\u201cI kind of want to do one of those five year journals,\u201d I said back in early May, popping into Clo\u2019s<\/a> DMs at an actually not ungodly time (timezones are great) for either of us.<\/p>\n Five year diaries\/memory books\/journals are something I\u2019ve heard of before: it keeps track of five years, with each page dedicated to a day in the year and divided up into five equal sections. Each section has space for a couple of lines about the day, where you can reflect and record to look back on at the end.<\/strong> There\u2019s also three year versions and ten year ones from Midori<\/a>. Either way, it\u2019s a long-term commitment<\/strong>, and as someone who has a tendency to abandon things, one of my greatest fears is falling off and abandoning the Five Year Diary after a few months for\u2026 whatever reason.<\/p>\n But I wanted to take on that challenge \u2013 it\u2019s not like I abandon everything<\/em> in my life within a few months (at least, I try not to).<\/p>\n\n The idea was simple: I mostly wanted to keep track of my therapy progress\/events of my life in relation to therapy. I also wanted to keep track of the changes in my life from this year and the next few years<\/strong> for personal reasons I won\u2019t disclose.<\/p>\n I knew I normally didn\u2019t look back at my old journals once I complete a notebook<\/strong> (if I complete them) \u2013 having them on one page would force me to look back at those years and would be a way for me to look back at them*. The closest I had prior to a five year diary was the throwback function from the Journey app where I usually journal<\/strong> \u2013 sometimes there were some great entries, other times I cringed, and other times I hated the entries and would like to never see them again.<\/p>\n *at the risk of one or two (or God forbid, all) of the years being so traumatizing that I don\u2019t even want to look at them, so I just start a new one instead \u2013 maybe it\u2019s a good thing I didn\u2019t start one in 2024.<\/p>\n With my purpose for the five year diary figured out at the time, I went on a little hunt for a diary.<\/p>\n Conveniently, my mom wanted to purchase some things on Amazon and since I\u2019d rather buy a book than give money to Amazon each month* for the convenience of 2-day shipping, I needed something else to reach the free shipping threshold. So I decided to do a search for five year diaries on Amazon and came across a few of them, most of them from the One Line a Day line from Chronicle Books. I\u2019ve seen one of them during a trip to Paper Source once, so I had a tangible idea of what the size would be.<\/p>\n *Personally, I\u2019d like to not<\/em> use Amazon, but alas.<\/p>\n For my purpose, I figured the A6 size would be good enough and I\u2019d probably have room to add in some washi tape and stickers to decorate the section. The one I settled with was the Malachite Green One Line a Day*; there were a few others I liked, but this one was on sale and I figured a sale would be a good opportunity to try this five year commitment out. I also liked the green pages and thought it was a nice touch. But mostly, I thought, if I abandoned it a few months later, then it wouldn\u2019t hurt as much.<\/p>\n *Tragedy that I got rid of it before I took pics of the one I had. Past Hannah was not looking out for Present Hannah here.<\/p>\n There\u2019s a certain joy to getting a new notebook; something I\u2019ve found joy in recently is decorating the cover and internal pages with stickers. For a long-term notebook\/commitment, I wanted to choose stickers that would bring me the most joy for the next half decade.<\/strong> I opted to use washi tape to hold stickers in place so I can switch stickers out (and since I was using a cover), and I decorated the end pages since I\u2019d have to pass that on a regular basis when getting to the entry of the day.<\/p>\n I also went through and created tabs with my washi tape for each month so I can flip to a certain month if I wanted to read an entry down the line. Additionally, I decided to mark the first entry with one of my Midori Index Tabs so I could see when I\u2019d reach the end of the year for it where the fun really<\/em> begins.<\/p>\n My first entry was on May 16, and unfortunately for me, the first entry is also about the tornado that whipped its way through St. Louis. Not exactly how I wanted to start a five year diary\u2026<\/p>\n The first month went well, and I kept up with it regularly, though some days I forgot about it. My goal was to write the day\u2019s entry within the next day if I couldn\u2019t write it before bed or in the morning when I woke up.