It is 1st October.... Autumn or The Fall if you are from the other side of 'The Pond' Or it could be Spring if you are in the Southern Hemisphere, must not forget you folks.
So my thought/question for this week... do you time manage or task manage with your Filofax? Answers in the comments if you please.
But as it's Friday... of course please feel free to discuss anything that is Filofax related.
I would be very surprised if anybody doesn't use their filofax for time & task management. That's what a filofax is made for. And in this field it is still ahead of any electronic device.
ReplyDeleteObviously we do! Apart from all my "special purpose" filofaxes, my biggest lifesaver is my workfilo! I use 2PPW-pages for the general overview (appointments, deadlines, Must-Do-This-Week-Or-Die lists) and then 2PPD pages for daily Todo's which I schedule in the appropriate hours, and for notes.
ReplyDeleteI'm moving back down to London permanantly tomorrow (well, to me, it's 'permanant' - not so for my parents!), ready to start my second year at university so my filofax has indeed come in very handy for writing those lists.
ReplyDeleteIt has also come in very handy for noting down when things will be connected, from the phone line to internet, etc.
But, next week, my filo will be used as an academic filo once more as the new school year officially kicks off with my first lecture of this academic year. Eager to put my filo back into good use again, but yet, also not looking forward to the hard work (and what feels like slavery) once more!
I switched from A5 to Personal size over the summer whilst I was on holiday from uni, and I'm coming to the end of my first super-busy week back - and I'm glad to say its holding up well! I thought I might find the smaller diary page sizes a bit restrictive but its fine. Lets hope it lasts...
ReplyDeleteI definately manage tasks with my filo. On the 2 page-per-week, they have a box above Monday that I jot all the tasks I need to do that week. I'de rather save the "To-Do's" for special items such as getting ready for holidays, etc... Re task/time, I'm really looking forward to 2011 (90 days away) when I can set up my Work A5 with the One Day On A Page Business Calendar. I'm planning to give the A5 a nice facelift on 1/1/11. ;-)
ReplyDeleteYou know what, I'm sure I'm in the minority but I have found (over MANY years of trying) that Filofaxes just don't work for me for task and time management. The personal size pages are too small to write all my tasks for the day/ week, and the A5 size binders are too big and heavy to carry everywhere with me (which I have to do with my planner). I've tried lots of different diary layouts, lighter binders (A5 Domino, despite its lightness, is still too big and bulky).
ReplyDeleteI absolutely must have a large page. And, I absolutely must have a portable book. Not only that, but I've discovered I function better with a bound book as my diary. Moving pages around just adds confusion.
So, I use my multiple Filofaxes for reference, storage of information, and loads of other purposes.
really interesting thread, this. I have both A5 and Personal sizes, but I find that I just *can't* use more than one diary because chaos *always* ensues.....I don't want to carry the big A5 around with me at weekends and on evenings *either* (glad I'm not the only one who feels that way), but the Personal size is barely big enough to cope with running an entire small business including all the client records, work in progress/to come, etc. So I find myself in a dilemma. I'm looking for a 1-10 index for the Personal, or even a 1-6 (FF don't do them in the Personal size), and until I find one I think I'm going to be in limbo between the two sizes. A 1-10 index (or 1-6) would enable me to use the 'key areas' system used by time/system and Time Manager International, and I'm pinning my hopes for effective task management on being able to find one somewhere. Tome management wise, I have a week on two pages diary which does for my appointments, but the day-per-page layout of the professional system (frustratingly only available in A5) looks quite useful for task- and time-management combined. I like to see my time in 'blocks' of a week, so the week to a view works well for me - but no facility for linking tasks to specific days - especially the further ahead one wants to schedule.
ReplyDeleteI've posted a thread on the Flickr discussion re the index problem but no replies as yet. I'm also designing some templates in Personal size which I hope may help with the task management.
Well, given that I just received my A5 Cuban yesterday, I don't have a lot of filofax experience to report on yet... ;)
ReplyDeletebut...I have used other organizers. So, I can say that I have used one for time and task management.
Most recently I have used Levenger Circa 8.5x11" setup, so, for me, the A5 is so nice and small, and more portable!!
;)
I did setup my Cuban yesterday in gtd style, made labels for the tabs, etc...
I like jotting down any ToDos in my Inbox tab or Projects tab and of course appts/meetings in the Calendar section.
Been using Levenger 1PPM pages the past year as at 8.5x11" pages, it's big enough boxes for each day to capture my items. It's nice to see an entire month on one page.
While much smaller than my 8.5x11 1PPM, I did buy A5 2PPM pages along with the 1PPD Business Calendar pages, very nice layout for work stuff.
Now, back to further A5 setup and usage...
;)
@David: Filofax.de in Germany offer a similar 1PPD layout. Take a look: http://www.filofax.de/store/diaryrefillsdetails.asp?productId=2523
ReplyDeleteMy worfilo is in A5 and I'm glad that I don't need to run around with it and can leave it safely on my desk.
As for transfering weekly to daily schedules: when new appointments/deadlines come up, I note them on the weekly pages. On Sunday I transfer those to my 2PPD section. Yep, that means extra writing, but I bought a nice fountain pen for that purpose to add a bit of fun to the inevitable ;-)
In both A5 and Personal sizes, I usually use horizontal 2PPW. I write appointments down the left side and tasks down the right side.
ReplyDeleteI write events like birthdays and holidays at the top of the day's block.
@Laurie.. I think you should try an A4... Smaller rings than most A5's, bigger foot print in terms of diary space and dedicated to a diary/task lists I'm sure you would be converted!
