The Gilded Scriptoria: October Is My January

For the past three years, I’ve set up my annual planner to run from October–September. It started as a gentle refusal to rush into resolutions while still recovering from the holidays. I had found that by the time NYE arrived, I was often too depleted to dream big and get organized. So, I began prepping in summer and starting fresh in October.

Since October marks the final quarter of the calendar and the beginning of a season filled with connection, celebration, and reflection, starting "my year” here felt intuitive and more honest. 

Today, without searching for it, a video from a psychologist surfaced affirming this idea that October, not January, is often the best time to change your life. Researching more, another psychologist, Dr. Julie Smith, agreed and calls this moment “eustress” which is described as a positive tension that energizes and motivates. So, with cooler weather and steadier routines, autumn naturally primes us to assess, recalibrate, and begin again.

This year, my planner is titled, The Gilded Scriptoria and it's shaped entirely around this rhythm. 

A Scriptoria (plural of scriptorium) were quiet, sacred spaces in medieval monasteries where monks copied and illustrated manuscripts by hand. Over time, the term has come to mean any space devoted to thoughtful writing and creation.

For me, The Gilded Scriptoria is a beautifully designed planner that feels like a regal, intentional sanctuary for reflection and planning. While leaning heavily into a royalty theme, each month is dedicated to a different Disney heroine but ones who are reimagined through a more adult lens: strong women who lead with courage, grace, and depth. 

This planner has activities that match the archetype of the month, which I plan to blog about in the days ahead. The Scriptoria also has seasonal bucket lists, secret pockets, and hidden journal areas. I opted for an entirely new format than the planners in previous years, with this one having the 12 months at-a-glance first and then all of the weekly pages with hourly planning after those. I've included pages for scribble journaling and quotes, a page dedicated to my health, my reading logs, garden planning pages, seasonal movie list to enjoy, and more. 

Below are some photos and I hope they peak your curiosity. 

These are written with a royalty flare for fun!

Unique written but I have the key to decipher the meaning

reading log