Free For All Friday No. 907 by Eve

Planning as a Tool vs. Planning as a Hobby

Now that I’m three months into my “One Year, One Planner” challenge, I’m beginning to see a clearer distinction between planning as a tool and planning as a hobby. It turns out that understanding this difference has been one of the most important parts of sticking with one system up until now.

For years, the two were so intertwined in my head that I didn’t really see them as separate. My planner was both the way I organized my life and the way I engaged with a hobby I enjoyed. This year however, I’m noticing how different these two planner identities actually are, and how mixing them together has kept me in some unhelpful (and expensive!) patterns.

Here’s what I’m learning:

1. Planning as a tool feels steady, while planning as a hobby has lead me to restlessness

A planning tool is predictable; it thrives on repetition, routine, and consistency. But a planning hobby likes novelty, change, exploration, and experimentation.

When those two collide, it’s easy to think, “I need a new planner because something feels off.”

But now that switching is off the table for me, I can tell that the “off” feeling is usually the hobby side causing me FOMO, rather than a flaw in the actual tool itself. 

2. The tool supports my life while the hobby became more about dopamine hits

My planner has been essential for running my day for literally decades. Those pages are where I can find my tasks, priorities, reminders, deadlines, decisions and be reminded of my mission and goals. But the hobby piece was about something completely different - testing different sizes, comparing layouts, reviewing inserts, fiddling with structure, making content for social media, etc.

Both served a purpose but only one is required for me to actually function.

3. The hobby demands change! Whereas the tool thrives on consistency

It’s almost funny how opposite they are. The hobby says, “Let’s try something new! The tool says, “Just shut up and use me every day already.”

The more I stick with the same planner, the more I realize how much smoother my days run when I’m not tearing down my system and rebuilding it constantly for the sake of novelty.

4. Separating the tool from the hobby has made me a better planner

I’m no longer letting hobby-impulses dictate my planning decisions. If something feels off, I don’t automatically assume the planner needs to change. Instead, I ask myself better questions like, "Am I craving change for the sake of change?", "Am I bored in some other area of my life?", "Is it really my panner that feels off, or is it ME?"

5. My planner works better now that I’m not constantly “auditioning” alternatives.

There is something almost magical about committing to one system and just...letting go. A planner really does become more powerful the longer you use it. For me, it has. helped me to stop fighting the format and use it more fluidly.

Three months into this challenge, I’m discovering that planning as a tool is more peaceful and grounding than I ever expected, and planning as a hobby can still exist, just in a healthier, more sustainable way

The year is still young!! Are you still in the planner you started the year with?

As always on Friday, feel free to discuss anything ring planner related.

Planner peace 2025 - by Anita

Whilst listening to an excellent podcast about meditation, I started thinking about the similarities between meditation, martial arts and my Filofax use (possibly an unusual mix for some people!). When I've written about my version of planner peace here before, I've come to the conclusion that it's not a static goal or objective, so it's definitely a case of 'what is my current planner peace?' I'm not doing any martial arts currently (hopefully I'll return at some point), but when I used to talk about this, it would always be phrased as practice and I've realised that it's the same for when I use my Filofax. 

As I'm using my Filofax every day, that's a practice too as that regular action helps me understand what works or potentially isn't working for me right now. Yes, I have been mainly using my GTD set up for many years, but I suppose I'm not looking for a final and forever more version that has to be perfect and done with, if that makes sense? It's more about what's working for me and sometimes imperfect and being used is better, rather than getting stuck with trying to get it just so. 

So, my version of planner peace right now (here's my 2024 update) is to own two Filofaxes, and if at some point in the future I fancy a change then I will sell one of these. I've recently purchased a lovely vintage one (another post to come), which I love as much as my faithful Kensington, so I'm feeling pretty content right now. In my previous FFAF , I mentioned about thinking about a layout change, but moving into my new to me organiser plus a tidy up and review seems to have done the trick thankfully.

As with my meditation or martial arts practice, my Filofax use has changed over time as I have more life experience or changes to my situation, and I look to consider ways that it can help and support me right now. Sometimes I might open it up and go, "Ugh" and that means it's time for a review, or maybe it's not the organiser at all and I just need to get outside.