<\/strong> I think part of the ease was I was still transitioning to a single full-time job, so my body was still running on the previous schedule (it was only about a month since I became full-time at the library).<\/p>\n Around mid-June\/early-July I was probably skipping about 2 days at most because I was tired or forgot<\/strong>; part of that might have been affected by summer reading at work, which is one of the busiest times of the year for us. July was when I started keeping a daily physical journal where I kept a longer list of the going ons in my life, so that was when I started filling in the five year diary twice a week.<\/strong> It gave me the chance to look back over the past week and choose the entry that I wanted to put for the five year memory book.<\/p>\n Despite my intentions to keep track of events in my life in relation to therapy, I ended up keeping track of things I was doing for the day or a news headline if it was significant. Sometimes I was able to add in a sticker or use a small amount of washi tape to decorate the entry, but I realized very quickly my larger washi tape (most of my washi tape, in fact) couldn\u2019t be used unless I wanted to skip an entry<\/strong>, and that was not something I wanted to do.<\/p>\n I also realized I wanted to elaborate on what book I actually finished rather than \u201cfinished 3 manga!\u201d or \u201cfinished a book!\u201d<\/strong> I could use Goodreads or my reading tracker app, but I was also fully aware Goodreads (or any reading tracker online) could be taken down at any time. And sure, I had my own blog to help me keep track (god knows how many times I searched for a movie or show on here because I don\u2019t remember if I watched it yet) that wouldn\u2019t be taken down unless my host had issues or the Internet goes down (I think we\u2019d have bigger problems to worry about then), but it just wasn\u2019t the same.<\/p>\n There\u2019s a small part of me that thinks it\u2019s the commitment and remembering to fill in the entry for the day \u2013 probably because I already have a journal that I write in daily that kind of functions as a five year (just not divided into those sections per page), so deep down I thought it was repetitive. However, I\u2019ve been regularly journaling without any issues and frankly enjoy decorating it a bit, so I don\u2019t think it was the commitment involved.<\/p>\n In conclusion: it was likely the size I had an issue with. Maybe it should\u2019ve been a sign since I normally don\u2019t gravitate to smaller journals\u2026 And with that, I decided to go on a search.<\/strong><\/p>\n I had a few options available before I went on my search:<\/p>\n Most of my A5 notebooks are around 192 pages, which won\u2019t be enough for a full page dedicated to each day. I could do two days per page, but I might as well go back to my A6 sized notebook. I\u2019d need two notebooks to cover the entire year, which would amount to 384 pages \u2013 enough for 366 days in a year (leap year included).<\/p>\n My issue with 2 notebooks: I\u2019d lose track of one of the notebooks. I also didn\u2019t want to carry<\/em> two extra notebooks around, even if I would be leaving them at home most of the time. And even if I did bring a notebook out, what were the chances that I\u2019d bring both?<\/p>\n I could create my own layouts and move pages around. If I went over a page, I could easily add another one with no issue.<\/p>\n However, I was never a binder girl. I hated them in school, and I abandoned them as quickly as I could \u2014 I\u2019ve always thought they were too bulky for me regardless of size. If I were open to binders, I would\u2019ve gotten one for my STICKII Club subscription since those come with an insert, but I always took the stickers out and the inserts were given to friends who would<\/em> use the inserts for their own stickers.<\/p>\n I also just preferred to compile them into my dedicated pocket organizer because I pause my subscription once I start going over the halfway point so it\u2019s a signal for me to stop buying and start using more. Much easier to keep track and more compact for me.<\/p>\n (Though since this post was initially drafted, I did get the 2025 STICKII Cute Advent Calendar, so theoretically I could go back to this option since the binder is reusable. But then we\u2019re back to square one, because it\u2019s an A6 size. I guess my stickers could use a little more organizing.)