made samples, expensive costs, etc.). But then one day, I decided to push through and finally found the perfect manufacturer, and my vision finally came to life, so it was definitely years in the making. When those beautiful leather planners turned up, it was a huge achievement for me as I had once thought it wasn’t going to work out.
As for the name, I wanted it to be something that sounded like a luxury brand name but also included a reference to stationary. After many weeks of brainstorming, Paper Avenue was born!
Digital planning can be great, but I think you just can’t beat the feeling of writing with a beautiful, smooth pen on paper. The simple, tactile nature of a traditional planner and stationary items is what I think attracts people to a paper planner… and they just keep coming back to that solution.
We have heaps of inserts to suit however you like to keep track of things and stay organised, including a Habit Tracker, Goals Planner and a Project Management Planner and a Finance Planner.
I chose to design a leather binder planner with inserts over a bound diary to give people complete control over customisation. Whether you want to plan your day on one page or choose a week to a page, there’s an option. My favourite sections are monthly overview, which allows me to view my entire month on a spread and get a clear picture of important dates and deadlines. I also love the week over two pages, which provides just the right amount of space to plan out my week effectively, especially as a working mum who has to balance work and home life.
Everyone has their unique way of structuring their week and so we have adapted the inserts over time. We started with one weekly insert but then designed a more extensive range to cater to different planning preferences.
Accessories include planner dashboards – our line art range injects a bit of colour and personality to your planner.
And we also have a range of stickers helping you to keep track of anything from social media updates, to travel, medical appointments, special occasions and more.
If you’re a freelancer who often manages multiple projects simultaneously, I believe the monthly overview sections, both in a single page and spread format, will be most useful. It’s easy to use these to help you map out your monthly plans and see project schedules at a glance.
August to January unquestionably marks the busiest time of the year for a planner store! In the other months, my focus shifts towards designing dated inserts for the upcoming year, along with the creation of undated inserts and stationery products. I love having a range of options to ensure my customers can stay organised throughout the year.
Pssst! Want to win a complete 2024 Paper Avenue planner?
Paper Avenue is giving a planner away to one lucky Rachel’s List reader. This prize, worth $250+, includes a leather planner of your preferred size, your choice of 2 x planner inserts, and a selection of planner accessories. It’ll help you make 2024 your most successful year yet!To enter the draw, tell us what you love about having a paper diary over going digital! (Winner announced next Fri, Nov 2).
Call me old school but I still go for a paper planner. Nothing like touching it and writing on it. It helps me concretely make my plans. And Paper Avenue looks perfect for 2024, there’s enough sheets to write ideas and pitches. Hope I win one !
I just love having somewhere to write my endless lists and notes. Actually writing things done makes them more real for me. I’m a week-to-a-page girl.
Nothing beats a paper planner! I love to keep mine as a record of the year that was as I use it to mark milestones, work things, school dates and everything in between ☺️
In a digital world, having something tactile to work with is a beautiful thing. My phone calendar is so overloaded with family commitments that it feels way too hectic. A paper diary makes me feel in control – plus I enjoy writing things down in coloured pens! Thanks!
Each day starts with two things meditation and journaling – each year I carefully select a new journal and I can see my stories thoughts and plans as I travel along paper avenue to capture 2024
The list ticker off’erer in me loves, loves, loves paper. It’s so satisfying to cross things off and see what’s left.
I have tried digital planners and they work for client collaboration but when it comes to managing my time – I can’t beat pen to paper – as I need the constant visual reminder as well.
In 2022, I decided to mix things up and track all of my projects digitally. Without the wide angle view that a paper planner gives you, I managed to seriously overload my schedule resulting in a small breakdown and some very late nights. In 2023? You guessed it. Back to paper. Back to a manageable schedule. Back to physically ticking off lists and feeling like I was achieving something. I love paper!!!
It’s not just for planning. But having something physical you can jot down thoughts and ideas, as well as your schedule, cannot be beat.
