Tried a 'no pens' rule for my weekly spread and it backfired

I got the idea from a video to only use a pencil for my weekly tasks and events, thinking it would help me be more flexible and less worried about messing up. I grabbed my favorite mechanical pencil and set up my spread last Sunday. By Wednesday, the whole thing was a total ghost town. The light grey lines just didn't feel real or important to my brain, and I kept missing stuff I'd written because it was so faint. I learned that for me, the simple act of putting down ink makes a task feel solid and committed. My brain needs that dark mark to take it seriously. Has anyone else tried switching tools and had it completely flop? What works for you to keep things flexible but still useful?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_stella9d ago

Yeah, the "ghost town" thing. I get that. But I don't think it's the pencil itself. It's the lead grade. You said light grey lines. That means hard lead, like an H or 2H. Those are for drafting. They suck for writing. You need a soft lead. A 2B or 4B mechanical pencil refill. Makes a dark, almost ink-like mark. It smudges a bit, but it feels solid. The tool wasn't wrong, just the specific type you used. Try a softer lead before you give up on the idea completely.

the_mary4d ago

Eric's right, hard lead feels like scratching paper.

the_eric9d ago

Stella's got a point about the lead. I was out here trying to write a grocery list with what felt like a sewing needle.