Have you decided on your set up for next year yet? Are you changing the size of your organiser or the format of your diary insert? Upsize, downsize, same size?
However, it is Friday, so please feel free to discuss anything Filofax related.
Seriously considering trying a bound book approach like Laurie... although it feels a bit wrong saying that, I'm really not sure I can be that brave...
I've moved over to a bound planner this year as my journal, I'm happy with that set up now, but I'm still more comfortable and enjoy the flexibility of a ring bound organiser as my planner.
Thanks :-) I will of course be getting another Plannerisms plabber for next year regardless of whether I got to a bound planner or not because I found it great for making sure that I got all my regular stuff done, and for things I needed to log (although I have been very lax since the start of the summer holidays and need to start using it properly again). :o)
I've also been thinking about splitting off some of my items from my Filo, mainly my gratitude list. I'm thinking about starting a One Line A Day book next year for my gratitude list instead of trying to cram it in my planner.
I'm torn - I've spent so long with everything in one book, but I love the idea of a more permanent, prettily packaged way to see my gratitude list for years to come.
Hello this is my first post so apologies if not the right place. I have some professional exams coming up and I wondered if anyone had any good tips for creating a study plan in a personal filofax?
I suggest you print a week-per-page diary covering the period between now and your exams. Decide on how many study slots you have each week - eg two weekday evenings and Saturday mornings - - obviously consulting your 'normal' diary, so you don't schedule too much study for the times when you are busy with work etc. Work out what you need to cover in terms of study / revision, and start allocating different topics to the study slots. Build in a few blank slots for catching up, or for reinforcement (going back over your learning). Make sure you have a couple of blank slots at the end for revision.
Make a list of all the topics / modules / readings (however your material is structured) in your filo, and tick them off as you complete them.
For actual study notes (rather than study planning) I simply cannot make a Filofax work - it's not comfortable to write large amounts in. I suggest the ARC notebooks from staples for this - cheap and fantastic paper.
I think I am going to stick with my homemade week + notes version, but I am probably going to have to add in a day per page too as I'm finding busy days with the week on one page just impossible. And yes, I know, that's pretty much where I was a while back, before I went through a zillion changes (personal to pocket to Mulberry and back). It's all about the journey, not the destination, right?
I've just moved in to an A5 for work and have been unable to find my preferred diary layout in that size (Week on one page with a blank notes sheet to the left). I've ended up with a WHSmiths week to view with appointments, and I've incorporated a dashboard to act in place of the blank notes page. So far, it's been working quite well although it's only been barely a month. Will review and revise if needed, after Christmas.
I'm pretty sure you could find week per page on here in the print your own diary section and A5 would make that really easy to produce. You could then just add the blank paper/lined paper for notes, between the week pages or print the lined paper/to do on the reverse of the week per page sheets (if you wanted the week always on one side of the binder).
Thanks for your comments Amanda. I've stayed away from the 'Print your Own' section, mostly because I'm not especially printer savvy and talk of 'print gutters' and paper sizes leaves me confused. But I think I may steel myself to sit down with the instructions and give it a go, since although my setup is working, I am still glancing back at my personal Hampshire with a degree of longing!
I am pretty confident w/my a5 for home binder and compact for personal, w/the occasional pocket for a wallet, if my compact gets too full. :) For the a5, I just use a MO2P for my bill tracking for the house. No weekly/daily inserts.For my compact, I am going to continue to use FC day on 2 pages. (I keep only a month of pages in at a time) So Im pretty well set for 2014! :D
I'll be sticking with my Personal Hampstead, Wo2P diary and generally GTD-oriented setup, although I'm wondering about trying some different diary setups. I'v ordered a Quo Vadis Wo2P columnar diary (maybe the columns will be too narrow, I don't know), and at the other end of the scale I'm considering a Do2P diary which Steve has just kindly added to the print on demand section here - although the cost of buying one direct from FF in France isn't that different.....Otherwise I'll just continue to run the whole system on plain and lined paper, once I've used up the to-do paper I current have.
Full post on how I use my system is coming, so I won't say any more for now.....
Has anyone noticed how many binders Filofax is now offering in the compact size? It is almost as many as in the personal according to the most recent catalog. I'm not surprised.