Choosing my favourites for 2024 - by Anita

Since purchasing my first Filofax back in 2009, I've come to realise that I'm an enthusiast, but not really a collector of them, so periodically I choose my favourites and rehome the rest. So, at the end of last August, I was left with just my beloved Kensington and thought that was that... 

However, I think that I've since figured out my version of planner peace (haha, for now) and decided to find myself a second binder for when I want some variety. Also, whilst the Kensington is 'the one', there will be times, especially in the winter months, when I want a bit of colour, so I started looking for a cheap and colourful one and finally found an emerald personal Finsbury for a great price (Finsbury post to come). 

For now, I feel that I'm done with any further buying and selling, but I guess I'm not going to say anything like, "That's it, I'm done" or anything, just that I'm pretty content with what I currently now own. I'd been meaning to rehome some of these for years, but didn't have the time or spare energy previously, so it felt like a great relief, especially when four of them left in one week!

Here are a couple of my previous posts about selling and choosing favourites:

Choosing my favourite

Cycles of buying and selling 

Zero spending on binders in 2016

1. Filofax Billingham

Pros: quite a rare Winchester-like vintage model with beautiful tan colour leather and soft canvas.
Cons: poor Billingham... none really, other than the fact that it isn't a Kensington (my favourite). I admit that this beauty sat on my bookshelf for nearly a year without being used, so I was delighted when it went to its lovely new owner instead.

 

 

2. Custom Van der Spek 

Pros: amazing customer service during the order process, beautiful Janet Leather and being able to admire the wonderful skill involved in having a completely custom made binder created for me.

Cons: there will definitely be a theme here, as basically I realised that my Kensington is my all-time favourite, even when compared with this wonderful VdS. I just found that I wasn't using it, so was again very pleased when it went to its lovely new home. If I ever buy another Van der Spek, I wouldn't have the big back pocket again, as I found that it made it feel more bulky with the thicker Janet Leather. 

 

3. Pocket Moterm (model now discontinued)

 

Pros: lovely little binder that it like a leather Domino. 

Cons: I bought this on a whim really, as I've never used pocket size and had planned to give it a go. However, I realised that whilst I love the idea of the smaller size, I know that personal suits me the best. Gifted to a very happy person in a local freebies Facebook group. 

4. Red vintage non-branded 

 

Pros: on paper, this one sounds good as it's very similar to a Winchester, but with much more supple leather (than the ones that I've previously owned)

Cons: I admit that I actually never used this one, as occasionally I'd move into it and then straight back out again! I think that the leather was possibly too smooth and almost like the colour was painted on, giving it a less pleasant tactile experience. Gifted to the Facebook group person. 

5. Dark aqua A5 Original

 

Pros: wonderful minimal styling with thick leather and such a great colour.

Cons: I hadn't used an A5 for quite a few years, so this was a bit of an experiment for when I changed to a new work from home job. No cons for the Filofax itself, as I just decided to stick with an A4 hardback notebook for work, so the Original was returned to its previous owner.  

6. A4 Graphic

 

Pros: A4 size is handy for printing out or storing paperwork and the Graphic is lighted for its size as it's not leather. 

Cons: I bought this for my late Mum, but A4 size is quite a beast! For me, the size takes up too much space if you wanted to keep it open on a desk and I would've needed a much bigger bag, if I'd wanted to take it with us to any appointments when I was a carer. Donated to a charity shop.

7. Lefax City 10

Pros: oh man, the leather on this one is sublime and the great layout could work perfectly as a wallet. 

Cons: absolutely none (I might regret getting rid of this one day), but whilst I love the idea of a slimline, it really doesn't have enough ring space for me. Gifted to Steve. 

8. Duck egg personal Domino Soft

I don't have any photos of this one, as it was a super cheap eBay bargain bought on a whim and I didn't have it very long. Here is a link to Janet's post about the model. 

Pros: really nice faux leather and minimal styling. 

