Free For All Friday - No. 931 by Anita

Do you ever look at the contents of your organiser and go, "Urgh"?

I admit that's how I've been feeling a bit recently, so I realised that I was overdue for my monthly review of my Filofax. When I do this, I don't have an exact process each time, but it's a general tidy up, review of projects and whatever else needs doing to help me feel a bit more in control. 

Something that I concentrated on more this time was to ensure that any item on my to-do list has a clear descriptive verb, so that I know what I actually need to do. For example, I've recently started to use 'look into...' at the start of a next action and am finding this very useful, especially if it's something that needs more thinking or research done. 

Have you done a review of your organiser recently and if so, is there anything that you'd like to share about any tweaks that you made?

And as always on Fridays, please feel free to discuss anything organiser related. I hope that you have a good weekend.

Free For All Friday - No. 930 by Steve

Having a large collection of Filofax organisers is not quite as unusual these days as it was say 15 years ago. 

My own 'collection' hasn't grown that much in the last few years compared to say 10 years or more ago. My organisers are in varying sizes, mostly A5 and Personal size. 

Having changed to Personal size this year I have been using a variety of organisers, in some cases I've owned them for a few years but  not really used them that much. 

My question to you today for those of you that have a number of organisers in the size you mainly use is.. 

Do you cycle through them in a strict rota or do you pick the next one to use out randomly and at random intervals? 

Of course it is Friday so please feel free to discuss anything Filofax related. 

 

Free for All Friday No. 929 by Nan

A new academic year is approaching in some parts of the world. How do you change your organizer approach to meet your needs as a student or teacher? 

- Do you switch to a larger format now that break time is over? 

- Do you have a separate academic organizer, or do everything in one? 

- Do you use your organizer for taking class notes, or do that separately? 

As always on Friday, all organizer-related discussion is welcome!

Free For All Friday No 928 by Laurie

Do your friends or family ever say you spend too much time using your Filofax? Mine have said this occasionally over the years (with my husband even saying I should "live life outside the book"), and yet I am the one they turn to when they need to know something. I'm the one who knows when everyone is due for the dentist, dates when things happened, passcodes to shared accounts, etc. 

I also keep a lot of things in my Filofax that many people use an app for. In addition to bills due, subscription renewals, and life admin, I keep lists of books I want to read, shows I want to watch, general interest, places I want to explore in my local area and further afield, home jobs to do on weekends, music recommendations, ideas to return to, etc. I also keep a record of what I did, which always turns out to be a useful reference. With so much information in it, I do spend a lot of time using and referencing my Filofax. Before smartphones I think it was much more common that people would spend time using their Filofax or other ringed binder for these types of things. 

So even if it seems I spend a lot of time using my Filofax, it is useful for myself and my family. It is something I enjoy as a hobby, as well as the only way I can keep this type of information in a format that is useful for me.

No matter how much time I spend using my Filofax and notebooks, it's nowhere near as much time as most people are on their phones these days! Don't get me wrong, I spend plenty of time on my phone, but when I use my Filofax at least that time is spent away from screens. I also find that looking through my Filofax pages helps me process my thoughts and remember my intentions, while looking through my phone has the opposite effect.

Do your friends or family ever say you spend too much time using your Filofax? Do you ever feel like you spend too much time with it?

And as always on Fridays, feel free to ask and/ or discuss anything ring organiser related!

Free For All Friday No. 927 by Eve

 

Why Empty Pages Can Feel So Intimidating

Let's talk more planner theory. Does anyone else get weirdly intimidated by a brand new, freshly opened planner? 

At first it feels exciting, right? Fresh pages, clean layouts, untouched tabs, all that possibility laid out in front of you. Your handwriting is suddenly neater. Your life feels about 12% more under control just by opening the thing!

And then somewhere in the back of your mind, this little voice starts whispering, “But what if I mess it up?”

One crossed-out task, dab of white out or mis-spelled word and suddenly the illusion is broken.

I think a lot of us do this, especially with expensive planners or particularly beautiful ones. We hesitate to write in them because we want them to stay neat, consistent and aestheticly pleasing. Thanks to social media, this has slowly become the definition of a planner “done properly.”

