Experience User - Maria

This week I would like to thank Maria for sharing with us how she uses her organisers. My name is Maria. I am a 39 year old librarian from Denmark.

1: When did you start using a organiser?

For many years I used the kind of spiralbound calendars you would get for free, but in 2007 I started using a Filofax.

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

I used to only record a couple of things: homework/working hours, a few to-dos and small notes if something special happened.

From 2007-2011 I used my mini Lyndhurst, always with a week per view or week per page. I carried a whole year of inserts and I only used my Filofax for my private life and just noting down my work schedule.

In 2012 I bought a plastic Hello! Project organiser in pocket size, and from them on I started exploring the Filofax world, including different sizes, systems and diary formats. … and of course multipens, sticky notes, washi, you name it.

I used my Nokia E71 for work to-dos, but as my work became more complex, keeping my work to-dos in my phone became too crowded and I started using my Filofax for work as well.

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

After I combined my work and private life in my Filofax I found daily pages works best for me. I only use daily pages with a timetable. I block out meetings and appointments on the left side of the page for a better overview of how much time I have for my to-dos. On the right side of the page I write my to dos. I also use monthly pages, but I have a special use for them.

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

I use Filofax month on two pages as a record of the year. I write down my actual working hours to the left and any events I want to remember in the little squares. I have to use a 0.3 to write in the monthly pages, 0.4 is too big. I only keep these monthly pages as I trash my daily pages after a month.

I also keep my health tracker, a few pages with work info, my goals, my yearly tracker and my zone-cleaning schedule in my Filofax. I draw out my trackers on pocket sized 3 mm squared paper I have cut down to mini size.

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

After discovering DIYfish I have been using the same system with minor tweaks. I print my DIYfish simple daily layout v5s3 at 85 % on 70gsm paper and it fits perfectly in my mini. I use a Hi Tec C Slims and write down work in black, private in red. Completed to-do is crossed out in black, transferred to-do in red.

I only keep 3 months of daily pages in my Filofax. For future planning I either use DIYfish monthly foldout pages or post-its on a dashboard. For long time planning I use a DIYfish resized One Year Calendar A6 where I write birthdays, holidays and to-do only occurring once or twice per year. It doesn't matter if I am in a pocket or a mini, it is the same system I am using.

6: What routines and structures do you use?

Every night I write :) or :( in my health tracker. Saturday or Sunday I prepare for the next week.

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

I only use one at a time, but I own many. I have several favourites: my Pocket Luxe Ebony and my Ochre Maldens in mini and pocket, but for a long time – it is all relative, but 7 months is a long time for me – I have been using a mini. Most of the time I have been using my Guildford Extra Slim. I find that if I am not using my Filofax enough, changing the binder helps weeding out unnecessary stuff and making a fresh start.

Thank you Maria,

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