What do I need? - just a micro-phone and some head phones(in ear phones work fine) and a free Skype account. Using headphones or earphone reduces 'echo' on the call. Video is optional, but a few of us will be on video as well.
Who - All of you... Join the chat here: https://join.skype.com/A85fEyS7HPUP Come and listen if you don't want to chat. What do we talk about? Filofax stuff... but anything else as well. It's like long lost friends meeting up for coffee and a catch up.. but don't worry if you have never joined in before... you are an old friend too!
If you have any questions you want to ask then please let us know in the group or before we start.
Come and join in the fun, even if you only pop in to say hello... but don't be afraid to join in the discussion.
If you need any assistance setting up Skype, please pop a comment in this post and I will try and help you get one line. Skype is free for computer to computer calls....
Here are the latest Filofax and other brand blog posts from around the Internet. Don't forget to leave a comment on the posts you enjoyed reading, all bloggers enjoy getting comments.
Please leave a comment on any of the blogs you enjoyed reading and mention that you saw their post mentioned on Philofaxy. Thank you
We monitor over 400 blogs and sites, your Filofax/Organiser blog posts could appear in this list, just contact philofaxy at gmail dot com to be added to our monitoring list.
We can not guarantee people will read your posts, but we know there is a higher chance of people reading your posts and returning to read other posts if you make them interesting with pictures and good hints and tips. Do not forget to give your posts a title...
Your Filofax/Organiser posts could appear in this list, just contact philofaxy at gmail dot com to be added to our monitoring list.
For some general tips on Filofax Blogging, please see this post
I admit that I often find the Free For All Friday posts a little tricky to write, so I thought that I'd try using them as an update on what's been working (or not) during the past month.
Well, quite a bit has changed since my last FFAF as my new bookkeeping job has definitely taken off as the company is very busy currently due to tax return deadlines. I still need to write a post about my set up, but I'm finding that the A5 size is working very well as I'm writing more during training sessions with my boss. Sadly the cracking on the A5 Belgravia was getting worse, so I am extremely grateful that I've been able to return it and I will in due course find myself another A5.
As work has been so hectic, I admit that, in comparison, I really haven't been using my personal Kensington very much! Therefore, currently I have some personal sized pages at the back of my A5 pages to track personal to dos, but I'm still keeping the rest of my usual information in the Kensington. When my work settles down, I will then take the time to move back into my Kensington properly. I know that I could use A5 for both personal and work, but over the years, I've found that I prefer to keep them separate.
How has your month been for planning?
And as always on Fridays, please feel free to discuss anything organiser related. I hope that you have a great weekend.
This is the first of a new series of Philofaxy Guides. We hope to cover a variety of other organiser related topics in the future months. We will also revisit these topics and republish updated versions over time too. We will include links to our own previous posts as well as external sites that we think are relevant to the topic.
Anita and I thought we would start off with 'Caring for your organiser' as it is such a frequent topic with questions coming up on social media every week that we both get to respond to.
Cared for, your organiser can potentially last for many decades and still provide excellent service many years after you purchased it.
Let us break down your organiser and look at the various parts that need a little TLC from time to time.
The Cover
The cover of your organiser is one of the parts that has to battle against the elements the most to protect your pages from being damaged.
The cover can be made from a variety of materials or combinations of materials.
Leather is a popular choice because of it's resistance to wear and tear, but over time it can become a little 'battle scarred if it is put in and out of a bag along with a lot of other 'stuff'.
Plastic outer covers might not be the nicest to hold in your hand, but they can be a bit more carefree, only needing a little wipe with a damp cloth every once in a while to remove any dirt and grime through everyday use.
I've also used ordinary household silicon based polish on this sort of cover.
Cloth covered outer covers are nicer to hold, not related to an animal, which is important to some people, but like your clothes they can look a little tired after a few years of constant use. There have been 'Denim' Filofax organisers over the years, a potentially hard wearing outer cover.
For these I recommend the foam type 'dry' cleaning sprays used for household textiles. You don't want to get this type of cover 'wet' because it might stain as it drys and also the interior between the outer and inner layers could be damaged. A little gentle brush with a soft brush can free the dirt and restore the cover to being 'like new' again. Follow the instructions on which ever product you use.
One golden rule before you use any cleaning solution on any cover is to test it first. Either on a part of the organiser that will not be seen such as the inside of the clasp. Or if you have a leather sample for your particular organiser. Test the cleaning or stain removal on the leather sample first. The sample can be cheaply replaced, your custom organiser less so.
