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26 May 2017

Free for All Friday No. 445 - by Nan

Filofax organizers are great for recording events, thoughts, and ideas so you can remember them later, but what about things that haven't happened yet?

Do you use your Filofax for setting goals, outlining future plans, and keeping on track? Do you find it helpful? What do you do when goals and plans change?

And as always on Fridays, feel free to discuss anything related to ring-bound organizing!


10 comments:

  1. I'm good at keeping future appointments and tasks in my planner but need to do better at goals and projects. I'm a terrible goal setter (and keeper).

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    1. Me too Nancy. All my goals these days seem to be work related so of course I meet these (or I doubt I'd have a job!!) but I find it so hard to tick off personal goals... classic imbalance in the work/life balance thingie! Oh dear... you know what, thanks for posting your comment... it's made me think!

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  2. My filofax is used for all 3 of those things. Today's to-do list includes "Goal Check" and "First Class Lifestyle Check". The later tanks to Karine T. Currently my main goals are career related with a deadline of December 31st. My Filofax helps keep me on target. It is very satisfying to put a check next to a step towards my goal.

    When goals and plans change or need to be adjusted I do not stress about it. That's not helpful or productive. It's my thought that goals and plans need to be a little fluid to account for whatever Life throws at you.

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  3. I conceived a new layout after using one of my other inserts for a short time. I decided to change the information I record on paper. On my original weekly insert I used last year there is a large space of the day. On it I wrote timed notations, payments, computer etc.

    On the pages of the new one are categories or sections for the year. The information of the computer is on consecutive sheets for the year instead of days on the weekly layout. It is not so beneficial for me to view it each week. I also record prices of items and do not want to search the pages for them. On my new structure the finance is of one section and there are different titles like purchases, expenses etc.

    I prefer binders or covers with a narrow spine which remain open regardless of number or weight of contents. Because there is no clasp or zipper on my cover with pockets I can open and close it quickly.

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  4. Hello! I'm wondering if you all can help me place a Filofax from my past. I purchased it around 2000, and it was a red personal size in a leather that had some texture--more than a Cross but not as much as a Finsbury. I think it had a full-length zip in one of the covers. The covers were plain, not pieced. I had to throw it away after it basically melted on my car console during a super-hot camping trip. I'd really like to know what it was! After that adventure I left the world of paper planners, but am back with a vengeance :)

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    1. Hi Anna
      Check out our catalogue page, we have catalogues for most years in recent times, you might be able to spot your old Filofax in one of them.
      Regards
      Steve

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    2. Thanks Steve, I will. I tried looking around Filowiki but couldn't spot it.

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  5. Here's a topic for us all... overload. overwhelm. way too much on!!!
    I'm a project manager in the Arts and Disability sector. I work for a not for profit organisation in the arts program team meaning that I manage and coordinate and sometimes also facilitate arts programs for adults with disability. I am usually juggling about 10 consistent projects in my 3-4 day working week with a handful more coming and going. Here in Australia, the Disability sector is in the midst of undergoing the largest "shake up" since the 60's in terms of financial support for its participants in the way of a new National Insurance scheme. This basically translates to many many many changes to the way we do things at a business level all the way down to frontline level and things aren't feeling very "change ready" at this stage. In short, this week I missed a meeting. I was booked into a last minute meeting by my manager which threw everything out and as a result I missed a previously organised meeting. *shit* happens of course but I feel completely awful and professionally embarrassed and am left wondering what happened in my planner to allow for such an oversight. This is the first time this has happened and I feel like it's quite a "basic" mishap and no one got hurt (read, I'm not in trouble!!!) but I'm wondering how others cope when things start to get so busy that the little things slip. Have you got back up systems to ensure these things don't happen? (To prevent this from being an incredibly long post, I'll save you the details but the month prior was full of stuff that was out of my control - an audit of two of my programs left for me to organise as my manager was on leave leading up to it, the sudden death of a much loved staff member, and then a short leave break for me... so I probably wasn't showing up with my A game if I'm honest...)
    Has anyone got any tips or hints? I currently use a monthly Filofax layout for forward planning and carry three months of dailies for, well, daily planning. I feel like the mishap occurred because I didn't check my monthly schedule...
    Thanks and sorry for the long comment! I'm just hopeful that I'm not the only person who has ever experienced overload!!!
    Ps Steve, was great to hear you and Karine back on the airwaves! You guys keep me company for part of my commute so thank you ☺

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    1. My job is similar to yours, tho yours sounds a bit worse. Virtual hugs to you.

      Whenever I have a work-related thing that is time-specific (whether a meeting, or a project that has to be complete by a certain time) I back it up electronically. I put it in Outlook with a notification before the event is due to happen. If it's a day where i'm insanely busy I'll set the notification for half an hour before the meeting so I can snooze it once or twice, which means I'll get two or three reminders before the meeting. If the day is not quite so overwhelming, I'll set the snooze for 10 minutes before the meeting.

      That way, whether I'm looking at the computer while I do my work, or the day's to do list where I've written down the work I have to do, I've got a reminder in front of me.

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