Cons: only the colour really, as I think that the duck egg colour was a bit too pale for me personally. Gifted to the local freebie Facebook group.

There and Back Again: a Kensington's Tale - by Anita

I have bought and sold many binders over the years, but rarely have seller's regret.
In hindsight, I have often been a little too keen to sell, but have realised recently that I have pushed myself to own only the one when keeping more is allowed! Like many in the community, I don't smoke, barely drink and in general am a fairly frugal person, so owning more than one isn't going to cause any financial issues. Organisers help me stay sane and I enjoy using them.

With all this in mind, I realised that since I purchased my first Filofax back in 2009, one fairly unassuming one has really become my favourite, my black personal Kensington. I first purchased it from eBay back in 2014 and it has also belonged to three other people in the Philofaxy community. The lovely Deb gifted it back to me in 2016, but I sent it back to her the following year as I was again trying to get back down to just the one and couldn't see myself using solely a black organiser.

Once again, I am so lucky for her kindness as when I got in contact, she was happy to return it again and didn't allow me to pay for shipping. Thank you, Deb.

I'm using the same simplified set up that I've been using for nearly two years now, except that I have now added an additional section for projects.

After the last London Philofaxy meet up, I treated myself to a TWSBI Eco fountain pen, but it's a bit too large to fit in either the Kensington's or Van der Spek's pen loops. My VdS has two pen loops, so my Staedtler Triplus fineliner lives in one and the TWSBI pen clip attaches to the other. However, how to use both pens in the Kensington? After a little experimentation, I discovered the simplest solution is for the TWSBI to live inside the rings as when the binder is closed the inserts stop the pen moving.

Deb very kindly added this little card in the package.

My Van der Spek is currently holding some spare inserts and some old notes that I need to process. I don't plan on using both the personals together any more than that, but when I fancy a change or need more colour, I will then move back into the Van der Spek. 

Back in April 2018, this was my version of my planner peace:

Pocket size Raydori, red personal Winchester and A5 lined Leuchtturm

And here is my updated 2020 version:

Raydori, Kensington, custom Van der Spek and A5 Leuchtturm

Choosing my favourite - by Anita

I have bought and sold many binders over the years as this allows me to have some variety, whilst keeping the number that I own at an acceptable level for me. Part of me would love to have a huge collection, but I'm really a minimalist at heart so I tend to sell one or two if a new one comes in the door.

It seems that the growing need to destash has come upon me once again, so I thought that I would share the contenders with you and how I made my choice:
1. Red Winchester 
Pros: Amazing colour, hard wearing leather, slim profile
Cons: Pockets hard to access and not a good set up as a wallet, hard leather
Conclusion: I was only really keeping it for the vibrant colour, so it is now residing with Rebecca in the US.

2. Tan Kensington 
Pros: It's a Kensington in a brighter colour, internal layout works well as a wallet, slim profile
Cons: Compared with the black one I owned previously, the leather has started to already show small signs of wear (minor loss of colour from rubbing against books in my bag and picking up dark marks) and isn't anywhere near as soft. Due to an old ink stamp at work, I often have inky fingers and was starting to worry about leaving black marks (not an issue with either the Winchester or Ascot)
Conclusion: If the leather had been as soft as on my black one, this would have been the keeper. Now residing in Canada with Alan.

3. Black Ascot 
Pros: Nice croc finish with variations between front and back pattern, layout works well as wallet, leather is solid but soft from lots of use, ring protectors can be used as secretarial pockets. Added bonus - purchased from Ian
Cons: Darker colour than others, slightly fatter profile due to pockets.
Conclusion: 'The One'! And yes, I have owned one of these before! However, this one was much cheaper and the leather is nicer as it's had more wear.

I will write another post with more pictures of the Ascot and my current set up.
I'm surprised that this was the winner as I have previously sold lovely black binders because I just couldn't see myself only owning one in this colour. I was diagnosed with Seasonal Affective Disorder some years ago, so the thought of a darker coloured organiser in the winter months really didn't appeal. However, I then had a super simple idea... colourful dividers! Why didn't I think of that before... It could be a rainy and dark day, but I open up my Ascot and I'm then greeted by some cheerful colour to balance the darker exterior.

