One Life One Planner (Filofax, Bullet Journal, ECLP, Midori TN, etc.)?

In this post we discuss if it make any sense to have one planner for one life.

As a Youtuber, I watch a lot of YouTube videos. I noticed that as the planneraddict' bag has bitten more and more people, people start to show A LOT of planners. I'm thinking "wow, that's a lot of planners to keep track of!" I feel that people just making an exuse to keep buying them. Or keep buying them and then thinking of reasons to use them because they DO have an expiraion date.

 I have always thought that of a lot of planners as a burden. I don't want to keep a lot of planners. I am highly visual person, so I have to keep them always in front of my eyes just to remember to use them. Out of sight is out of mind for me. And who has time to keep up with all of them? This was the reason to use a Filofax. I could use as much paper as I want for ANY aspects of my life, and combine them all into one place. I could take the current neccessary papers with me, and leave what I don't want at home. It was important to me to have a uniformed look of my ages, so I have the whole life in the uniformed archive.

Now I think I need to have a separate blog and YouTube channel. And I really need a spare place for my brainstorming, mind maps, and braindumps. I also would like to mainain a planner/tracker for my daughter's school performance and personal development. I wouldn't mind also to have a family memory binder just for history records.

I'm torned.

What about you? Do you have a separate planner for different sides of your life? How do you use them?

Please visit my etsy shop and don't hesitaite to ask me queations:https://www.etsy.com/shop/MySummerTouch?ref=shop_sugg Please share this post if you have enjoyed it, and subcribe on the right side bar to see updates: http://mysummertouch1.blogspot.com https://m.youtube.com/channel/UChkOQ59SjcPHXrPve2SS6yw

Do We Need to Spend Money to Plan?

In this post we discuss on the need to spend money to plan.

What is the cost of planning?

This question puzzled me. Plannernerds usually spend a lot of money on planner supplies. Even I have a lot of planner suplies - washies, post-it's, pens, stickers, flags, inserts that have never been used, planners that have never been used. A lot of of this stuff was sent to me. I did spent a lot of money on different organizers. I do buy pens.

So how much do I spend on planning? In the very core, not much. I buy the paper to print my inserts. I have a printer that I hope will serve at least several years, and yes, unfortunately, I have to buy the ink. I have a Filofax that serves me for two years already and will serve me for several more years, if not decades. And really, that's all. I am a very practical planner. Open the organizer, write it down, and I'm done. Oh, I forgot a pen. Anybody has a pen that is laying around.

So what is a real price for planning? For me it's a Filofax, printer, ink, paper, and a pen.
But that's because I have chosen to print my own inserts. I like them.
If you count the total that I have spent, and divide the cost over YEARS that I use them, the cost per day of using it is not that high.
So in a total run, anyone could use just the basic tools that they already have in their house: a spare notebook and a pen.

Several people have writen to me that they cannot afford to plan. What they don't realize is that planning is not about the tools, it's about the way how to plan. Well, that's a whole another topic, and I have made this blog and a YouTube channel on this topic. I write blog posts and make videos on my planner setup so people will learn how to do it.

What about you? Do you spend a lot of money to plan?

Please visit my etsy shop
Pubscribe to see updates on the right side bar: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UChkOQ59SjcPHXrPve2SS6yw http://mysummertouch1.blogspot.com

How to Future Plan in your Planner (Filofax)?

In this blogpost, we discuss how to plan for the future in your planner (filofax).

We are in the beginning of a new year. Chances are, you need to plan something in the future for this year. Many people want to carry the whole year of inserts. For many it doesn't work, because the paper is too heavy!

So how to solve this problem?

If you don't need to write a lot on those future pages,  i.e., just appointments, then 12 monthly pages for the whole year will be enough for your future pages. I like also to carry an extra page that has FOUR years on a page, it's from filofax, but that's me. You might find that 4 future years is too much of preplanning for you.

If you need to actually write a lot, i.e., a project with a lot of to do's, that are spread over weeks and months, and those tasks include at least several sentences, you have two options:

Option number one:
Use lined pages for each period of time that you need to plan for, i.e., one page for a month. Write dates in column on the left side of the page, skipping several lines between dates, for example, leave 3 lines for each day, and use the page to write your future to-do's on those lines.
You could use the same method for really detailed and elaborate projects, just use one sheet of paper for a week, or even one page for one day.
Put those pages in the appropriate place BEFORE your relevant to those deadline monthly pages. Another thing is to put them into your project divider in your filofax, but this may result in your forgetting about it all together. I DON'T recommend using additional sections in your filofax if you have deadlines in your projects!
This option works  well if you don't want to carry additional weight with you, which are weekly pages for the whole year.

