04 June 2021

Free for All Friday No. 656 by Nan

 Last week Laurie talked about changing her planning system when her work situation changed. 

Some changes are easy and gradual; others are immediate and drastic. How does your planner help you handle change? Do you like to switch to a different organizer or system to match the new situation? Or do you find that sticking to the same system helps give you a sense of consistency when everything around you is changing? 

Recently, I found that with a big increase in activity in my professional, personal, and academic lives, I needed to put everything in one large organizer (U.S. letter-size) instead of 2-3 smaller ones. It helped alleviate my fear of tasks, notes, or documents getting lost. If it's in the one main book, I know where it is!

How about you? Of course, since it's Friday, all discussion of ring-bound organizing is welcome!

10 comments:

  1. My general approach is sticking to the same system, unless it’s clearly not working any more.
    I like the continuity this brings.

    On a different topic, I got an email yesterday from Filofax UK about some new minimalist inserts. Unfortunately it seems they have felt it necessary to consolidate all the language variants into one, meaning that the end result is, to my mind, far from minimal.

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  2. Last time I changed my system, it took so long to set up that I was left reeling. So now, I only allow myself to change for the New Year diary change where I would re-print anyway. I do like to print my own inserts, but it takes me ages. xxxxxx

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    Replies
    1. The language consolidation thing drives me nuts! It takes up so much space and honestly, I wouldn’t mind if the days of the week etc were in a foreign language; I just want space to write.

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    2. The language consolidation thing drives me nuts! It takes up so much space and honestly, I wouldn’t mind if the days of the week etc were in a foreign language; I just want space to write.

      Delete
    3. The language consolidation thing drives me nuts! It takes up so much space and honestly, I wouldn’t mind if the days of the week etc were in a foreign language; I just want space to write.

      Delete
  3. I just use whatever works. Right now I'm trying to use my FF personal more but at work the A5 bullet journal works better. It's the biggest writing surface. Allows me to add extra notes to existing notes better. You know, when you note something down then remember something else related but you're a page on. With bigger notebook you can go back and add the extra information in the gaps in a bigger page. I'm always adding a note or info or sketch after I've moved on?

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  4. My first instinct is to grab a notepad/flip to blank paper/find paper in general and just brain bomb everything so it's not swimming in my head. Once that's done, I can sort stuff into the appropriate place as needed.

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  5. I'm wondering how best to arrange my sections, indeed what sections to have!! A bullet journal I have is very simple. A round yearly b page, basic method monthly with dates on left and notes on right. Then my daily lists of notes, actions, work or thought sketches, etc.. each month starts where I've got the next blank double page. Although I do go back and fill the gaps even if say June is in front of June monthly.

    A ring based allows moving pages. I can't get my head around how best to use this feature. Give me too many options I'm worried I'll not make the most of them!!!

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  6. Like gmax, I tend to stick to the same system, unless it's become very clear that it no longer suits me anymore. I often find that adding a new section, or using a particular part of my A to Z dividers will often provide enough flexibility to cope with most changes or situations.

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  7. I feel like a weight has come off my shoulders getting back into my Filofax original personal lilac. I've got a huge change coming up in the next 6 months and I had notes in about four different bound books. Now, everything is transferred and sectioned I can find it in seconds rather than trying to recall where I wrote it. I just ordered a Clipbook for overflow storage, so far so good. And it looks amazing!

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