Changes - personal again

I realised that I won't never arrive to the so called "planner peace". For me is planner peace that I can play with them. Trying out new layouts, setups, combinations of planners. I have ADHD, what wants me to be there where I'm not. So changing is time (and money) consuming, but changing always something makes me using my planners. I think, if I would stay on the same system I would hate the thing. I wrote already about this, in my heart I want just live without any planning. It is just not working. So I have add something extra - I keep my eyes open, searching new ideas, new planners, designing new inserts, stickers, dividers.
And what happened now? You might know: 1. I told - I'm an A5 girl, I don't like personal size. It is complicated, you have cut paper, and have not enough room on the paper... 2. I have 2 A5 Maldens. I love Maldens. But I'm not crazy for these two colors (purple and ochre), I always wanted something else.
In spring I heared about two new Malden colors, and I said: yes, they are lot more nicer! I watch a lot Filofax videos, and the personal Malden is more beautiful, as the A5. A5 is a biiiig monster :) First I said, hey, I don't need a new one (and not for that money!). But it is time to think on it, the new colors will be released in summer. Marketing works, what you cannot get, you want. And yesterday I ordered the Kingfisher Blue - personal size. Hey, you! Personal size, you don't like it! But I love, how this planner looks. And tried out last week some inserts for it.

Picture from John Lewis webshop

What I learned in the last year: I don't have to have everything in the same binder. What the worst was in personal, the mo2p insert. But do I need that in my personal size? Why not keep the A5 with a lot informations. And use a little bit other the personal size? Do1p - I don't like it, because I need schedule, task list plus place for notes - it is too much for a page, I want do2p. But do2p is too much for A5 - a good excuse for a personal do2p :D
The plan is (I also started to make it): Most of the personal planning, and informations stay in A5. In personal I won't keep appointments, just work planning. I printed out mo1p horizontal for an overview on what day I do what. I washi taped them to an other page to get a fold out, so when I plan my week I can see it.

Then wo2p, on the left side vertical, on the other notes - I keep here additional tasks I might want to do on the week, or notes. On this weekly I don't have any appointments, just work tasks. I keep my appointments in my mo2p calendar, plus Google calendar - and I copy them to my daily schedule.

I insert in between the do2p insert - first page schedule, tasks, second for notes (what is not ideal, because I have to turn, when I want to take notes, but this way I can see my week.

That is planning, than notepaper, meeting notes (I'm always searching, where I took notes, when I talked with someone - nothing fancy just notepaper, but it gets a section.) Lists. This is stupid, I now because I have Todoist, and I have these things there too. But I have to write lists with my hands... :D
I'm hesitating to add an info section to the end with a few very important stuff.
And this way what will be with my pocket size? I have no idea, but it seems to be not needed. Never mind, I will find maybe in a year an other combination, where I will use that again :)

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How pocket size works for me and why?

If you are with me for a long time, you know, I tried personal size, and I found it too small. And now I use a pocket size Filofax. How???

Filofax on the go

My first try to have a separate Filofax for on the go was the Compact size Pennybridge, what I use as a wallet. The idea was not to bring the A5 with me, but having the possibility to make appointments, have important informations by hand, taking notes, writing on to dos, when it falls into my mind. I had here monthly calendar, once also weekly, and todo lists, and note paper, but it doesn't worked. Why? I never took out it from my bag. It would be very risky - In might let it home... So - I wrote a task in that or a not, when I was far from home? Never read it again. I just brought my A5 with me - just in case.

The difference with the pocket

Wallet stays in my bag. But the pocket not! I take out. I bring the pocket with me - to the couch, to the bed, to the table, or when I leave the flat. It's small, it is so simple to take with me everywhere!

How it's calendar works with other planners together?

The pocket is not a planning tool. This is a capturing and storing tool. I have a monthly calendar here.

I write condensed only those thing here, what can influence any appointment I should organize. You can ask me - you wrote before, you can have only one calendar or that will be a mess. I have the solution. The Calendar which knows everything is an A5 booklet. Principle I organize here everything. But out of the house it is not with me. If I make a new appointment in the pocket, I don't write it on the paper, I write it on a small post it note. In my daily routine I have an item: "the red Filo" - means, I have to check, if I have a new appointment, note, to do, etc, and copy it for the right place. The post it note gives me a clue, that I have to copy that appointment. At the same time I can synchronize also in other direction too.

