09 September 2011

Free For All Friday No. 147

I recently created some new pages in my Filofax: Daily Routines, Weekly Tasks, and Weekly Schedule. I normally resist routines, but now that both kids are in school and activities, and I'm somehow busier than ever, having routines is helping me manage my time. I try to get my household tasks and errands done before I go get the kids from school, because after school time is packed with homework, activities, making dinner etc.

Do you keep routines in your Filofax? And, are your routines changing now as the seasons change?

As always on Fridays, feel free to discuss anything Filofax-related.

Have a great weekend everyone! :)

19 comments:

  1. Hello all,

    Love this place and have spent a while reading the posts and trying very hard to use my Filofax for time management of my work and personal life.

    The problem is that I just can't seem to commit to the Personal Kendal I use (which is a lovely binder); it's almost like I don't 'trust' a note once I've written it down in a paper insert. I've always used notebooks with no removeable pages. Am I making sense I wonder? :)

    Anyway, does anyone have any tips on how to commit to and 'trust' a Filofax?

    Many thanks,
    Tom

    P.S. I really want to make this work as I love the Filofax idea and my Kendal is wonderful.

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  2. Tom I know exactly what you mean about trusting pages in a Filofax, because it is so easy for removed pages to get lost. I think it may help if you have a storage plan for used pages. If you get a storage binder (or another Filofax to use for this purpose) then be faithful about storing pages in it, you can feel more confident about your pages not getting lost. If you don't have a landing place for removed pages, it's easy to worry they'll be lost.

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  3. Tom, I'm a fanatic Kendallfan. I have a personal and an A5. I always used ringbinders and am now about 1,5 year "on filofax".
    I trust my notes because about every week I process them: what do I have to do with that note? Then I write what's necesary (?) on my "don't forget-lists". For example: Call ..., Buy ..., Contact .... So I process my notes and then trust my lists. It works for me.

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  4. I might be the only person in the world not in love with my Malden but there it is. I actually think it might be the whole Vintage Pink that I don't love. Perhaps, I should have gone with Ochre. That said, I'm looking at the Succes planners. I have two questions...

    1. Where can I get a look at the layouts for the planner pages? I've looked at their website and not all of them are shown.

    2.) Does anyone have one and are they worth the extra bucks for the binder? The website says handmade but that is a lot of money for a binder that I can't visit at a store. Is the quality really good for those binders?

    3.) The standard is the exact same size as the Personal? Or very near the same size?

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  5. Standard is the exact same size as personal, including hole spacing. I have not had a succes binder, but I have seen many in shops and with colleagues, and they seem very nice and sturdy. People I know are very happy with them. I have no idea where you can see page layouts though.

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  6. hi, Tom -
    may I ask what system you were using before your filofax? with any new system, there is a transition of learning new habits to go with your new trusted system... also, are you having trouble trusting items you write in any section, or just some sections? if there is one section you are already checking regularly, perhaps that is a good place to start jotting those notes you're still worried about. sort of a happy medium while you're still building your trust in the new system?

    hi, Bridgett -
    so sorry to hear you don't love your malden, it looks to be a lovely binder although it's not for everyone. I wish I had ever seen a succes binder as they do look lovely. do you think there is anything else about the malden beyond the color that isn't working for you?

    I have owned several filo models throughout the years and the few that I find to be perfect have of course spoiled me... I heart my siena models the very best of all, even better than the vintage filos I had which were extremely nice ones. wishing you binder bliss here in the very near future : )

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  7. The laayout of the Success Planner pages you can find on their website Succes.com.
    This is the link for the Standard size
    http://www.succes.com/en-us/555/Organizers-fillings,To-plan,Standard/V2.F46

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  8. Quick question. Why doesn't Filofax make a binder that holds the standard 8 1/2 x 11 paper? Maybe that size paper is only standard in the US? Would sure make my life easier as all my work papers are that size and I could keep everything together in one system. Thanks

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  9. Scoot - Thanks for the info. Are the binders much bigger than the 8 1/2 x 11 size? Since the US site doesn't offer the A4 size, any recommendations from what country I would buy from? Thanks again

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  10. I just got my first Filofax, and I put routines into it as soon as I'd worked them out. They're really just reference lists, though - I keep track of what I've done/haven't done with an iPhone app called (wait for it) HomeRoutines.

    I'm considering buying day-per-page inserts, just so I have a place to "plan" out my day once my day's started (and in a pocket, the spaces on the "default" WPP are pretty dang small). I don't really know what my best option is for archiving them, though...it makes me long for a bound DPP planner/logbook...but then I'd be using two planners! AAAH!!

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  11. @TomHanson I've recently moved back to Filofax from fixed-booklet setups including Hermes and X47. After a period of readjustment, I now find that I trust my notes *more* in looseleaf format. I think this is because I can recompile the sequence of notes and also archive notes - as suggested by Laurie - once any action points are identified and transferred to lists. If you need or prefer to maintain certain notes in chronological order, then a Moleskine cahier or Field Notes 3x5 notebook will travel very happily in either the front or back pocket of your Kendal - or even both!

    @Bridgett the quality of the Succes binders is first class. Their Deluxe leather models have a highly polished - almost glazed - finish which holds up very well over time. The Cacao binders were quite matt in finish when I last bought one, some years ago. The Renna models are very serviceable, but not as plush, having fabric lining internally and simpler pocket layouts. I loved visiting the Succes shops in Dublin and London, both staffed by very charming elderly ladies. The Dublin shop is long gone, but I believe the London shop is still in operation.

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  12. I keep thinking I should document my weekly and monthly routines to try and get my house in order a bit more. I like the idea of a pared-down flylady journal.

    I just haven't got round to it yet. Maybe one day ...!

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  13. I like to keep checklists on things that must be on the different days of the week. I also keep a daily checklist to remind me to do those things that aren't on autopilot yet.

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  14. I wonder if the old deskfax size would fit US sized paper? You can only get them on ebay these days.

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  15. Filofax or something like it spotting! Season 4 episode 23 of Brothers & Sisters, about 20 minutes in. Norah grabs it to find a phone number. It's a yellow-brown A5 but I have no Filofax expertise so can't guess at the binder.

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  16. Bridgett, if you don't want your Malden, I'll gladly take it off your hands ;) I've been coveting a Vintage Pink Malden since I saw it on here (not even the main site - is that bad ha).

    Anyway, I'm going to use both my Filofax and my Moleskine together for a few weeks and see which one I prefer. Will probably be the Filofax as I've not been 'wanting' to use my Moleskine for quite some time now but due to time constraints, have not had the energy to move back to my Filofax! A push from a few readers of my blog has helped though :)

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  17. Hello again,

    To everyone who responded to me, many thanks indeed for your encouragement.

    I have started populating my Personal Kendal again from scratch and am going to persist with it other the few weeks (I hope) transition from hard notebooks to this one.

    Will keep you all posted on outcome :)

    Thanks again,
    Tom

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  18. @Alison the Deskfax cannot hold US letter paper. The standard Deskfax refill uses B5 paper which measures 250 x 176mm whereas US Letter size measures 279 x 216.

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