31 October 2016

New 2016 Van der Spek Touch Me Leathers and a Custom A5 Manager Organiser

Today I'm going to introduce you to the new Van der Spek 2016 'Touch Me' leather collection as well as a new A5 custom organiser made using one of the new colours of 'Touch Me' leather.

Back in June at the Van der Spek meet up, Petra Van der Spek got everyone in attendance to help Petra choose the new 2016 'Touch Me' leather colours.

Petra had decided to get a new supplier for this leather, but they offered a vast range of colours and obviously Petra only wanted to stock a small number of colours.

So each person was given a voting sheet and they were asked to pick their 10 favourite colours from the sample card with approximately 60 different colours on it.

In addition Petra had made some sample organisers using some of the new leather, this gave people a better idea about what the leather would feel like as well as look like in items larger than a small sample size.

Following on from the meet up, a series of votes took place in the Van der Spek Facebook group to reduce the options down to three new colours, plus black and brown, which were by default going to be included.

It came down to the following five colours: Black, Grey-Blue, French Blue, Tabac, Methe

L-R Black, Grey-Blue, French Blue, Tabac, Methe
The Van der Spek 'Touch Me' range of organisers are made by a sub-contractor to the requirements of Van der Spek.

Van der Spek will be supplying the leather, which has been sourced from a tannery in France and the items will be made in a large batch and you will be able to order them from stock on the VdS Shop website.

The design is very good and incorporates some great features including a full width back pocket, zip pockets and plenty of other pockets too.  They come fitted with Krause rings as standard and are very competitively priced.

In addition to organisers, there will be a new 'Touch Me' Nomad Travellers Notebook cover available as well.

The leather is very supple and nicely textured. It resists 'finger nail' scratches nicely too. The colours are very vibrant yet not too over-powering.

Delivery is expected some time in November, but I will announce when they are available on Philofaxy. They will be stocked in Junior(Pocket), Senior (A6), Standard (Personal) and A5 sizes.

One small design change for the new 2016 range of 'Touch Me' organisers, the Senior (A6), Standard (Personal) and A5 sizes will all have two pen loops. I think this is a great addition.

Janet Carr has also done a post about the new leather as well, which is of course well worth reading. Closer look at new Van Der Spek Touch Me leathers

30 October 2016

Reader Guest Posts

I am sure we all enjoy seeing how other readers used their organisers.

On Philofaxy we have had several different series of posts to help readers share their own experiences of how they use their organisers and which is their favourite one.

We constantly need new people to come along to be able to continue with these series of posts.

So how can you help contribute? We have three different 'reader' series which are very easy to fill in and respond to they are:
  • Reader Under The Spotlight - This is based on 10 simple questions (it used to be 19 questions) as well as the questions we ask you to supply a photo of yourself or your organiser. Previous posts in this series can be found here.
  • Readers Favourite Organiser - This is 5 questions plus a few photographs of your favourite organiser. Previous posts in this series can be found here.
  • Experienced User - This is based on 7 questions, mainly aimed at people who have been an organiser used for more than a year or two, but the questions are fairly generalised. Previous posts in this series can be found here.
  • We also welcome Guest Posts and Reader Reviews of organisers and related products. We also have Readers Tips too. There is no fixed format for these. It is best to contact Steve before you commence writing any of these.  

    Guest posts/reviews must be organiser related, Philofaxy will not publish non-organiser related posts... we often receive offers of very non-specific posts, one for example about body weight loss, when I published a post on weight loss in relation to removing pages from your organiser!  Clearly they hadn't read our post at all or our guidelines
In all posts we are happy to include a link or links to your own blog or your You Tube Channel or Instagram feed.

So if you would like to contribute with any of the posts above please contact Steve by email philofaxy at gmail dot com  Please indicate which post you are interested in taking part in and he will send you the questions/instructions.

Thank you.

29 October 2016

Web Finds - 29 October 2016

So I hope you have had a good week.

So now it is time to enjoy a great collection of blog posts from around the internet, so grab a drink and make yourself for our weekly round-up.

