Sunday, June 30, 2013

Is a Planner a Planner with no Calendar?


If you have been reading my recent blog posts (and who hasn’t?!) you know that I have been struggling (for months) with the A5 vs. Personal issue. Instead of constantly changing back and forth, I decided it was time to “have a think”. (No, I am not from the UK, never even been there. But being obsessed with all things Filofax for the last 6 months, including Philofaxy, I have all of these lovely English expressions in my brain. So far, I haven’t pulled a Madonna, with the fake accent.)

In my last post I mentioned how I love the Filofax A5 WO2P vertical calendar, which I now call a diary (UK speak again?). The size is perfect for my large handwriting.


I even like the feel of the paper. I don’t know what the paper weight is, but I like that it is not as thick as cotton cream. I know, I know, everybody loves the cotton cream. Not me…don’t like the feel, don’t like the color, don’t like anything about it. And ironically, every FF I order seems to come with cc inserts!

Since A5 is too big and heavy to carry everywhere, I carry a Personal. In my futile attempts to use both, regardless of the diary format du jour, I have to “sync” them everyday. I use a monthly and a weekly (or daily) diary. That means I have 4 calendars to sync! Who has time for that?!

So here’s my latest plan. No calendar in the Personal! Blasphemy! Isn’t a calendar part of the definition of a “Planner”? It is. Until it becomes more trouble than it’s worth.

I have a typical office job…Monday-Friday, 9-5. My work calendar/notes/to do is kept, at work, on my work computer. So my Personal FF is just that, for personal stuff. While I am at work, do I really need to know what my weight was last Wednesday? Or what day I vacuumed the lampshades? Or even what days my migraines decide to mess with me? No, no and no. Many of the things on my calendar are things I need to know…when I am at home. And the other things? Well, I would know beforehand that I have a doctor’s appointment and can bring the A5 on that day.

What I need, when away from home, is lists and notes. I need a To Do list of things to do while at work (not that I would ever do personal things on company time J), of things to do & errands to run after work. I need information while I am shopping online or locally…that’s a nice rug, but will it fit in my kitchen…is that really a good deal on printer ink, how much did I pay last time…I think I already have this cookbook.

I need a place to corral all of the genius ideas that pop in (and oh so quickly out of) my head, instead of having sticky notes stuck to other sticky notes.


What I don’t think I need is a calendar. When I am sitting at my desk at work, I am surrounded by calendars…one on my computer that is always open, one on my physical desk top and one hanging on the wall. And if I get up and walk 8 ft. there is another one hanging in the hallway. When I am out ‘n about, my iPhone has a calendar (useless as it may be).

So I have pulled both calendars from my Personal. This may not be a traditional way to use a Planner, but this is my plan and I’m sticking with it…at least for this week…

3 comments:

  1. I have a personal filofax with a week on two pages. Next year I'll downsize that to week on one page. I only use the diary for travel information and birthdays.
    I use two blank sheets for each day, the right hand is work and the left is personal. This means I can combine both on one "spread". I just write the date at the top myself.
    I keep a GTD capture list at the front of the Filofax and each day I "download" tasks to add to the daily schedule. I only make up the next day in the evening before.
    And yes, I have big writing too!

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    1. Yes, i think I had read one of your posts before (maybe on Philofaxy) about the capture list and "borrowed" it. I like it.

      As far as taking out the calendars...I don't know. Just yesterday, I was at work, goofing off, and needed something from my calendar...which was at home, thanks to my new system. I haven't added the calendars back yet, back it's not looking good for the new system.

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  2. Oh I´m hearing you on the cotton cream - I like my paper white for some reason, I never even gave the cotton cream a chance to be fair so have no idea what it even feels like, I even gave away all my cotton cream pages that cam with filos that I bought... I did however buy a few packs of cotton cream A5 ruled paper to use for my journalling as I though it´d look lovely and relaxing with brown ink - not that I´ve actually started journalling yet, but you know, I have all the stuff ready for when I get myself going, and that means I´m halfway there...right? :o)

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