We came across Nalani not only as our Bk customer, but as an inspiring and gentle light in our analogue community. Her authenticity in how she uses her systems to navigate the ups and downs of daily life in a beautiful way really inspired us to delve a bit deeper into conversation with her.
Bk: Hi Nalani, so lovely to have you here with us. Could you please tell us a little bit about yourself?
Nalani: Hello Analogue Lovers! I’m Nalani and I was born and raised in the Twin Cities, Minnesota where I still live with my husband, running after our toddler and dog as we simultaneously welcome our new little baby with very little sleep. I’m an introvert and very much a type-A person and have always loved pens and paper. I’ve been a long time journaler, note jotter and doodler but nowhere near being an artist. I like to think I’m still musically inclined and have enjoyed singing and playing guitar, even though the guitar is rarely picked up these days. It’s still something I enjoy and hope to pick up more once I have the time.
I grew up the oldest of 6 kids, and culturally as the oldest daughter, had a lot of responsibilities tending to my younger siblings and prioritizing family that left me with somewhat an identity crisis. I struggled to find what it was I wanted to do and who I was apart from my family, so after a few years of trying out a few different majors in college, working, and self-discovery, I finally graduated college with a Psychology degree. While I’m not working in the field, I still find it absolutely fascinating and thoroughly enjoyed my studies. I think it helped me to grow out of my shell and find the type of connection and relationship I want with others. I really value intentional living, though it’s not always perfect, I try my best to be present and be grateful for everything I have, the people in my life and the experiences I encounter.
Bk: What are some everyday challenges you face, and how has keeping an analogue system helped you to overcome them?
Nalani: I’m an overthinker and struggle with anxiety. Sometimes I can really get in over my head about things. Keeping an analogue system that allows me to pour my thoughts on paper really helped me to find the why behind what I was feeling, helped me to discover my triggers and adopt the appropriate coping mechanisms to help me overcome the daily overthinking and anxiety. I’ve tried capturing this digitally both in journal and planner form, but the impact is not the same. There’s something about writing things down physically that cement things for me, but allows me to reflect, mold and reframe my mindset and habitual ways of thinking into healthier ways of coping and to truly accept that this is who I am, how I am, even if it’s just momentarily. This system has been ultra healing for me. It might sound dramatic, but I do believe that written words can be therapeutic and can teach you so much about yourself.
Bk: Speaking of analogue systems, what does your lineup consist of and how do you use them?
Nalani: I started this year very ambitious thinking I could compartmentalize my brain, have a system to review books I read, have a system to brain dump, have a system that collects memories of just my son, have a system that collects happy moments, etc. It got overwhelming and I learned that I like keeping things together, in chronological order. I’ve hopped around different systems and books, but am so content with my current system.
I use the Midori 1D1P to capture memories in my life including my son, my family, time with friends, even snippets of analogue excitement and newness, basically anything I’d enjoy flipping back through that will bring me joy.
I have a cherished Olive Standard TN that I customized through BK Truly yours. I currently have a GoodInkPressions insert I’m journaling in. This system is my safe space, the one I go to when things are tough, when my mind gets too cluttered, when I feel overwhelmed, when I have things I’m pondering about, etc. It’s my everything journal. I pour my heart in this one, all the good and all the bad and it’s holding it very well.
Lastly, I plan in a Hobonichi Weeks Mega. I use the monthlies to jot down appointments, birthdays, and events. My weekly section has evolved and is still evolving depending on the need that week. I carry over any appointments, birthdays and events from the monthlies to the left hand side of the weeklies. The right side of the weeklies is a checklist of sorts that include: task list, meals for the week, shopping list, list of incoming mail/packages and a section to capture anything for next week. I use the notes pages in the back as a place to track habits, “when did I last”, health tracker, spending log, films and shows I consume along with a simple rating system and dailies. Dailies make up the bulk of my notes pages in the back. It’s something I picked up from LindseyScribbles last year which is a checklist of things to do for that particular day or notes/highlights from that specific day. I’m still exploring whether or not this is necessary, if it is really adding value, is it as productive as I think it is, or has it just become a habit? I haven’t quite found the answer yet, but with 2025 approaching, I’m going to alter this a little bit and maybe instead of writing down tasks such as laundry, run dishwasher, etc., I’ll try to collect highlights and notes from the day instead. I refer to my daily section when memory keeping in my Midori 1D1P and never once have I written that “I did laundry today.” It’s important to be productive and to get things done, however at the end of the day, I like to remember that it was time well spent with the ones I care about so I’m thinking of how best to capture that each day to aid in my memory keeping. After all, I want to flip back and see and feel connection instead of productivity.