Here are some Philofaxy posts you might have missed this week:
  1. Web Finds - 22 October 2016
  2. Experienced User - Michele
  3. Lefax Price List 1988
  4. Free For All Tuesday No. 299
  5. Web Finds - 25 October 2016
  6. What size would suit me best?
  7. The Hitchhikers Guide to the Plannerverse - Episode 35
  8. Free For All Friday no. 415 by Anita
So here are the latest Filofax and other brand blog posts from around the Internet. Don't forget to leave a comment on the posts you enjoyed reading, all bloggers enjoy getting comments.
  1. Choosing a Planner Setup for the New Year – Part 1 - Lil Divette
  2. Filofaxers who lunch - My Filofax Blog
  3. Van Der Spek binders on their way to me - This Bug's Life
  4. Why I’ve ditched my Filofax for the Arc notebook system from Staples. - Maflingo
  5. Free 2017 Planner Printable is Coming! - lime tree fruits
  6. Why GTD Matters to Your Organization - Getting Things Done®
  7. Fluffy is famous in Filofax-Land! - This Bug's Life
  8. 10 Things to Do Before You Begin Your Week - Time Management Ninja
  9. Quo Vadis Productivity: Part 2 - Quo Vadis Blog
  10. Smitten with my unwidened VDS Senior in JL yellow for 6 weeks... - Olga plans!
  11. Van Der Spek faux leather organisers - This Bug's Life
  12. Taiwan planner/stationery haul - Random Pastimes of a Restless Mind
  13. Montando um planner baratinho - Casinha de taipa
  14. When you choose your work… - Getting Things Done®
  15. FFF 11 - My Filofax Blog
  16. Planner Quote: October 24, 2016 - FranklinPlannerTalk
  17. Set Up of Custom VDS binder in blue Touch Me Leather - This Bug's Life
  18. A simple Week on One Page - 1 - My Filofax Blog
  19. 2017 Plannerisms planners still in stock! - Plannerisms
  20. Fill Up Your Calendar Before Others Do - Time Management Ninja
  21. Christmas Planner Printables – November - Planning with Printed Portal
  22. Blue Standard Custom Touch Me leather binder by Van Der Spek - This Bug's Life
  23. Meet Chelsea - FranklinPlannerTalk
  24. The 2017 GTD Organizer is here! - Getting Things Done®
  25. NEW – VDS Home Collection | Pillows - Blog Vdsshop
  26. Micro USB, Credit Card sized Insert. ... - The Filofaxist 
  27. Writing Wednesday: Daily journaling prompts for November - Quo Vadis Blog
  28. Panduro – ring organiser nirvana! - This Bug's Life
  29. Confessions Of A Plannerholic: Halloween Planner Decor - The Stationery Geekette
  30. October review: Lessons learned - Quo Vadis Blog
  31. Practical Tips for Getting Things Done - Strange & Charmed
  32. One book july 2016 – in review (very late!) - Random Pastimes of a Restless Mind
  • We monitor over 400 blogs and sites, your Filofax/Organiser blog posts could appear in this list, just contact philofaxy at gmail dot com to be added to our monitoring list. 
  • We can not guarantee people will read your posts, but we know there is a higher chance of people reading your posts and returning to read other posts if you make them interesting with pictures and good hints and tips. Do not forget to give your posts a title... 
  • Your Filofax/Organiser posts could appear in this list, just contact philofaxy at gmail dot com to be added to our monitoring list. 
  • For some general tips on Filofax Blogging, please see this post
We are on the look out for more people to take part in Reader Under the Spotlight. If you would like to appear in this feature then please contact Steve : philofaxy at gmail dot com  Thank you.

Enjoy.

28 October 2016

Free For All Friday no. 415 by Anita

On Sunday 30th, the clocks go back one hour in the UK to mark the official end of British summertime. I'm not a great fan of the darker evenings, so once the clocks change I use my Filofax to keep track of when I use my light lamp, and to help me increase the amount of exercise that I do in the winter.

Do you use your binder(s) to help you track extra activities or projects like this during the different seasons?

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

Have a great weekend and Halloween, if you celebrate it. 

27 October 2016

The Hitchhikers Guide to the Plannerverse - Episode 35

Wellness Planner.

You want to collect yourself and all your emergency data. Where do you start?

Listen in to Episode 35 where the gruesome twosome discuss various ideas for putting together a wellness planner and getting emergency contacts in order.

