Behind the Routines Tab

I've detached myself from the FLYlady pod, and outfitted my Routines tab with sheets I made according to my own system. In the past, this system has worked better for me than FLYlady; although I've kept my FLYlady morning and evening routines in place.

In my system, I separate things into weekly, monthly, semiannual, and annual tasks. I've made a page for each, with a place to initial for the date completed. I've provided an illustration, since that's the best way to see how it works.

Change is good, part deux

I've updated the tabs on both my Personal and A5 (Household) Filofaxes.

Personal: To Do, Projects, Diet, Ideas, Lists, and Tel (no A-Z tabs).

Household: Routines, Quickies (things you can do when you have 5 free minutes), Projects, Notes, Appliances, Emergency, followed by A-Z tabs.

Change is good

I've recently decided, now that I no longer frequently switch between platforms (Palm to Franklin Covey, Franklin Covey to Circa, Circa to Moleskine), that the best part of using a Filofax is being able to make necessary and helpful changes within the same platform. For example, I started 2008 using a 2-days-per-page diary. (In 2007, I had used a ruled week-per-2-pages and wanted more room and freedom.)

Well, I found that the extra room didn't do much more than let my handwriting get bigger, and crowd out the pages behind my rear tabs (left). Today I switched back to week-per-2-pages (unruled), and feel good about the decision (right). It only took me about an hour to rewrite 3 months of appointments. I'm going to rewrite the to-dos from the dated pages onto...well, To Do pages, so that I can move the page ahead from week to week.

I'm going to use my To Do pages differently, and I'll have to redo my tabs, but that's for another post.

I now remember the feeling of week-per-2-page constriction, now that I don't have the extra Notes space, and the weekend days are especially compressed. I now believe that the 2-days-per-page is ideal for someone who has almost nothing in any tabs except the diary (not me), or for someone who has a 7-days-a-week schedule with lots of clients, appointments, or events to track (at this time in my life, anyway, not me either).

It's actually very easy to change formats in the middle of a year with a Filo. Just take out all the unused pages in your current diary, and add the new format from there on. No copying necessary. I've done it that way before. In this case, I decided to use the switch as an opportunity for cleanup, so I rewrote.

Guest Blog: A5 Quandry

Another from the always articulate Laurie Huff...

Here I am again, rethinking my Filofax for the millionth time. Now I think I have found my solution. I think it is time to upgrade to the A5. I recently realized why my Personal sized Filo calendar just doesn't work for me. It is not set up the way that my mind works. I visualize the week with the days as columns going across the page. Once I discovered that this is the only way I can effectively remember what I have to do, or even keep track of what day it is, I felt a huge amount of relief. That calendar format does not exist in the Personal size, only in the A5. And even if it did, I would still need the extra writing room afforded by the A5. That debate is over. It's not my Filo's fault that it doesn't work for me. "Don't cry little Filo. It's not you, it's me. Really."

But the end of one debate brings on a whole new one. Specifically, which A5 binder will I get? To be honest, none of them really turn me on. I would prefer a dark brown one, but the only A5s to be found in brown are the Kendal (too masculine) and the Classic. My problems with the Classic are that puffy cover, and mostly the small ring size. It only has a 1 inch capacity, which is just too small for me. I like to put lots of things into my binder, so I need all the room I can get. The only A5 binders with a larger ring capacity (at a mere ¼ inch larger) are the Guildford (which comes only in black, again too masculine and definitely too executive-looking for me), and the Finsbury.

Okay, so the Finsbury. I like the price, by far the cheapest of the leather A5 binders. I like the larger ring size. But I just can't find a color I like. The pink is too frilly for me. I'm not sure what the green would be like, would I get tired of it? Black is okay, but again a little too masculine. Tangerine is definitely out, that color and I just do not get along. Maybe red, although I never wear anything red and as my husband says, I'm "not a red person."

This is an investment for me, and I want a binder I will be able to use and enjoy for years to come. Unfortunately for me I live nowhere near a retailer, so I can't see these in person before I buy online. I will be using this for personal, home, projects, travel etc. I prefer to have everything in one binder. Which is why I'm concerned the 1 inch rings might not work for me. I can't decide if I should get the chocolate Classic and cram it full, or if I should settle on a Finsbury color I can live with.

I want to ask all you folks with an A5: what style binder do you have? Are the 1 inch rings actually a problem? Any advice for me? Meanwhile my search continues…