Experienced User - Rebecca

This week I would like to welcome Rebecca to share with us how she uses her organisers. 

Hi there!  My name is Rebecca Bover and I am a Planner Addict.  I am also known as One Fantastic Find! on YouTube.

I was a Technology Trainer for years, now a Project Manager - so I've always been the kind to share anything...

1. When did you start using an organiser?

I've always used one....for as long as I can remember but it was almost always a DayRunner or a Franklin Covey.  The first Filofax I purchased was a personal sized Crimson Malden from a local stationery shop here in Indian Wells, CA.  I bought it not realizing how sought after they were.  The next one I purchased was an A5 Raspberry Finsbury to be used specifically for work as I had recently become a Project Manager and thought I would need more space than a personal size could provide.  

2. How has your use of an organiser changed over the years?

It has changed immensely over the last few years.  I originally began using the A5 Time Management insert set in the Weekly view for work because they also came with project management pages, a section for expenses, notes, and more.  I loved them.  You can see a video here: For the love of Filofax: A5 Filofax Business Setup Update

However,  the one thing that I always longed for was the convenience of having everything in one planner and the portability to carry it with me wherever I went.  That's when I was introduced to the DIYFish inserts.  They have been a staple of my planning over the last few years.  The brilliance of these inserts are the ability to see your month, week, and day all in one view and that was exactly what I wanted.  I thrived on these inserts.  

3. Which diary format works best for you and why?

Originally, the weekly format is what worked best for me, but over the years I moved to a daily view.  Mostly to keep me grounded to what has to be done each day. 

In May, I moved from my Gillio medium Campagna in Red to the bound planner made by Hobonichi.  

It is currently held in a Van der Spek custom cover I had made.  Isn't it lovely? 

If I could find a planner that could show my weekly schedule (varying times for appointments) in view at all times and have a daily view to jot my to do's and chores (some recurring, some needed to be done on a specific day) also in view then I would truly be in heaven.  I hate flipping from one section to another.  If I don't see it, I won't use it.

4. What other information do you keep and maintain in your organiser. 

I have an annual vertical calendar that I track my husband's schedule, my firm holidays and my vacation and sick days.  My Monthly calendar is used primarily to track bills, birthdays and holidays which I then refer to on my daily pages.  

5. Do you use a 'system' of organisation, and how does it work in your Filofax? 

I don't really think I have a system, more of a routine then anything.  Repetition is my friend as far as keeping me on track.  I do use my own system when it comes to home maintenance to keep up with daily, weekly, monthly quarterly and annual household needs.  I keep these in a separate notebook which I then can carry from planner to planner, year after year - regardless of how my planning evolves.

6. What routines and structures do you use?

I have a laminated card that has repeating daily and a few weekly tasks on it that I then use a wet erase marker to tick off when they are done.  

At the end of the week, I simply use an alcohol swab to wipe it clean for the next week.  I am going to make another one, but this time add a meal planner on the back side so I can plan out my week's meals and reuse it.  Right now, I am winging it when it comes to meal planning and that isn't always convenient when I forget to defrost the meat I want to use.  As stated before, I also use my home maintenance notebook to refer to monthly tasks that should be done.  I also have a perpetual calendar for birthday's and holidays that I refer to each month to make sure no one gets missed.

7. Do you use one binder or several, and if several, how do you use them?

Right now, I have two going on.  A Hobonichi Planner (A6 size in English) for my everyday carry and a Filofax Original (personal size in Pear) that I am using as a Holiday Planner in preparation for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  It holds meal plans, gift giving ideas, budgets, purchases, holiday decorating supplies, visitors, cards, receipts, etc.

Thank you Rebecca,

If you would like to take part in this series please email steve@philofaxy.com and mark your email 'Experienced Filofax User'