If you have ideas for future episodes please send them to steve at philofaxy dot com

Show Notes (timings approximate)
00:00 - Introductions
02:00 - Recent events
03:00 - Emergency contact numbers
04:30 - Emergency contact person to inform
06:45 - Have multiple ways of recording your contact list to cover every eventuality
07:45 - Mini Planner as a store of emergency information
08:45 - Key medical information
11:00 - Journalling
13:00 - 5 year journals
18:00 - Colour coding your week
21:00 - Animals/Pets records
22:00 - Doctors records
23:30 - What to carry with you and what store
25:00 - Record your prescription dates
26:30 - Sudden memory loss
28:00 - Thought/Task of the week
29:00 - Tip of week

Episode 35 - Wellness Planner


A direct download is also available here: Episode35.mp3

Show notes: A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf

NB: A5 is in A4 format so it can be scaled to suit A5 or A6 size. Personal is for printing direct on Personal size paper.



Presenters - Karine Tovmassian and Steve Morton
Editing and production - Steve Morton

Our Websites:
Karine: Plannerology, Karine Tovmassian (IG)
Steve: Philofaxy, Travellers Notebook Times, Mr Philofaxy (IG)

Naturally we would love to hear your feedback on the podcast. If you use iTunes please gives us your rating or reviews of the podcast.

Previous Episodes:


34 - Listeners Question - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
33 - Pens and other writing instruments - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
32 - Proper storage, care and shipping of planners, rings etc - A5 docx pdf Personal docx pdf
31 - Guest Interview - Louise Umeki - Plannercon 2017 - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
30 - Form Following Function -  A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
29 - Seasonal To Do Lists - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
28 - Making and keeping annual goals - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
27 - Organising the family - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
26 - Guest interview - Theresa Hall - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
25 - Guest interview - Ray Blake - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
24 - Defining the important things from the urgent things - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
23 - Guest interview with Rita Sedani - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
22 - Printing your own inserts - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
21 - How to derail your planning system by over thinking - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
20 - Digital devices/services and your analogue planner - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
19 - What To Keep In Your 'Others' Tab - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
18 - Zombie Apocalypse Preparation - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
17 - Managing Finances In Your Planner - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
16 - Planning for those of us who actually can't live without planning, with guest co-host Carie Harling - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
15 - Automation NirvanaA5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
14 - Work Life Balance and Your Planner - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
13 - GTD Productivity And Using Your Paper Planner - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
12 - Job Seeking and Keeping - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
11 - Planner Fail -  A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
10 - Planner Hacks - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
9 - Planner Planning - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
8 - Choosing Inserts - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
7 - How do you carry your planner - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
6 - Planners on the go - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
5 - Why would you pay more than the price of a Filofax? - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
4 - Using Your Planner To Create Permanent Habit Changes - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
3 - Getting on with two or more planners - A5 docx pdf Personal docx pdf
2 - Where to start your planning journey and why - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
1 - What size and why....  - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf

26 October 2016

What size would suit me best?

M2 then Mini right down to A4 at the bottom

What size of organiser to use can become quite a time consuming and expensive exercise. However help in the form of this post is at hand, I suppose it could have been done as a large table, but it was easier to do as text.

Karine and I covered this topic in our very first podcast, but it will not harm to revisit it at a slower pace and without the pressures of trying to fit all my ideas and thoughts in to a 30 minute recording!!

Filofax and other brands of organisers come in a variety of shapes and sizes, so let me start at one end of the spectrum and work our way up to the other end giving the details and my own personal thoughts on each one.

M2
A long discontinued size from Filofax, this uses paper size that is similar to Mini size but landscape format and with only 3 rings spaced at 19mm apart.

Filofax stopped making the organisers some time ago, and ceased offering inserts as well this year. But you can download and print your own inserts at Philofaxy for the M2 size.

M2's can be used as both as notebooks/wallet combinations being landscape in format, I have found the page format easy to use and it slips in to your back pocket or in to a jacket pocket so neatly.

Mini
This is the smallest size available, it uses paper that is 67mm by 104mm in size and five rings each is spaced 19mm apart. Mini is near enough an eighth of the size of a piece of A4 paper or roughly A7 size but slightly narrower.

Filofax have stopped making Mini size organisers, but you will still find them available pre-owned and may be new in one or two stores around the world. Filofax do still sell Mini inserts though.

Van der Spek offer a Mini size as well, but the ring spacing is not the same as the Filofax one, so inserts are not easily interchangeable, but VdS do offer a range of inserts for theirs.

