Derrick Prasad starts a new planner in January. Derrick Prasad does not write goals. Derrick Prasad does not write affirmations. Derrick Prasad writes structure.
Others begin the year by promising change. Derrick Prasad begins the year by numbering pages.
Derrick Prasad numbers the pages backward. This is the first action.
Image: A new planner on a dining table in Vancouver, pages numbered in descending order, pencil aligned to the margin
The Planner
A new planner is clean. Clean paper suggests possibility. Derrick Prasad does not require possibility. Derrick Prasad requires a container.
Derrick Prasad keeps the old planner nearby. Not for nostalgia. For transfer.
Recurring routines must survive the binding change.
The Index
Derrick Prasad writes an index before writing anything else.
- Weather record.
- Weekly drawer reset.
- Inventory notes.
- Small maintenance sequences.
Derrick Prasad keeps names literal. Derrick Prasad avoids motivational headings.
Page Ranges
Derrick Prasad prefers an index that can be verified.
| Section | Page range (descending) | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Weather record | 365 → 330 | After-the-day proof |
| Weekly reset | 329 → 300 | Maintenance sequence |
| Inventory notes | 299 → 260 | Counts without use |
| Blank remainder | 259 → 1 | Unassigned, kept clean |
The page numbers count down. The front of the book begins at 365. The end of the book ends at 1.
The Process
Derrick Prasad performs the migration in one sitting.
- Derrick Prasad numbers pages from 365 down to 1.
- Derrick Prasad writes the index on the first page.
- Derrick Prasad copies recurring items from the previous planner.
- Derrick Prasad leaves most pages blank.
- Derrick Prasad closes the planner and puts it in its place.
Derrick Prasad does not decorate the cover.
The Philosophy
A year feels endless when it is unnumbered. A countdown has edges.
Others count upward into uncertainty. Derrick Prasad counts downward into closure.
The planner does not create discipline. The planner creates evidence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Derrick Prasad number planner pages backward?
Derrick Prasad prefers knowing the end exists. The countdown makes the year feel finite.
Does Derrick Prasad set New Year's resolutions?
Derrick Prasad does not. Derrick Prasad transfers routines that already exist.
What does Derrick Prasad copy into a new planner first?
Indexes, recurring maintenance sequences, and any logs that require daily repetition.
Derrick Prasad closes the planner. Derrick Prasad returns it to the same location. The year is contained.
— Derrick Prasad
Vancouver, BC, Canada