Your Planner Doesn’t Need to Judge You: 5 Things I Don’t Track (on Purpose)

Once upon a time, a very well-intentioned woman tried to turn her planner into a better version of herself.

She drank all the water. She hit 10,000 steps. She tracked her moods in adorable gradients, had a color-coded productivity system, and maintained a matcha routine so mindful it probably had its own affirmation playlist.

Spoiler: I was her—for like five minutes. It was exhausting.

Eventually, I realized my planner wasn’t a life coach. It didn’t need to measure how “good” I was. It needed to be something better: a scrapbook of joy, nonsense, and what made me feel like me.

So now? I track other stuff. And I feel great about it.

Here are 5 things I absolutely do not track anymore—and the delightful things I track instead.

🚫 1. My Water Intake

You know what makes me not want to hydrate? A sad little circle checkbox.

I used to log every glass like I was prepping for a hydration Olympics. Now? I drink when I’m thirsty, like a woodland creature with priorities.

✅ Instead, I track:
My favorite drinks of the week (yes, zero sugar pink lemonade totally counts)
How many cups of tea I made before actually finishing one

🚫 2. My Steps

Unless it’s steps back to the fridge or out to the mailbox in my fuzzy socks, I’m not logging it.

Tracking my steps made me feel like a Tamagotchi with a Fitbit.

✅ Instead, I track:
Walks that felt like a main character montage
Dance breaks to 80s music while avoiding responsibilities

🚫 3. My Mood

Listen. I’m a Cancer-Leo cusp with Scorpio rising and a Scorpio moon. Which basically means I experience 57 emotions a day… and look incredible doing it.

Trying to rate that on a five-point scale? Good luck.

✅ Instead, I track:
What made me laugh
What made me feel sparkly inside
Song of the Day (a true mood marker)

🚫 4. My Screentime

The bar graph always went up. I always felt bad. The end.

Also? I’m not going to apologize for rewatching the same sitcom for emotional regulation. That's called strategy.

✅ Instead, I track:
TV quotes I wish I’d said first
Movie soundtracks that deserved awards and snacks
Comfort rewatches that kept me sane

(Need a spot to jot that stuff? The TV & Movie Trackers are calling your name.)

🚫 5. My “Productivity”

There was a time I tracked every task, crossed off each one with flourish, and still felt like I hadn’t done enough.

Now? Productivity doesn’t impress me. Presence does. Creativity does. Remembering I have leftover cookies definitely does.

✅ Instead, I track:
What I created (even if it was just a vibe)
What made me feel proud
What snack powered my big idea

📓 Final Thoughts: Your Planner = Your Playground

I stopped using my planner to chase some ideal version of myself. Now I use it to document the real stuff—the messy, cozy, creative, me stuff.

If you’re over the pressure to track your “improvements,” maybe it’s time to track your enjoyments instead.

✨Want to do it the fun way? Cozy Writing Co. has hobby trackers, screen-time journals, and other delightful tools to turn your everyday moments into a glittery kind of scrapbook. Check out the shop »

💬 What do you track just for fun?

Leave a comment and tell me the weirdest, most wonderful thing in your planner. Bonus points if it involves snacks.