Gillio offer two models in the Mini size, their ring spacing is the same as the ones in Filofax Mini so the inserts are interchangeable.

I have one Mini a grey Malden, I've only ever used it for notes and reminders really. But I have seen people that use these as a 'satellite' planner.

Pocket
This size that remains popular with users. It has 6 rings all spaced by 19mm and takes paper that is 81x120mm which is slightly bigger than A7 (74x105mm) paper.  Pockets come in various ring sizes from as small as 11mm to 19mm.

Quite a few Pocket size organisers have a full width back pocket, which makes it suitable as a wallet/organiser.

Older Filofax pocket organisers only had 4 rings, these are spaced the same as the middle four rings of a Personal size page, so a personal punch will work. Filofax no longer sell inserts with slotted holes to suite 4 ring pockets. This post explains the difference between 4 and 6 ring pockets.

The size of the Pocket lends itself well to be used as a small planner that fits in to a small bag or a slightly larger jacket pocket.

A6
A6 size organisers have been around for some time, but this size has become a lot more popular in the last two years. You will find them from Mulberry (Agenda), Van der Spek(Senior) and Gillio(A6) as well as a few other manufacturers.  The paper size is half of A5 so it measures 105mm by 148mm. It is worth noting that the ring spacing of A6 is different to that of Personal.

Franklin Covey Pocket size uses the same ring spacing as A6 but with a paper size of 89mm by 153mm.

Filofax have never made an A6 organiser, but you will often see Ebay sellers advertising Personal size organisers as A6, best to check the paper size as well as the ring spacing before purchasing.

I really like the A6 size, the paper proportions being the same as A5 but smaller, it means that our diary inserts have been very easy to adapt to this size.

Slimline
Slimline also uses personal size paper, but with small rings and generally they do not have a clasp and some not even having a pen loop. Rings tend to be 11mm or 13 mm in size and therefore quite limited in terms of their capacity. But they are slim enough to slip in to the inside pocket of a man's suit jacket pocket without being too heavy.

Compact
Compact uses the same paper size as the Personal size, but it is more compact due to the size of the rings used somewhere between 13mm and 16mm with most recent examples using 15mm size rings.

Personal 
When people think of 'A Filofax' most people would recognise it as being a personal size one. It's still remains the most popular size. The paper size of 95x171mm can be too narrow for some people. Personals vary in ring size between 19mm and 30mm, although there are some models that go bigger from other brands.

Being the most popular size you will find a huge range of models to choose from. Too many to include here.

The closest Franklin Covey size to Personal is their 'Compact' size this uses paper that measures 108mm by 172mm  so a bit wider than normal personal. Some organisers are wide enough some aren't especially if you want to use side tabs. However, some people have had Van der Spek make them a Custom Standard organiser made wider to take the FC pages. FC Compact is the same ring spacing as Filofax Personal.

Gillio use the size designator of 'Medium' for Personal size, whilst Van der Spek use 'Standard' for theirs.

A5
A5 is a popular size due to its size, using paper that is 210mm x 148mm in size gives you plenty of space for even the busiest of people to plan a full week of appointments and tasks in a week view spread.

Ring sizes on A5's vary from the compact 16mm in the Filofax Heritage to the huge 35mm rings in the Van der Spek Manager with a lot of 25mm and 30mm falling between these extremes. Filofax, Van der Spek and Gillio A5's all use the same ring spacing along with other A5 makers

Franklin Covey Classic size uses paper similar in size at 140mm by 216mm but the ring spacing is not the same as Filofax A5.

There are a very very large range of models available from most of the manufacturers across all price ranges too.

A5 is the size I currently use most, I've found that it fits my needs best, I have adapted the contents of my A5 so that it isn't that heavy to carry around as well.

Deskfax 
The Deskfax was discontinued by Filofax soon after the arrival of the A5 size. Yet despite that is still has a loyal following.

Unusually it has 9 rings in three groups of three, each group being spaced by the usual 19mm and the groups being spaced by 51 mm which is the same as personal size, so personal size pages will slip on to the rings of a Deskfax.

The Deskfax uses B5 size paper which is 176mm x 250mm which is between A5 and A4 paper sizes.

A4
This is the biggest size available that I'm aware of, unless you know of one bigger? It uses a paper size of 297mm by 210 mm with a standard 4 rings each 80mm apart.