BK: We are so excited for your growing family. We understand that having a newborn also comes with a shift in how you do things every day. What are some adjustments you are making in your analogue system to flow with a new routine?
Nalani: Thank you!! Oh, it definitely does shift how I do things! First, it shifts how much time I have to commit to journaling. When it was just my toddler, I’d have his 1-2 hour nap time to journal. With the newborn here and literally still a part of me as we have lots of contact naps, I don’t have as much time, hands, or flexibility. My priority is to capture memories rather than getting my task list checked off so my planner has been taking a bit of a back seat, especially since I’m caring for my newborn and getting lots of rest and focusing on recovery. So while a lot may not be happening in the day, there is still a lot to be grateful for. I’ve had to make peace with the fact that maybe I don’t have a journal entry for that particular day because I was just in bed all day. Or maybe I jot down what happened today so I can journal it later when I have the time and hands to. Either way, I try to be intentional about how I spend my day. These days, I have to listen to my body a bit more than normal so I can recover, but if it’s a choice between journaling or spending time with my family, you can bet I’m going to be spending time with my family. I can journal about it later and relive it all over again.
BK: If you were to gift someone one analogue system who is just starting their journey what would it be and why?
Nalani: I would gift a Hobonichi Cousin! The paper is divine and can really handle a lot of anything you throw at it from pencil to juicy pens and even watercolor. It has so many sections from year at a glance, monthlies, weeklies and dailies that you can really make your own. When I found the planning community, I saw so many people using the Hobonichi Cousin and loved how people paired functionality with creativity. Some spreads went all out using stickers, some went all out with drawings and art. My favorites are the ones with bits and pieces of life and ephemera. The Hobonichi Cousin was the first analogue system I used outside of plain notebooks that allowed me to combine planning and journaling and it taught me what worked for me and what didn’t work for me. The community is really amazing and you can find inspiration easily on Social Media, try layouts that resonate with you and really make it your own. It has enough structure to guide you, but has a simple design with ample writing space to allow your creativity to flow and will teach you what kind of planner and journaler you are.
BK: We saw that you used to practice the art of calligraphy. Is that still something that you are pursuing today?
Nalani: While I don’t pursue it professionally anymore, I try to fit it in my analogue system as much as I can. These days, I’ve been doing this more in brush lettering format rather than using a calligraphy nib. I love the art of calligraphy; it’s always brought me so much peace and being able to create was so fulfilling. I hope to do more with calligraphy in the future both in my analogue system and one day professionally again.
BK: Do you have a favorite book or movie that shifted your perspective on life? What did it teach you?
Nalani: I loved the book “Think Like a Monk” by Jay Shetty. I learned of him by stumbling upon his podcast and after listening to several episodes, I knew I had to pick up his book! There are too many pieces of the book I love, but I’ll try to summarize it simply: peace and purposeful living is achieved by mindfulness and being self-aware. I had a bad habit of reacting before thinking through my thoughts and many times I failed to understand what was driving my thought process. It is very easy to live life thinking you’re always right and that everyone else is just plain wrong. This book taught me that every person has a story, everyone is going through something. The way we react to things tells more about us than it does about whoever it is we’re reacting to. It’s easy to blame others for making us feel a certain way, but it tells us more about ourselves than of the other person. I found myself getting caught up in this cycle of getting too invested in other people’s stories, other people’s issues… and I would get passionate. I would be radiating negative energy, exerting too much energy and too much of myself trying to resolve other people’s problems. I found myself easily irritated and emotionally exhausted. Jay Shetty’s book taught me that I have control of my own feelings. I have control of how much I invest in others, how much time and energy I exert, and how I think of and see others. It really taught me to draw boundaries, not for others, but for my own peace. It taught me that while those close to me may have issues, they are issues that don’t involve me so there’s no need to get passionate and no need to think differently of others. It taught me that while someone may be having an issue, that issue does not define them as a person. It taught me to be mindful of everyone’s story, that people carry so much on their shoulders even though I may not see it so it’s important to be gentle, to be kind and to be supportive. I recognized that I have a lot of work to do in myself, to see that my passion is driven by deep care and love for them, that I can support those I care about, but I don’t have to solve their issues for them. It ultimately led me to seek therapy which has been a whole other healing journey all over again and a deeper step into practicing mindfulness and being self-aware but this time for myself… to see that I grew up too fast at too young of an age, taking on the role as ‘second mom’ and discarding my own feelings so that others could feel good. It’s still a work in progress, but it’s one I’m proud of and I am so glad I have learned this about myself so I can be the best person for my family. Perfection is unrealistic, but the practice of mindfulness and being self-aware will always be a humbling experience and I’m so grateful for it.
Where to find Nalani:
Instagram: @sincerelynalani
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