So here is our usual Tuesday point when you can ask any questions you need answering about your Filofax. Step forward and pop your questions in the comments and we will do our best collectively to answer your questions.
It is Monday evening here in San Diego and I just wanted to let my Philofaxy friends know that I decided to sell a Finsbury Mini, a Domino Italia Pocket and a Botanic Pocket. I have listed them on eBay. This is not a solicitation, but for your information if you were looking for a similar item.
I have an issue with my to do lists at the moment. I have started using a Day per page Time Management Filofax Diary. It is so far fabulous as you can see all your appointments and to dos - including phone calls, delegated tasks etc in front of you. Only problem is that I don't like moving any undone to dos to the next day..... and even worse if I have to transfer over several days.This feels like a monumental FAIL!!!! Not GTD, but un-GTD!!! I'd appreciate knowing how you folks use your to dos with your diaries. Thanks. xxxx
They have rings just like a Filofax binder, so they are much easier to use than the fixed post storage binders. It's easy to remove/ add pages, and to flip through.
These binders are really hard to find sometimes, so I stockpile them.
They are called Mead 6 ring Memo Book, 6 ring looseleaf. They take pages size 6 3/4 by 3 3/4 inches. If you google that you'll find a selection available.
Regarding the sneak peak of the spring range, are the ones mentioned the full new range? I thought I read somewhere that more variety of compact binders would be making an appearance. Am I making that up (wishful thinking)?
I'm actually thinking of buying a slimline Holbourn whose ring size is slightly smaller than the compact. Does anyone else have the slimline Holbourn? Is it worth it?
@Butanben I agree that the Filofax Time Management pages are excellent. It's a shame that they are hardly promoted at all and that the WOTP (Week On Two Pages) version seems to have been quietly dropped altogether, despite being the most popular version.
I used to suffer that feeling of deflation at the beginning of the day, looking at everything that I failed to do yesterday and copying a now even longer list onto a new day. Three things have worked for me...
Firstly, however tired I am, I force myself to do tomorrow's plan (including to-do's) at the END of the day and not leave it until the next morning, when they'll be zillions of new emails and urgent (but not necessarily important) demands that will take over.
Secondly, I've stopped all those long to-do lists staring at me. I limit myself to SIX "must-do-to-do's-today" and hide all other to-do's! It's rare that there are more than six "have-to-absolutely-must-do-today" items. If I do all of the six, and still have time (ho ho!), I can always go back to my main list for more!
Thirdly, any to-do that doesn't get done, I mark with a big red star, before moving it to tomorrow. I do this for any further days, so that after a few days that to-do with several big red stars next to it MUST get done, to stop it annoying me!
Standard text book stuff, I know, but it works (usually) for me! Good luck! Tim
Thanks Tim. Great ideas. Actually I am getting more things done in this system than with any other diary.So like you I think it is a fabulous set up. Just my perfectionist side likes to see a line of ticks!! Think your idea to have a main list and a limit of 5-6must dos is a good one.Otherwise there is a sense of being bombarded by the unfinished. I'll go with that idea I think and the stars idea. So thank you for that. Like you I always plan the night before for tomorrow...... even if I've been out to the theatre ... and even on holiday I'll plan the rough next day's outings. Habit I suppose.
Hello everyone :) This is a very specific sort of question but I'm hoping you will have some ideas for me... I'm an art and design student and I'm about to start my final major project. I have a compact chameleon filo that I use religiously, I don't know what I would do without. I have a system which works for me but that is not the issue. I want to integrate a filofax type system into my developmental work. So the idea would be to have a section for planning my daily tasks, an area for reflecting on the days work, sections for research etc. Does anyone use a filofax for project planning like this? If anyone knows of any useful sites or blogs which might help me, or if they have any thoughts on this if love to hear them! I don't own an A4 filo and they are a little expensive so I will be putting the system into a normal ringbinder I think. Cheers guys, and sorry for the mega long comment!
Likewise I've just started using the TM Week on two pages this year love the format,
I think we will have to ask Ray if he could come up with a suitable replacement for next year.