Franklin Covey Monarch uses full size Letter paper which is similar in size to A4 at 216mm by 280mm but the ring spacing is not the same as the standard 4 rings used by Filofax and other A4 binders.

The A4 size is the grand daddy of the range of sizes available. It has its advantages as well as the disadvantages. On the plus side it takes regular size paper that you will find in most offices with just 4 holes to punch. As a planner you can easily get away with a simple week per page format, meaning that you don't have so many pages to keep on the rings.

The main disadvantage I found when using mine is not so much its size when closed but the size when open, they do take up a lot of desk real estate!

Filofax have cut back on their A4 range with just two models available these days. However, Van der Spek have A4 models in the range of writing cases, some of them with ring mechanisms.


I hope you have enjoyed this quick tour of the various sizes!

25 October 2016

Web Finds - 25 October 2016

So I hope you have had a good weekend.

So now it is time to enjoy a great collection of blog posts and videos from around the internet.

So here are a selection of the latest Filofax videos for your enjoyment.
  1. Planner Setup | Filofax The Original Nude - elfenbeinmaedchen
  2. Halloween Setup Filofax A5 the Original - My Wonderful Bookland
  3. planner setup 2016 - ruthyy plans
  4. Mein Filofax - Filofax Girls
  5. Kleiner Filofax Haul Teil 1 - Filofax Girls
  6. #18 unboxing: Filofax Original pear - CogitoLeider von Cogitos Bücherkiste
  7. My Filofax and Zirkuluak setup, October 2016 - Graham Rhind
  8. Burnt Orange Filofax Planner - Personal Size - eat.run.plan.repeat
  9. Review of Webster's Traveler's Notebooks, Filofax, and Midori Unboxing! - toxmot
  10. Filofax Malden | Minimalist Setup - Barefoot Izzy
  11. Personal Ochre Malden Filofax Setup - MasasWife
  12. Idées Filofax | 3 Idées pour mettre un titre en valeur dans un agenda, cahier ou journal intime - Idées à réaliser soi-même - DIY Inspiration
  13. Filofax pennybridge unboxing! - Keekeesdaily
  14. FILOFAX PERSONAL PLANNER ACCESSORIES | THE VERY BASIC - TwinsandMe101
  15. Filofax Wochendeko KW 43 - Yourshadowstouch
  16. NEW 2017 Printable Planner Inserts for Filofax, Discbound, 3 Ring Binders & More - Alexis aka MissTrenchcoat
  17. Filofax Flip Through (A5) - September 2016 (Deutsch) - Lorelei Lee
  18. Filofax Malden Setup: Fall Edition - Paperie Factorie
  19. Tor Tour | Filofax, Evernote, Endless Todos - TidyTor
  20. Filofax Classic Croc Personal Compact Indigo - Leng Calingasan
  • For tips on how to improve your videos, please see this post.  Also this video too Webfinds 
  • Your Filofax/Organiser Videos could appear in this list, just contact philofaxy at gmail dot com to be added to our monitoring list. 
My Week Posts
  1. 2016 Planner Layout, Week# 41 - Angie Hales Creates
  2. My week #236 - Paper Lovestory
Enjoy.


Free For All Tuesday No. 299

24 October 2016

Lefax Price List 1988

Once again we go back in time to revisit a Lefax price list from 1988. I'm very grateful to Ben for sending me this price list as it helps complete yet another part of the big jigsaw of the history of past models and how the company changed shape over the years.

The content of this post is the intellectual property of Filofax Group Ltd. The scans are reproduced here with the full permission of Filofax Group Ltd for educational and research purposes only.



23 October 2016

Experienced User - Michele


This week I would like to welcome Michele to share with us how she uses her organisers.


Hi All, I'm Michele,  and I live in New York  with my fiance, our cat and dog with my son away at college.  Presently, I am an  independent project management contractor which progressed from my work in the marketing within the information technology industry.  

Between assignments I stay very active in the project management community by volunteering with our local chapter of the Project Management Institute (PMI).  

1. When did you start using an organiser?

It was between 1990-1992.  I was very lucky in those days when Filofax was so popular as the "must have" accessory.  Located next to my Manhattan office was a business supply store filled with everything Filofax!  

