I'll admit that compiling the traditional iinuu planner Top has become even harder this year due to subjective factors - firstly, I am a quoted source of inspiration in one of the planners, and in my birth month at that (very close to home); secondly, I myself have been using the Remarkable electronic notebook for a year now, which works very well as a replacement for the note-taking functions of a planner. But let's return to the main point - my choice can hardly influence the planner landscape in Latvia, and this year again beautiful, creative, vivid and less vivid planners for 2024 have been created.
What is the charm of paper planners that electronic planners like Google Calendar, Calendly and similar cannot replace? Evidently they fulfil a much broader function than simply scheduling activities, writing notes or reminding us of important dates.
To plan or not to plan - that is the question. This year 2020 proved that all plans can collapse due to certain external circumstances. Adaptability could be the word of the year. Yet what remains unchanged is the insight that successful people are still those who plan their success, regardless of pressure or disruptions from outside.
For a couple of weeks now I've been catching myself thinking that work is being planned for January, February and March, but there's nowhere quite right to record it. That means only one thing - time for a new 2020 planner. Before I choose my permanent companion for the coming year, I need to survey what's on offer. Well then, let's take a look...
If you're looking for something out of the ordinary for a small team or group event, since June it can be found right in the heart of Old Riga at Jāņa sēta. The only thing is - everything here is done in earnest, so it's best to leave cars and other vehicles at home and not plan a client meeting or business trip for the next day. That's why our friendly group headed to this event on a Friday evening - better safe than sorry, you never know with those monks, cellars and wines.
Time seems to have started moving relentlessly fast, work begets work and events for January are already being planned. But where to record it all? Yes, yes, some will say - keep it simple, open Google Calendar or some other app on your smartphone and just tap away. No, my dears, you lose one hedonistic moment that you can savour day after day at least 365 times a year when you open your paper planner with its visually and tactilely pleasing design.
The idea to look at the Dāvanu Serviss offerings came while brainstorming about how our small but lovely team would celebrate the company anniversary. The quest "Baker Street 221B" organised by Find Exit caught my eye - a minimum of two participants required, maximum four - perfect. Even though none of us is really a fan of detective fiction or specifically Arthur Conan Doyle's work, there was a great temptation to experience a quest.
Traditionally, for the third year running I'm rounding up the most desirable planners for the coming year. Both so that I myself have something very visually pleasing and practical in my hands all year long, and so that you too have ideas for where to find your one and only trusted keeper of thoughts, ideas and plans for the whole of next year.
I wouldn't say press releases in the iinuu inbox are a rarity. Most of the time is spent replying that we don't copy-paste press releases to our blog. But since this one is about something personally relevant, I'm happy to share the news that this April will see the regular Gemius Latvia blog measurements, after which the spring blog top will be compiled. Latvian bloggers have the opportunity to apply for free statistics measurements by 30 March. And let the measuring begin!
I can now start with "traditionally" - iinuu picks a planner for the coming year and rounds up the spotted, coveted and heart- and eye-pleasing 2017 planners. I don't know about you, but I already have work scheduled for January, February and March, so I'm in a hurry to buy one. This time five made it into the Top.
