Or, how to survive and thrive in the first official month of chief residency, new hobbies, and life in general.
Two rules for anything:
- Set systems, not goals
- Data without insights is meaningless, and insights without action are pointless
With that said —to my future 2026 self, I hope you’ve enjoyed the rest of the year.
.
I’ve also plotted out all weekends for the National Arts Month this February; it’s going to be another busy month…
Read more: on art weekend one: Luneta Art Fair and Old Manila Walks
Productivity Planner: Moleskine Classic 12-Month Pocket Weekly
My weekly planner holds my life. I started the year by plotting all holidays, important work events, and scheduled vacations. I also noted my long-term projects and commitments per quarter. For 2025, my ideas and goals page includes finishing three Spanish courses, learning how to bike, and getting my driver’s license renewed. #Manifesting
I transfer annual events and wellness activities to the monthly calendar view. Finally, before the start of each week (like today), I track practical to-dos through the weekly spread.
For the last three years I’ve been satisfied with the Belle de Jour Petit Planner. It fits most of my mini bags, has a roomy zipper pouch, and costs only Php350. I think they first released this in 2015, but skipped some years. Thank goodness they kept it up from 2022 to 2024, otherwise I would have been lost in residency.
Read more: Calm before the storm
.
Unfortunately, BDJ did the worst thing in the world and discontinued the line. It took me awhile to find a good alternative with the same pocket weekly format.
A few weeks in, and I’m quite happy with the Moleskine Classic 12-Month Weekly Planner, Hard Cover (Myrtle Green). At 3.5″ x 5.5″ (like a small index card), it fits most of my pockets perfectly. I carry it everywhere even if I have to leave behind my other journals. The shade is also so pretty. There are also three sheets of bujo-ready stickers.
The paper is quite smooth, but it works best with fast-drying inks like the Uni Jetstream SXR-600-05. (It’s my go-to refill for the Parker Jotter Chrome Trim Ballpoint Pen I bought at MIBF 2024).
I haven’t fully maximized the front pages which includes a travel planning sheet and space for memories. But I’ve already tried to print some custom Moleskine templates to stick to the notes pages.
The only clear downsides: the expandable inner pocket is so tight it’s almost useless, and the price is pretty steep —it cost me Php 1590.
Reflective Journal: Papemelroti Undated Pocket Planner
I don’t have the time, talent or discipline to write essays for my daily or weekly reflection. Instead, I try to write one or two lines a few times each week.
Since 2024, I’ve been keeping the Papemelroti Undated Pocket Planner to track my reflections. This year, I chose the new Original Inspirational Journal (Self Care) design. The space is just enough to process events, anxieties and excitements, thoughts, and milestones that otherwise won’t make it to a blog post. (The blog posts are reserved for the memories I really want to keep, maybe.)
Some things I love about this journal:
- The simplicity of the format. Each spread covers two weeks, laid out in a 4×4 grid without the days of the week.
- Each page has an inspirational quote from a famous person or from the Bible, which can serve as the jumping point of reflection.
- The cover design makes me happy just looking at it. The people over at Papemelroti always hit the right aesthetic.
- It’s made of 100% recycled paper, printed in the Philippines.
- It cost only Php 35.
Having a compact format removes the pressure to fill up the space. At the same time, I can always just write over several boxes in one go if I want to write about more than just one day. Nothing and no one is stopping me. I’ve found the exercise itself soothing and strengthening.
Lighter inks don’t show up as well in the brown-colored recycled textured paper. However, the Pilot Acro 300 ink works pretty well, never smudges, and doesn’t bleed through —thanks again to Mykee for the Christmas Gift!
Commonplace Book: MUJI Passport Size Dotted Memo
The MUJI Passport Size Dotted Memo (Black) is a hard product to find. Local stock –or even in other Asian countries visited in 2024– never have the dotted memo in black. I’ve had mine since 2023 (?) and I’m only halfway through, so hopefully they’ll restock when I need it next.
It’s the perfect companion to use as a commonplace book. The dotted format allows for both structure and creativity. At 4.9 x 3.5 inches, it’s also compact and slim enough to carry everywhere; you never know when inspiration will strike. (I use this commonplace strictly to write haunting or beautiful quotes).
The pages are smooth and a pleasure to write on. Plus, it cost only Php 75. Excited to finish out this journal this year!
Jotter Notebook: Traveler’s Notebook Passport Size Refill 002 Grid Paper
Most people carry around only one general purpose notebook, and that’s probably the equivalent of my Traveler’s Notebook Passport Size Refill (Grid). It kind of reminds me of the tickler I had when I was still a medical student on rounds.
