You read that title correctly – the annual planner has returned with the 2022 Kindred Planner!

After realizing we would not be able to bring a 2021 Kindred Planner to our shop, there were many thoughts of failure, imposter syndrome and a general question of “why do I think this is even something I can keep up?” That something being the business. It was a low point (pregnancy hormones might have had a small part to play).

But kindred friends and my husben kept reminding me the heart of the business – our worth is not found in what we do (or don’t do), but in who we are at our core. AKA whether I got the 2021 Kindred Planner in the shop or not, wasn’t going to change my worth or identity. That was a pretty hard, but good, pill for me to swallow.

And in the end, they were right (of course)! Even more so, the time and resources I would have spent on the 2021 planner, gave way to more of the same for the 2022 Kindred Planner. One which I am quite proud of and believe will be your new paper bestie. Ready to meet it?

Tell me what’s different (and familiar):

Now, you might be thinking to yourself, how is this different, or how is this the same? Consider this your crash course on all things new and familiar.

1. The Cover – more durable, thicker material, and comes in two colors (mauve red and sage green)! We heard that the cover could be better and thicker and we worked with our printer to make sure it would be that way, without having to wildly change the price point. Trust me when I say I tested the durability – I took the sample and smashed the corners of it into my desk to see what would happen. Like with most covers, it did bend, but it did not break, and I was not gentle with it. While it isn’t fully waterproof (like, please don’t drop it in the ocean), the cover is more water resistant, thanks to the laminate over it. Cheers to a much improved cover!
   
   
2. The Blank Pages – there’s about 15 more pages spread out through the planner. We heard that you could use more blank pages and so we did that. We added pages in the beginning prep pages of the planner and we added several spreads more of blank pages at the end. Let the ideas and notes come!
   
   
3. The Paper – is just as high quality and beautiful as the paper beforehand. We heard that a high value for you was the quality of the paper. I don’t know about you, but the least fun part of a planner is when you realize your pen bleeds through to the other pages. This paper won’t. I’ve tested it with all the pens in my desk (well, almost all) and while some super intense colors might peek through, none will bleed through.
   
   
4. The Spreads – are updated! We added a 2022 year overview spread and a holidays list spread. I don’t know about you, but I’m forever forgetting what day daylight savings is (hint, it’s this Sunday, Nov. 7th this year) and now you have it, in your planner! So you can plan just how much you’ll actually want to get done that weekend knowing you’re losing an hour of sleep.
   
   We also updated the prep page spreads to have more space for you to plan for your year. We got rid of the budget section and replaced it with two pages of blank miscellaneous space. AKA more space for you to plan your year as you need, and less of us instructing you how to do it.
   
   
5. The Reflection/Check-Ins – are still there (because that’s what makes the Kindred Planners, well, Kindred Planners) , except the questions are updated and more focused. I reread through all of the last years’ questions and while I liked some of them, I didn’t love them all. They felt unclear in how they wanted to help you navigate integrating who you are with what you are doing. Some of them felt focused on who you are, but others felt too goals-focused neglecting the “who you are” bit. So we started over with them and rewrote them so each would help you reflect on who you are becoming over the year, and ask you to check in with where you started at the beginning of the year, #accountability.
   
   
6. The Companion – hello cute stickers! I dream of the day when each planner is sent with a perfect set of pens, but until that day comes, we have the cutest set of stickers! These stickers have just enough celebratory practical-ness to them that you won’t be able to help yourself in using them. They’re subtle enough to not take over your planner, and diverse enough that they can be used in other places non-planner related. Every planner gets a set of stickers, so yay for that!
   

Plus several other small-er changes that all contribute to a much improved kindred planner.

I cannot wait to see how you use this planner in your year and look forward to sharing with you how I use it and tips and tricks to maximize it’s use beyond that February/March slump 😉

With joy & gratitude,

Val