Also, with much of your online schedule available to those you work with (Especially if you’re working in house) I like having something that’s just mine.
I am still traumatised by the loss of my beloved filofax from when I was mugged in London in the ’80s on my way back from the BBC. I feel this beautiful planner will heal that wound! : )
Oh gosh, the luxury of the page! A planner is purposeful; it’s the companion that serves as your keeper of history and secrets.
The more it’s used, the better it gets, and filling it with the day’s minutiae is a comfort.
That perfect pen, gliding over porous paper; such satisfaction and permanence it is.
It’s the perfect claim to oneself, to investing time in the here and now and to the luxury that is found in our own passages.
I’ve tried to use apps to organise my life but always end up not using them! I’m a sucker for diaries with a day to a page and then can keep track of everything and cross them off as you work through them.
There’s something magical about the feeling of a pen gliding across paper, making the simple act of ticking off to-dos feel like a small ceremony. My paper diary is a sanctuary; a place where I can focus without being interrupted by notifications and emails. And as someone who lives on the edge of 2% battery life half the time, let’s not forget the convenience of not having to plug it in.
Handwriting also helps me stay intentional during my day, I’m more committed to my plans and dreams.
Lastly, the idea of having a luxurious leather planner, like the one from Paper Avenue, would elevate this whole experience. It’s not just about planning my day; it’s about enjoying the beautiful vessel that holds those plans!
Ooh stickers! 😍
Ah, paper! Nothing beats it.
I like the way my brain works when I use ink and paper 🙂🙃🙂
Scientific studies have proven that writing down appointments and notes with pen and paper aids memory retrieval far more than typing or other digital methods. My frazzled brain needs all the help it can get, so I’ll stick with an offline planner!
I love seeing my week in front of me, written in my favourite pen! Then I use different coloured highlighters for my various projects so I can see at a glance exactly what I need to be working on or be prepping for. I also love the Notes section so I can add extra info on things. I’m a tactile & visual person so I find I remember things better if I’ve written them down. Oh, and I just love pretty notebooks too 😍. Stephanie H.
Beautiful stationery is life! Nothing like a good list – written on actual paper – I reckon. Pick me pick pick me pick meeeee 🙂
I love this so much! I am a paper planner all the way. Nothing like seeing it all right there in front of you. My desk is an array of paper notes and stickies this would help me get my s*#% together in more ways than one 😍
I love the feel and smell of paper, the satisfaction of seeing my own notes, just for me – my doodles in the margins and my shorthand notes in terrible handwriting that noone else can read. It’s more than a diary, it’s an expression of me that feels genuine and personal and not for anyone else. It keeps a life record of the year that I can look back on and see all the things that happened.
Honestly just being able to keep simple, pen to paper and creatively AND messily writing down your thoughts, dreams, goals and accomplishments! Also the whole ticking off the TO-DO list is the best! It’s like the old days when you could slam the phone down instead of now you have to hang up by pressing a button 😂 totally the same feeling haha!
What do I love about a paper planner? It’s a place where my pen and paper do the tango and document all aspects of my life.
Being able to write my plans out solidifies them to my memory. It also allows me to reflect back and journal about how I feel after my plans have passed- good or bad. It’s my creative therapy in a pretty lil binder.
I prefer paper journals over digital because when I accidentally spill coffee on a paper journal, it becomes a vintage masterpiece, not a tech catastrophe! ☕📜😄
These look gorgeous. I miss my paper planners!
This would be a wonderful replacement for all my notebooks and post-it notes! I try to use an online calendar, but there’s nothing like pen and paper and the satisfaction of being able to flick through the pages to plan and reflect.
A paper planner provides a weekly room for a view of what’s ahead and where I can leave room for wandering.
I love the tactile experience of using a paper diary. There’s something special about physically writing down my thoughts and plans. It feels more personal and connected to the moment. Flipping through the pages and seeing my handwriting adds a sense of nostalgia and authenticity that digital platforms just can’t replicate. Plus, there’s no need to worry about battery life or technical glitches. My paper diary is always there, reliable and ready for me to jot down my thoughts.