For me I would prefer more space for appointments on each day. May be dedicate the left hand page to that with equal space to each day including Sat and Sun and then maximise the right hand page for Actions, Reminders, To-do's etc.
If I get a moment I will look in to using Ray's files to create a new version of this...
@Butanben I personally keep my to-dos separate to my calendar, unless there's some thing absolutely day/time specific. All my to do lists are by context in a separate section of my filo & I set myself 3 MITs each day (most important tasks from Zen Habits). When I used to use the diary section in my filofax, I'd use a jot pad for my 3 tasks for the day.
Scoot - I usually keep a sketchbook with ideas, notes, tests/documentation of things I have tried out. I usually have a seperate folder with artist research/exhibitions i've been to. I also keep a diary of how the project is going, and plan in my filofax. So I want to try consolidate all of this info in one place. I have got a few ideas on how to do this but I just wondered if anyone else had tried out something similar.
p.s. I know what you mean, it is very tricky trying to organise ones creative thinking. It has to be made clear to my tutors and peers though so that they can understand what i'm investigating...
I went to a networking meeting this morning and there were two people there with battered but stuffed A5 filofaxes. I couldn't help having a chat with them and recommending Philofaxy - hope we get to see them here! Interesting that they both commented on the sad lack of inserts and indexes now available as they were lovingly nurturing their old ones to make them last longer!
I do wonder if we should form some sort of organised 'pressure group' to feed info to Filofax about the sort of inserts we would really like to see.
@Alison - I find it staggering that with such product loyalty and continuous interest, Filofax Letts don't have an appointed person monitoring Philofaxy and responding to user problems, product improvement suggestions and other issues raised on an almost daily basis. Most companies would be delighted to have such valuable feedback from their loyal customer base.
Another question. Well two really. I'm trying to simplify life a bit. Idea is that I have one diary, one todo list and so on. So my questions are: 1) Do you have one todo list or a separate one for business and personal and 2) If you run one list do you colour code with pens for the different areas of your life? I'm thinking it would be useful to be able to pick out customer tasks, my business development tasks, personal tasks and so on - or do you think this would just look messy?
As always agree with Alison about the sad lack of inserts. I actually switched back to my Mulberry agenda over the weekend - I have always found the Mulberry inserts too basic for my needs but realised that the better filofax inserts are getting harder and harder to find and the selection for A5 is too narrow. Sob.
Would also appreciate any advice on A5 inserts (present and hopefully future) for appointment-heavy days.
OT from the inserts discussion, but I "spotted" a filofax last night on "The Royal Bodyguard" (I think that's the programme's name) on BBC last night. We'd just changed channels and I spotted a black A5 Osterley on the desk.
I did tell hubby but he didn't look impressed that I could "name that filofax"! LOL!
Alison - I was wondering if your plans to start using day timer pages had worked out? I would love to know how you were getting on and what you thought about quality, style, how good / bad they are for different types of ink, etc. if you have a chance to post about it?
Laura I use my filo to journal. I have a WPP diary that I jot down a few notes etc and at some later point in the week I transfer these to my main journal that is too big and heavy to carry about.
I am using the Day Timer day on two pages 'coastline' design (to fit Filofax Personal). Very happy with the design and quality so far. I love the fact the months are tabbed and that the quality of the paper is so much better.
@Laura - I use my Filofax as a journal in addition to the "normal" function of any planner. What works best for me (at least right now ;-) is the A5 Week on Two Pages Lined format (vertical layout) for appointments/to do's for the week, and Week on Two pages (unlined) for a journaling section. I doodle on those pages, reflect on my workout schedule, diet, etc. Having two different calendars in the same planner may seem odd, and be against lots of advice from the 'experts' of time management, but this works for me. I also like having my journaling section private - behind its own tab. That way, if I am in a meeting, no one can see my private journaling notes. I always think I will take photos on my filo organization and post them on my blog, but never get around to it. I am not sure anyone else could make sense of my craziness!
Have you checked out this site on Art Journaling 101? I absolutely love it...there are lots of links to different journaling methods and most of them can be incorporated into my Filofax. Here's the link: http://daisyyellow.squarespace.com/abstract/art-journaling-101.html
Wow...sorry for the long response. Hope this gives you some ideas!