I began using a personal size in the late eighties and did so for more than twenty years. I always kept it as slim as possible since I used it as a wallet as well as a planner and wanted to avoid extra weight in my bag. In 2011 I decided to try a pocket size and I stayed with it for over a year although I struggled with the small page size. In early 2012 when I first noticed a compact size on the US website I ordered a Chameleon compact. I've never looked back. It is perfect for me. My only problem is that I've become a collector (enabled by my husband, who thinks my obsession is endearing.) I now own 14 in compact. One is being used by my daughter and the rest I rotate as the mood hits me.
I'm going to stay with my personal size Filos and I have developed my own handwritten/drawn page per day diary and monthly calendars...on graph paper, which I love to use. So I will continue to tweak them as the whim strikes me. And like Nancy, I will rotate between my personals when the mood hits me.
I have - after 10 years (!!) - decided to shift away from Filofax, and I'm experimenting with Arc notebooks from Staples instead. I was finding that I just could not manage a busy family life from my personal - I needed an A5 diary - but my A5 filo was just too chunky to carry around. Since the leather Arcs are sooo affordable I decided to bite the bullet and try one, and I'm a convert - fantastic A5 sized diary (week-to-view printed from Philofaxy straight onto blank Arc paper) and yet it really is not much bigger or heavier than my personal Finsbury. So until Christmas I will continue with my Arc-based planner, and see how I'm doing. I may even sell some Filos!! I'm going to get an A4 poly-covered Arc tomorrow, and set it up as a work planner (instead of the A5 filo I currently use).
I really sympathise with your dilemma, needing/wanting the space of A5 but finding the binders to be too bulky. How much did you pay for your leather bound arc? I've only seen the poly ones but they look like a great idea.
I really wish I could get on with the Arc notebooks, but I find the paper always pops out and it drives me crazy! Looks like I'll be sticking with my rings for now :)
David, I got a leather a5 arc in purple for £15, which included 50 sheets of lined paper (and the Arc paper is REALLY nice). It must be bonded leather, and it does not have that strong leather smell of a Filofax - but it's smooth and durable and nice to handle. The big reason for choosing it over a cheaper poly cover was that it has 3 card slots and a secretarial pocket, which really made the arc a reasonable Filofax alternative for me. They have really boosted their range of accessories and inserts - sticky notes, zip wallets, normal and top-tab dividers in plastic and card - and almost everything in the range is £2! And the colours are a nice range. It's obviously not a 'luxury' product like a Filofax (although the paper is far nicer). But I want a functional, enjoyable planner, not a fashion statement - and so far it's holding up far better than I expected!
J, I initially found that when I first added accessories to the discs. Then I swapped them for the next size up (£2 for 12) and it works fine, so I think as long as I don't stuff it like a Filofax the paper seems secure enough. One benefit is that you can add or remove pages at the back or front of the book, without pages falling off the 'full' side of the rings.
Favourite cheap leather conditonner? I tried pure shea but it left white marks, I use vaseline on my Cambridge Satchel, but haven't tried it on my Malden. I hear people like Nivea (the blue jar?). Thanks!
Neutral coloured leather Dubbin. Available from shoe repair shops or Wilkinsons- Wilko. In circular leather shoe polish tin. Inexpensive and fantastic, as specifically for leather and used by leather craftsmen to condition leather.
I'm off to London in a couple of weeks. Normally I would pop into the Filofax shop for a browse, but as it has sadly closed, could someone recommend another shop with a good filo selection?
If you want to get him a good writing fountain pen and not spend a bunch, the Lamy is a good one. It's plastic, writes well and you can get them in extra fine nibs, which is nice for a cheaper fountain pen.
I second the Lamy suggestion. I love my Vista, but one day, when I have a little more money, I'll go for the Lamy 200. I've heard good things about the Al-Star as well and the Pelkian M series.
If you are looking for a fountain pen and you are in the US, you could do worse than look at www.gouletpens.com - no affiliation, just a very happy customer. I have also dealt with www.isellpens.com - my Lamy 2000 came from there and at the time that was the least expensive supplier anywhere, including anywhere in Europe ... Weird since Lamy pens are made in Germany.
