Is anyone else like me? A stationery junkie? I know there are a few VAs that feel the same way.  I go into raptures every time I walk into Officeworks, or a similar store.  Just the clean reams of paper, or an untouched notebook, all the play things in the tech section, new pens and pencils.  So many things. I just love seeing everything and even touching some of it.

And I particularly like a brand new clean diary. A promise of the new year to come and the promises that new year holds.

I just bought my new diary for next year and am savoring the thought of starting to use it.  I know that I could record everything in Outlook or on my phone (and I do) but I can’t put pieces of paper, invitations, letters or anything else inside my computer, other than scan them. And it just doesn’t look or feel the same.

I love putting papers I’ve received that are relevant to an appointment, special dates, or simply slip in notes written on lovely note paper to make sure I don’t miss seeing them.

I’ve tried a number of diaries over the years and these days prefer an A5 sized diary that has one day to a page. I write my appointments, my list of things-to-do, notes to myself and a number of other things. The smaller size means it’s easy to pop into a handbag or backpack so I can carry it with me if I need to.

My diary for 2013 has a lovely hard cover that is red and looks, feels and smells like leather. I was really surprised at the low cost of it.   It has the usual things at the front, year calendar for the past, present and following year, school terms, public holidays, conversion tables and a year planner at the back.  I looked at several before I chose this one. The layout for the days had to be ‘just right’.  It had to be a diary I would feel comfortable writing in.  I needed to be able to read the text printed inside it – some are far too small these days.  It had to feel good in my hands, even though it will spend most of next year lying open on my desk.  The pages had to fall open the right way, and not try to close up again when I’m using it.  And it had to be pleasing to look at. Yes, I’ve made my choice for another new year.

Soon it will be time for me to sit down with my new diary, make friends with it, fill in important dates (not negotiables such as the 4th annual Australian VA Conference next March and family birthdays, etc) and make it mine with my writings through it.

Tell me, are you like this too?