Over the past couple of years, my employment, schedule, and other factors in my life have been in flux. During that time, I've also changed the size and format of my organizer several times as my needs have evolved. For example, when I was taking classes, most of my notes and papers were on letter-size paper, and I wanted my organizer to be the same size. Since then, I've decided that format was too large to be portable.
While archiving the past couple of years of diaries and notes, I've found that a size of A5 or 1/2 letter leads me to keep better records than does a smaller size. I've also found that I need at least a 2-page-per-day organizer when I'm working full time in addition to all my personal pursuits. I just love being able to look at a 2-page spread and have such a clear snapshot of my life at the time! I've also learned that it works best for me to keep everything in one organizer as opposed to having separate ones for different topics.
Do you ever look back on old organizers as a way to see what does or doesn't work for you?
And as always on Friday, feel free to discuss anything related to your favorite ring-bound organizer!
I don't tend to archive inserts, but one resource that I sometimes use are my posts on Philofaxy! It can often be useful for me to read my older posts here, as they are a reminder of binders that I've tried, or about what does or doesn't work for me.
ReplyDeleteFor example, I love the idea of using a slimline as my main binder, but I can see that I have sold all of them, apart from my Lefax, so I think that really tells me that it's just not the right size for me. I love scribbling lots, so love to keep spare paper as well as the contents & I find that slimline just doesn't quite hold enough for all of that.
I definitely look back in my archive binders to see what I used in years past, and try to remember if they worked well for me at the time (and therefore if a similar setup would work in my current situation). One thing I have discovered however is that a system that works really well as a record of the past didn't necessarily work as well at the time for planning ahead! For example, I love having daily pages as a detailed record, but I need to plan ahead with a week view. I'm currently using both in my Filofax, and so far so good!
ReplyDeleteFunnily enough, I have had a pocket Finchley for ages that I have never found a use for, (I’m happiest in personal size) until today! Fairly recently, I’ve discovered that I have been needing to take notes much more than normal, but I’m not allowed to whip out my phone to add notes, so have needed paper instead. At last, I can stash my Finchley in my bag and use that as my notepad ! It has taken me about 4 years to find a convenient use for this size…!
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