Which is funny when you think about it, because planners are literally designed to contain our messy human lives.

I don't know about you, but my life has scribbles, rescheduled appointments (oh so many rescheduled appointments....), half-finished lists, bad handwriting days, random notes jammed into margins, days or even weeks where everything falls apart a bit.

But somehow cracking open a new planner full of empty pages makes us feel like we’re supposed to become our ideal selves overnight. You know, that other you: the person who meal plans every Sunday, tracks 14 habits, journals daily, never misses a workout, and somehow has perfectly spaced handwriting at all times.

Meanwhile, most of us are just trying to remember whether we already bought toothpaste.

I also think there’s something about a blank planner that feels emotionally loaded. It’s a fresh start. A reset. Proof that maybe this time we’ll finally become the organized/creative/luxury lifestlye/whimsical (insert whatever adjective works for you here) person we imagine ourselves being.

But then life happens, and the planner starts looking… lived in. As I work to let go of my own perfectionism, I’m more comfortable saying out loud that that’s the whole point. 

Some of my favorite planners I’ve used over the years have looked terrible by December 31st. Bent pages, crossed-out tasks, tea stains, sticky notes hanging out everywhere, notes I can't read anymore but knew exactly what they meant when I wrote them. Those planners carried my real life. Frankly I wish more of those types of planners were shown on social media!

What about you, do you hesitate to “mess up” a new planner? Do empty pages motivate you or stress you out a little? 

When you look back at old planners, do you prefer the neat ones… or the ones that clearly got very well used every single day?

As always on Fridays, feel free to discuss anything ring planner related, and have a fantastic weekend!

Free For All Friday - No. 926 by Anita

I admit that I sometimes struggle with some inspiration and can't figure out what I'd like to write for a Free For All Friday post. So, I thought that I'd just start writing and see where this goes...  

For those of you that have read some of my previous posts here, you'll have seen that I have bought and sold many binders in the past as I've enjoyed the variety, but not wanted to own a large collection. Whilst that has previously suited me, I definitely feel that I've settled down now with just my favourites and then only maybe occasionally consider a new purchase or replacement. I love a bargain, so the increase in second hand prices is also a factor for me, as it seems that whilst there are still some bargains out there, I'm not bothered enough currently to put the time in to search.  

Looking back at my posts, it seems that I've previously purchased more Filofaxes and then gone on a bit of a mad decluttering spree! And I admit that I've recently had that familiar feeling again, but decided to ignore it as I know that I'd regret getting rid of them. I know that I've been too hard on myself about the 'you can only own one Filofax' thought that I've had on and off for quite a few years now. I can afford to keep the four I currently own, but I will be selling one of those as I think three feels like the right amount right now. So, that means I'll be left with my faithful personal Kensington, tan Argyll and my pocket Cavendish. I suppose I'm being more compassionate with myself as I enjoy using a Filofax and it doesn't need to be perfect, either the contents or which model I'm using really. There is a lot going on in the world right now, so I figure that if I enjoy using an organiser then that is a fairly simple pleasure, plus it helps me feel a little less overwhelmed and/or crazy. I feel very grateful to have found this wonderful community, so thank you all for being such lovely human beings. Ramble over...

And as always on Fridays, please feel free to discuss anything organiser related. I hope that you have a great weekend.

Free For All Friday - No. 925 by Steve

That is another month coming to a close!! July has been another hot rain free month here in France (with the exception of a brief thunderstorm early yesterday morning!). 

No doubt you will have seen the news about the wild forest fires here in France. Thank you to everyone that has asked if we are ok. We have had a few small local fires, but we are about 280 km (175 miles) north of the main affected area near Bordeaux. 

I've made a start this month preparing the Word file for my 2027 diary inserts. 

I'm sticking with Personal Size. It has been working very well so far this year, I had some reservations at the beginning of the year, but no regrets. 

I have made a couple of minor tweaks to how my fixed tasks are shown each week, but no other changes. I'm just populating the file with UK and French public holidays as well as key birthdays. 

