Size shouldn't matter

On January 3, I finally found my day planner for this new year. After years of planning my life, I've narrowed down what I look for. Since it's something I use almost every day, several times a day, I want it to be one that I think is attractive and enjoy using. Since I tend to block my time chunkier than the little time schedules on the side, I prefer one that's as blank and open as possible. Since I bring it to meetings and work, I want it to look professional. And since I carry it with me everywhere I go, I like it to be small and portable. These last two points, however, can often wind me up in a bind. In the world of professionals and day planners, small is not really seen as better.

If I had an electronic planner - a Palm Pilot, a Blackberry - small might not be bad. Small would denote more expensive and elaborate and high tech and important. Thus, I would be more important. In the world of paper planners, however, size is relevant. Size shows the size of your life. A busy professional with many demands must require a bigger planner to write down all those many busy appointments. Even if a full 8.5 x 11" page has only a few items on it - you've got a whole page! A whole page of busyness and things to do. Writing something big takes a big flourish, a grand gesture. A big planner shows who you are. A small one ... what could you possibly fit in there? Wake up, eat, go to sleep.

I've found that my small (4x5 book) with one fold-out page per week is more than enough for work, meetings, Baha'i activities, errands, phone calls to be made, and addresses. More than enough! And because it's so small, it's with me all the time, so that I can update constantly and not double-book. It works perfectly for me. I guess I shouldn't be bitter about feeling judged - that's just the way it goes.

Besides, maybe their eyes are just getting old.