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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How to build your perfect planner system? Week 14: Place for time related stuff

As I promised before on week 4, now we will add a section for time related stuff. The idea comes from the 43 folder system, where you have a foder for 12 months and for 31 days. The actual month and day is always the first. All todo-s, projects, info pages is going to this system, to the day/month when it will be important. Concert ticket on the day, project files, when you have to start work with, etc. But we have our planners, where we plan our days, weeks, months... In a planner would be 43 dividers or folders too much.

17 dividers

I simplified this system for months and weeks. If you like the idea, create 12 monthly dividers, first comes September, the actual month. Plus 5 weekly dividers - you can choose what first week means. It can be from the first day of the month to Sunday (Saturday?), or decide where the mixed weeks are going (I use this mostly, 28-3 is the last week of the month for me).

Put all time related stuff, like information for events, or to do-s here.

Some example:

Letter from school - there is more thing, I will move it forward

Camp packing list for tis weekend

Next year camp reminder by May

A call for submission - I don't know if I want to do this, or not, but I will see, when the time comes

You can keep here reminders for recurring tasks must do always on the same month or week. Events happens yearly, like birthdays.

You can collect ideas for the future, maybe for birthday presents.

Some Christmas marketing ideas by November

I have an envelop also for 2017 with a note about ID-s will expired.

Future section

If you don't want the 17 dividers system, or you maybe have only a few of such things, you can use the future section for saving this files too. Or (what a scandallum!) keep this stuff outside your planner. Create a folder for it, or a papertray, what makes you sense.

Homework for the next week

Find your way to store the time related stuff, and install it. Place here your stuff you already collected. Don't forget from now  to review this weekly!

I think, we have built the basics of a planner. Before we go further - with more ideas, variations of calendars, files, sections, more planners, next week we will make a little repetition with a summery of the first 14 weeks. Stay tuned :)

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask in comment! Share your experiments in our Facebook group, and get more help!  

Find here the whole series.

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Free printable: monthly dividers to the 17 folders system

I hope, you have seen my new video(s) about the 17 dividers system. If not, watch it here!

Part 1

Part 2

I share with you now the dividers, what I created. Click on the picture to download!

How to use?

When your printer can print borderless, you can print the pages to A5 paper, but if not, choose A4. Print page 13 - if you wish on the other side. Print the labels too (page 14), cut them. Fold in half, and stick on the dividers. I recommend to laminate them, or use some thicker paper.

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Inbox - in the planner???

What is an inbox?

The idea comes from the GTD system, in there you have to collect all the stuff you need to deal with - no matter it it trash, task, todo, or info material. Inbox (for me) is a place, where thing that has to be handle lands before I find it's place. What I mean about this "things"?

• receipts
• letters from school, maybe with events, or only with infos
• notes written by me (someone else)
• tickets
• emails printed out
• shopping list on a post it
• etc

Where is the inbox, and how it looks like?

My inbox was for the first time only a pocket after the dashboard in my main planner. The pocket is very useful, because not every piece of paper can be punched. If you have no time/opportunity to punch the paper, or you don't want now to deal with it, place into the pocket.

After that I read in a blog (sorry, I don't remember any more) that she has some notepaper at the beginning of the planner to write notes quick down. And this is also an inbox. You write here your ideas, a todo list, or shopping list. And you will remove this note paper later, where it belongs in your planner!

More than one inbox? Oh, yes, I have more. As I decided to remove my calendar from my main planner to be simpler to carry on, when I'm out of home, I might write something in that smaller planner. That's why, that planner is an inbox too.

The inbox extensions

We have a chalkboard in the kitchen, there can all family members write what we have to thinking on. Mostly what to buy. If I'm cooking, I don't want to take my Filofax, I write on the board quick. When the board is full, I write everything to my planner on the right place.

My phone: if I'm driving I can make audio notes with a voice recorder in my phone (I have to remember - how hard it is!!!)

Why should you have an inbox?

Simplifies your life, minimize the distraction. If you have an inbox, that gives you the opportunity stay in your task on you are working, and leave you to decide later, what to do with that info. In my daily routine I have a task, called "clean up inbox". Every morning I'm looking through, what I have here, and I put away. Do your tasks, when you have time for it! Imagine a situation (happens with me often): I'm working on my computer. My daughter comes home, and gives me a letter from the school with lot of events for the whole quarter. Yes, I could punch it at the moment, and starting write the appointments into your calendar, but it makes no sense, remember: I'm working on something! It can also happen, that you don't know yet, where you should place that piece of paper, take your time to find the best for it. Or you are away from home, get a receipt. It is going to the inbox. At home you can put away, where you have your receipts.