Option number two:
If you still prefer to carry the whole year of inserts, use week on ONE page inserts, which takes less amount of space on rings in your filofax, and weights less. Write on those weekies what you need to preplan.Use additional blank pages if you need a lot of space to write on. Put them WITH those weeklies together.

I hope I helped you with your preplanning! What do you think about that? What do you use to preplan?

Please visit my etsy shop:https://www.etsy.com/shop/MySummerTouch?ref=shop_sugg Subscribe to see updates: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UChkOQ59SjcPHXrPve2SS6yw http://mysummertouch1.blogspot.com

New Shiny Planner Cravings

Here I am. Plannerholic. Plannernerd. Planneraddict.
I
WANT
A
NEW
SHINY
"IT"
PLANNER
!!!

That's where I really regret that i don't live in US. I would just go to the Michael's, and buy it. Go to the shelf, and there it is. The "IT", that I want! I want it!!!! It's bright, and bring me happiness, because it's beautyful! I could hold it in my hands, sniff it, leaf through it, and put it into my card!
Oh, Lord! There is so much temptation to buy it!

Here it is, my new shiny obsession!

The picture is the property of meandmybigideas.com

Yes, I have revealed my new obsession. I'm working on getting a new planner just like it. Pretty. Shiny. Happy. I already have made my new covers for it:

....BUT believe it or not,  I STILL WANT the "IT" Planner!

Please visit my etsy shop:https://www.etsy.com/shop/MySummerTouch?ref=shop_sugg
Subscribe to see updates: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UChkOQ59SjcPHXrPve2SS6yw http://mysummertouch1.blogspot.com

Which Filofax to use in 2016?

I have a true planneraddicted problem - which Filofax do I want to use for 2016?

My Ochre Malden in personal size?

My aqua Malden in personal size?

My black Domino in peronal size?

My purple Malden in A5 size?

Maybe my Crimson Malden in pocket size?

Which one would YOU choose?

Please check my etsy shop where I sell my planner printables https://www.etsy.com/shop/MySummerTouch?ref=hdr_shop_menu
Subscribe to see updates: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UChkOQ59SjcPHXrPve2SS6yw http://mysummertouch1.blogspot.com

My Planneraddict' Solution for 2016 Filofax Planner Pages!

Here is my planneraddict' solution what to have in my Filofax in 2016!

I learnt that I don't do well with dated pages - I hop around in my planners a lot, so it's such a wasted money for me! I have tons of 2014, 2015 planners that lay around, and they are pretty, and I don't want to trash them because they cost a lot of  money, if you take international shipping into consideration.

@MySummerTouch Week on One Page

There are several solutions to have planner inserts for a new year:
1. to white out dates on the previous planner pages and reuse them,
2. to print your own,
3. to buy ready made planner.

Option 3 is out for me. I decided that I'm not going to spend more money UNLESS it's is an obsession. I have a crush on the happy planner right now, and I want to buy it, but Filofax pages - I have tried them before, and it's not an obsession anymore, and I don't have to buy them right now.

Here comes the quick and easy solution to reuse these pages and to save a little bit - reuse these pages, if I'm lazy to print something, just to white out the dates. I know that I'll do it, especially if I want a Day on one Page (Do1P), it's so much easier than to print my own everyday pages, and I like Filofax day on 1 page inserts, they make more logical sence for me than Franklyn Covey day on two pages (Do2P), where the column with hours is on the right side (in the Filofax day on one page the hours are on the far left side). My rule is that I treat my tasks as my scheduled events - I schedule them to estimate how much time I need to have them done, and I don't mix them with my appointments. So, the left column is my scheduled events and appointments, and the right column is my tasks, and on the far left there are hours to glance over both columns. It make more sence to me than to have the hours in the center of the page. So the 1st option is in for me.

The 2nd option is my main option.
I make my own inserts, for now for the personal size Filofax I made Week on one Page vertical, and Week on 4 Pages vertical. I plan to make more. And I know that eventually I will be bored with them, and I'll want to switch them! So how to manage it all and not to be overwhelmed? What to have in my Filofax for 2016 as a planneradddict? In other words, HOW TO HAVE IT ALL?

