01 May 2015

Free for All Friday No. 337 by Nan

Before or after? I once heard of someone who only wrote anything in her organizer after it happened. She wanted to keep her organizer neat and wanted to avoid strikethroughs and erasures.

I'm definitely a "before" writer. I write things down to remind myself what I will need to do. I miss out on the benefits of "after" writing...the name of the movie I just saw...the day I finished a project.

Are you a "before" or "after"?

17 comments:

  1. I do a little of both. I am in school, so writing things such as due dates, assignments, and classes is essential or I'd never get anything done on time. I do a little 'after' writing, such as movies I've seen, something memorable that happened but these are brief. I am definitely not a journaler.

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  2. I want Filofax to bring out a line of Originals with one inch rings. I love the minimalist design but by the time I put in card holders, pockets and envelopes for capturing loose bits, it's too jammed up to be a good workhorse. Love the flat covers but how about some ring space in compensation Filofax designers.

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  3. Mostly before. I use my planner for planning and I have a separate diary/journal for writing up my day which I do at the end of the day.
    If plans were always tentative, and I only put them in in pencil, I might ink them in afterwards. If I've inked in plans and they change, I just use correction tape. I'm not that precious over my planner!

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  4. I do both, definitely to plan ahead first and foremost because that's why I pack the darn thing. I use a DO2P so it's there to be filled in. I think drawing a kine through an appt. Writing "canceled" or "rescheduled" over an appt. is a smart thing, I've even written the reason why.

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  5. +1 for "Both." While I was using a horizontal P2P layout, I learned the importance of having a Done column. Now that I'm using a vertical layout, I find that I really miss it. I could put my Done list into a notes section, but I'd like to see my accomplishments. Need that bit of motivation. Any ideas are very much appreciated.

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  7. Why write down an appointment *after* it happened? The whole point of a diary is to help me remember what's *going* to happen, not to remind me of what I missed because it wasn't written down.

    Sorry, doesn't make sense to me at all......

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    Replies
    1. Understand your point...

      However, sometimes, for example, things come up at short notice and an important meeting didn't get into my diary.

      For business reasons, I like to have a record of when that meeting occurred. So, putting it in after the fact, it helpful to me. There can be other reasons for entering in items after they occur.

      It doesn't happen often, but once in a while it does.....

      Mark

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  8. Another close encounter with a screen-tapper this morning. I suggested we arrange a meeting to discuss something and flipped open my Filofax. Total 'boot time' under a second'. I then proceeded to wait while said contact played with his phone for about five minutes. This, folks is what they call 'progress'. I call it a joke. To add to the insult he told me *my* system was 'of the eighties'. I didn't point out to him that it might well be of the 80s, but it's still a lot more efficient than his plastic wedge, because I hope to develop a working relationship with him.

    Later in the morning another screen-tapper told me he couldn't arrange a meeting right then and there because his diary was on his tablet, which wasn't with him.

    I despair of these techno-addicts. They aren't worth spending the time to explain to the multiple advantages of paper and pencil. I'm back in full-on paper-fundamentalist rant mode. Can you tell? :)

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    1. We hear you David... you don't need to apologise here. I've been suffering at the pains of tech-calendars and shifting time zones with the darn things this last week... I'm making sure it's all on paper so I know exactly the time of flights and events because over 7 weeks and several time zone changes sure as eggs are eggs Murphy's Law will apply somewhere.

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    2. +1.......

      No batteries required for Filofax either.....

      ;-)

      Mark

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  9. I trimmed and punched a classic Franklin ruler for my pocket binder because I need one that I can see from the top and bottom. My pocket ruler is visible only from the top of the binder. I had to discard the pocket flap. The different rulers have been quite useful and are not just page markers. The Franklin one has only the imperial measurement though.

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    1. Sounds like a good idea.......

      Wish there were more transparent/clear rulers available for certain size binders....

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  10. I do a bit of both, but I do more after writing than before writing. I will write down appointments and such, but I tend to fill it in with movies I saw, etc. I actually used to use a planner instead of a journal--I'd have appts noted in the monthly calendar, but in the weekly space I would write a few sentences at the end of the day.

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  11. The main thing I record after the fact is what we did on each day of a holiday. It's nice to have a record of such, unplanned activity, even if only to remind you later when you're wondering where all the time went.

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  12. Just thought I'd remind the gang, that Robert at Filowiki (see visual link in column to the left of this one....) welcomes us sending him photos of any Filofax binder that is not listed.

    For example, he might have a Guildford Personal listed, but not the Pocket. So, he'd welcome photos of the pocket size.

    Also, he might have a black color of a Filofax, but not the red version, etc.

    Think he's providing everyone a great resource. So, if we can assist in making it even better and more comprehensive I think it would benefit us all.

    I plan on sending him some photos soon.

    If you haven't seen his site, take a look. Incredible amount of information. I like the way he set it up so that you can sort the info in various ways. In alphabetical order of name, by ring size, etc.

    A big thumbs up to Robert.....

    Mark

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  13. Like David, I find the concept of writing "after" to be totally baffling. While I will note things that happened for future reference (primarily work-related) how on Earth do you remember when or where things will happen if you don't write them into the organizer?

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