What is Techo Kaigi? Tips and background

What is a Personal Techo Kaigi?

At its core, a Personal Techo Kaigi is a moment of reflection, where you sit down with your planner—whether it’s a Hobonichi Techo, bullet journal, or digital planner—and assess how well it’s meeting your needs. It’s an opportunity to review your current system, make adjustments, and clarify what works and what doesn’t. This type of self-meeting can be held monthly, quarterly, or whenever you feel your planning system needs a refresh. It’s about staying intentional and mindful about how you organize your life.

Why You Should Hold a Techo Kaigi with Yourself?

Here are a few reasons why scheduling regular Techo Kaigi meetings with yourself can help you stay on track:

1. Stay Aligned with Your Goals: As your personal and professional goals evolve, your planner should adapt too. A Techo Kaigi helps ensure that your planner system continues to align with your life and priorities.

2. Boost Productivity: Regular reflection allows you to identify which parts of your planner are boosting your productivity and which are creating friction. This helps you streamline your processes and cut out unnecessary clutter.

3. Increase Creativity: Reviewing your planner setup can spark new ideas for how to creatively use your space. Whether it's experimenting with layouts, adding personal touches, or introducing new sections, a Techo Kaigi is a chance to refresh your planning experience. I also recommend looking at how others are using their planner space to find ideas. I find Megan of Petite Gloom very inspiring. She inspired me to try Hobonichi Weeks and I loved seeing how she adapted the pages to fulfil her planning/memorykeeping/self-care needs.

4. Reduce Overwhelm: A cluttered or overly complicated planner system can lead to burnout. A self-meeting helps you simplify and prioritize the essential elements in your planner, so you can focus on what truly matters. After a long day, you don't want to feel burdened by the pressure to fill up pages.

How to Conduct Your Own Techo Kaigi

1. Review Your Current Planner Setup

Start your Techo Kaigi by flipping through your current planner(s). How well is it working for you? Ask yourself questions like: Am I using all the sections I’ve set up? Are there features I’m neglecting or overcomplicating? Does my planner help me stay focused and organized, or is it becoming overwhelming? Take notes on what’s working well and what needs adjustment. I recommend making notes like this throughout the year, whenever you feel like something is/is not working for you. These notes will be very useful for your next techo kaigi or for making plans for your next year line-up :)

2. Assess Your Planner Goals

 Next, reflect on the goals you’ve set in your planner. Are you still aligned with those goals, or have they changed? Consider whether your planner allows you enough space to track your progress, set new goals, and manage your priorities effectively.

3. Simplify Where Necessary

 During your review, you may realize that certain sections or elements are no longer serving you. Don’t hesitate to simplify! Remove redundant sections, reorganize cluttered areas, or switch to a layout that feels more intuitive. You can even start a new planner in the middle of the year, if nothing seems to work for you. The goal is to make your planner work for you, not the other way around.

4. Experiment with New Ideas 

One of the best parts of a Techo Kaigi is allowing yourself to try something new. Have you been considering a new method of task tracking? Or maybe you want to incorporate habit tracking or daily journaling into your routine? Use this time to experiment with fresh ideas and see how they impact your overall organization.

5. Plan for the Future 

After reflecting on your current planner setup and making any necessary adjustments, use this Techo Kaigi moment to set a course for the future. Update your goals, schedule important dates, and brainstorm ways to enhance your planning process over the next few weeks or months.

Techo Kaigi Questions to Ask Yourself

To guide your reflection during your self-meeting, here are a few thought-provoking questions you can ask yourself during your Techo Kaigi:

• Is my planner helping me stay organized, or is it causing more stress?
• Does it feel good to hold it in your hands, and write in it?
  
• Which sections of my planner do I use the most, and why?
• Are there tasks or goals I’ve been neglecting? How can I prioritize them better?
• Does my planner inspire me creatively, or do I feel limited by it?
• How can I improve my daily, weekly, or monthly planning routines?

Conclusion 

A Personal Techo Kaigi is a powerful tool for staying connected to your goals, simplifying your planning process, and sparking creativity. By regularly checking in with your planner, you ensure it continues to meet your needs and helps you stay on track with life’s evolving demands. Whether you’re an experienced planner enthusiast or someone just getting started, scheduling regular Techo Kaigi meetings with yourself is a simple yet effective way to stay organized and inspired.