Then Filofax opened a retail store within my local shopping mall.  I thought Filofax was used mostly by male executives until I read in Madmoiselle that Lori Laughlin of Full House used one.  As soon as I read the article  I rushed to the store next to my office and bought a green pocket Kensington.

2. How has your use of an organiser changed over the years?

In the early years thru 1996 I barely kept it beyond keeping track of appointments and maintenance work on my car.  I moved away from the Filofax once I was home with a baby and used an organizer his pediatrican gave me. Needless to say, my Filofax spent a lot of time stuffed in the drawer.  

In 1996 I became a single mom and that is when I REALLY got serious about my organizer.  I lived alone with my two-year old, and I had to manage a household budget so I would be comfortable paying rent.   I pulled my organizer out of the drawer, and it has never seen a drawer since.  For budgeting finances which I was most nervous about I designed a monthly budget template which I still use today.  

I  record every expenditure in designated categories -- every penny is tracked!.  At the end of the year I do a full tally up and set up budget goals for the upcoming year.  I feel so strongly about these budget sheets that I still maintain them in my archives going back to 1999. 


All my business contacts, meetings and hours spent on contract jobs are noted in my organizer.  I do find using a notebook for work  helps me with my job rather than a ringed binder (which I tried for a year, but I wasn't comfortable using).  

What has evolved is how I use those printed "To Do" pages that come with calendar refills.  I just don't even try to use them anymore.  I have found I need those To-Do's need to be on the day itself or on a "Project Page"

3. Which diary format works best for you and why?

I prefer Week on 2 Pages format as it allows me an overview of the entire week at once.  I do love the monthly overview, but I cannot imagine adding more to my format. 

In 2011 I purchased the Filofax Business 1 Day per Page for the separate work binder I had then, but I did not use it to its full capacity.  This year  for the second time in my organising life I started using 1 Day per Page with Life is Crafted daily inserts.   These inserts are a great organising tool, however I miss my Week on 2 Pages.  

Earlier this summer I purchased on sale July-Dec A5 Week on 2 Pages from Life is Crafted for my new A5 Van der Spek.  I'm totally in love with this layout because in addition to  the vertical view of the week, there's plenty of room to write down tasks, goals, tracking, etc.   

For 2017, I'm going to buy Life is Crafted Week on 2 Pages for both my Personal and my A5. The layouts are completely different, and I think I can have one to "organising" and one for "planning".  I got this idea from Mella's YouTube  Planning vs. Organising video.   


4. What other information do you keep and maintain in your organiser. 
  • My mother's online information.  She is now 87, and she is an avid iPad user.  I have to be ready when I receive emergency calls when she's forgotten a password.
  • My passwords all in code
  • Job Positions I have applied for are written down on the day I apply.  
  • Exercise and weight tracking
  • Project lists for house, vacations, etc.
  • License plate spotting from road trips 
  • Vision board for future events such as my wedding planned for sometime in 2017
5. Do you use a 'system' of organisation, and how does it work in your Filofax? 

I never got into  Getting Things Done or Bullet Journaling.   My "system" is how my organiser is set up consistently year-to-year.  

6. What routines and structures do you use?

I keep track all  of my "meals out" expenditures and my daily weight recording.   Every $ I spend is recorded immediately or I keep the receipt in my wallet until I write it down. I go over what my daily goals and tasks are for the day.  Whatever wasn't important enough to achieve that day is carried over to the next day.

7. Do you use one binder or several, and if several, how do you use them?

Standard Van der Spek is my go to all in one book.  I put everything in here, and it's always next to me to record errands, job applications, meetings, weight, goals, daily tasks $, etc.

A5 Van der Spek started this year as mainly a vision board of photos for future life events and a record of our recent house makeover. By adding the July-Dec  2016 inserts the A5 mirrors the Standard.  I will definately purchase the full year for 2017 inserts as it is such a detailed calendar for the week on two pages.  

Mini Van der Spek is used primarily on the weekends as a wallet or when we are away on a trip.  It's perfect for stuffing currency in the side pockets, a few cards, etc.  I use the calendar for license spotting and for my exercise diary. 

A5 Mustard Finchley is very sentimental and is used for Christmas and holds many sentimental professional notes I've taken over the years.  

Thank you Michele,

If you would like to take part in this series please email steve@philofaxy.com and mark your email 'Experienced Filofax User'

22 October 2016

Web Finds - 22 October 2016

So I hope you have had a good week.