The Rings
In normal every day use your rings shouldn't get damaged or become misaligned or start to have gaps. But it does happen.
The first rule of course is to always use the tabs to open the rings, pushing down on the tabs at both ends together. And closing the rings by gently squeezing them together, being careful to not trap your fingers...ouch!
In the case of buying a pre-owned organiser you might inherit someone else's poor treatment of the rings or you might find a long lost organiser that hasn't been stored in dry conditions.
The rings are typically made of polished/chromed steel so they can go rusty, generally only surface rust. You can rescue them with some metal polish and a dry cloth and a lot of hard rubbing! In extreme cases you might need to use some steel wool to get rid of the worse of the rust before using metal polish.
The internal workings of the ring mechanism is also prone to rusting, but you might not be able to access them, a short squirt of WD40 using the nozzle inserted between the tabs and the cover this will help prevent any further rust, but be careful to not over do it and wipe away any excess with some paper towel or similar.
If you need to change the rings then it will depend on the type of rings fitted to your organiser. Some are 'relatively' easy to change, others not so easy if they are riveted to the cover.
We have a collection of posts and videos on 'adjusting' and replacing rings:
Here is my recent video for changing and reassembling Krause rings often found in Van der Spek and Gillio organisers.
If you get stuck with any ring problems please contact steve at philofaxy dot com
If you have any feedback on this guide, please leave a comment below. Likewise if you have any suggestions for future Philofaxy Guides, please leave a comment below, thank you.
The pictorial content of this post is the intellectual property of Filofax Group Ltd. The scans are reproduced here with the full permission of Filofax Group Ltd. for educational and non-commercial usage.
Here are the latest Filofax and other brand blog posts from around the Internet. Don't forget to leave a comment on the posts you enjoyed reading, all bloggers enjoy getting comments.
Please leave a comment on any of the blogs you enjoyed reading and mention that you saw their post mentioned on Philofaxy. Thank you
We monitor over 400 blogs and sites, your Filofax/Organiser blog posts could appear in this list, just contact philofaxy at gmail dot com to be added to our monitoring list.
We can not guarantee people will read your posts, but we know there is a higher chance of people reading your posts and returning to read other posts if you make them interesting with pictures and good hints and tips. Do not forget to give your posts a title...
Your Filofax/Organiser posts could appear in this list, just contact philofaxy at gmail dot com to be added to our monitoring list.
For some general tips on Filofax Blogging, please see this post
2021 should have been the dawn of a New Year. Making up for what you didn't manage to get done last year?
Sadly I think for a lot of people unless you live in New Zealand, this year is just more of the same!
Here is my year planner for 2021..
Normally by now we would have a few events and trips planned on the calendar. May be not booked, but the dates marked on there to keep them clear of other events.
I always have one of these in my organiser as well as this one within my view when sat at my desk.
To combat this trying to predict the unpredictable, I'm planning each week in more detail than normal. I'm making sure I know exactly what I intend to do on every day, what I need to buy for any projects I'm doing around the house, this is so I don't get caught out if we enter an even tougher lock-down than we are in at the moment!
How are you using your organiser to cope with the current situation we have been in for months?
Of course it is Friday so please feel free to discuss anything organiser related.
After a totally unexpected year, how can you plan this coming year to try and cope with whatever might come along in 2021.
Thank you to all our Patreon supporters in helping to bring you this episode.
If you have ideas for future episodes, please send them to podcast at philofaxy dot com
Show Notes (timings approximate) 00:00 - Introductions.
04:00 - Do planner planning to make sure nothing gets forgotten, don't delay.
06:30 - Plan “free” outings/holidays. Beach, Camping, Hiking, Nature Walks, Forest Bathing (Japanese art of letting the trees “bathe” you with their oxygen).
08:15 - Make doctor’s appointments now. 09:15 - Plan weekly video chat calls friends and family-have a standing invitation. Makes you look forward to these predictable events. 11:00 - Organise your grocery store by isles. Helps you get in and out quicker. Consider hiring a delivery service. 14:30 - Leave wiggle room in your budget. 16:00 - Consider learning a new skill that can bring in an income from “at home” work.
