Free For All Friday No. 897

 

The Ritual of Setting Up a New Year

By the time January is halfway through, the ritual of setting up a new year has already happened. Fresh inserts are in place, tabs feel familiar, and the planner has begun to hold the shape of real days.

That initial moment of removing last year’s pages and sliding in the new ones often feels ceremonial (I know it does for me). Last year's  pages did their work well. They carried plans, lists, and notes from a year that has now quietly closed. Replacing them isn’t about wiping the slate clean, but about making room for the new.

What’s comforting is how little actually changes. The binder is the same (or is it?! Lol!). The sections remain where your hands expect them to be. But the pages are new. A clean slate. A fresh start. And even now, halfway into January, there is still something grounding about seeing all that space ahead, just waiting for whatever potential the new year holds.

At this point in the month, the planner doesn’t need to feel pristine anymore. A few notes, crossed-off tasks, and bent corners are all signs that it’s already being used. 

The ritual isn’t just in the initial setup, it’s in continuing to show up, page by page, as the year unfolds.

What are your planner rituals for this new year? As always on Fridays, feel free to discuss anything planner related.