14 October 2016

Free for All Friday No. 413 by Nan

I was thinking today how many of my relationships owe themselves directly to my interest in Filofaxes. As far as online, social media relationships go -- almost all of them! Real-life relationships have been affected as well. Sometimes a colleague or acquaintance stumbles upon me on Philofaxy, Facebook, or Flickr because they were searching for Filofaxes.

How have your organizers or planners affected your social life?

Since it's Friday, all organizer-related topics are welcome as well!

21 comments:

  1. Good morning everyone. Did Filofax ever make a Mini without the full length back pocket, which would aid "flatability"? Thank you.

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    1. A few didn't http://philofaxy.blogspot.com/2013/03/wallet-pockets.html

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  2. @Steve

    I think so.....Did you check Filowiki?

    @Nan

    Not really....unless you count posting here or on another blog....

    I don't do FB or other such things....

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  3. Yes, I happen to own one Guildford Extra Slim Mini, without the back pocket.

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    1. Just to add, with some light training it will lay flat but not totally even, based on the particular spine construction. However, having 11 mm rings and no clasp makes it a very portable minimalist Filofax. :-)

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  4. I have just tested my own minis:
    Ochre Malden: has back pocket, but lies very flat
    Guildford Extra Slim: no back pocket, but does not lie perfectly flat
    Black Baroque: no back pocket, does not lie flat, might do with light training
    Lyndhurst: ziparound, no flatability
    Ebony Luxe: has back pocket, absolutely no flatability

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  5. Thank you to everyone who has taken the trouble to reply. Your comments have given me plenty to look out for.

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    1. My pleasure. Wishing you good results and the solution you are looking for.

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  6. I just remembered I have an old red Piccadilly, but I have never used it and want to find a new home for it. It lies pretty flat and has tiny rings. No back pocket. If you want it, you can have it.

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  7. For my Franklin pocket binder I trimmed and punched the sheets and dividers. Now that I use a cover without rings instead of the binder I expend less time and effort for designing my weekly layout. I draw my format on the pages of a bound notebook and place the notebook in the pocket of the cover. It is pleasant to write on the pages of the notebook without the interference of the rings or clasp. It is beneficial to remove sheets and designate sections and notes in a binder. However there are many sheets of the notebook for those sections and I can draw and shade tabs.

    I like carrying my cover and managing the pages easily while standing. Most people probably do not open the rings of a binder often in that case. My binders are more convenient on a desk because the weight is not a negative factor. I prefer my weekly insert in the notebook and digital calendar for portability. Ultimately I would rather focus on the positive aspects of my cover instead of noticing the negative ones.

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    1. Be,

      Do I understand your system to be as follows:

      - Pages in a cover without rings.

      - Do you punch pages after writing on them and then put them in a separate ring binder or do you have a way to put them in your cover somehow (you mention 'designate sections and notes in a binder')? Trying to understand what you do with the loose pages after writing on them.



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    2. Mark, your question of punching pages or putting them in my cover sounds sarcastic. I stated that I use a cover without rings instead of the Franklin binder. I design my weekly format on the pages of a bound notebook for the cover.

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    3. Be, I don't think Mark was being sarcastic. He misunderstood your system. He was confused about your pages in a cover without rings.

      Mark if you read her post again I think it says she uses a bound notebook in the cover without rings. She says it is beneficial to be able to remove loose pages in a ring binder, but she doesn't use one when out and about anymore due to portability issues.

      I hope that cleared it up for everyone!

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    4. Laurie, thank you for the reply. I felt that my points were clear.

      Mark's question concerned removing or punching the sheets of my bound notebook and then placing them in the binder or the cover. Why or how would one place those sheets in the notebook again or cover without rings? I suppose that I did not understand his question.

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    5. He did not understand all the pages are in a bound book. He thought you were using some looseleaf pages and was trying to ask how you managed those.

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    6. Be,

      Was not being sarcastic at all...just trying to understand your system. Sounded like it might be a different way to manage pages than I am familiar with. Therefore, I wanted to understand it better.

      Laurie,

      Thank you so much for jumping in to clarify situation. Greatly appreciate it!

      Mark

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    7. You are very welcome Mark! I could tell you guys had crossed wires and wanted to straighten it out.

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    8. Mark, have you shown in a post or discussed your products, inserts, and ways? Do you use technology and paper inserts? It would be interesting to know your tips, ways, and management of information.

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  8. Be, I have discussed my system in various posts in Free For All Friday, etc, but have not shown my system visually.

    I do use technology to manage my calendar most of the time, as my company let me get a nice iPhone 6+ last year. Easy on the eyes and have it with me all the time now. It also synchronizes with Lotus Notes that we use for email and calendar on the company laptop. So, don't use paper much anymore for scheduling.

    My other main need is to keep track of the large amount of projects and associated tasks for the team I direct as well as meeting notes throughout the day for the various meetings I go to.

    Have bounced back and forth between ring binders (FC, FF, vdS...) and hard bound journals (lined paper, Moleskine, Leuchturm, approx. 5 x 8" size...). Each has their advantages and disadvantages. Lately, I find myself using my journals more.

    As for binder inserts, have used various ones including FC, FF, and Time/System. Probably like FC and Time/System the best. Have tried printing my own inserts, but never got very far with that, due to issues with double-sided printing, trimming pages, etc.

    Decided recently to try an experiment and ordered a Traveler's Note type leather cover with several lined paper booklets. We shall see how that works out...probably won't receive items for another week or so.

    Have setup binders in GTD style sections, but lately been trying more of a Bullet Journal style....seems to work pretty well for my needs.

    GTD is great, but wants more rigorous reviews than I seem to be able to do on a consistent basis, but find having read Allen's books to be very helpful in getting me think more clearly about managing all the things that need to get done.

    So, taking some of the GTD thinking and using more of a Bullet Journal approach with my paper systems is working out quite well this year.

    Hope this is helpful.

    If any questions, please feel free to ask.

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    1. Mark, thanks for the reply. I noticed that the traveler's notebook is popular online. I have heard people discuss GTD online but otherwise I am not familiar with it. I suppose that buying numerous products and inserts can be undesirable at some point. Those that I know rely on technology and assistants for their careers. They would probably stare at the small pile of items I purchased long ago but have no remark.

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    2. You are most welcome, Be.

      Don't know what amount of tasks you need to deal with, but I would recommend watching one of David Allen's videos about GTD as well as reading his book "Getting Things Done". Even if you don't end up using his system, you will think differently about things you need to do and learn more about why people do what they do regarding tasks that need to be done.

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