Some others that I also sold:
4) Red Congo Mulberry social organiser (Filofax M2 size)
This is a lovely little binder, but I bought it on a whim and never used it. Residing in the US with Emi.

5. Time Manager planner wallet
This is a very nice bit of leather and has a fold out section with holes to fit onto rings. Again, never used so Jacqui kindly purchased it as the recent London meet up. More photos of Tim's can be found here.

Planner peace - by Anita

Looking back over the years since I purchased my first Filofax (a cherry personal Classic), I have owned many binders, and I have really enjoyed the variety that this has given me. However, as a minimalist at heart I've generally kept to a 'one in, one out' rule so that I have only owned a maximum of five at any one time. I do love looking at other people's photos of their larger collections though.

As time has gone on, I knew that I would eventually settle back down with just one binder, but I suppose I wasn't ready before as I had been enjoying trying out different models. For a long time, I used to use two binders together - a personal as my main planner and an A5 for planning projects and for when I wanted to write longer notes. However, I eventually sold my A5 as I just wasn't using it as my focus was always so much on the personal.

At one point, I did seriously considering moving over completely to the A6 size in my wonderful Mulberry. Whilst in some ways I do prefer the dimensions of A6 paper, I realised just how much personal sized paper I already have, so it seemed silly to waste that when I don't hate the size.

I have found my planner peace for quite some time now, but haven't written about it as I wanted to make sure that it was working! One important thing is that whatever I use needs some flexibility for my changing needs or for a little variety. I have been in my red Winchester since January 2017 and have recently sold all my other binders, which is such a relief. I admit that since moving into the Winchester, I have purchased a small number of others and moved into them, but have then immediately moved back out as I realised that I'd made a mistake.

This is what my planner peace looks like:

1) Pocket size Raydori kindly gifted to me by Ray Blake
I happened to mention on Facebook one day that I was tempted by the Midori Traveler's Notebook, but had never tried one and Ray very kindly offered to send me one free of charge. I love this one as it's a proper pocket size, instead of the normal Midori passport, so it will fit Field Notes, Moleskine cahiers or a pocket notebook. I tend to use the Raydori for when I need a change, or if I want something more portable than a personal Filofax.

2) Red Winchester
This is 'the one' and the mainstay of my planning.
I have two set ups that I can choose between and other than that, I don't mess with my system:
a) Getting Things Done based
b) Simplified set up - I am using this at the moment, but moving back to the GTD one would be very simple and would only involve moving into new sections.

3) A5 Leuchtturm lined notebook
I don't use this all the time, but will sometimes plan projects in here as it gives me so much more page space, compared with my Filofax. I also use it to make notes on any studying that I'm doing.

So, that's it!
I feel like I have the best of both worlds with using notebooks and a Filofax together, but my Winchester is the one that I mostly use as you can't beat the flexibility of being able to remove and replace pages.

Planner Peace

'Planner Peace' or 'Organiser Peace' in our case is often banded around on-line and I've been asked the question numerous times.

"Have you achieved Planner Peace?"

If you say yes, then of course there are lots of follow up questions! Like how did you achieve 'Planner Peace'?

For me it was partly about finding a diary insert that worked for my own needs. The one you see below is the one I've been using since 2012. I used it for a few months in 2011 as well.

That isn't the full story though, you need to consider how you use the diary insert in conjunction with the organiser that holds the pages and where and when you are using it.

The organiser I use most is my Custom A5 Van der Spek, it is certainly not the most expensive one that I own. It only has 25mm rings and it is quite soft and supple, which means it slots in to my bag perfectly. I do occasionally swap in to other A5's, but this is the one I come back to.

The internal layout has pockets for other bits of paper and documents that I like to keep together. And having two pen loops means I have a pen and pencil always at the ready.

My other 'secret' was to have split my pages in to those I need to access on a daily basis, such as my planner pages and a few notes pages. And the infrequent sections which live in another A5 which stays close to hand on my desk, but I don't carry all these extra pages around with me.

