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01 May 2018

Free For All Tuesday - No. 378

So what questions or discussion points have you got for us today?

It doesn't matter if you are a beginner or a more experienced user of organisers, we want to hear your thoughts, questions, opinions etc.

Make today the one day you post a comment or a question.

It is Tuesday after all so fire away.

11 comments:

  1. How often do you Philofaxians change your set up? I've been using a Personal size Traveler's Notebook for the past few years, but now I'm contemplating going back to my pocket size Filofax. Whenever I get a new set up, it's like falling in love and I figure it's going to last forever. But a few years in I start getting restless and switch to another set up. How long have you been with your current set?

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    1. Hi Vidya

      Philofaxian is a great word! I propose we adopt it immediately!

      Any chance of a flag Steve? Maybe a coat of arms?

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    2. We're going to need (virtual) territory as well - Philofaxia!

      Delete
  2. This is undoubtedly the number one unsolvable conundrum for paper organiser users. Many of us have spent years switching sizes every few months - or even weeks. If you can stay in the same size and set-up for years, you are doing well!

    The reality is that there is no one perfect size. Each has its advantages and disadvantages - eg: A5 offers a much larger page size but offset by the bulk and weight of a full A5 organiser. Also, our lives change. I’m now spending far less time at my desk, so a much smaller organiser is more convenient. People also change by season with Pocket organisers more popular during the summer months, when folk are more likely to be travelling or on holiday.

    In my case, I’ve been using a Flex by Filofax/ homemade inserts wallet combo in pocket size since Christmas in tandem with the excellent Informant app and am determined to stick with it throughout 2018. For me, the worst thing is to fall into the trap of thinking that changing my paper set-up (yet again!) will solve all my problems. Instead, I’m sticking with my current system, despite the shortcomings, until the end of the year and spending the time saved getting completed tasks ticked off and achieving goals!

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  3. I try to stick with one setup for at least a year, but many of us change a sizes and setups more often - as Tim says, it's an unsolvable conundrum. I need the space provided by an A5 for my business but I want to leave that on the desk when I move around. I'm trying to tweak my current setup already this year by bringing together the benefits of an A5 desk diary with a portable A7 notebook. No doubt that will also change before year's end ...

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  4. I've been using the same diary inserts (A5 Enhanced Time Manager from Philofaxy) since 2011/2.

    In terms of organisers I have been using my current set up since September 2016 which involved splitting my A5 sections between two A5 organisers.

    One with reference and spare pages etc which stays on my desk and the other main A5 which contains my planner inserts and some notes pages which I have open on my desk and I carry around when I need it.

    Prior to that I used to carry a Personal or A6 with duplicate diary pages in it. On reflection this really didn't work!

    In addition to my A5 I do use notebooks for various projects such as talk notes, book notes etc.

    But things are now fairly stable, unless I decide to downsize to Personal from A5.... hmm... may be not!

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  5. Steve, what is your day to day, non reference carry around planner? VDS, Gillio, Filofax, Launer? Has it got thinner rings? This sounds such a good idea,to separate out the reference bits in an A5 from the dates bits, you've got me thinking now!! Have you got a set up video showing how you work it? Thanks so much for this idea. xx

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    Replies
    1. I will do a post or a video explaining how the set up is split.

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  6. I've firmly established myself in Franklin Covey's A5-ish Classic size, for going on five years now. I fooled around with the next two smaller sizes for a while, but neither was quite enough for my needs. Classic, on the other hand, seems like a perfect fit for what I do.

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    1. I have a bunch of different FC Classic binders currently being used to store extra pages, but if my current binder should ever wear out (it's a mid-90s Franklin Quest and seems to be holding up very well...the FC binders of that era are a lot more durable than today's), then I'll have the choice of several binders to move my pages into.

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  7. I think I may be on the point of doing the one thing I've tried to avoid these last eight or so years - splitting my system between work and personal

    I've always subscribed to the 'one life, one planner' ideal, but lately it's become much harder to find a solution which would do justice to both - and also to get a proper separation between work and non-work. Because I run a business it's a constant temptation when I'm carrying it all around, just to refer back to 'work stuff' when I really should be concentrating on being fully present at home.

    I'll write more about this in due course - and if I make it stick! For now, though it seems like a good idea - and it means I can enjoy the space of A5 when I'm working (and which I need), plus the portability of Personal when I'm not at work.

    Let's see what happens :) ................

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