Have you started thinking about next year for your inserts yet? As always it is Friday so please feel free to discuss anything Filofax related. 

Free for All Friday No. 924 by Nan

Do you ever have a moment when you can't carry your organizer--or just don't want to use it? What is your fallback?

With me, it's the calendar on my phone, and a spreadsheet on my tablet for creating lists, tasks, and project timelines. 

I'd like to hear your fallbacks! Is it a bound notebook? Index cards? A weekly planner from the corner store? 

As always, all discussion relating to ring organizers is welcome on Friday! 

Free For All Friday No 923 by Laurie

In my recent mid-year review, I noticed I have an entire list of tasks I've been procrastinating and moving from month to month. Some of them I've been putting off for years! Instead of just moving them forward again, I decided to dig a little deeper and figure out why I've been procrastinating them.

I wrote up a new list, and next to each task I wrote why I've been putting it off. This was eye-opening and forced myself to be honest. Some tasks carry a lot of emotional weight that I don't want to confront. Some tasks require technological skills or information that I don't have. Some of these cost money I don't really want to spend, or are multi-step time consuming projects I never seem to find the time for. The longest-procrastinated tasks combine several of these aspects. (Example: to transfer photos from a 20 year old external hard drive (where they were saved from a Windows desktop) to my iCloud via my macbook, which filled up my macbook's hard drive as it sees them as files not Photos, etc etc.)

Once I had figured out why I'd procrastinated each task, I started to write some solutions. Who to ask for more information, how to psyche myself up to actually do the things, when I can schedule time to do some of these things.

This exercise was very enlightening, and if nothing else now I know why I've been putting off these particular actions!

Do you tend to procrastinate intimidating tasks? What helps you confront them?

And as always on Fridays feel free to ask and/ or discuss anything ring organiser related!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Free For All Friday No. 922 by Eve

 

The Hidden Cognitive Cost of Dual or Multiple Systems

Continuing with my theme of exploring planner theory, and since it is July (of "One Book July" for some of us) I got to thinking about planner systems using more than one book. And I'm talking about for planning here, not having separate books for journaling or art or whatever.

I wonder whether some folks are drawn to dual or even multi planner systems not because they are truly needed, but because they give us a perfectly reasonable excuse to use more than one planner.

And honestly, it's me. I am some folks. I completely understand the appeal! 

One planner can be the polished desk planner. Another can be the portable everyday carry. One can hold the big picture, while the other handles the daily details. On paper, it sounds incredibly sophisticated and intentional and sometimes it genuinely is helpful for those who have found a dual or multi planner system that legit works for their lives. 

On the other hand, in some cases I also think dual or multi planner systems can create a surprising amount of mental overhead behind the scenes. Not necessarily because the system itself is bad, but because your brain now has to constantly keep track of where things live.

Did I write that down in the daily planner or the weekly one? Which planner has the shopping list? Did I already transfer that task over? Do I need to carry both today?

Individually, these are tiny things. But over time they can add up and add stress.

I confess there have been times when I convinced myself I “needed” multiple planners, when really I just wanted the enjoyment of using multiple planners, or the excuse to buy more (I am a fool for a good dopamine hit after all!).

I tell myself that this is a perfectly valid hobby impulse. The trouble starts when the hobby side begins to complicate the functional side. Because the best planning system is not necessarily the most elaborate one. Sometimes it’s simply the one that lets your brain relax because everything lives in one trusted place.

Do you function better with one planner or multiple planners? If the answer is multiple, have you ever given any thought to whether or not you really need them all, or mostly just wanted an excuse to use them all?

As always on a Friday, feel free to discuss anything ring planner related, and have a great weekend everyone!

Free For All Friday - No. 921 by Anita

Whilst attending a larger in-person meeting with my husband recently, I noticed the following:

• All phones were put away at the beginning and I didn't see any again until after we'd finished. 
• Nearly everyone had a laptop with them, but also a notebook.
• There was a presentation with slides, but the majority of the time was then spent working with using sticky notes on two white boards. 