Hi, a quick question: Has anyone else noticed that September isn't what it should be in the Cotton Cream Pocket size W2P diaries?? I bought one with a Danish diary and one with a German one, and in both September seems to go French some weeks - and even with a different layout! Is it just me?
Thanks Anita. Like the idea of 3 MITs. Think both you and Tim have it right fewer to dos for each day...... so achievable and a longer hidden to do list to transfer items into the diary from. Much food for thought.
@Rori - Filofax UK home page bottom left or directly to http://www.filofax.co.uk/timemanagement
They have hardly marketed this range (you can't find it and you're looking for it!. They then start to phase it out because folk aren't buying it. Truly bizarre!
@Tim I'm afraid that's now the 'Filofax way'. @Butanben Like Tim, I always do my plan for the following day before I finish my working day. I keep my master to-do list separate from my diary pages (although I've now started transferring a few priority to-do items from the master list to the daily list each evening) - this is a GTD principle, to keep the master next actions lists away from the diary and only use the diary for the 'hard landscape' of the day. That way, you don't have to continually carry forward.
As regards the FF attitude to inserts of all kinds, I've made my opinions known elsewhere....
It is Monday evening here in San Diego and I just wanted to let my Philofaxy friends know that I decided to sell a Finsbury Mini, a Domino Italia Pocket and a Botanic Pocket. I have listed them on eBay. This is not a solicitation, but for your information if you were looking for a similar item.
ReplyDeleteFor those of you that keep your previous years diary pages as an archive of you life... How do you store them?
ReplyDelete@Helen: I use Vanjilla's method:
ReplyDeletehttp://vanjilla.blogspot.com/2011/12/filofax-storage-vs-sleeping-beauties.html
I have an issue with my to do lists at the moment. I have started using a Day per page Time Management Filofax Diary. It is so far fabulous as you can see all your appointments and to dos - including phone calls, delegated tasks etc in front of you. Only problem is that I don't like moving any undone to dos to the next day..... and even worse if I have to transfer over several days.This feels like a monumental FAIL!!!! Not GTD, but un-GTD!!! I'd appreciate knowing how you folks use your to dos with your diaries. Thanks. xxxx
ReplyDelete@Helen...I keep them like this
ReplyDeletehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/54020897@N02/5004028488/
I store/ archive my personal size pages in these binders by Mead:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.amazon.com/Mead-Products-Assorted-narrow-ruled-Loose-leaf/dp/B004E3GPGM
They have rings just like a Filofax binder, so they are much easier to use than the fixed post storage binders. It's easy to remove/ add pages, and to flip through.
These binders are really hard to find sometimes, so I stockpile them.
They are called Mead 6 ring Memo Book, 6 ring looseleaf. They take pages size 6 3/4 by 3 3/4 inches. If you google that you'll find a selection available.
A little off the current topic:
ReplyDeleteRegarding the sneak peak of the spring range, are the ones mentioned the full new range? I thought I read somewhere that more variety of compact binders would be making an appearance. Am I making that up (wishful thinking)?
I'm actually thinking of buying a slimline Holbourn whose ring size is slightly smaller than the compact. Does anyone else have the slimline Holbourn? Is it worth it?
@Butanben I agree that the Filofax Time Management pages are excellent. It's a shame that they are hardly promoted at all and that the WOTP (Week On Two Pages) version seems to have been quietly dropped altogether, despite being the most popular version.
ReplyDeleteI used to suffer that feeling of deflation at the beginning of the day, looking at everything that I failed to do yesterday and copying a now even longer list onto a new day. Three things have worked for me...
Firstly, however tired I am, I force myself to do tomorrow's plan (including to-do's) at the END of the day and not leave it until the next morning, when they'll be zillions of new emails and urgent (but not necessarily important) demands that will take over.
Secondly, I've stopped all those long to-do lists staring at me. I limit myself to SIX "must-do-to-do's-today" and hide all other to-do's! It's rare that there are more than six "have-to-absolutely-must-do-today" items. If I do all of the six, and still have time (ho ho!), I can always go back to my main list for more!
