Moleskine planners and notebooks are popluar items.
And, as the Empress of Planning, I am admittedly picky. Particular. Persnickety. I guess you get my drift. But, I thought I’d save you the trouble of finding out these things on your own. You can learn from my pain and frustration:
I jumped onto the Moleskine bandwagon with an entire mess of other people when I signed up for the Documented Life Project (DLP) last year. I tried using it as a planner. I tried using it for art. I even tried using it solely as a Gratitude Journal. Since I didn’t really get started with DLP until March of the year-long project, and since finding the planner version was a struggle here in SW Oklahoma, I even purchased the 2015 version as soon as it became available – so I could get the size and soft cover I wanted. But sadly, by the time 2015 came around, I was so disappointed in the product that I struggled to find a way to use it.
1. Thin pages –
Be wary of the pages in the Moleskine planner. They are so very thin that even my favorite pen bleeds through. Adding wet media to the pages created warped pages instantly, so it really limited what I wanted to do with my art in DLP.
2. Availablity
While I could easily find a simple Moleskine notebook, finding the planner was a challenge in my little corner of the world. Their popularity with the DLP project even made them a sold-out item online.
3. Monthly view
This was my biggest pet peeve in using the Moleskine as an actual planner. The month was a list. A single column at the front of the book. It didn’t matter if the 1st was on Monday or Friday, it was on the top line. I’m definitely a monthly grid girl. And since I had to order it online, I didn’t know this until it came.
4. Weekly view
While the most common version of the Moleskine planner has a 2-page spread AVAILABLE for a calendar, it only uses the left side for your week. This leaves the right side (a lined page) for all the lists you might want. Sounds great, right? Well, depending on the size you get, you really don’t have much room for actual planning. And with the thin pages, any lists on the right are probably going to bleed through onto next week’s plan to the point where you won’t be able to read anything.
5. Size(s)
The Moleskine planner does come in a variety of sizes, but I never found one that fit my needs. I felt like Goldilocks: too small, too big, etc.
The Empress’s Score?
With a maximum point value of 10 in each category:
- Page weight-2– even my favorite gel pen bleeds through
- Cover-7– 2 options -Durable and easy to decorate; pocket in the back
- Weekly view-3-only 1 page unless you can find the horizontal version. There is a page a day with the option for a different book for each month. Currently out of stock online.
- Month at a glance view-2– not a grid at all
- Portability-10 – the pocket size is quite portable, just not big enough for my planner needs
- List Making-8– each week has a lined page opposite it for lists
- Goal Setting/Achievement-4– Goals could be outlined on the notes pages and then assessed, but there is not a set format or reminder for this. There is no way to separate lists built in. There are no pages for specific goal setting activities either.
- Flexibility-6-comes with 12 Month or 18 Month options and 3 sizes (for some options)
- Price-9– Depends on size and cover/month options. 18 Month is listed online as $17.50-$22.50 today, but only available in hardcover and only 2 sizes
- Bonus points…
Total score: 51
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