Adjustable penloop on a Cordwain Higgler organiser (company sadly no longer trading) |
As the saying goes, you learn something new every day! Recently I learned a new way to define how people prefer to handle information: high context and low context.
For example, I happen to be very high context. I retain information better when I can put it in a greater context. Hence, I tend to write more surrounding details in my organizer. For example, I forget what "Lunch with Gary" means after a few weeks or even days. So, I write the name of the restaurant and a few words about what Gary and I talked about, maybe even what we ate, which helps me meaningfully recall the event later.
For low-context people, these details might be distracting and confusing. All they need is simple, clear facts.
Is your organizer full of context, or as succinct as possible?
As always on Friday, feel free to discuss anything else related to your ring-bound organizer!
Unless you have been in a deep sleep and not reading the Philofaxy Video Web Finds, recently you can't have missed how popular the Filofax Malden currently is.
A recent Video Web Finds had a large number of Malden videos in it (~25%)
Thank you to Toby for contacting us with details of a recent find
Hello organiser enthusiasts. I found this beauty hiding on a shelf in a local charity shop.
I couldn't identify it at first, until eventually, after a convoluted search around the web, I discovered Time/System organisers and from there I found a reference to 'A' Time on this blog.
The binder had various inserts within it that seem to be a mix of FiloFax, 'A' time and maybe some other brand.
My feeling is that it's a Time/System binder with 'A' time inserts. I'm guessing its something to do with the book 'A' time by James Noon.
It's quite a heavy A5 binder in leather with Koloman Handler rings. It has got two pen loops and quite a wide fastening strap. I have attached some pics. It is a bit mysterious and I really like it.
Toby
Do you use a particular time management system in your Filofax such as GTD, Franklin Planner, etc.?
I've read about and tried so many systems over the years, but none of them work for me as they are. However I have incorporated aspects of many into my own system.
If you look at a lot of time management systems, many have similar aspects: prioritisation of tasks, scheduling events while leaving yourself enough time to accomplish tasks, batching similar tasks, and more.
What time management systems or components do you use?
And as always on Fridays, feel free to ask and/ or discuss anything ring binder organiser related!
Gillio have recently released a new size of Compagna, it was previewed at their event in November 2023, but it was a very busy event so I didn't get a decent chance to look at it.
Gillio were kind to send me one from the first production batch to review, and this is it.
HBxWA5 equates to HB=Height Bible (Bible is the reference to Personal size in Japan) by A5 Width.
The page size is therefore 171mm high (Personal Size height) by 148 mm wide (A5 width) and it uses Personal size (spacing) rings.
It's not a new size or one exclusive to Gillio, this size is popular in the Far East and a French organiser firm also sell organisers/inserts in this size.
You might recall this post, about one in this size bought by GMax for note keeping back in 2015.
Comparing it to regular A5, the organisers are about the same width but not as tall.
Size | Dimensions | Width |
---|---|---|
Filofax Personal | 171x95mm | zero difference |
Franklin Covey Compact | 171x108mm | +13mm |
Personal Wide | 171x121mm | +26mm |
B6 | 176x125mm | +30mm |
HBxWA5 | 171x148mm | +53mm |
Filohax sketchbook
It's taken me 20 years to figure out my latest 'Filohax', but it has been worth the wait - using a personal size Filofax to house multiple kinds of sketch papers.
If any artists out there reading this consider the established order of things, you will understand how limited bound sketchbooks like Moleskines are - you get one type of paper per sketchbook, meaning that you have to decide before you leave for a sketching expedition how many different pads you are going to need.
I made the move away from Moleskines after 20 years, because I knew after getting back into FF that it was bonkers to carry a binder AND a sketchbook when a Filofax can do both jobs.
At first I just replicated what I had been doing in the Moleskines - using cream paper to do my sketching onto. The change into using whatever coloured or textured paper I felt like happened when I was preparing for a holiday by the sea a year ago.
It was a proper 'bolt from the blue' moment when I thought how difficult the sea is to render in monochrome, and realised - 'why not draw onto coloured paper using white to create highlights?'
It all changed in that moment, I can now keep quite a wide range of different stocks in my EDC / Sketchbook (a Slimline Executive in Kid leather), and with my Filofax pencil case snug in the rings I've got everything I need.
Give it a try; you know it makes sense!
Slimline Executive in kid leather |