The Lamy Safari also comes in an aluminium metal finish as the Al-star, or transparent as the Vista. They are basically the same pen. The 2000 is a much more serious bit of kit, it is bottle fill only (integral piston filler rather than the cartridge/convert or arrangement of the Safari series). Some people also have issues with the grip on the 2000 as it has a couple of very small spring lugs which are the cap latch and some people find these uncomfortable.
You could also look at the lower end Pelikan pens, or the Pilot/Namiki Vanishing Point.
I'm pretty close to deciding on my inserts for next year. Haven't made a final decision just yet though, definitely still working through some new setup designs
No idea! I'm sure I'll stick with my personal but may change up the diary. I think I'm over the whole decorated page thing and may be looking into a cleaner look for next year. My remaining dilemma.is the 3 a5s I'm using and it bugs me! When I was using FC classic my planner, diary, health/food diary section, etc was all in one binder. Since using filofax I have one house/home binder, one for diet/food/fitness, one for journal/spiritual. Ridiculous! I'm not using them regularly either though I love the binders and the set up. Wish I could get to 1 personal and 1 a5 but even the 30mm ring a5 is not going to hold the contents of what I am using 3 binders for even after purging a lot. The other option is to use a super sized FC that stays home but holds it all and personal for on the go. But that means not using the lovely a5s at all. Not ready to give them up. Just read this back...sound like a lunatic. What was the question again?!
I changed to a Regency Compact from a Personal Siena just recently. Inserts are wo2p with an additional note page in between. I just attended a conference and the binder was light and small enough to carry with me from one workshop to another.
Seriously considering trying a bound book approach like Laurie... although it feels a bit wrong saying that, I'm really not sure I can be that brave...
ReplyDeleteIf you want any suggestions or advice let me know. :)
DeleteI've moved over to a bound planner this year as my journal, I'm happy with that set up now, but I'm still more comfortable and enjoy the flexibility of a ring bound organiser as my planner.
DeleteThanks :-) I will of course be getting another Plannerisms plabber for next year regardless of whether I got to a bound planner or not because I found it great for making sure that I got all my regular stuff done, and for things I needed to log (although I have been very lax since the start of the summer holidays and need to start using it properly again). :o)
DeleteI've also been thinking about splitting off some of my items from my Filo, mainly my gratitude list. I'm thinking about starting a One Line A Day book next year for my gratitude list instead of trying to cram it in my planner.
DeleteI'm torn - I've spent so long with everything in one book, but I love the idea of a more permanent, prettily packaged way to see my gratitude list for years to come.
Hello this is my first post so apologies if not the right place. I have some professional exams coming up and I wondered if anyone had any good tips for creating a study plan in a personal filofax?
ReplyDeleteI suggest you print a week-per-page diary covering the period between now and your exams. Decide on how many study slots you have each week - eg two weekday evenings and Saturday mornings - - obviously consulting your 'normal' diary, so you don't schedule too much study for the times when you are busy with work etc. Work out what you need to cover in terms of study / revision, and start allocating different topics to the study slots. Build in a few blank slots for catching up, or for reinforcement (going back over your learning). Make sure you have a couple of blank slots at the end for revision.
DeleteMake a list of all the topics / modules / readings (however your material is structured) in your filo, and tick them off as you complete them.
For actual study notes (rather than study planning) I simply cannot make a Filofax work - it's not comfortable to write large amounts in. I suggest the ARC notebooks from staples for this - cheap and fantastic paper.
Thanks NineLeaves this advice is exactly what I was looking for and is extremely helpful.
DeleteI think I am going to stick with my homemade week + notes version, but I am probably going to have to add in a day per page too as I'm finding busy days with the week on one page just impossible. And yes, I know, that's pretty much where I was a while back, before I went through a zillion changes (personal to pocket to Mulberry and back). It's all about the journey, not the destination, right?
ReplyDeleteI've just moved in to an A5 for work and have been unable to find my preferred diary layout in that size (Week on one page with a blank notes sheet to the left). I've ended up with a WHSmiths week to view with appointments, and I've incorporated a dashboard to act in place of the blank notes page. So far, it's been working quite well although it's only been barely a month. Will review and revise if needed, after Christmas.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure you could find week per page on here in the print your own diary section and A5 would make that really easy to produce. You could then just add the blank paper/lined paper for notes, between the week pages or print the lined paper/to do on the reverse of the week per page sheets (if you wanted the week always on one side of the binder).