<\/p>\n I got a punch back in college when the discbound system was slightly cheaper and to compile my college notes and such, but since I graduated I never really used it, and I haven\u2019t had the heart to get rid of the punch (I also think it\u2019s wasteful to throw away a perfectly usable punch). It\u2019s less bulky than a binder, and I could create my own layouts, plus I can put that punch to use finally.<\/p>\n As much as I like the discbound system, though, I wasn\u2019t a fan of going through and replacing the discs for a bigger one when needed.<\/p>\n While I was leaning on using my discbound notebook or giving up and deciding to go through with two notebooks, I decided to search for additional five year diaries, but this time, I searched for sizes in addition. My original search was just for five year diaries and didn\u2019t include sizes in the keyword, which is probably why I never got anything beyond the smaller sizes I was getting across the board.<\/strong><\/p>\n There were two that I came across that I considered: Hobonichi and Sterling Ink.<\/p>\n Hobonichi<\/a> is best known for their planner lineup that gets revealed throughout August.<\/strong> They have various sizes like the A6 (original), Cousin, Weeks, etc. They have a Five Year as well, which comes with a slipcase, and I really like that they have an additional page for spillover on each day.<\/p>\n They\u2019re also super expensive: the A6 is a whopping $61 with the A5 at $81. Of course, this includes tariffs as well, but I personally don\u2019t want to spend nearly a hundred for the Hobonichi Five Year Techo, and we\u2019re not including the cover for it, or the shipping (though JetPens has free shipping at $35, so that was not my top concern) which would very much increase the price by a lot. For a Five Year Diary, though, it isn\u2019t entirely bad since getting my own notebooks and setting up my own layouts maths out to just about the same amount or more. However, it wasn\u2019t exactly in my budget and while I was open to forking out that amount, I was also sure there would be alternatives out there that would be more friendlier to my budget.<\/p>\n Balking at the Hobonichi prices, I decided to go on a hunt for Tomoe River paper notebooks, which I noticed Hobonichi uses, because I\u2019d rather make my own layouts and spend less. But I was interested in the paper, which was super thin! Maybe I\u2019d find something out there if I searched for Tomoe River paper notebooks that were 400 pages?<\/p>\n I found a few notebooks: one of them was Create with Pen<\/a>, and I really liked the cover design. Most of what Create with Pen has available is pocket sized, though. However, that search led me to Odyssey notebooks<\/a>, which I hated the design for* plus free shipping was $149 (I definitely did not need that<\/em> much in notebooks), and that<\/em> search led me to Sterling Ink<\/a>. What a strange rabbit hole I ended up in.(But I was kind of desperate for answers to the universe, and I\u2019m no stranger to poking at alternative holes if it gets me answers. Unfortunately, I also end up in additional rabbit holes, so I learned way too much about Tomoe River paper in the process.)<\/p>\n *Something that requires this much of a commitment needs <\/em>to bring me joy.<\/p>\n Sterling Ink has their common planner, which is pretty similar to Hobonichi \u2013 for each product Hobonichi has, Sterling Ink has something equivalent. They also use the same type of paper Hobonichi uses: 52gsm Tomoe River.<\/p>\n In addition to their Common Planner line, they offer undated planners<\/a>, looseleaf inserts, notebooks, and bingo<\/em>: a five year diary<\/a>, in B6 and A5 sizes. And it didn\u2019t make me want to balk at the prices, and so that option was still something I considered. However, we were talking about 500+ page notebooks, so I was also aware that they would be more expensive than a composition notebook.<\/p>\n All that being said, I really liked the layouts of Sterling Ink, but I especially liked how their five years were completely undated. Each day had a dedicated page sectioned off into five, but you could cross into the next year\u2019s section if needed and the next year could be shorter. There\u2019s also 120 pages for spillover, so if it were really needed, I could dedicate additional space, or I could use the additional pages for something else like a wrap-up\/reflection for the year.