So have I really achieved 'Planner Peace' ? I guess I have, if it is working for me and the fact I'm still using the same inserts etc.

Can my set up be improved? I guess so, but changes will evolve rather than big changes.

How about you?

Free For All Friday No. 467 by Anita

I have had lots going on recently, and in the past this has often meant that my Filofax has become just messy and out of date. However, this time I am definitely in Planner Win and everything is just working! So, what have I been doing differently this time?

• When I realised that I was starting to feel overwhelmed, I did a thorough review and simplified my set up. I've been mostly using my Getting Things Done based system since 2009, but felt that it was time for a change. I will write another post soon to share my simplified set up
• I have been using separate agenda lists for tasks relating to the different people in my life. The tasks involved haven't felt complicated enough to create a proper project, but having a list called 'Mum' or 'cat' has been sufficient to collate related items to keep on top of it all
• As I've needed to be super focused, I have taken a break from social media and haven't even been reading much of Philofaxy. Reducing the amount of time I spend looking at a screen has meant that I've had more time to exercise, get outside or read a book. Therefore I've been feeling more relaxed, so have been writing more in my wonderful Winchester and getting more done. 

Do you find that your set up can cope with busier than normal times, or have you recently made a change that has been of great help with this?

And of course, as it's Friday please feel free to discuss anything ring bound planner related.

I hope you have a great weekend.

Cycles of buying and selling - by Anita

Since purchasing my first Filofax back in 2009, I admit that I've purchased many and if I'd kept them all I'd have quite an impressive collection by now. However, as a minimalist at heart, I've never wanted to own too many, so tend to sell to fund the new one and also to keep numbers down. I can sometimes be a little bit hasty in selling, but I feel grateful for the variety that I've been able to explore with all my sales and purchases.

Whilst I've enjoyed this in the past, I guess that I've had enough and that's what my zero spend was useful for, even if I didn't ultimately stick to it... I've spent a fair amount of time wanting to own just one binder, but with more experience understand that I do enjoy more variety.

I've spent a bit of time looking back at past purchases and figured out my preferences and needs:

• I have given up on the A5 size once and for all - my focus is so much on my main binder that I don't look at it. My A5 Leuchtturm notebook is working much better for me for when I need extra space for planning projects, or making more in-depth notes
• Any binders need a suitable layout to be used as a wallet - I don't always combine my planner and wallet, but do so when travelling and like the option to be able to
• I like black binders, but also need some colour - I'm using my Kensington to process some old notes and will move back into it in the spring or summer
• I always come back to red - I mentioned in a previous post that the colour of a Filofax doesn't matter so much to me, but I now understand that it does, especially in the darker winter months
• I like croc prints - have owned multiple Ascots, Amazonas and my Dundee
• I'm still tempted/curious about the A6 paper size, but sold my vintage Mulberry as all my supplies are in personal size. However, I don't own as much as I thought that I did, didn't spend that much on it and I do have other paper that I could cut into A6 size. Also, paper in that size from the Stationery Emporium is much cheaper than inserts from Filofax. 

For me personally, this little journey has been about working out what I need and want, with the idea of keeping my favourites so that I won't feel the need to buy any more. It's not about depriving myself, but taking the time to find the ones that I will feel content with. If I owned a larger collection and wanted to downsize, I would spend some time using each one to identify their pros and cons and ultimately if I enjoy using them. Right now, the optimum number seems to be three for me. I may reduce that in future, but I'm resisting that temptation currently to ensure that I don't start looking around for something else... 

The Goldilocks effect (home in my Kensington)

I think that sometimes, like Goldilocks, we need to try out a number of things to find something that is 'just right' for us. As per my previous posts here and here, I had planned to keep a small number of binders (A5 Ascot, personal Dundee and vintage Coach). However, after signing up to an online decluttering course it occurred to me that owning more than one just makes me feel a bit crazy. It felt like a proper Eureka moment, and I'm not sure why I've persisted so long with something that doesn't match what my minimalist heart longs for! I think that I was more excited about selling them all than when I first purchased them... which definitely shows that it's the right choice for me.