DeleteThanks for your comments Amanda. I've stayed away from the 'Print your Own' section, mostly because I'm not especially printer savvy and talk of 'print gutters' and paper sizes leaves me confused. But I think I may steel myself to sit down with the instructions and give it a go, since although my setup is working, I am still glancing back at my personal Hampshire with a degree of longing!
DeleteI am pretty confident w/my a5 for home binder and compact for personal, w/the occasional pocket for a wallet, if my compact gets too full. :) For the a5, I just use a MO2P for my bill tracking for the house. No weekly/daily inserts.For my compact, I am going to continue to use FC day on 2 pages. (I keep only a month of pages in at a time) So Im pretty well set for 2014! :D
ReplyDeleteI'll be sticking with my Personal Hampstead, Wo2P diary and generally GTD-oriented setup, although I'm wondering about trying some different diary setups. I'v ordered a Quo Vadis Wo2P columnar diary (maybe the columns will be too narrow, I don't know), and at the other end of the scale I'm considering a Do2P diary which Steve has just kindly added to the print on demand section here - although the cost of buying one direct from FF in France isn't that different.....Otherwise I'll just continue to run the whole system on plain and lined paper, once I've used up the to-do paper I current have.
ReplyDeleteFull post on how I use my system is coming, so I won't say any more for now.....
Nancy Raybould
ReplyDeleteHas anyone noticed how many binders Filofax is now offering in the compact size? It is almost as many as in the personal according to the most recent catalog. I'm not surprised.
I began using a personal size in the late eighties and did so for more than twenty years. I always kept it as slim as possible since I used it as a wallet as well as a planner and wanted to avoid extra weight in my bag. In 2011 I decided to try a pocket size and I stayed with it for over a year although I struggled with the small page size. In early 2012 when I first noticed a compact size on the US website I ordered a Chameleon compact. I've never looked back. It is perfect for me. My only problem is that I've become a collector (enabled by my husband, who thinks my obsession is endearing.) I now own 14 in compact. One is being used by my daughter and the rest I rotate as the mood hits me.
I'm going to stay with my personal size Filos and I have developed my own handwritten/drawn page per day diary and monthly calendars...on graph paper, which I love to use. So I will continue to tweak them as the whim strikes me. And like Nancy, I will rotate between my personals when the mood hits me.
ReplyDeleteI have - after 10 years (!!) - decided to shift away from Filofax, and I'm experimenting with Arc notebooks from Staples instead. I was finding that I just could not manage a busy family life from my personal - I needed an A5 diary - but my A5 filo was just too chunky to carry around. Since the leather Arcs are sooo affordable I decided to bite the bullet and try one, and I'm a convert - fantastic A5 sized diary (week-to-view printed from Philofaxy straight onto blank Arc paper) and yet it really is not much bigger or heavier than my personal Finsbury. So until Christmas I will continue with my Arc-based planner, and see how I'm doing. I may even sell some Filos!! I'm going to get an A4 poly-covered Arc tomorrow, and set it up as a work planner (instead of the A5 filo I currently use).
ReplyDeleteI really sympathise with your dilemma, needing/wanting the space of A5 but finding the binders to be too bulky. How much did you pay for your leather bound arc? I've only seen the poly ones but they look like a great idea.
DeleteI really wish I could get on with the Arc notebooks, but I find the paper always pops out and it drives me crazy! Looks like I'll be sticking with my rings for now :)
DeleteDavid, I got a leather a5 arc in purple for £15, which included 50 sheets of lined paper (and the Arc paper is REALLY nice). It must be bonded leather, and it does not have that strong leather smell of a Filofax - but it's smooth and durable and nice to handle. The big reason for choosing it over a cheaper poly cover was that it has 3 card slots and a secretarial pocket, which really made the arc a reasonable Filofax alternative for me. They have really boosted their range of accessories and inserts - sticky notes, zip wallets, normal and top-tab dividers in plastic and card - and almost everything in the range is £2! And the colours are a nice range. It's obviously not a 'luxury' product like a Filofax (although the paper is far nicer). But I want a functional, enjoyable planner, not a fashion statement - and so far it's holding up far better than I expected!