A bit of a mixed bag this week, with a huge internet outage on Friday causing mass disruption we were unable to check as many sites as usual until quite late on Friday night when things started to get back to normal.

So the blog posts the system found might not include all that have been published. However the system will capture any it missed for next week.

Here are some Philofaxy posts you might have missed this week:
  1. Web Finds - 15 October 2016
  2. Reader Under The Spotlight - Erin
  3. Filofax 1992
  4. Free For All Tuesday No. 298
  5. Web Finds - 18 October 2016
  6. My Own 'Pocket Slim'
  7. The Hitchhikers Guide to the Plannerverse - Episode 34 
  8. Free All Friday No 414
So here are the latest Filofax and other brand blog posts from around the Internet. Don't forget to leave a comment on the posts you enjoyed reading, all bloggers enjoy getting comments.
  1. Lord Dodo's Acad-Pad review and giveaway! - She's Eclectic
  2. Filofax A5 Compact – Heritage – Quick review - Looking through a frosty window…
  3. A4 Organiser- Writing Case - Blog Vdsshop
  4. Episode #23 – GTD and The Organized Mind - Getting Things Done
  5. New Ostrich: Ciel & Rose  - Blog Vdsshop
  6. Meet the new members of the design team - Tash - Mrs Brimbles
  7. Always Take One Step Forward - Time Management Ninja
  8. The 7 Common Mistakes Killing Your Productivity - Strange & Charmed
  9. Filofax Kitchen Cupboard Project - My Filofax Blog
  10. New Webster's Pages Planners now on Blitsy! - five sixteenths blog
  11. Let’s get ready for Christmas… - Planning with Printed Portal
  12. Keeping work at work - Looking through a frosty window…
  13. The 3 Quick Tips For Feeling Productive Right Now! - Strange & Charmed
  14. Planner Pages from Bargain Shops - My Filofax Blog
  15. Make a list of to-dos for the new season - Franklin Planner Talk
  16. Planner Appeal - Tales From A Polk County Girl
  17. Meet the new design team - Hannah - Mrs Brimbles
  18. Carpe Diem Ballerina - Planner setup - Filofax is my world
  • We monitor over 400 blogs and sites, your Filofax/Organiser blog posts could appear in this list, just contact philofaxy at gmail dot com to be added to our monitoring list. 
  • We can not guarantee people will read your posts, but we know there is a higher chance of people reading your posts and returning to read other posts if you make them interesting with pictures and good hints and tips. Do not forget to give your posts a title... 
  • Your Filofax/Organiser posts could appear in this list, just contact philofaxy at gmail dot com to be added to our monitoring list. 
  • For some general tips on Filofax Blogging, please see this post
We are on the look out for more people to take part in Reader Under the Spotlight. If you would like to appear in this feature then please contact Steve : philofaxy at gmail dot com  Thank you.

Enjoy.

21 October 2016

Free All Friday No 414

When ever I share one of the old Filofax catalogues a common theme to the comments is typically:
'I wish we still we able to buy those inserts these days'
Back in the 1980's and early 1990's there was a huge range of very esoteric inserts available. Some that were not obvious as to how they were supposed to be used!

During the spell when I wasn't using a Filofax and I had been using an electronic organiser the whole range changed (read as - was decimated!)

When I emerged again in 2005 and started using a Filofax again, I was surprised by how much was no longer available. I still had some unused inserts from the 1980's. So I recreated some for my own use, not for commercial use.

It was from recreating some of the old inserts I discovered Philofaxy... and the rest is history!

So do you have any specific insert needs that you have seen in the old catalogues? May be we can create an updated version of some of them.

Since it is Friday, all organiser related topics are welcome as well of course!

20 October 2016

The Hitchhikers Guide to the Plannerverse - Episode 34

Listeners Question.

Cara Jonkers asked in the Plannerology Facebook Group " I would love an episode on how Steve's planning habits / process has changed over the life of the podcasts.

I know you touch on it in most episodes - but the journey to get to where he is now in one podcast I think would be helpful and insightful."

So I was not prepared for this, but I hope that I answered Cara's question well enough.