As well as the fact that I am completely technically challenged and can never work out how to use phone calendars and digital diaries properly, I like to use paper diaries as a bit of a brain dump space for the millions of to-dos running around in my head. I use mine to track work and see what’s coming next while also staying on top of school notes, phone interviews, birthdays, kid commitments and grocery top-ups.
I feel like the act of writing things down helps to connect the brain to movement and makes me a bit more likely to remember. Plus the format works visually better to see everything together.
When I was at ABC radio we interviewed someone who said that writing things down helps us remember them. Admittedly this probably refers to the older generation. But hey, that includes me! I’m also thinking that if I had this diary I might write less on my hand. Maybe…
Call me old school, but I’m a big fan of a paper diary and planners. Maybe I could blame not keeping a diary this year for my mismanagement of time! And my mind boggles with PapercAvenue’s Habit Tracker. Oh there will be some big reveals there 🙂
My husband has tried to encourage me to use digital calendars, but the process of going to a website or app every time I want to note something down seems a lot more time consuming than simply reaching for a physical document. Having said that, my organisation skills leave a lot to be desired. There are family appointments on the wall calendar and scraps of paper around my desk with work to-do lists. This prize sounds fabulous for giving me one single diary to keep it all straight!
OMG! For someone who loves stationery and any paper product, this is gold! I use a paper planner and have tried digital versions, but I find they are not as efficient and take up so much of my time! Besides, I like the idea of writing what pops into my head and making notes in a diary or planner.
I’m the most disorganised person you’ll meet and while I’ll start the year with good intentions with this planner, we both know that by May I’ll have lost my routine and my six-year-old will have commandeered it for her craft projects. Still, until then it would be a huge help.
I love the tactile nature of a paper journal. Somewhere to track my time and my every growing to-do list, and also to jot down notes and ideas. Nothing beats writing on beautiful paper, and keeping the ebb and flow of day to day neatly tucked away in a beautiful journal.
If I don’t write it down, it doesn’t happen. I love having a daily planner. There’s a thrill to crossing off items on my to-do list – you don’t get that when it’s digital!
The paper diary is an essential part of my work because I can simultaneously make and amend appointments in my diary whilst talking to clients on the phone. The advantage of a paper diary is the visual aspect of having a week to a view and the ease of rubbing things out and changing dates and times. I can look at the diary at anytime- I have even quickly checked some last minute details in the theatre and did not disturb anyone because there was no bright light from the phone. I also use diaries to insert information such as business cards from medical professionals knowing that they are secure and all in one place. During tax time, I have the records at hand and can quickly check details. You have the security of your information in hard copy which is a major advantage if you have even been hacked on the computer or you could not log into your files. I have been using paper diaries all my life and they are convenient, essential and simple to use.
Someone cut the NBN cable on my street, and the local Optus tower is out of service. I’ve had no Internet or phone connection for three weeks. Bring back paper planning!
Putting pen to paper in a diary is a joyful and essential part of my world. Lists, thoughts, meetings and random quotes help me stay on top of the must-do’s and the whimsical creative parts of life that I don’t want to do without.
Stationery is a guilty pleasure of mine. I keep trying to tell myself I don’t need more pens, bull clips or highlighters… but I always do! One thing I have never been able to move away from is a paper diary. I need to see my day at a glance and the satisfaction of ticking off a to-do ist is incomparable (TBH sometimes I add things to my list that I have already done just so I can cross them off). My current challenge is the rogue pieces of paper floating across my desk in lieu of a proper organiser.
Such a beautiful product! I love the physicality of paper and pen, and a way to visualise my life in a tangible sense, and it always being on hand (not lost in the digital ether).
For my brain, having a physical paper planner would be like unloading grocery bags onto the kitchen table, then finding a neat little place for each item on the shelf. But there would be no kids’ sticky fingers all over my ideas and thoughts and plans because the planner is clip-locked and leatherbound, people. Those sticky fingers would slide right off.