I decided to print dated monthlies Mo2P and weeklies Wo1P from philofaxy for now. Week on one page just to have something dated and because they are thinner than other inserts (as, i.e., W02P) and take less space in my Filofax.

These pages are my insurance to HAVE a place to write on in the future in case I'm too lazy to print my own. I don't love them for the esthetical reasons (I'm not in love with the font! - here is my planneraddict' side singing!), and going to throw them away after they are used.

@MySummerTouch Week on 4 Pages 

@MySummerTouch Week on 4 Pages

 I'm just going to use my own undated pages AND dated pages that I'll print just for small period of time. I know that I will be bored with just ONE type of insert and I know that I'm going to have time when I WILL be overwhelmed with a lot of to do's and won't open my filofax, and WILL switch the inserts to something else. It comes from my Filofax experience since 2012, when I started to use Filofax organizer. So, this is it!  I just MAKE IT WORK like that!

What is YOUR solution for 2016? Do you plan to have just ONE type of planner insert for the whole year (seriously? I admire you for your courage!), or you have another solution, knowing your planneraddict side of yourself? Is there something else that I haven't took into account??? I want to know your way of doing it!

P.S. I plan to make videos to describe how to make work different type of inserts on my YouTube chanel MySummerTouch, so, if you're interested, please subscribe to see updates: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UChkOQ59SjcPHXrPve2SS6yw
I sell my planner printables here, please check it out https://www.etsy.com/shop/MySummerTouch?ref=hdr_shop_menu
http://mysummertouch1.blogspot.com

What is Essential for my Planners (Filofax, Midori Traveler's Notebook, Bullet Journal)?

In this post I discuss what is the essential part of all of my planners- Filofax, Midori Traveler's Notebook, Bullet Journal.

I recently played with a stack of post-it notes, and, because I have a curious mind, one question has popped up in my mind - what IF I didn't have all my Filofaxes and Midories, and Bullet Journal? What if all that I would have is just these small pages of post - it notes? How would I set up them to use as a planner?

I wrote on my 1st page -  To Do
on the 2nd -  Daily Routine
On the 3rd - Weekly Routine
On the 4th - Monthly Routine
On the 5th - Calendar and Scheduled Events
On the 6th - Goals/Projects/Their Tracking
On the 7th - Budget

That's all!
It was a BIG surprise for me that I really could do without my weekly pages - the one that I used to use for so many years already! Because of my practice in my Bullet Journal, where I write ALL by hand, without using any printables, I realize that I could do WITHOUT them! Even my scheduled events could be just written not on preprinted pages, but in a list form - dates on the left side, scheduled events on the right! And I could use just 7 pages, and don't take with me my Filo!
What do you think? What would work for you? What is essential for you?
I sell my planner printables on etsy, please check it out https://www.etsy.com/shop/MySummerTouch?ref=hdr_shop_menu
Please subscribe to see updates: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UChkOQ59SjcPHXrPve2SS6yw http://mysummertouch1.blogspot.com

How Filofax helps - two years experience

I came to my mom's house, where I haven't been in two years, and I found a ring binder in a personal size. I forgot about it completely.  And I forgot about my goals and projects that I've written two years ago and left inside of this binder, at my mom's house, miles away from me. It meant that I couldn't look inside the binder, I couldn't remember what I have written, I couldn't look it all up to remind me what I wanted to accomplish!

I was astonished.  Goals that I couldn't even imagine how to start and where to have a starting point, let alone how to finish/accomplish them, that's how unrealistic they have been for me, almost all of them, have touchable, real, finished boundaries, they are clear on how to make them happen now!
It also was a good check on what I unconsciously  considered was worth to work on, and what wasn't.
That was the point when I started to use my filofax again. A little bit later, I made another "eurica"moment.  While I was writing in my Filofax, I realized how I was lacking rings! I could write each of my project and goal on a SEPARATE sheet of paper,  and leave it like that to work on it later. For some unexplainable reason, it didn't work in my Midori Traveler's Notebooks! Probably, the physical boundaries of the bound notebook has kept me from writing out each and every project tgat I wanted to do. I was afraid to use up the notebook, the I would needed to rewrite them all again! And I needed to reshuffle pages in order to organize them in  a logical order!
What I did right after that  was cutting the pages for my filofax. A lot of them.  Damn, I don't let paper to dictate me what to write and how to write!
P.S. I didn't stop using my Midori Traveler's Notebook, I use it for my journal writing! Filofax is good for planning and goals and projects setting, and Midori is good for journal writing because I need a lot of pages for it and rings prevent me from writing on the left side of pages!
Now I'm happy!


