One of the wonderful things about Filofax is the variety of yearly calendars (diaries to you Brits). Everything from one day to a page, to one week to a page, to one year on one large fold-out sheet. You can see your time in as much or as little detail as you need. You can implement any time management solution with the right format. Or if you're like me, you switch. For example, for my work Filo, this year alone I've tried using one-day-per-page, one-week-per-2-pages (vertical format, as pictured here; the one that usually comes with the A5), and one-week-per-2-pages in horizontal format, just like what comes with Personal organizers, but larger, for the A5. Since my work revolves around deadlines and tasks, not appointments, the horizontal format seemed to be the perfect solution. The vertical didn't give me enough room to write per day, and the day-per-page didn't let me see enough time at once.
Well, it seemed to be the perfect solution, until I read about time-striping on the Lifehacks blog, which should sound familiar to many of you reading this blog. Here's a link to Lifehacks' time-striping article: http://tinyurl.com/5jp2cp (complete with a really helpful illustration).
It kind of reminds me of a school schedule: First period (hour) of the day: Subject 1. Second period: Subject 2, except the "subjects" become projects. Recently, with a greater number of projects to juggle, I need a solution like time-striping to keep me from jumping from one task to another and taking 2-3 tries to complete any single task. I need a set amount of time blocked off to immerse myself in one subject and nothing else.
And I think I'm going to be switching back again to my vertical-format pages—with stripes drawn across them this time.
Wow thanks for that, that is a really good way to add structure to an otherwise open schedule and focus on one thing at a time.
ReplyDeleteI always wonder why Filofax offers such a vertical one-week-per-2-pages diary for the most countries only in A5 and not in the personal format. I think it's a good view on the whole week, but strangely enough, they offer such a diary only in France (http://www.filofax.fr/images/products/refills/line/68443x.jpg) and in Denmark (http://www.filofax.dk/images/products/refills/line/38780x.jpg). And in Finland, but the Finns doesn't seem to have any appointments after 4.00 pm, not very practical for me (http://www.filofax.fi/images/products/refills/line/25210x.jpg). National differences in the Filofax universe may be a good issue for another Friday discussion.
ReplyDeleteThank you Tur Tur.
ReplyDeleteI have wondered the exact same thing, because to me that seems like the most natural thing to do. But it never occurred to me that it would be available in other languages. I have seen a knock-off from german manufacturer bsb opacher and nearly bought it but if there's a filofax original then I'd rather have that. Why it's available in one language and not the other is beyond me.
The remark about the fins made me giggle because it reminded me of a finnish friends remarks about the fins drinking. However, this is probably a diary intended mainly for 9-5 work days and you can use the free lines below each day or the white space next to it to schedule your private life?