Daily notes

I got these inserts from someone in FB for free! I'm so happy. I didn't wanted to pay for daily inserts too much, because I didn't know, if I will use them? The answer is, yes! I use. Not as a task list, but a sort of journaling. I write in some words, what I did on the day. Not feelings, they are going to my real journal :)

Other stuff

Notes

I jot down everything here, ideas, learned stuff, tasks. I keep here a page markers, that I can reach the first clean page quickly.

Knitting

I made an insert for this. I take notes belonging to the project.

I tried keeping knitting notes on a planner before - it doesn't worked, because I kept designing notes, tasks for the designing process also here, and I never knew, where the planner is. At my knitting? On the desk? I'm lazy to search. But keeping designing stuff and other notes separate works really well! And if I need a note for the pattern - no problem, the little pocket is always with me.

Lists

I didn't liked keeping lists in an A5 binder, while I think it is wasting paper. The pocket size is ideal for lists - the pages are (almost) filled out.

A-Z section

I love A-Z sections, but I took it out from the A5 - for free out ring space. Here I have enough space (yet) for this bunch of dividers. I want to copy addresses here, and other good to know stuff, like passwords (not sensitive once), insurance numbers, "contact" infos - I don't know how to call this, by GTD is called contacts, they are pages for people with stuff I want to discuss, when we meet, what he/she told, etc. It can be a friend, a doctor also. Until now I have these here, but I know I will find other very important stuff to bring with me :D

Some extras

Stickers for headers

Sticky notes

White/black/gray cards for photoshoots

So this way I can let the A5 at home and I have every informations with me, what I need.

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How many planner do I use?

This question was in the Philofaxy Facebook Group. And I could answer in a second. And I should write too much to explain for what and why.

Let's start with the why!

I have ADD and I want everything perfect. I can't say no for things. So I need all the stuff and all the stuff don't fit to one (two, three) planners. It's ok, until I can manage the all the planners. I was once on a Filofax meeting In Zurich, with suitcase. Others asked if I have a planner for my Filofaxes? :D No, it's in my head. and now, let's see what everything I use?

Main planner

An A5 Malden purple. This is the base of everything. I made a separate monthly booklet for it, to spare ring space, but not only that's why was this a great idea, I don't have flip back when I do my weekly review, I take out and see. I keep here notes, tasks (they will be move out), ideas (on a flyleaf just on post it notes), personal and family projects, main part: planning: 5 year pull out for holidays (in personal size, but never mind :D), weekly planning (no weekly calendar), daily pages, some wo2p for journaling, and miscancellaus section, in ABC order. Really very mixed stuff like online orders, contacts, infos, etc.

(On Youtube, some changes are since... :))

Work planner

A5 Malden ochre. Notes, yearly and monthly planning, projects, infos about my business, like color schemes, etc. 

(On Youtube)

Social media planner

Carpe Diem in pink color. This was first a section in the work planner, but it's got too stuffed, so I took out. This is not really a planner, because I do the social media planning in Asana. I keep here some ideas, printouts like "how to write a good newsletter", on piece of paper, what posts I have already written (I try to make it once a month).

Daily greatness business planner

I don't use this how it could be, because it contains weekly calendar, and I plan in my dailies. But I never learned about business, and this planner asks the most important question for a yearly and quarterly planning, So I use that part.

(On Youtube: How I use together the main, work and business planner.)

The 17 dividers system

This is my version of the 43 folders system. In A5 Original Deep Aqua. 

(Youtube video first part, second part - funny I used than the Finsbury :D)

Informations

A5 Finsbury Black.

Notes

A5 hot pink Domino. Notes I took like on parent meetings and I want to keep, notes I took when I read a book...

Wallet

Pocket Pennybridge, with one year monthly calendar only with appointments, notepaper, and wallet stuff.

Always by my hand handy cuteness

I was so lucky to get a pocket Malden in the red color (hmm, what is the name...), and as you can see, I have mostly A5 - what could I use this for? Hmm, mostly note taking! It's so small, that I bring with me when I go to bed, to the couch, etc. I was so often not brought my A5 with me, and not written down little thoughts while I knitted or read. When a tasks pops in my mind, I have a post it on the first divider, I write it there, and in my daily routine I have a task: check this out! :) So far I love the idea.