Subscribe to see updates!: https://plus.google.com/b/114067712034015936999/114067712034015936999/about http://www.youtube.com/user/mysummertouch https://www.facebook.com/mst.mst.332 http://instagram.com/mysummertouch https://twitter.com/mysummertouch https://www.flickr.com/photos/92233836@N03/ http://mysummertouch1.blogspot.ru/

Classic GTD set up in a planner (Filofax)

In GTD, the productive workflow looks like that:

1.collect everything that is capturing your mental energy, and it literally means everything,  not just a part that you think that's worth collecting, 

2.process it to decide what is it and what to do with it, 

3.organize it, 

4.review it, 

5.do it.

Paper is the best tool for collecting all thoughts, ideas, things to do. It's the quickest tool ever. Try to open up an app, and write several words on paper,  what would be the quickest?  Paper!

To collect things on paper, the GTD advices an inbox tab or divider, whatever you prefer.

After that, you have to process it, or to clarify what is it and what to do with it:

-If it is a note that you will/might need in the future,  it should go to the "Reference" section. "Reference" section consists of an information that stays in your planner if you are referring to it often or will be referring in the near future (I.e. your children's school's bells schedule). In GTD, reference material also is needed to support the projects that you're working on currently, I.e. for a Vacation project, it might be geographical maps, my different brainstorming notes on where to go, schedules for planes, trains, busses, etc.,

-if it's a note that you won't need, just cross it off (or trash it as GTD refers to it), 

-if it's an idea that you might need in the future,  it goes to a "Someday/Maybe" list in the list section or to Tickler Files (it's a system that consists of 43 folders that are 12 folders for a year plus 31 folders for the days of a month, they are actual folders with papers that you will need in the future, and that stay at home or office, these folders do not live in your planner!),

-if it's something that you need to do, and it takes less than 2 minutes,  do it now!,

-if it's something that could/should someone else do, delegate it (the sooner, the better imho), and write it to calendar pages to the expected deadline. The classic GTD advices to put it to a "Waiting For" list, but, in my experience,  it should go to the calendar because you do have an end date in your mind by which you expect something to be done (I.e., a package to arrive), or you might miss a deadline, as I did several times! Don't forget to inform the one who does this to do to understand what kind of the end date you have in your mind!, 

-if it's something that you can't do now, and can't delegate, it goes to:

○"Projects" section (a project in GTD is any outcome that require more than one action step to achieve it. For each project you need one or several sheet of paper,  I write clearly the name of the project on the top of each page and number them, for instance, "Vacation-1" on the first page, "Vacation-2" on the second, etc. In the project section you describe this project in terms of the what is it, why you need to do it, how much it will cost you in terms of resources (time, money, people, etc),  how you will do it (actual next actions/steps/to do's), when you do it (a deadline) , where you do it,  contacts, etc.),

○"Calendar/diary" section (in GTD, you put there only things that HAVE to happen on this particular date, everything else goes to the "Next Actions" list or to the "Projects" section), 

○"Next Actions" list (any ONE step actions goes here. For everybody, it's the longest list, so you want to organize this list further and divide it by category: 

* by context in which you need to do it: @home, @work, @computer, @ the internet, @errands, etc.,

*by time required to do it (if you have just 15 minutes,  then choose only to do that requires 15 or fewer minutes to do), 

*by energy required to do it (for instance,  at the evening,  after work,  I most often don't have a lot of energy,  so I do tasks that I absolutely have to do only, and the things that don't require a lot of energy, as a computer work,   and on Sunday mornings,  I do physically demanding tasks, as cleaning the whole house.
I switch between having one long "Next Actions"list , where I write the next actions together with categories,  and the date when I have written them, and I also have tried to write them on separate pages by categories.  Try both methods and choose what works for you!).

Chances are, your head is spinning around by now, so I will summarize all sections in a planner in a logical order:

•Inbox, 

•Calendar,

•Projects,

•Lists ("Someday/Maybe", "Waiting For" divided by the person or company who do the task, "Next Actions" divided by category),

•Reference divided by project reference pages and stand alone reference pages,

•Contacts.