Whilst the Dundee is a wonderful Filofax, I started thinking about the Kensington that I previously owned. Since purchasing it back in 2014, it's belonged to three different members of the community in the US. On the off-chance, I contacted the lovely Deb to say that if she ever changed her mind about it, then I would happily buy it back from her. Her response was, "Hi Anita, I don't intend to sell or trade the black Kensington, but I would be most happy to return it to you. My treat. I just need your address'. How kind and I love being part of such a lovely community!

So, what's so great about the Kensington and why this particular one?
I'd looked at some for sale on eBay and they just looked a bit too new for my liking. I love how this one has aged so that the leather is very soft and a bit puffy (as you can see where the front doesn't look flat). Most important Kensington qualities - soft leather, slim profile, design simplicity, light to carry when full, layout that can be used as a wallet and lies flat. Once upon a time I think I would've wanted something red, but nowadays colour seems to be less important to me than its function and tactile quality. Due to the softer construction, it holds more than the Dundee but has the same ring size.

My selling spree was so successful that I ended up owning zero binders for a short while (very weird), so I've been using a pocket Moleskine in a Raydori cover that Ray kindly gave to me. For project planning, I purchased a cheap A4 spiral bound project book (with handy movable dividers) and I am very much enjoying the extra page space that I've gained from moving up from A5. I haven't quite moved back into the Kensington, but I'm looking forward to the flexibility that comes with using a ringed binder. I will be using the same set up again and I guess that it feels like coming home.

My wandering, wayward heart (my version of planner peace) by Anita

After reading Helen’s excellent post about defining planner peace, it reminded me that I’ve been considering writing about this subject for some time. The great thing is that everyone’s version of peace will look quite different, and that’s one of the things that I love reading about here or on other blogs. The flexibility of a ringed binder draws me back every time as it’s so easy to open the rings, remove the contents and start over.

I’ve had a little look back at my previous posts here on Philofaxy and there seems to be a recurring theme along the lines of ‘I’m so content with this one, I couldn’t imagine changing and thank you very much, I won’t be buying any more’. However, after a varying amount of time I do change and I’ve recently realised just what this means for my binder use and peace of mind.

Quite some time ago, I had a Facebook conversation with the lovely Ro about buying Filofaxes and something she said really struck me as very true that I have a ‘wandering, wayward heart when it comes to these things’ and about my tendency to like variety now and then.

So, this is what my planner peace looks like:

• First and foremost, I do not mess with my set up. This is my cardinal rule, I guess. Whilst some changes can be beneficial, I don’t want to tinker about with my system for the sake of it as this can just be another form of procrastination for me
• I am allowed to change my binder when I fancy some variety, as I am able to recoup my costs as I’m careful about what I spend. I love Filofaxes, but I don’t want a large collection and I dislike owning ones that aren't in use, so I sell my original one to fund the incoming newbie
• My main binder is either personal or one that takes A6 paper as I find them the best compromise between page size and portability 
• I am allowed to own more than one! For some time, I struggled with this with my minimalistic tendencies but I am finding that an additional A5 is very helpful for planning projects and taking notes
• I've learnt over time that my version of planner peace will change and I'm OK with that 
• Something new (for me) that I'm considering is the idea that I can keep one additional one that isn't being used. It may be just one that I love and don't want to part with, or maybe in a different size for my changing needs
• I keep my stationery supplies at a minimum. On purpose I have a limited amount of storage for this and I don't decorate, so it means I don't need much more than spare paper, my hole punch and a couple of pens. 

I've actually found it quite useful writing this post as I've been figuring this out as I go along and putting it into words has been very helpful. I've never had 'a unicorn' and I feel very fortunate as I usually find any new replacement quite easily thanks to this wonderful online community.

Guest post - Defining Planner Peace (Or how to stop tinkering and get on with other things) by Helen Fennell

Thank you to Helen for this thought provoking post. 