ReplyDeleteTalk to @sjl1974 (Sharon) who has just bought one...
Steve
David Popely: I mentioned whilst commenting on your original Philofaxy query on this topic that Maruman Data Plan (Japanese) have a 1-10 "Bible" index tab set, which is Filofax Personal size. As I happen to have an unused set, along with a blank "index" page, I'd be happy to mail it to you, I believe you'd be hard-pressed to find this in the U.K. or the Continent.
ReplyDeleteJust email your mailing address to buffalo@rome.com and the set will soon be winging its way to Merry Olde...
Regards,
DJ
Sunny California
I use 2 PPW in my personal workfilo for time and task management. I put in meetings and important deadlines as well as use the to do lists ( I find it useful to repeat very important deadlines in both places so I dont forget). I use the stickers for birthdays/ anniversaries and other important events as I am notorious for forgetting peoples' birthdays (except for my twin's). hahaha.
ReplyDeleteI also plan to organise a travel filo (for when I am at conferences/ meetings/ tutorials) so that I can have the most important info in my usual work filo to hand as well as an overseas travel filo.
Thanks *so* much DJ, its really appreciated! Mailing address has been emailed :)
ReplyDeleteBest wishes
David
I seem to go more by tasks than time. I have the luxury of devoting my mornings to them, that is when my enegy level is highest. I schedule appointments and meetings in the afternoon, and usually don't even take phone calls in the mornings unless they directly pertain to the task(s) I am working on.
ReplyDeleteI am going to the Daytimer 2PPD in 2011, I used them for a long time in the late 80's and early 90's, and think they work better that the Filofax format.
Thanks *so* much DJ, its really appreciated! Mailing address has been emailed :)
ReplyDeleteBest wishes
David
I use my filos primarily for information management, not time or task management. Since I don't have many appointments, I use a small stapled month on two days calendar (like the kind you get free from Hallmark) for appointments, since it slips easily into purse or pocket. I use the address tabs in the filo for alphabetical filing of notes and data. I do have to-do and shopping lists in my main filos, so I guess I use them for a bit of task management too. Projects usually end up in folders since I have large magazine pages, quadrille graphs, and lists to juggle that won't fit in the size filo I like. I would like to use a preprinted diary for recording information, but find all the formats too restrictive (some days you need to write a lot, some days almost nothing), so I usually just use notepaper for that or enter it into the computer.
ReplyDeleteQuick question - does anybody know if there is an RSS feed for the Flickr discussion group? I looked for one but didn't see it. I have a feeling I'm missing a lot over there as I never remember to check it...
ReplyDelete@kanalt Sadly not. Likewise I don't visit the group often enough. The odd thing is you can set up Flickr picture feeds to appear on your own site or on Protopage for instance. So I get to see the pictures!
ReplyDeleteProtopage is a great system for RSS feeds and website links and a whole host of other stuff. I use it all the time. http://www.protopage.com/
In the spirit of Free For All Friday, I have a question/comment for this illustrious group please...
ReplyDeleteI ordered the Month index tabs with my A5 order. Was very surprised to realize in putting them in my A5 that the end of one month and the beginning of the next page are often printed on each side of one piece of paper.
The result is that if you try to insert the Month index tab just after the end of a month, you can't without having a few days of the previous month in the new month section. Hope this is clear enough...not the end of the world but seems very strange that Filofax hasn't got a solution to this (I called Filofax USA, guy said I was the first person to bring up this issue...).
FWIW, when I used Franklin Covey or Levenger pages, there start of the month pages have a tab on them already, thereby solving this issue...
Not a dealbreaker for me, but I find it odd to split months either side of a month tab...would have thought that Filofax would at least have some option for this...
Am I the only one that has noticed this?
Any other thoughts/suggestions?
Thanks.
@ArchiMark
ReplyDeleteI use post it flags instead of tabs to separate my months in my diary section. It take up less room in my rings and the week view at the end/beginning of each month still gets perfectly unobstructed view!
@app1eg
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great, simple, lo-tech tip!
app1eg, what a great idea!
ReplyDeleteArchiMark, Yes many of us have complained to Filofax that we would like to have tabbed months with the monthly calendars not printed back to back. Similarly, we've requested they make weekly diary pages with tabbed monthly calendars embedded at the beginning of each month.
Some folks use FC pages in their personal size Filofax binder in order to get this type of monthly calendar.
I really like the tape flag solution!
@Laurie
ReplyDeleteThanks for your input...
Good to know that others feel the same way as I do about tabbing... however, doesn't sound so good in that given the input to Filofax there response is in effect no response, ie, they don't offer any solution as we're discussing...
As you suggest, I thought about using FC calendar pages for my A5, as when I compared the two sizes, they really aren't that much different...just means a lot of pages to punch...
;)
If you ARE willing to hole punch, do check out DayTimer, since they do lots of tabbed monthly collections. I have used the Flavia two-page-per-month tabs interleaved with the Serenity Two-pages-per-week pages because I love color! I used it in the personal (their portable) size so didn't even have to hole punch. They are available at Staples and Office Depot in the states, don't know about elsewhere. Their Desk size is the same as FC Classic (very close to A5) and has the same ring arrangement (unfortunately, for filofaxers). The Daytimer 2ppw usually comes with month-on-one-page printed on the back of each tab, although the boxes are pretty small.
ReplyDelete@Petra
ReplyDeleteThank you for your great suggestions...
Like 'DJ' I'm in 'sunny California' so, plenty of Office Depot's and Staples around here....
;)