If you have ideas for future episodes please send them to steve at philofaxy dot com

Show Notes (timings approximate)
00:00 - Introductions
01:00 - The question....
02:30 - Have my planning habits changed?
04:30 - The changes through the year
06:30 - Getting things written down
08:00 - Time Bank
08:30 - Time Investment article in Paper Planning Magazine
09:15 - Splitting your time during the day
10:00 - Motivation
11:00 - Steve's other voluntary work (RSGB ETCC)
15:00 - Project management
16:30 - Dual calendars for Home and Work
17:30 - Going over to one organiser instead of two, the arrival of the A5 Heritage
19:20 - A6 Time Management Inserts
20:00 - What am I using/looking at on a regular basis?
21:00 - Not always carrying my planner away from home!
22:00 - Carrying an A5 all the time
23:00 - Try and pick your size wisely
25:00 - 2017 inserts ready
25:30 - Contextualising tasks and how I use my inserts
27:00 - Regular reviews
28:00 - Podcast workflow
29:00 - Final thoughts

Episode 34 - Listeners Question.



A direct download is also available here: Episode34.mp3

Show notes: A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf

NB: A5 is in A4 format so it can be scaled to suit A5 or A6 size. Personal is for printing direct on Personal size paper.



Presenters - Karine Tovmassian and Steve Morton
Editing and production - Steve Morton

Our Websites:
Karine: Plannerology, Karine Tovmassian (IG)
Steve: Philofaxy, Travellers Notebook Times, Mr Philofaxy (IG)

Naturally we would love to hear your feedback on the podcast. If you use iTunes please gives us your rating or reviews of the podcast.

Previous Episodes:


33 - Pens and other writing instruments - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
32 - Proper storage, care and shipping of planners, rings etc - A5 docx pdf Personal docx pdf
31 - Guest Interview - Louise Umeki - Plannercon 2017 - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
30 - Form Following Function -  A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
29 - Seasonal To Do Lists - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
28 - Making and keeping annual goals - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
27 - Organising the family - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
26 - Guest interview - Theresa Hall - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
25 - Guest interview - Ray Blake - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
24 - Defining the important things from the urgent things - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
23 - Guest interview with Rita Sedani - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
22 - Printing your own inserts - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
21 - How to derail your planning system by over thinking - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
20 - Digital devices/services and your analogue planner - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
19 - What To Keep In Your 'Others' Tab - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
18 - Zombie Apocalypse Preparation - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
17 - Managing Finances In Your Planner - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
16 - Planning for those of us who actually can't live without planning, with guest co-host Carie Harling - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
15 - Automation NirvanaA5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
14 - Work Life Balance and Your Planner - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
13 - GTD Productivity And Using Your Paper Planner - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
12 - Job Seeking and Keeping - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
11 - Planner Fail -  A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
10 - Planner Hacks - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
9 - Planner Planning - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
8 - Choosing Inserts - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
7 - How do you carry your planner - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
6 - Planners on the go - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
5 - Why would you pay more than the price of a Filofax? - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
4 - Using Your Planner To Create Permanent Habit Changes - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
3 - Getting on with two or more planners - A5 docx pdf Personal docx pdf
2 - Where to start your planning journey and why - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf
1 - What size and why....  - A5 docx pdf  Personal docx pdf

19 October 2016

My Own 'Pocket Slim'

Tim recently provided us with two posts about the new Lockwood Pocket Slim and about how he started using it.

Well I have my own version of this size/format.  First of all let me describe this beauty for you. 

It is a very dark pebbly leather, almost black as you can see from the photographs below.  


With the organiser open in the front inside cover there are four vertical card slots with a vertical slip pocket behind them.

The rings are 11mm Krause rings, which click nice and tightly shut.

In the inside back cover there are two vertical slip pockets and a full leather pen loop which is quite generous in size, it will take my Uniball Vision Elite pens with no difficulty at all.


Looking down from above you will notice it has a full width back pocket too, which will take extra documents and notes as well.

Unlike the Filofax Lockwood Pocket Slim this has a clasp to hold it closed. The style of the clasp is similar to that used on other brands of organisers.


Overall a very nice organiser, one slight issue.... there is no makers name on it at all. I've been over it with a magnifying glass to try and spot any clues as to the name of the maker. 

The person that sold it to me via Adspot, did not know the make either, but we agreed a very reasonable price for it! 

What will I use it for? Good question, notes I think and for carrying other documents and loose papers and reward cards which I hate cluttering up my compact wallet. 

Yes I'm getting used to using smaller ring organisers.... how about you?