As it's halfway through the year already, I thought it would be useful to review how things are going with my system and the Filofaxes that I've been using. My lovely Ascot was returned to its previous owner at the end of last year, and I am very content in my crimson personal Malden. I've been a little unsettled, in comparison, on the A5 front, but am very relieved to have recently sorted that out (another post to come). My system of using a personal as my main binder, with an A5 for when I need more space, planning projects and helping me process paperwork, is working really well. All in all I am very content, and just want to focus on getting everything up to date and being consistent with using what I've put in place.
How are you getting on, and are you happy with how the first six months of the year have gone with your planner(s)?
And as it's Friday, please feel free to discuss anything Filofax or ring bound planner related.
Have a lovely weekend.
I thought I was busy before but have I really been shown the true meaning of hustling! So in order to achieve all that needs be done, I´ve moved back to the trusted A4 notebook (I suppose bulletjournaling describes its use best) and I have moved to the personal´ish sized binder I made back in the days (it´s gorgeous, it´s real crocodile from a vintage purse that broke. The leather was just too yummy and burgundy to be tossed so I made into a binder!). The reason I did this was because I wanted the portability of a smaller size (comparing now to A5) but a bigger sing size. Also, rings that don´t gap and break down after just a month´s worth of use. I bought a general binder from grocery store (cost 2,5€ if memory serves me right) made of pliable, thin plastic and cut the ring and spine part out and incorporated the bits to the binder. Did I mention that it´s luscious? Anyhoodle, now I have sections and tabs coming out of my ears and it all is neatly within one covers and the ring size makes it all possible. Happy Summer, all!
ReplyDeleteClarification is needed. The binder actually is personal sized but due the ring size (pages reach further with larger diameter) the pages are a smidgen narrower.
Delete"Hustling"? I had to look that one up! I do remember Van McCoy in the 70's with The Hustle and now I can't get that tune out of my head!
DeleteTim, I am a child of the swingy 70´s, after all.
DeleteI'd love to see some photos of that!
ReplyDeleteNo problem. But... I don´t suppose one can put pictures in comments?
DeletePost a link to Flickr or another similar photo sharing site
DeleteI just typed a short blog post on the thing
Deletehttp://fancifulnesses.blogspot.fi/
I think the phrase 'tits up' would best describe how my 'planning' has gone in the last 6 weeks or so.
ReplyDelete[Apologies to anyone offended by the language!]
I know what's wrong and how to sort it... I'm just somehow not doing it!
I've heard of 'bottom up' planning, but this is a new one.
DeleteI have great sympathy with someone's planning and execution going pearshaped. A couple of months ago, my partner fractured a tibial plateau and spent 7 weeks essentially immobile - no weight bearing on the damaged leg, moving around using one leg and a zimmer frame. I had to manage my fulltime job, plus wrangle the household and all the things t'other half couldn't do... essentially everything except sit in a chair with the leg up (it was in a cast for the first 3 weeks, then a brace...). I held it together during that time with endless checklists in my trust A5 Portobello. Now that my partner's leg is healed and I am living with a functional biped again and moving back to normality, my entire system has gone to pieces. 3 days last week I didn't even open the filofax, much less write anything in it - there are entire blank days in there! It's almost as if my brain, having been straitjacketed into absolute structure with no room for manoeuvre for a couple of months, has rebelled against it now the crisis is over...
DeletePaul - I know exactly what you're talking about. I did my job and someone else's for over 4 months. Now that I've hired and am training the new person, I'm a lump. My brain is on vacation. I can't even concentrate long enough to watch half an hour of television.
DeleteI am still new to this but trust and believe I am learning from everyone on here. I am managing 3 planners bows head in shame, my pocket is used for spending, personal size for to do's and an MTN for thoughts. I will try a day per page on a personal next yr. as my solo bolo planner for 6 months to see how it works out and maybe that will change how my situation is bec. lets be honest I myself gets confuse with what I am doing lol. I am tempted to do the 6 months turn over but what a waste of paper plus calendar to do, so I will just ride this one till 2015 comes. Makes me look forward to the New Year to put all my ideas into actions. Wish me luck Filo and Binders fans. Much LHR <3 Darlene
ReplyDeleteHi Anita, I love the simplicity of your ‘set up’ and have a similar arrangement myself. My Clipbook has provided that extra ‘space’ for planning and mindmapping while being an extremely flexible and compact A5 design. My Personal Filo is my ‘go to’ binder for daily use and combines with (mandatory) Outlook calendar at work to keep me organised. I’m very happy with my simplified set up and it’s working really well for me. Here’s to the next 6 months!
ReplyDeleteThese first six months were ones of experimentation, not only for page size but also for calendar page format. I believe I have finally settled into my true working system and will stay there and enjoy the peace it is bringing to me. :)
ReplyDeleteNot exactly what I had in mind, but will stick it out until 2015. Already have my 2015 (FC Classic DO2P) pages in and three appointments, looking forward to going back.
ReplyDeleteI switched from a compact Franklin Covey to an A5 size Time/system planner for work...not sure how I feel about it. It seems cold and austere, and I think I prefer FC's pages/inserts. Still, I'll grind away with this for a while and make sure I get my money's worth out of it. If I decide I've had enough I can always go back to FC. My home planner is a Classic size FC, and that fits my needs very well.
ReplyDeleteI have been using a Dayrunner week on two pages insert with times on the week days in my compact Luxe. The weekend space is smaller with no times. I wanted a little more space on the weekends and an insert with no times. So I bought a Wo2P insert that has eight lines for each day and no times. This insert starts now in June. I am leaning towards the second one and then using the Dayrunner one for something else. I also am using cards that are lined on both sides (3" wide by 4 1/2" high) for master lists or monthly lists instead of lined paper. Many inserts have lined space for this purpose before the month starts but I want to move my lists around. I hole punched and slit the cards. I may cut the top blank space on the card into a tab and write June on it so it will serve a dual purpose. I would place the card in between my month on two pages. Then it is a list and a month tab. The cards will be easier to locate because sometimes my lists on paper are in different sections of my planner. Maybe the cards will also make the tasks more pressing. I took out my clear ruler from my planner because it got in the way. I use instead a thin clear sticky tab on my weekly pages.
ReplyDeleteI went back to my FC pocket size in January and have been very please with how well it's working out. Wasn't sure I would have room for everything I thought I would need but so far it has.
ReplyDeleteI am new to this. I owned green finsbury in a5 for some time now (still do!) but had not busy enough life to use it to its full potential! I have started new and very challenging job back at the beginning of May and very quickly realized that I can't manage without a proper diary.. so.. treated myself to a5 ochre malden.... I needed only few weeks to realize that none of the inserts available online work for me, so I've designed my own! Got some A5 paper, rapesco stapler, one evening of playing in MS Word and my perfect set up was almost ready. Got myself set of highlighters and set of small post-it notes and it works awesome! I use week on 2 pages diary but mainly use notes sections for notes from my meetings etc. I am now tempted to use my old green finsbury for home stuff but not sure if that will work.. still thinking about it! :)
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