DeleteJ, I initially found that when I first added accessories to the discs. Then I swapped them for the next size up (£2 for 12) and it works fine, so I think as long as I don't stuff it like a Filofax the paper seems secure enough. One benefit is that you can add or remove pages at the back or front of the book, without pages falling off the 'full' side of the rings.
DeleteFavourite cheap leather conditonner? I tried pure shea but it left white marks, I use vaseline on my Cambridge Satchel, but haven't tried it on my Malden. I hear people like Nivea (the blue jar?). Thanks!
ReplyDeleteNeutral coloured leather Dubbin. Available from shoe repair shops or Wilkinsons- Wilko. In circular leather shoe polish tin. Inexpensive and fantastic, as specifically for leather and used by leather craftsmen to condition leather.
DeleteJe fais tout avec la Nivéa le pot de crème bleu, le cuir du Malden est revenu parfaitement, et avec tous les cuirs, même les sacs. Le karité et la vaseline sont trop gras, il faut quelquechose ni de trop gras ni de trop liquide.
DeleteBonne suite.
I make everything with Nivéa the blue jar of cream, the leather of Malden returned perfectly, and with all the leathers, even the bags. The shea-tree and the petroleum jelly are too fat, it is necessary quelquechose neither of too fat nor too liquid.
Good continuation.
Thanks, Butanben!
DeleteMerci Chrisbleu. J'aime Nivéa pour mon beau donc je peut essayer pour le Malden. Bon Weekend!
I'm off to London in a couple of weeks. Normally I would pop into the Filofax shop for a browse, but as it has sadly closed, could someone recommend another shop with a good filo selection?
ReplyDeleteMy son would like a fountain pen for Christmas. He is 18, can anyone recommend a good one? $150 is my limit.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to get him a good writing fountain pen and not spend a bunch, the Lamy is a good one. It's plastic, writes well and you can get them in extra fine nibs, which is nice for a cheaper fountain pen.
DeleteI second the Lamy suggestion. I love my Vista, but one day, when I have a little more money, I'll go for the Lamy 200. I've heard good things about the Al-Star as well and the Pelkian M series.
DeleteIf you are looking for a fountain pen and you are in the US, you could do worse than look at www.gouletpens.com - no affiliation, just a very happy customer. I have also dealt with www.isellpens.com - my Lamy 2000 came from there and at the time that was the least expensive supplier anywhere, including anywhere in Europe ... Weird since Lamy pens are made in Germany.
DeleteThe Lamy Safari also comes in an aluminium metal finish as the Al-star, or transparent as the Vista. They are basically the same pen. The 2000 is a much more serious bit of kit, it is bottle fill only (integral piston filler rather than the cartridge/convert or arrangement of the Safari series). Some people also have issues with the grip on the 2000 as it has a couple of very small spring lugs which are the cap latch and some people find these uncomfortable.
You could also look at the lower end Pelikan pens, or the Pilot/Namiki Vanishing Point.
I'm pretty close to deciding on my inserts for next year. Haven't made a final decision just yet though, definitely still working through some new setup designs
ReplyDeleteJamie
greyskysaturday.wordpress.com
No idea! I'm sure I'll stick with my personal but may change up the diary. I think I'm over the whole decorated page thing and may be looking into a cleaner look for next year. My remaining dilemma.is the 3 a5s I'm using and it bugs me! When I was using FC classic my planner, diary, health/food diary section, etc was all in one binder. Since using filofax I have one house/home binder, one for diet/food/fitness, one for journal/spiritual. Ridiculous! I'm not using them regularly either though I love the binders and the set up. Wish I could get to 1 personal and 1 a5 but even the 30mm ring a5 is not going to hold the contents of what I am using 3 binders for even after purging a lot. The other option is to use a super sized FC that stays home but holds it all and personal for on the go. But that means not using the lovely a5s at all. Not ready to give them up. Just read this back...sound like a lunatic. What was the question again?!
ReplyDeleteI changed to a Regency Compact from a Personal Siena just recently. Inserts are wo2p with an additional note page in between. I just attended a conference and the binder was light and small enough to carry with me from one workshop to another.
ReplyDelete