(YouTube)

Meal planner and recipe binder

Personal purple Domino. I don't really use this for planning any more, but it keeps my recipes and freezer inventory.

(Youtube)

So, let's count... 10. What a nice round number :) I hope I didn't missed any...

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Using stickers for planning, not for decorating

I love to spend lot of time with my planner, but what is too much, is too much. I'm always searching for solutions to automate things, or making it simpler.

Where and for what do I use stickers in my planner?

1. Monthly spread - recurring events
I have lot of thing what don't need to write, but it is good to remind me. I know, that I bring my smallest daughter to Hungarian School every Wednesday. I know, when to leave, when it is. But I have the sticker here, because when I make an appointment with someone, I might forget it.

2. Monthly spread - events, color coded, with icons
I just started to make my own stickers with my new Silhouette Portrait. I've chosen for all family member a color.

This way the sticker tells me without writing: who and where, and I have to write only the when. It spares me a lot of time and space.

3. Monthly spread - events, without icons
I don't have icon for any possible events, so I made a lot circle stickers too.

4. Recurring tasks not to forget
Like give pocket money to kids every first day of the month's.

5. Daily schedule - event sticker without icons
I love how the circle sticker pops out! More and more than only writing in, even if it is written with color.

6. Daily schedule - color coded with icons
There are events, what not influence my schedule, but I have to know, like one of my bigger daughter has an appointment. I place the sticker reminders on the right side of my schedule. Didn't found now one quick, but you can see above, how I placed such an event on my schedule.

7. Index page - type of the event

I try to write every important stuff, what I might have to remember later, when that happened. Here I have a different logic with the color coding. I have for all family members a separate sheet, and color codes mean different segment of life (like green is health, yellow is fun, etc.) This way is quick to find: when was my daughter last time by dentist? I don't need to read for that, only search the teeth icon.

This post is part of the planner experience link up party:

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Preparing myself for 2016

I don’t write too much, because we are were visiting friends, family, I’m were never alone! It’s amazing and horrible in the same time :) I got my Agendio planner in PDF in email (as a reward for sharing it), and I want to try it out. Even if I decided before to go with monthly and daily pages only. The advantage of having my weekly/monthly routines printed out is huge. 

Having both monthlies and weeklies is not a good option, as I found (too much copying), I needed to remove the monthlies, and making place for my weeklies. I took a deep breath, and removed the a-z dividers also (lot of width), and left only the most important-always have to be with me- type infos in the planner. I will place the rest (they are also very important :P) in an other planner, which will be stay at home. Now I have a Barbie-thin planner :D

I can’t wait to get home and print my weeklies! (Ok, done.) What is left?

The new 2016 main planner setup

1. Landing section

Flyleaf with sticky notes, Inbox, and note papers after the inbox.

2. Tasks 

Lot of master to do lists of creative, declutter, home, etc stuff. (I should do them one day.)

3. Ideas

I use the divider as a container, I removed all of the paper after this, because I will store my ideas in an other planner, I need the space here. That's why are they on sticky notes, I can remove them. 

4. Projects

First the index of the projects, than the project pages with page flags.

5. Calendar

As mentioned, I removed the monthlies, I have here my weeks, not on 2 pages but on 4 pages. I keep a daily insert between the two half of the week (as usual, double punched). This way I don't have to copy my schedule to my daily insert.

I designed a new (100. version…) weekly planner, what I can print on the back of the Agendio pages. (See, Agendio, one more argument for selling the planners in digital form!) At the front: weekly planning, but here I will concentrate first on goals and projects, only after than the tasks. I hope, this way won’t be so overwhelming the lot of tasks. (I've forgot to take a pic in use, so a printscreen here :D)

On the last page I have the weekly review, with my usual checklist, and an opportunity for myself to write done, what I did for my goals, that I can concentrate better on my successes instead on not finished tasks.

6. Infos, notes, etc

That's left:

I miss a little bit my monthly pages, I hope I will be happy without them. I filmed also more about this setup, I will publish it in couple of days.

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