Good luck! Later I will come back with a tutorial, how to create your own inbox pocket, because I don't like mine, I will do a new one :)

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Where do I find my inspirations for planning?

Flylady

Flylady is a home care program, you can subscribe it, and get starting to build out your system. What I learned from that: 

• having routines
• plan for cleaning
• you can do any not-liked-activities for 15 minutes - use your clock
• you made your chaos over a long period, you can't remove that in a day, take your time
• hot spot - work on them every day

GTD

Or Getting Things Done by David Allen. It is a book what I didn't read (yet), a system for completing your tasks. I read about it on the internet. Main things (it can be inexact):

• get all todos in one place, called inbox
• than sort out where they belongs (something I remember: by computer, calls, maybe/later)
• you have to write micro actions what can be done (like call xy instead of organize a meeting) - they are doable steps, which help to accomplish the tasks. Called next action. (that would be for me not working, I have for one day maybe 50 things, what I'm doing, that would be a chaos)
• review your progress monthly, weekly, daily basis

What I use from that:

• inbox
• reviews

43folders

Find the homepage here. But better google it, what it is exactly. It is builded to working on GTD. Core of the system:

• you have 43 folders
• 12 for each month
• 31 for days
• actual month is on the front, with actual day
• when you clean up your inbox, you place the thing you have to working on to the day, when it is actual - if it is in the current month, or to the month if it is the upcoming.
• at the morning you take out the folder of the day, and working on the things, they are in. the folder of the day at the evening goes to the next month folder. 
• at the end of the month the month folder goes to the end.

I simplified this to my 17 dividers system, working with month end weeks.

Internet

I also browse a lot on the internet and read about time management, work efficacy, etc.

Videos on Youtube.

Blogs, what you should have to follow:

http://www.giftieetcetera.com/

http://homemakersdaily.com/

http://philofaxy.blogspot.ch/

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How helps a planner to make your 100 dimensional life (semi)linear?

Warning! As I read the book "ADD friendly ways to organize your life" in the night, I couldn't sleep after that, because my mind started to thinking about what I read - so much thought, and they are still here and swirling around me. The post might a little bit academic and chaotic.

A dream about a linear world, and the reality

I dream sometimes about a world, which is simple linear. A task comes in, I finish it, next task comes... But the world is more complicated. Hundreds of tasks bombard us in every minute. You have to decide if it really a task? Is that you who has to solve it? The biggest thing to remember all of it. Because the time is linear, you can accomplish only one thing in one time. With a little cheat, you can start something, and leave it to happen: start the soup, and leave it, you can do it something else until it will be cooking, but it can be an issue to find a way back (in time). But doing things like this: parallel to each other takes a lot of energy - switching between tasks is exhaustive.

Solution Level 1: Have a list

If you have a list with tasks makes for you possible, thinking linear. You work on something, and you don't have to think on other things, because they are on the list. Until you don't finish, you have only this one particular task. The list has to contain doable tasks! "My daughter's birthday" is not a task. A task is to find out what gift I will buy, buying the gift, writing invites, baking a cake...
You are making something, input comes (post, email, a thought): I have to do something with this. Write on your list on. Finish your task, then go to the list - and? What? Your list might have 100 of items. Pick the next one? Or spending a lot of time to choosing the right task for now? Better as don't have any list, but not the best. How could you finish a long term goal? It is not possible not eat, speaking with your friend, cleaning, etc until you didn't wrote that book. Switching between this long term things and everyday life little tasks, and back is very difficult. And not linear! And another question: where do you have your list? On a piece of paper? Will you always find it?

Solution Level 2: Use a calendar

If your list is in your planner, it will be always there. But how to organize your list? You should not only know WHAT you have to do but also WHEN.
Using a planner can be on more levels. You might use it as a calendar, writing appointments in and some time sensitive things, like "bring library books back", "mom's birthday". It is simple, but the problem can be, if I see today in my calendar, that my mom has birthday today, it is too late. I have to plan todos related to this thing before. So comes planning in: write one week later to the calendar a task "buy gift" to a day, where it is appropriate (have time, and opportunity).