Thirdly, any to-do that doesn't get done, I mark with a big red star, before moving it to tomorrow. I do this for any further days, so that after a few days that to-do with several big red stars next to it MUST get done, to stop it annoying me!
Standard text book stuff, I know, but it works (usually) for me! Good luck! Tim
Thanks Tim. Great ideas. Actually I am getting more things done in this system than with any other diary.So like you I think it is a fabulous set up. Just my perfectionist side likes to see a line of ticks!! Think your idea to have a main list and a limit of 5-6must dos is a good one.Otherwise there is a sense of being bombarded by the unfinished. I'll go with that idea I think and the stars idea. So thank you for that. Like you I always plan the night before for tomorrow...... even if I've been out to the theatre ... and even on holiday I'll plan the rough next day's outings. Habit I suppose.
ReplyDeleteHello everyone :)
ReplyDeleteThis is a very specific sort of question but I'm hoping you will have some ideas for me...
I'm an art and design student and I'm about to start my final major project. I have a compact chameleon filo that I use religiously, I don't know what I would do without. I have a system which works for me but that is not the issue.
I want to integrate a filofax type system into my developmental work. So the idea would be to have a section for planning my daily tasks, an area for reflecting on the days work, sections for research etc.
Does anyone use a filofax for project planning like this? If anyone knows of any useful sites or blogs which might help me, or if they have any thoughts on this if love to hear them!
I don't own an A4 filo and they are a little expensive so I will be putting the system into a normal ringbinder I think.
Cheers guys, and sorry for the mega long comment!
@Tim - don't tell me the time management WO2P has been dropped!! I only got it this year and I LOVE it!! *sobs*
ReplyDeleteLikewise I've just started using the TM Week on two pages this year love the format,
ReplyDeleteI think we will have to ask Ray if he could come up with a suitable replacement for next year.
For me I would prefer more space for appointments on each day. May be dedicate the left hand page to that with equal space to each day including Sat and Sun and then maximise the right hand page for Actions, Reminders, To-do's etc.
If I get a moment I will look in to using Ray's files to create a new version of this...
Steve
@Butanben I personally keep my to-dos separate to my calendar, unless there's some thing absolutely day/time specific. All my to do lists are by context in a separate section of my filo & I set myself 3 MITs each day (most important tasks from Zen Habits). When I used to use the diary section in my filofax, I'd use a jot pad for my 3 tasks for the day.
ReplyDeleteScoot -
ReplyDeleteI usually keep a sketchbook with ideas, notes, tests/documentation of things I have tried out. I usually have a seperate folder with artist research/exhibitions i've been to. I also keep a diary of how the project is going, and plan in my filofax.
So I want to try consolidate all of this info in one place. I have got a few ideas on how to do this but I just wondered if anyone else had tried out something similar.
p.s. I know what you mean, it is very tricky trying to organise ones creative thinking. It has to be made clear to my tutors and peers though so that they can understand what i'm investigating...
ReplyDeleteI went to a networking meeting this morning and there were two people there with battered but stuffed A5 filofaxes. I couldn't help having a chat with them and recommending Philofaxy - hope we get to see them here! Interesting that they both commented on the sad lack of inserts and indexes now available as they were lovingly nurturing their old ones to make them last longer!
ReplyDeleteI do wonder if we should form some sort of organised 'pressure group' to feed info to Filofax about the sort of inserts we would really like to see.
@Alison - I find it staggering that with such product loyalty and continuous interest, Filofax Letts don't have an appointed person monitoring Philofaxy and responding to user problems, product improvement suggestions and other issues raised on an almost daily basis. Most companies would be delighted to have such valuable feedback from their loyal customer base.
ReplyDeleteAnother question. Well two really. I'm trying to simplify life a bit. Idea is that I have one diary, one todo list and so on. So my questions are: 1) Do you have one todo list or a separate one for business and personal and 2) If you run one list do you colour code with pens for the different areas of your life? I'm thinking it would be useful to be able to pick out customer tasks, my business development tasks, personal tasks and so on - or do you think this would just look messy?