"Waiting for" list might describe everything that you expect from others in details, while "Calendar" have the deadlines for those to do's.

"Contacts" are phone numbers or addresses that you need most often. 

You might include your projects into the lists section because they do include your next action steps, but I prefer to keep them separately just to have a clear distinction between sections.

Also you might keep the "Reference" section pages, the ones, to which you need to refer in order to do a particular project, together with this project in the  "Reference" section.

 If you've been focused enough in reading my post, then you notice that "Next Actions" lists exist in two sections -"Projects" and "Next Actions". It's your preference, where to keep "Next Actions" list from the projects pages that you have - right in the "Projects" section , without rewriting them, or in the "Next Actions" lists, then you need to rewrite them there.  In my opinion,  rewriting them works better because this way you have ALL of your actions in one place!

Live doesn't stay in one place, it goes and changes, no matter if you are doing what you suppose to do or procrastinate.  So, to keep this system alive, you need to review it. 

You have to review your "Calendar" and "Next Actions" list, and "Inbox" every day. You have to review everything else weekly.
I do have a certain procedure for that, that I will describe it my later post because this post is already too long. (Update:  please require it if you want to read it!)

In terms of DOING part of the system,   GTD, in my opinion,  lacks the actual process. It's the weakest chain link in the whole system! David Allen describes that in order to do your next actions, you have to rely on your intuition, and then  choose between your next actions steps.

That's not all that I have kept in my planner. In GTD system, there are the levels of perspective,  on which you choose what to do first, what to do next, and what not to do at all:

 _ life purpose, 
_vision of yourself in the future, 
_medium-term goals, 
_areas of responsibility, 
_your current projects,  
_the actions you need to do every day.
 But about it in later posts also.

I do have a video that I made a while ago about a Classic GTD setup:https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=V2P4F9CfBUg. 

I hope you find my post useful. Please contact me if you want further explanations from me!
Subscribe to see updates:
http://mysummertouch1.blogspot.com/
https://m.youtube.com/channel/UChkOQ59SjcPHXrPve2SS6yw

Ringless Filofax-Does it Make Any Sense?

Most likely, you have already watched "ringless filofax" videos that people on YouTube are doing,  if not, check them out. I have seen also a number of photos on Instagram from people who are not making any videos. And on Facebook.
If you have not watched and seen anything, and don't have a clue what I'm writing about, there are people who are removing rings from Filofaxes. And making videos about it. Horror for Filofax lovers! Don't watch them if you have a weak heart! Most of them doing it on pocket Filofaxes, some on personals, and I have seen one without rings on an A5 with a Hobonichi Cousin insight.
In a pocket ringless Filofax Malden  would fit several field notes notebooks or two pocket Moleskines. If you have bought a Hobonichi Weeks, then it would fit also! I have almost forgot that I have it! Now I use a passport size Midori Traveler's Notebook,  and I fit there a pocket Moleskin replika notebook, a Hobonichi Weeks, and a field notes size Notebook that I made myself and are proud of it because it's beautyful and have not only a cover, but also a plastic cover on hard cover, so it's not wearing out quickly!  You could see it on the photo below:

All of what I have in my Midori could also fit in a ringless Malden. Which I have. In a delicious Crimson color. And I admit, I'm tempted to remove the rings.
The first thing that people are considering are: what would I do if I don't like it? The ringless filofax will lose it's value, and I'm going to be stuck with it. Well,  who said that it's going to loose it's value?  Maybe it's going to gain it's value because people are afraid removing rings by themselves?  What do you think?
And, finally,  would I do it?....drum roll,  please.... no! At least not in 2015. It's because I have a full 2015 calendar in my pocket filofax already and I don't want to print it again! And the second reason is that I couldn't find a passport dated inserts in a notebook format for printing. Have you seen them anywhere on the web? What do you think about ringless filifaxes? Would you buy one? Would you use one?

Subscribe to see updates!: https://plus.google.com/b/114067712034015936999/114067712034015936999/about http://www.youtube.com/user/mysummertouch https://www.facebook.com/mst.mst.332 http://instagram.com/mysummertouch https://twitter.com/mysummertouch https://www.flickr.com/photos/92233836@N03/ http://mysummertouch1.blogspot.ru/