Solution Level 3: Project planning

Project planning for work and for personal life too! What is a project? A project is anything that contains more than one doable tasks. Organizing the time is more simple, if you have more that one list. Start writing thematic lists! 

Use a planner, where you have place for a calendar for time sensitive appointments and tasks, and place also planning, not time sensitive tasks. You need also place for the project tasks lists too. You might have a "projects" session in your planner, with an index page in order from A to Z.

How to make your plan: decide on what you will work on. Choosing from 10 projects is more simple that choosing from 100 tasks. After choosing the project you are working on you can choose the task from the tasks. This helps also to finishing long term projects. 

Let's see, you are writing a book. You don't have to plan all tasks before. You can plan "working 2 hours" every day on this project, and when you are working on you are going on that project tasks list. Or you can plan "writing chapter one" in May. 

Solution Level 4: Organizing the projects in time

If you have lot of projects and you have them organized from A to Z, it is hard to decide on what you have to working on now. Place the project tasks lists in your planner in order of you will working on them! Have dividers for months, and day as in 43 folders system, or have dividers for months and weeks, how I make it. Place the lists to the time you have to working on! When you getting there, you have to choose only from a few tasks. Some sample: I have to pay tax for our house every 3 month. I have all infos on a notepaper (where how much and the tax numbers, and a list, where I write in when I payed). I have that after the monthly divider when I have to pay. When I payed it is going 3 month later. If I would have this "project" in an alphabetical order, I might never pay it! I have an idea, what I want to buy for my husband's birthday. I should make also a birthdays list, and also a gift ideas list too. But then I should always check them. I write birthdays to my calendar, and ideas to the month when I have to buy the gift! An idea is only an idea, not a project, so I have a notepaper by the monthly dividers. I prearranged with someone to make together a promotion. I don't need a project page yet, but to the month I will have to start working it, I have a note about it. I can start my list than. But if I get an idea, I start a project page before it and write it down!

I know, that was long... If you have any question or comment, do not hesitate to write me!

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DYI project: Pocket for the divider

As I wrote in the "The 17 Dividers" post, it can be very useful to create a pocket on a divider. Sometimes you have to keep in your planner something what cannot be punched. I will show in this tutorial, how I made pockets to my dividers.

Step 1: 

Take an already done divider...

 ... or make one. Very important: it has to be punched already!

 Step 2:

Cut a paper to the half size of your divider. Punch it.

Step 3:

With some washi tape you can fix your papers. Stick the bottom of the two pieces together with washi tape.

Step 4:

Stick the sides.

Step 5:

Punch the washi tape.

Step 6:

Use it!

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The 17 dividers

Do you know the a 43 folders system? You have one for all month and 31 for the days. I don't want folders. And 43 divider? No way. If I plan, is enough for me to know, which week I want to work on one project.

This is my solution

One divider for every month. I bought monthly sticky markers for them.

In one of my Filofax were numbered dividers. I use from them the 1-5 for weeks 1-5 in every month.
(Find a tutorial about creating the pockets here.)

How it works?

Actual month is the first, with the 5 weekly divider. The divider has a pocket to store little scraps of paper. Where I have repetitive tasks, I wrote it here. 

 bills to pay in every month comes to second week

If I get something, I will need later, I put to that month, if it is the current month, to that week. Think about reminders from school, invites for party. 

Email for holiday course of my daughter (goes to February)

As I make my plan, I put the project planner pages also here. Why is that good? You will find such things as bought concert tickets month before. If you get and idea for the next christmas, make a "Christmas project planner" page, and put to December. Or to November, if you have to do before! If you use a folded page, you can fold into every page that has something to do with it. Ideas for gifts, receipts, eg.

You may want also put after every month divider a to do list, for miscellaneous ideas, to dos.

I have a post it now on April divider with a deadline.

Sometimes I have to wait for something. I write on the page, until when? And I place that project to that time. I send sometimes submissions to magazines with pattern ideas. As I sent it, I write it on, and the expected datum for feedback. Then I place it to that time. If it it over, probably it is not accepted. I know how much longer they send my submission back, I write that time also on the project page, and the whole packet moves on. If that time has come and I didn't got that back, I can write an e-mail, if I got it  back, I can archive the project. If that is accepted, I will be told when I have to knit the sample and write the pattern. I can then build it to my plan.

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