I prefer something I can feel in my hand (and in my heart, quite frankly!) – I prefer books over Kindle, CDs over Spotify, and paper diaries over web-based ones. Not to mention, if someone tries to schedule a meeting with me, I can pretend I’m not available without Microsoft Calendar dobbing on me! My ancient, battered Filofax finally collapsed last year (it was more than 40 years old, it had well and truly done it’s time), and I’ve tried to adapt to a digital diary, but I miss my trusty mate.
There’s something refreshing about physically crossing off an item on your t-do list. Having a paper planner keeps all of my written notes all in one place.
Simple: old school pen and paper still rules. When I write things down on my paper diary, I’m more likely to get them done and can see ahead what I have to do during my week, month or where I’m likely to be in the year. I also love being able to admire my (sometimes) nice handwriting and then laugh or palm face emoji when I can’t even read it!
Paper diaries are like the last bastion of anything else that digital has ravaged.
The joy of writing on paper -and in such a gorgeous planner – just can’t be beaten. Using a great pen and planning out overviews, ticking off ‘to-do’ lists and not having a thousand pieces of paper scattered everywhere but contained in one beautiful, functional diary is a dream. And when it’s all contained in something beautiful that lasts for years, then the journey of recording things big and small, what a bonus!
I love love love having a paper planner. I feel so much better organised and in control when I can physically see my day/week in front of me (and also embellish it anyway I like :)). And like other comments, I feel a huge sense of accomplishment when I can physically cross off work and personal items on my to-do list. I use it as a travel diary when we go away and even scrap-booking to some extent. I have tried digital diaries but it doesn’t ‘feel’ the same on so many levels.
I love the look and feel of paper, that sense of possibility before you start a diary and the purpose you feel as you use it. I periodically put lists into electronic reminders but they just don’t go in my head the same way. The act of writing down with pen on (preferably beautiful) paper somehow makes it more tangible. I carry a notebook around to write down random thoughts, too.
Putting pen to paper is great for the soul, so it would be cool to add some style to the experience too with Paper Avenue 🙂 Writing in a planner boosts my focus, productivity and creativity. I record what has to happen but I also jot down ideas and sources of inspiration. Clarity and creativity collide in my diary.
Being able to see everything you have on during the week at one glance makes far more sense to my brain than any calendar on a phone or desktop. I also handwrite a NEXT WEEK column at the bottom right of the spread to add any important deadlines or events coming up – just as a secondary reminder. My paper diary is also full of notes and ideas, post-its with information I need, and cute stickers that just make it feel as though it’s mine rather than Google or Microsoft’s. Paper diaries 4 eva.
Yes to paper diaries here too. It’s my first thing in the day mental down-load go to. I write my daily to-do list, no-filter, I just let it flow. Then I note if it’s personal or business. From there, I asterisk the must do non-negotiables to shake out the high priority items. Then I often go back over and prioritise the rest – important, nice to do, just something on my mind but not a deal breaker today. Then for all the today items I’ll then estimate how much time each will take – and then transfer them into a day planner. Then there’s no greater joy than crossing them off – something electronic diaries can never do. I always work in pencil, never in pen. As there’s always a bit of rubbing out and fine-tuning. All the left over items then roll into the next day and the process starts all over again. Paper, pencil and a rubber – all it takes really to run your day. Oh, and it has to look good too. x
Nothing beats a paper diary. Even though I grudgingly now use Google Calendar (as a back-up), I still use my paper diary as I like to see everything written down.
I’ve always loved a paper diary (my tech-loving husband not so much – apparently the doctor’s appointments don’t count when they’re just written on our wall calendar haha) but since bringing a smol human into the world this year I’m really trying to reduce my screen time as much as possible – and this includes going old school and using my phone and computer less to write down to-do lists, appointments and best-selling novel ideas…