18:45 - Franklin Covey course 20:00 - Plan themed food/game nights with your immediate family circle, consider playing the games via video chat with others. 20:45 - Oldie but goodie: consider using everything up before buying any new items. For example, some food items that stay in the cupboard and never seem to get used. Make a game out of consuming your consumables. 21:45 - Consider learning how to grow your own food! Plan a spring garden. New Year, New garden 23:30 - Consider adopting a pet that you know you will be able to care for post lockdown. Don’t be afraid to look at sick or old animals.
24:00 - Creating an home inventory of all your belongings.
27:00 - Consider selling items you no longer need. To help de-clutter your house.
30:00 - Thank you to our Patrons, please take a look at the Patreon page.
Please support the podcast via Patreon by doing so you will be helping us with the making of these advert free podcasts. By being a Patreon supporter you will gain early access to each podcast episode and be able to download the show notes. We also aim to introduce other benefits in the near future.
A direct download is also available here: Episode108.mp3
101 - The Mighty Little Checklist: The Unsung Hero of Success 100 - What do we use every day? 99 - Some Day May Be 98 - Transform Your Productivity 97 - Getting out of Stuck 2019 96 - Minimalist Planning. 95 - How to take your planning to the next level. 94 - Mission and Vision Statements 93 - How to plan your year in advance 92 - Workflows 91 - How to plan in a week that is already a busy one. 90 - Avoiding mistakes in planning 89 - Refocus 88 - When Your Plans or Goals Don't Work Out 87 - Decluttering Your Life - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 86 - Accessories for your Planner - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 85 - Journaling - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 84 - Workflows - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 2018
66 - Planning and Execution - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 65 - The Power of Habit - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 64 - Planning for the end of the year - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 63 - Planning For Unexpected Life Events - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 62 - Staying in two sizes of planner - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 61 - Staying in one size of planner. - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 60 - Functional Planning - Macro and Micro Planning - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 59 - PlannerCon Europe - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 58 - Speeding up by slowing down - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 57 - To Do Lists and Diary Pages - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 56 - Hints and Tips on making planner videos - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 55 - Keeping up to date - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 54 - Interview with Jennifer Powell at PlannerCon - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 53 - Conferences and Meet Ups - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 52 - The Magic of Contextualising Your Life - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 51 - Guest Interview - Rose Orchard - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 50 - Organising your significant other - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 49 - Creating the ultimate planner - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 48 - Getting past New Years resolutions - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 47 - How to understand being a planner newbie - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 46 - Buying and Selling 101 - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 45 - A5 or A6 - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 44 - End of Year - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf
2016 43 - Digital Planning vs Analogue Planning - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 42 - Planning vs Organising - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 41 - Short and Long Term Planning - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 40 - Good and Bad Planner Habits - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 39 - Tackling Planner Size Change - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 38 - Self-Improvement or Personal Development - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 37 - What is productivity anyway - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 36 - The Planner Community - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 35 - Wellness Planner - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 34 - Listeners Question - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 33 - Pens and other writing instruments - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 32 - Proper storage, care and shipping of planners, rings etc - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 31 - Guest Interview - Louise Umeki - Plannercon 2017 - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 30 - Form Following Function - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 29 - Seasonal To Do Lists - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 28 - Making and keeping annual goals - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 27 - Organising the family - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 26 - Guest interview - Theresa Hall - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 25 - Guest interview - Ray Blake - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 24 - Defining the important things from the urgent things - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 23 - Guest interview with Rita Sedani - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 22 - Printing your own inserts - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 21 - How to derail your planning system by over thinking - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 20 - Digital devices/services and your analogue planner - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 19 - What To Keep In Your 'Others' Tab - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 18 - Zombie Apocalypse Preparation - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 17 - Managing Finances In Your Planner - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 16 - Planning for those of us who actually can't live without planning, with guest co-host Carie Harling - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 15 - Automation Nirvana - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 14 - Work Life Balance and Your Planner - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 13 - GTD Productivity And Using Your Paper Planner - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 12 - Job Seeking and Keeping - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 11 - Planner Fail - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 10 - Planner Hacks - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 9 - Planner Planning - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 8 - Choosing Inserts - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 7 - How do you carry your planner - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 6 - Planners on the go - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 5 - Why would you pay more than the price of a Filofax? - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 4 - Using Your Planner To Create Permanent Habit Changes - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 3 - Getting on with two or more planners - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 2 - Where to start your planning journey and why - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf 1 - What size and why.... - A5 docxpdf Personal docxpdf