Ah, that eternal quest for planner peace. I see it a lot on Facebook in the various groups I am in. Should I change size/binder/layout/stickers…? Will this give me planner peace? It really concerns me when I see such angst over a planner. It is just a planner, some bits of paper bound together in one way or another. It shouldn’t be causing stress; it should be making life run more smoothly so you can enjoy your time doing other things. If you are constantly adjusting, tinkering and worrying about the aesthetics of your planner, it will never work for you and all you will do is get frustrated as planner peace eludes you. 

In order to reach planner peace, you need to understand what a planner can do for you.  What do you expect from your planner? If you are expecting planner peace to bring you everlasting health, wealth and happiness, then you may well be disappointed.  It really doesn’t matter what a good planner looks like, as long as it works. It can be a collection of used envelops if that is what works for you. The key is that you need to use it and trust it. I’ll be upfront here; I am not a decorator of planners. 

I understand the need for a creative outlet, I have one in my blog, but I can’t have a lot of clutter in my planner, otherwise I can’t work out what is happening. That isn’t to say decorating is a bad thing, I admire some of the beautiful decoration and calligraphy I see, but I think it should be something that develops (if at all, and there is a strong argument for separating planning and crafts) after you have settled into a planning system which works. Remember, your planner is yours, so what it looks like isn’t important. 

You are judged by your actions, not by how well illustrated your to-do list is!* Nobody has ever said someone was a bad person because their planner was a scribbled mess. If you are worrying about what it looks like, then you are adding an extra layer of planner complexity, which won’t support planner peace in any shape or form. 

In order to reach a point where you are not tinkering with your system, you have to decide what it is that you want it to do. When I was setting up my system after I had a major life change and left my corporate job to run my own business, I thought this through, with the help of one Mr D. Popely. 

Here are the things I wanted to achieve, and therefore needed my planner to help me with:

• Build my business by producing reliable and high quality work for my clients. Key to this is to be where I am supposed to be and to control time allocated to different client projects
• Manage Blog editorial
• Manage MS symptoms by keeping a closer eye on health data to understand which actions have a positive and negative impact
• Develop meditation and other habits to support health and wellbeing
• Reduce reliance on iPhone (I was spending too much time looking at it for reminders).

What I need to record:

• Time Blocking – I need to understand what time I have allocated to projects (work and personal) so I don’t over book myself
• Appointments – I need to know where I am supposed to be and at what time
• Blogging – I need a record of scheduled blogs posts and ideas for future posts
• Health – I need to record health data to help manage my MS
• Good Habits – I need to record how consistent I am being with exercise, meditation and other health habits. Record for as long as the habit is forming, and then stop. Replace with next habit.
• To-Do lists – Write time dependent to-do in planner (eg. When client invoices are due). Write repeating to-dos on a sticky flag and move them (eg. Put out rubbish). 

I set this up and then I used the system for 2 months, yes, 2 months. Day in, day out. Even when I felt unsure I kept going. I didn’t look at other people’s planners or set-ups. I kept with what I had devised. It takes up to 8 weeks to develop a habit, and I believe that planner peace takes just as long. 

After the 2 months I reviewed against the following criteria:

• Did I manage my project time appropriately?
• Did I attend all my appointments?
• Did I blog and post regularly?
• Am I recording health data and can I make sense of it in order to draw conclusions about what is a positive impact on my health?
• Can I see how I did at developing my good habits? Can I make sense of the data to work out what throws me off track so I can avoid that pitfall in the future?
• Did I complete all of my important To-Dos?
• Did I feel in control and understand all of my commitments?

In my case if the answer to all of these was yes, then my planning system was working. And it was. No stress, work was done and delivered, my to-dos were done, and all the things I need to do to keep me well were happening too.  Interestingly, since implementing this system I have spent far less time worrying over my planner, which gives me more time to work on my health, spend time with my loved ones and do nice things! The pages are plain, simple, and work for me. Planner Peace. 

So, when thinking about planner peace, don’t worry about the binder, or the colours or anything else. Just ask “am I getting done what I need to get done?” If the answer is yes, then you have planner peace. Then you can let rip with the stickers. ☺ 

*Which is a good thing as I draw like a 4 year old. 

So do you consider you are at 'Planner Peace' yet?