<\/p>\n The only thing I disliked was the lack of hardcover options at the time, which I prefer with my notebooks since they\u2019re more durable. And for something that requires as long as a commitment of five years, durability was very important for me even if I would rarely be carrying it around.<\/p>\n Sterling Ink was out of stock of the A5 Five Year Diary, but they did have their B6 one and they had regular A5 notebooks, so I was back to two options: getting an A5 notebook and creating my own layout, or going with their B6.<\/p>\n With an A5, I\u2019d have the flexibility to create my own layouts. I\u2019d have more color options (I really like their mulberry one) to choose from, and I could save more money if I was willing to dedicate the time to create those layouts. While I\u2019m no stranger to creating journal pages ahead of time \u2013 I already do this for my regular journal \u2013 I also haven\u2019t used a Five Year beyond the A6 one I got, so I didn\u2019t know what<\/em> layout I wanted.<\/p>\n I did like the idea of getting the chance to use different lettering for each of the days or different colors, though, and it would be the perfect opportunity for me to use my markers and add some personality.<\/p>\n With the B6, I\u2019d have it pre-printed while I still retained a lot of flexibility. I didn\u2019t have as many color options, and I knew from personal experience with using a B6 planner that it would be lighter and more portable while also giving me a decent amount of space. But was it enough<\/em> space?*<\/p>\n *During this search, I pondered joining the Hobonichi bandwagon but getting the Common Planner instead. Except, I really<\/em> hate the thought of my planners and journals in one place.<\/p>\n The B6 regular notebook was out of stock, so the cost between the A5 notebook and the B6 Five Year Diary was about the same. Shipping cost was not a concern for me here, since Sterling Ink offered free shipping within the US at $35 and I would be getting free shipping regardless of the size.<\/p>\n So, really, what it came down to was: how portable did I want it to be\/how much weight did I want to carry (because I carry other notebooks with me) and how much time did I want to spend creating the layouts if any?<\/p>\n After a lot of internal deliberation, bugging my friends on their experiences with Tomoe River paper and notebook sizes in general, I decided to go with a B6.<\/strong><\/p>\n While I\u2019d very happily take an A5 if it was available (I can fill any empty spots with stickers or washi tape), I didn\u2019t want to create my own layout (and didn\u2019t know what layout), and I\u2019d like some portability. B6 isn\u2019t too much smaller than A5 in writing space, so I think I\u2019ll be okay in the long run; I just need to be more mindful of how much space I\u2019m taking up each year, which I would have to do anyway with an A5. I also wouldn\u2019t lose out on room to personalize the notebook, even though I may lose out on room sometimes (it just wouldn\u2019t be as common an occurrence as it was with the One Line a Day ones).<\/p>\n Knowing what size I wanted to get, my next step was figuring out when<\/em> I wanted to start. This was around the last week of August, so I had two options: starting on my 28th birthday or waiting until new year\u2019s.<\/p>\n I ended up choosing my birthday since there\u2019s something more significant than waiting for the new year. I\u2019d also risk forgetting the notebook, since I wanted to get it early enough that I was avoiding the holiday rush and of course, the launch of the Common Planner.<\/p>\n That worked out for me, though, since the five years went out of stock during that time, and I wouldn\u2019t know exactly when there would be a restock so I\u2019d probably end up running into holiday rush. Getting it early gave me some time to figure out what I wanted to track over the years and other ideas if I got bored with the original plan.<\/p>\n My first impression of the book is that it\u2019s actually pretty<\/em> sturdy<\/strong> \u2014 maybe it\u2019ll last all five years and beyond despite my slight dislike for soft covers. Although they added on a hardcover option with their most recent restock that happened around Halloween \u2014 let\u2019s just say I was a little mad because if I waited, then I could\u2019ve gotten a hardcover. I think I might have also texted a friend, too, going, \u201cbut what if they decide to get a hardcover version soon? \ud83d\ude29\u201d But then I wouldn\u2019t be able to start on my 28th birthday like I ultimately wanted to.