As it's been quite some time since I attended a meeting like this (due to both the pandemic and also changing to a work from home role), it was just interesting to see this, but sadly no one at the meeting had a ringbound organiser. 

However, I was delighted to see one in the wild during breakfast at the hotel the following morning! As the gentleman was sitting further away, I wasn't sure exactly what it was, but I could clearly see the slim ring mechanism and it looked a little like a Plotter, but without the metal spine and with an elastic closure. 

Have you seen a ringbound organiser in the wild recently? 

And as always on Fridays, please feel free to discuss anything organiser related. I hope that you have a great weekend.

Free For All Friday - No 920 by Steve

Droitwich transmitting station
(Public Domain via Bob Nienhuis)

In the early hours of tomorrow morning, something will finally come to an end. The end of an era in a way. 

This will only mean something to our readers in UK or Europe. The BBC have announced the ending of BBC Radio 4 on Long Wave (198 kHz)  

If you have been reading this site/blog for any number of years, you will know of my connection to most things radio. I spent thirty seven years after leaving school working as a radio engineer in one form or another. 

I've held my amateur radio licence since 1979. 

I also have a 'collection' of Lefax Radio related inserts. I also have an old Lefax Radio Log Book.

I never thought I would see the BBC discontinue this radio service. To me it's like seeing an announcement or an equivalent announcement that Filofax are going to cease making ring bound organisers. There would be a similar reaction to the BBC announcement. Petitions and action groups etc. 

Don't panic, I only choose that just as an example.

I will be 'tuning in' to listen to the end of 198kHz later tonight. 

What ever you are doing this Friday, feel free to discuss anything Radio or Filofax related in the comments. 

FFAF No. 919 by Nan

Many, if not most, of us have our little idiosyncrasies when it comes to organizer use. Here are some of mine:

1. I like to use ultra-fine-point pens in my organizers because the lines are narrower than on most writing paper. 

2. I need lines to keep my writing neat and even (ref. No. 1 above). 

3. Sometimes I buy an additional format and not use it. For example, I decide to start using weekly as well as daily, so I order a year of weeklies. When the weeklies arrive, I may no longer want to use them, but I keep them in case I decide to use it later. Case in point: I currently have 2 different A5 weeklies and one Personal weekly for 2026 so I always have that option ready to go. 

4. When I switch diary formats or sizes, I like to go back to January or July and copy over my entries onto the new pages. It may sound like a waste of time, but it helps me review my year. (Yes, I'm currently doing this going back to January of 2026.)

5. I never draw or doodle in my organizer. I don't like to look back and see messy doodling. 

6. I carry my organizer everywhere I go, except when when I go to places that limit you to small bags for security reasons. 

As always on Friday, all discussion related to ring organizers is welcome. If you're really brave, you can share some idiosyncrasies of your own! 

Free For All Friday No 918 by Laurie

My Filofax system might seem complicated to someone looking at it, but for me it simplifies my life to have so much information in one place: bills due, birthdays, reference information, holidays, information on my family members, home and car maintenance schedules, and of course my Philofaxy Free For All Friday schedules! 

What are some aspects of your Filofax system that might seem complicated to someone else but help make your life easier?

And as always on Fridays, feel free to ask and/or discuss anything Filofax organiser related!

Free For All Friday - No. 916 by Anita

Looking back through my previous posts here, I've realised that it's been a while since I did an update on what I currently own. 

1. Black Kensington personal - for those regular readers, you will know that this is my all-time favourite. I've always loved this model and the leather on this one has softened wonderfully with age. 
2. Black zipped Holborn personal - whilst I adore the buttery soft leather on this, I'm not sure about using a zipped Filofax, so it hasn't been in use as much yet since I got it last year. 
3. Tan Argyll personal - purchased last year and this is definitely another keeper, like my Kensington. Post to come. 
4. Black pocket Cavendish - a recent purchase that I bought as a bit of an experiment (as I've never used pocket size before). Post to come.  

