'Electronic Calendars will make your life easier'
Ha ha... tell me that one again. I've just spent 2 hours (that I will never get back) struggling with Google Calendar trying to get it to show what I want it to show for a colleague in UK. They don't use Apple iCloud so I had to relearn how to use Google Calendar something I've not used for over 5 years.
Now I know why I love using paper. Simple and straight forward!!
Of course it's a Friday so let's not discuss electronic calendars.... let us discuss what we love most... paper, and ring bound organisers.
Have a great weekend.
I recently went to the doctor. When I pulled out my Filofax to ask the questions that I had written down, the young doctor laughed. Plus I need to write down what they say or I'll forget half of it by the time I get home. Anyone take their Filofax with them to doctors, vets, etc?
ReplyDeleteI too went to my GP this week for the first time in ages about a long term knee injury. I also wrote down my symptoms and questions beforehand (Holborn Slimline) and then jotted down his points and diagnosis. It struck me that during one-to-one interviews/ meetings, it's still not socially acceptable to type into a smart phone or tablet and that a pen and organiser looks professional. My GP commented that he wished everyone wrote down what had been said but that some would struggle in a standard 8 minute consultation - especially into an iPhone!
DeleteI had to look up a few medical terms on my iPad when I got home and I confess I then typed up all my scribble into Evernote rather than write my notes out neatly!
I agree, Tim. Writing down notes is much more polite than messing with a phone during a doctor's appointment. Most people aren't actually very good at recording info on their phone.
DeleteI was at hospital today and had various bits of information written out in my filofax (standard Holborn!) ready to help give a full, detailed history and also to note down the date of an op I now need. The doctor commented that she wished others did that, rather than scratching their heads wondering what happened when.
DeleteI take mine to appointments now.. My Doctor doesn't laugh but then she usually has her pocket Swift open on her desk.
DeleteOne of my doctors has an old beat up agenda in which he jots notes and appointments. Mine is always at the ready for the same purpose.
ReplyDeleteThis week I went into a meeting and I was the first one to have written down dates for future meetings in September and next year. Then I waited for the rest of them to twiddle about. And I waited...
ReplyDeleteAlso we needed to reference certain data about this year. I just opened the pages and let those two pages to be seen by the lot. Another few moments saved.
I had exactly the same experience yesterday. I went to a meeting with two clients and one of their other advisers, and at the end of the meeting we had to book further meetings for July and October. Filofax out, dates booked in about half a minute. Then came the wait while the 'up to date' tech-loaded client picked his way through his tablet to find the dates. It would have been longer if he'd been on his phone.
DeleteNew isn't always better.....
I want a software calendaring/contact software that will work on my computer and Blackberry and will print out to Filofax. I'm not asking too much!
ReplyDeleteI always take my planner doctor's appointments. One time I had a list of stuff and the doctor asked for the list. Then he addressed each item on the list. Yes, he's a great doctor.
ReplyDeleteI would like to design my month and week inserts on the computer, input all the appointments and information, and have it accessible on my phone. Then I can print it and have a paper copy.
ReplyDeleteThere are advantages of an electronic based system - alarms, sharing calendars, etc. I just wish the developers recognized that some of us want to use their systems in conjunction with a paper based system.
DeleteHi Alan. If I remember correctly you commented on this topic on a previous post. I then thought that it would be effective to input all the information on a pocket or personal size computer layout and print it at the end of the month. As I designed and cut my week insert by hand I am in no hurry to create a computer version. The process was simple but archaic and tedious. Even if I design a computer layout and print it to place in my pocket binder I will have completed what the companies have done for many years.
DeleteI agree entirely with Alan. I recently changed iPhones, the sim was copied etc, but as usual some data disappeared. Some of my contacts just weren't there, so out came my Ranger, which I use as a purse and re entered my contacts from there. I wish my iPad/iPhone could sync with my Filos. One of the things I like most about my A5 Filofax is the ease on note taking at lectures at my local museum. A chap tries to take notes on a mini iPad, and often has to ask me about a point he didn't get down. I always have it down.
ReplyDeleteBit late again, but as I wrote in the recent FFAT, anyone have experiences with the Mini size binder (or Pocket size too...) they can share with me in terms of how it can work for someone for work purposes.
ReplyDeleteI'm not interested in using a Mini as a wallet....so, don't need input on that front, just from people that have used or tried using it in the workplace environment.
FYI, the smallest binder I've used so far is the personal size....and it took me awhile to get used to it coming from the larger A5 size.....but now that I'm used to it, I'm thinking about a Mini binder either as an adjunct binder or maybe even as my everyday carry everywhere during the workday binder......
Am I nutz considering this or ?................
Thanks for any and all input on this topic!
Mark
Hi Mark,
DeleteI used a pocket for about six months as my day to day organiser. It all depends on how much you want to write on a daily basis and whether you have another, larger office binder, or if this will be it.
I used the week on two pages and found that ok for appointments only, but poor for adding daily actions. The action list was then just one long list which I found hard to identify what needed doing as a priority each day. A day to a page was much better, but this then limited to perhaps a week or two of daily pages, then some week on two pages and some month on two pages. The daily pages took up too much room.
Buying filofax pages was too expensive as I effectivly needed three sets, printing was ok - thanks to Philofaxy and Ray's files - but I became tired of the continuous printing, cutting and punching.
I still use a pocket, but only for finances, petrol logs and emergency info such as maps and contacts. You also need small handwriting to get the most out of a pocket!
Hope that helps
Very helpful, James! Appreciate all the detailed input...
DeleteMark
Hi Mark,
DeleteI use a Guildford Extra slim pocket. No clasp, no pen loop. I make my own planner pages on Davinci (tomoe river) paper. Right now it is a week on 2 pages, but I change it depending on what is going on. I also have my check registers, cash records, keep track of 2 credit cards, solar record of KWhs generated,several moving average charts, lists and daily notes. With the tomoe river paper I can carry 120 pages and it works really well. I can even carry it in a shirt pocket when need be. After using a personal for 30+ years, I am amazed at how well this works.
Hi crofter,
DeleteThank you for all the info on the Guildford....too bad they're not available now.....but the idea is applicable to other binders....
Mark
Hi Crofter, I trust all is well over there? :) So you put your Tomoe River through a printer? That's the one 'final frontier I've always shied away from. What printer do you use, and presumably it picks up and passes through OK?
DeleteRe printing on the TR paper: I have found you can laser print on it surprisingly well if you put it through the printer along with a piece of thicker paper. If you buy the Davinci paper (pocket & personal size seem to be readily available in N America) it comes with an insert/stiffener in the pack that can be used or you can just cut one from very thin card/thicker paper. Put the TR piece and the card in the printer together exactly lined up and they will go through as one WITHOUT the TR piece just crumpling (which is what tends to happen without this trick). Works with a Brother HL-2270 printer, YMMV. Because of the extra thickness use the printer menu from your software to select "Thick paper" as the media to make sure the fuser part properly fuses the toner or it will rub off.
DeleteAlso open the door at the back to give a straight through path or the card piece will get very curled.
I've even printed FF mini size paper this way.
Hope that helps someone.
Dave.
Hi David,
ReplyDeleteYes, all is well in Colorado.
No, I haven't printed on it, I was able to find some A-6 dot grid in a notebook that I cut down and punched. Building moving averages charts from there was a pretty simple project, and used different colored inks. The check registers were easy with the marks on the first and last line of the Davinci paper. With that paper I am amazed at the amount of information that can be stored and readily accessed in such a compact spaced.
Hope this finds you well my friend!