<\/p>\n It also looks like it\u2019s a linen cover, too, which while hardcover is really nice, stickers don\u2019t tend to stay on as well in my experience*. I would\u2019ve happily sacrificed putting stickers though had the hardcover version been available at the time I got it, if I want to be honest. But it\u2019s not an absolute deal breaker for me.<\/p>\n *I don\u2019t have the new Five Year Diary, so I could be wrong and it is made to take stickers! This statement is very generic.<\/p>\n I wasn\u2019t surprised by the thinness of the paper since I got one of those notebooks from Daiso to test out my pens and whatnot to set my expectations regarding Tomoe River (and so I\u2019m not getting any surprises later on). I am, however, probably going to dislike the chunk that it\u2019ll become since I\u2019m using stickers and washi tape with my daily entries (not everyday though). I\u2019m using some days of the week stickers I got from Ellen\u2019s Journals on Etsy while I was waiting for the washi tape to arrive from a different store and there\u2019s already a slight chunk. \ud83d\ude2d Despite not being the biggest fan, though, it\u2019s not a deal breaker for me since 1) I expected it to happen, 2) I\u2019ll just learn to vary up the positions so it doesn\u2019t get really bad and 3) my normal journal with 160gsm paper also does this \u2014 it\u2019s just not as obvious due to the thicker paper. I mostly wanted a bigger size for the five years and everything being in one notebook along with portability.<\/p>\n I wrote this during my hiatus while working on the rebrand, and I\u2019m honestly proud of myself for not locking this up in the dungeon for many years like I do with a lot of drafts. I thought about getting into my setup too, but I think I\u2019ll save that for a future post (maybe for 2025 journaling setup at the end of the year or a few months from now when I\u2019ve had the Five Year Diary for a couple months)!<\/p>\n In the meantime, let me know your experiences of keeping a five year diary\/memory book if you have any!<\/p>\n Hannah has a penchant for chaos, which is probably how she ended up blogging since 2012. That, and she was probably too expressive for her parents to handle, so it had to go somewhere. She can be found occasionally at The Arts STL<\/a>. If you\u2019d like to fuel her boba addiction or just enjoy her posts and want to support her, stop by her KoFi<\/a> or Buy Me a Coffee<\/a>!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cI kind of want to do one of those five year journals,\u201d I said back in early May, popping into Clo\u2019s DMs at an actually not ungodly time (timezones are great) for either of us. Five year diaries\/memory books\/journals are something I\u2019ve heard of before: it keeps track of five years, with each page dedicated […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":305796,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[136717,131713,11889,136718],"tags":[2220,629],"dealstore":[],"offerexpiration":[],"class_list":["post-305795","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-five-year-diary","category-journaling","category-lifestyle","category-stationery","tag-diary","tag-year"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Why (April 2025)<\/h2>\n
Picking a Five Year Diary<\/h2>\n
Getting the Five Year Diary + Starting Out (May 2025)<\/h2>\n
What Wasn\u2019t Working (July 2025)<\/h2>\n
The Other Options (August 2025)<\/h2>\n
I could create my own layout with my own notebooks.<\/h3>\n
![\"notebook](\"https:\/\/hannahfully.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/notebook-therapy-moonlit-wish-and-buke-notebook-stacked-on-hand.jpg\")
I could abandon notebooks entirely and use a binder.<\/h3>\n
![\"2025](\"https:\/\/hannahfully.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/2025-stickii-cute-advent.jpg\")
I could use my discbound notebook.<\/h3>\n
Hobonichi<\/h3>\n
Sterling Ink<\/h3>\n
Back to the Options<\/h2>\n
Choosing a Size<\/h3>\n
![\"sterling](\"https:\/\/hannahfully.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sterling-ink-five-year-diary-with-every-minute-a-story-notebook-and-wonton-in-a-million-washi-card-on-black-background.jpg\")
Getting the Larger Five Year Diary + First Impressions<\/h2>\n
Let\u2019s talk!<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"trying](\"https:\/\/hannahfully.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/trying-a-five-year-diary-pin.png\")
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<\/a><\/div>\n