I'm not a collector (as discussed in Steve's post), but consider myself an enthusiast, so this means that I will tend to have a clear out from time to time, which I quite enjoy as it means that I get to try out different binders. Whilst I will always return to my Kensington, I've very much been enjoying my Argyll for a change. 

What organiser are you using currently, and how often do you switch between them, if you have more than one? 

And as always on Fridays, please feel free to discuss anything organiser related. I hope that you have a great weekend.

Free For All Friday - No. 515 by Steve

As we approach the mid-point of the year I'm already starting to think about diary inserts for next year! Mad I know. 

I've already started to get some dates cropping up in 2027, which are on my fold out year planner for 2027. 

It will soon be time to do a six-monthly review and to archive some of my past diary pages and unused information pages. Time to slim down by 'chunky' personal size organiser!

How often do you review the contents of your organiser? 

As usual it is Friday so please feel free to discuss anything Filofax related.  

Free for All Friday No. 514 by Nan

Since my overgrown fingernails are currently hindering my typing, I thought it would be appropriate to write about beauty and self-care in an organizer. 

On my daily pages, I note things like the name of salon, name of technician, and the color code for nail or hair color. It's very easy to forget those items, in case you want to return to them. 

I've also decided to start recording which skin care products I'm using, as well as my skin's reaction to them. This, I hope, will keep my from rebuying products that I've already decided don't work for me!

As always on Friday, all discussion of ring-bound organizers is welcome! 

Free For All Friday No 913 by Laurie

Today is David Attenborough's 100th birthday! A very Happy Birthday to Sir David!

In honor of his lifetime of sharing with us the wonders of wildlife of the world, let's talk about wildlife and Filofax organisers!

I am very lucky to live in an area with fantastic wildlife and nature. I love to record in my daily pages any wildlife sightings, flowers blooming, when the leaves start turning each autumn, etc. My favourite birds are oystercatchers, which come inland to nest in the fields around our house. Each February I make a note of the first oystercatcher sighting near us, and each August I note the last sighting of these adorable birds when they go back to the coasts to winter over.

Do you make any wildlife or nature notes in your Filofax pages?

And as always on Fridays, feel free to ask and/ or discuss anything ring binder organiser related!

Free For All Friday - No. 911 by Anita

Whilst listening to a podcast a while ago, the guest said the phrase, "No action is too small', and this just really stuck with me. I can't remember what the podcast was, but the guest was a doctor that was basically saying that we need to be more compassionate with ourselves, and that any tiny change in our lives can start to add up over time. I think it was about diet and health in general that was being covered, but that phrase has been really helping me since then in lots of different ways. 

When I'm busier or feeling a bit overwhelmed, it can be very easy for me to look at anything and go, "Urgh" and decide to look at it later. And unsurprisingly most of the time that same email or project hasn't magically been done or gotten better afterwards! When I say to myself 'no action is too small', it helps me to start the ball rolling and on the tougher days, I might celebrate the fact that I processed three items from my Filofax in-box section... and that was good enough. I'm also aware that I need to rest, so I'm not using this just to push myself to do more though. 

Whilst I thought previously that I was good at breaking a project down, I've now realised that I might need to take a smaller action to either keep the momentum going and/or for those times when I have less energy or am busier. Instead of 'go big or go home', this feels like maybe 'what teeny-tiny step can I take whilst I finish my cup of tea?' I have the book Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg, so I think it's time that I re-read that again (not an affiliate link and just sharing as a satisfied customer). 

Are you good at breaking projects down, or have come across something helpful like this recently that you'd like to share? 

And as always on Fridays, please feel free to discuss anything organiser related. I hope that you have a great weekend.

Free For All Friday - No. 910 by Steve

Do you ever get days or weeks where you seem to have been working hard, hardly stopped, but you don't think or feel you have anything to show for it?  

I feel that way sometimes, but I find writing about my day helps me account for the time I've spent each day. Even if it's only doing the washing or the ironing or putting out the wheelie bin, these little jobs all take up time in your day. 

A favourite You Tuber of mine Casey Neistat did a recent video about this, take a look:

Of course it is a Friday so please feel free to discuss anything Filofax related.