ReplyDeleteAs always agree with Alison about the sad lack of inserts. I actually switched back to my Mulberry agenda over the weekend - I have always found the Mulberry inserts too basic for my needs but realised that the better filofax inserts are getting harder and harder to find and the selection for A5 is too narrow. Sob.
ReplyDeleteWould also appreciate any advice on
A5 inserts (present and hopefully future) for appointment-heavy days.
OT from the inserts discussion, but I "spotted" a filofax last night on "The Royal Bodyguard" (I think that's the programme's name) on BBC last night. We'd just changed channels and I spotted a black A5 Osterley on the desk.
ReplyDeleteI did tell hubby but he didn't look impressed that I could "name that filofax"! LOL!
Just on the off-chance. Has anyone got any Deskfax size dividers they don't want? I have a set of A-Z so it's anything else I am after. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone use their Filofax for journalling? If so do they use diary inserts/note paper/something else....?
ReplyDeleteHi everyone!
ReplyDeleteAlison - I was wondering if your plans to start using day timer pages had worked out? I would love to know how you were getting on and what you thought about quality, style, how good / bad they are for different types of ink, etc. if you have a chance to post about it?
Laura I use my filo to journal. I have a WPP diary that I jot down a few notes etc and at some later point in the week I transfer these to my main journal that is too big and heavy to carry about.
@ Laura
ReplyDeleteI use an a5 flex lined notebook for journalling which i slip the front cover of it into my long pocket in the front of my a5 filofax
I am using the Day Timer day on two pages 'coastline' design (to fit Filofax Personal). Very happy with the design and quality so far. I love the fact the months are tabbed and that the quality of the paper is so much better.
ReplyDelete@Laura - I use my Filofax as a journal in addition to the "normal" function of any planner. What works best for me (at least right now ;-) is the A5 Week on Two Pages Lined format (vertical layout) for appointments/to do's for the week, and Week on Two pages (unlined) for a journaling section. I doodle on those pages, reflect on my workout schedule, diet, etc. Having two different calendars in the same planner may seem odd, and be against lots of advice from the 'experts' of time management, but this works for me. I also like having my journaling section private - behind its own tab. That way, if I am in a meeting, no one can see my private journaling notes. I always think I will take photos on my filo organization and post them on my blog, but never get around to it. I am not sure anyone else could make sense of my craziness!
ReplyDeleteHave you checked out this site on Art Journaling 101? I absolutely love it...there are lots of links to different journaling methods and most of them can be incorporated into my Filofax. Here's the link: http://daisyyellow.squarespace.com/abstract/art-journaling-101.html
Wow...sorry for the long response. Hope this gives you some ideas!
Hi, a quick question: Has anyone else noticed that September isn't what it should be in the Cotton Cream Pocket size W2P diaries?? I bought one with a Danish diary and one with a German one, and in both September seems to go French some weeks - and even with a different layout! Is it just me?
ReplyDeleteThanks Anita. Like the idea of 3 MITs. Think both you and Tim have it right fewer to dos for each day...... so achievable and a longer hidden to do list to transfer items into the diary from. Much food for thought.
ReplyDeleteI wondered about having my initials
ReplyDeleteembossed on the spine of my Metropol or somewhere discretely on the cover. Has anyone had any experience of this.
WHERE did y'all get those TM daily and weekly format pages?? Are they only in A5? And WHY IN HEAVEN'S NAME would they be discontinuing them????
ReplyDelete(I'm sure you've said in an earlier post where they came from--and I just missed it--sorry)
@Rori - Filofax UK home page bottom left or directly to http://www.filofax.co.uk/timemanagement
ReplyDeleteThey have hardly marketed this range (you can't find it and you're looking for it!. They then start to phase it out because folk aren't buying it. Truly bizarre!
@Tim I'm afraid that's now the 'Filofax way'.
ReplyDelete@Butanben Like Tim, I always do my plan for the following day before I finish my working day. I keep my master to-do list separate from my diary pages (although I've now started transferring a few priority to-do items from the master list to the daily list each evening) - this is a GTD principle, to keep the master next actions lists away from the diary and only use the diary for the 'hard landscape' of the day. That way, you don't have to continually carry forward.
As regards the FF attitude to inserts of all kinds, I've made my opinions known elsewhere....