This jotter is where I write down notes and half-baked ideas that otherwise won’t fit in my compact Moleskine. The grid format makes it easy to draw figures, tables, and even make computations for some costing. I usually draft blog posts, make conceptual frameworks for research and other projects, and jot down vocabulary for Spanish class.
This is my second Traveler’s Notebook that I can remember. The MD Paper is consistent in its smoothness and thickness. It also cost me only Php 145 or so; I remember buying it from a reseller.
Only downside: because it’s a TN refill, the notebook itself doesn’t lay completely flat, making it a bit bulkier compared to the MUJI and Papemelroti.
Digital System: The Ultimate Personal Finance Tracker from Spreadsheets PH and the Wellness Wheel
My four journals are complemented by a digital 2025 System that I use to monitor and review my personal growth on a monthly basis. I have the spreadsheet synced across my phone, iPad, and laptop, with the following (general) tabs:
- Wellness Wheel
- Transaction Log and Personal Finance Trackers
- Body impedance analysis
- Wishlist/shopping list
- Self and home maintenance
Last year, I rated my progress through the Wheel of Life, which is a popular self-improvement tool I first discovered through the content creator Ali Abdaal. Eventually I found it pretty subjective and even a little ineffective.
I transitioned to the Wellness Wheel when I discovered a scoring tool for it; after reading a bit, the strength-based model also resonated with the small part of my practice trained in Lifestyle Medicine. The wheel documents eight key dimensions of wellness —emotional, environmental, financial, intellectual, occupational, physical, social, spiritual. I set goals for each dimension, and I monitor and review the system I have in place to reach those goals.
At baseline, I’m strongest (or most satisfied) in emotional, occupational, and social health. My priorities in 2025 is to work on environmental wellness, intellectual satisfaction, and spiritual pursuits.
Try it out: Wellness Wheel Assessment – University of New Hampshire
…
The next tab is an experiment in discipline. I’ve tried several financial apps before, such as Wallet by BudgetBakers, but nothing has really worked for me since I started earning. Luckily, I don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Spreadsheets PH ‘The Ultimate Personal Finance Tracker’ hit me with a Facebook ad and it seemed to be a pretty good fit, with only a few tweaks needed.
There are several functions that allow me to practice zero-based budgeting (still a challenge), and even set “no spend day” goals. My goal for 2025 is to meet my savings target while reducing my debt (hello to more trips and say no to catastrophic health expenditure).
…
For physical health, I’m still using the Mi Body Composition Scale 2 synced with the Zepp Life App. The scale cost me around Php 1000 a few years back. The science behind body impedance analysis (BIA) is imperfect, but it helps give a general idea of body fat percentage, muscle mass, bone mass, basal metabolism, on top of the usual weight metric —all in the comfort of your own home. My current goal is to increase protein and bone mass through diet, exercise, and sun exposure.
To maximize the BIA data, I compare it with actual activity throughout the month. I depend almost entirely on my Xiaomi Smart Band 8 synced to the Mi Fitness App, though I sometimes get data from Apple Fitness. The smart band cost me around Php1,300 two years ago —one of the best investments I’ve made, and it’s lasted longer than my previous Huawei fitness band.
And, uh, I also bought a mini stepper machine for only Php 1100 as a gift to myself this new year. Haha!
The stepper provides low-intensity cardio and typically leads to a longer workout session on the mat. I’ve used the machine around 12 or so times since I bought it, which counts as almost complete return on investment in my book.
.
…
For shopping list and self/home maintenance, I’ve committed to a monthly budget, and all the trappings of preventive care —dental visits twice a year, an annual optometrist visit, several packages of anti-facial treatment and hair removal laser, massage therapy and hair salon appointments, et cetera.
I’m leaning towards the philosophy that there’s no price big enough to pay for peace of mind, and also a third rule for life:
- If you can’t live within your means, increase your means.
Time to rest, review and reset
Having so many moving parts is probably overkill, and even a little bit unnecessary. But I’ve personally found making decisions weeks to months ahead reduce the anxiety of making a hundred small decisions in one day. We have more than enough decisions to make at work as it is. Fourth rule to avoid decision fatigue:
- Invest in routines; plan ahead
But even if you don’t want to sit down to review goals and reset for the week, blocking off a little bit of time each month for self-reflection is essential to overall wellness. It doesn’t always have to be about systems and optimization. I still call it “self maintenance”.
Whether you’re dealing with anxiety, or feeling burnt out, or maybe even a little lost and lackluster —going on a date with yourself is 10/10, would highly recommend.
.
Until next time! ♥
jari m 
Say something back.