I've just been away for a week, in a place where I, surprisingly, didn't have much Internet access. That's why there were no new posts last week. But I sincerely appreciate all of the recent comments -- check out the previous post if you haven't read them!
One of our readers asked me to explain how I use my household Filofax, so I'll report on that now.
It's an A5 Filo, with a week-per-2-pages calendar. I prefer the horizontal format for this book, but all my local store had was vertical.
Basically, the book is supposed to be a Filofax version of the Flylady "Control Journal," but it's still a work-in-progress. On the calendar pages, I record each day's routine tasks (:15 paperwork, :15 decluttering, and so on), as well as both my husband's and my appointments, and the dinner menu. I update it once a week, on Sunday.
The rest of the book is supposed to hold emergency numbers and other contact info, evacuation instructions, and so on. Flylady.net has instructions for preparing all of this, but I just haven't done it yet.
And most nights, do I collapse into bed before doing all of the day's tasks?
Yes.
FlyLady! Oh yes. I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with the whole concept. I have sort of hand-picked what works for me and I refuse to feel guilty about the rest. I do have general routines, but with two toddlers I can barely plan 10 minutes into the future, so if the routine doesn't get completed perfectly, oh well! My Personal sized Filo has a lot of Control-Journal aspects like Medical info for all of us, directories, contacts, insurance info etc. We travel internationally 3-4 times per year and I have to have all this stuff with me all the time. Makes my Filo really fat, but it's nice to have everything together when I need it, wherever I am. I'm already thinking about getting an A5 for this very purpose after we have moved back to the US next month and won't be traveling anymore, to have a "Mission Control" at home and my Personal size Filo (slimmed down) for my own personal stuff. It's delightful just to think about!
ReplyDeleteIt’s a problem. I cannot choose! I like Filofax (or Succes). I also like Moleskine and other little notebooks and diary’s. But I also like using Outlook or Palm Desktop. And of course there is the G-mail calendar, which I also thinks great.
ReplyDeleteSince about eight years I am using a Palm. During a long time it could not be Synchonized at the office so I always worked with the stylus and synchronized at home. Since about a year I can synchronize at the office. Now I use Outlook (on the office-laptop) for everything, even for private dates, addresses, tasks and notes. Now I can use Outlook at the office and on the road and at home I have my Palm.
This works great! Since I am a gtd-fan I tweaked the tasks in Outlook so I can use them now just in the way I like to do. I neven forget anything! I always have my whole Outlook (except mail) in my pocket.
But more and more I miss writing. I mean using a pen. So that’s why I ask myself: Shall I buy a Philofax or a Moleskine? Shall I write in a journal every day instead of ‘blogging’? As I said: I cannot choose! And of course: At work I have to use Outlook. My collegue’s and I have to use Outlook and we have to share our Outlooks. So using a Philofax means that I have to put every date in Outlook as well as in a Philofax. I don’t think that there will never be a mistake than….
So I still don't know what to do. reading this blog makes me think I will soon buy my first Philofax. But, it's expensive! And still I have to use Outlook.
So still I cannot choose!
Hi Leen -- Welcome! We all struggle with these problems! I have to use a shared online calendar for work, but I make sure to only use it for major and shared events: Meetings, vacations, big deadlines. I write the details only in my Filofax.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, I actually need to refer to the online, monthly calendar more often than I do now, so those deadlines don't take me by surprise!