 |
| WATCH THE VIDEO! |
I hope you enjoy watching the video!
See you in the next post!
Loved it and want more?
Contents page: Explore all of my blog posts in one place!
Showing posts with label notebooks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label notebooks. Show all posts
Showing off my new combined Filofax and TN planner setup (video)
I hope you enjoy watching the video!
See you in the next post!
How I'm combining my new slimline Filofax with my Midori Traveler's Notebook.
If you're struggling to choose between a Filofax or ring-bound planner and a Traveler's Notebook keep reading to find out how I combine the two systems by using a slimline Filofax ...
What I use my Traveler's Notebook for
Sometimes I journal about my thoughts, feelings and experiences in a deep and reflective way, but a lot of the time I just write about mundane things like what I did today and who annoyed me.
My journal is like my best friend, only better. I go to it for non-judgmental consolation. It helps me to organise my thoughts, understand myself better and live a happier and more productive life.
Because Traveler's Notebook covers can carry more than one notebook, I also have notebooks in there to jot down creative ideas for stories, characters, scenes and creative projects, because I'm a writer. I like to make lists and doodle too.
Why I swapped my Filofax for a TN
When I discovered the Midori Traveler's Notebook I abandoned all of my Filofaxes because I felt that my attention was too divided, and that my Filofaxes were preventing me from bonding with my gorgeous new leather TN notebook.
The main appeal of the Midori for me is that it is a very personal possession which will grow with me, gaining more and more personality as I handle leather, acquiring all the wonderful nicks and marks that make TNs so unique.
I wanted to use my Midori exclusively, so I sold most of my Filofaxes and designed a weekly planner in one of the Midori Notebook Refills instead. This was a mistake by the way – NEVER sell all of your Filofaxes, you WILL regret it eventually. Just store them away somewhere safe.
After a while I found that whilst bound notebooks are perfect for journaling, sketching, scrapbooking and jotting things down due to the chronological nature and subsequently more 'permanent' vibe, I really missed the 'organisational' aspect of having rings and being able to move things around as I planned my weekly schedule and daily tasks.
The problem I faced was that I didn't necessarily want to carry my Midori Traveler's Notebook AND a bulky Filofax - if you are a lover of the Filofax you'll know exactly how bulky and cumbersome they tend to get!
I needed a Filofax that was discrete enough to complement my TN and create a perfect and complete portable system.
How I solved my problem by combining a slimline Filofax with a TN
The main problem was that while I wanted the use of a Filofax 'ring-bound' system for my everyday planning, I didn't want to start using a Filofax that would end up stuffed and take over from my TN.
I was lucky enough to find the perfect solution on Ebay ...
I discovered (and won the bid, so it was obviously meant to be) the slimmest and most discrete Filofax I have ever seen in my life.
It is an old vintage Filofax so it doesn't have the model name or type embossed on it, but it does have the 'f' symbol embossed on the side and 'Filofax, Made in England, Real Calf' printed in gold inside the back cover. So it's definitely a Filofax!
It is really good quality, durable black grainy leather with a slight sheen, and the rings are SO dinky because it's a 'slimline' – about 1 cm.
It sits perfectly on top of my Midori Traveler's Notebook and I have bound them together with a large clip that also acts as a pen holder.
Why this Filofax/TN setup is so great
I love the flexibility and organisational aspect of being able to use the ring-bound system of the Filofax planner to move inserts around when I am doing my daily, weekly and monthly planning.
I also love the fixed chronology and sense of permanency I get from the TN with bound notebooks for journalling, doodling, sketching etc.
I had toyed with the idea of trying to find a way to attach rings to the inside of the Midori, and I know that this has been done with Filofax Flex notebook binders, but I couldn't bring myself to go that far. I knew that I needed a Filofax that I would be happy carrying alongside my Midori, and this slimline fits the bill perfectly.
What is it like to have tiny rings in a Filofax?
Normally I would definitely NOT be able to deal with having such tiny rings in a Filofax, especially if I were using the Filofax as my main organiser – I like to really stuff them! So you may be wondering how I am dealing with such tiny rings.
The truth is that they force me to use the Filofax specifically for what I intended – a day-to-day planner for the here-and-now. The small rings encourage me not to carry around a load of inserts that I'm not really using on a daily basis.
I used to carry a whole year's worth of diary planning inserts, plus extra paper, and it just wasn't necessary. It actually made me feel less productive because my Filofax became less focused and less organised. As a result I felt increasingly overwhelmed.
Now I reserve my Midori TN for all of the creative stuff, and I use the FF ring-bound system purely for planning.
I really do love the tiny rings. Because the appeal of the slimline Filofax is its portability and slim profile there is no desire to stuff it. When there is too much paper in there it starts to become more difficult and less enjoyable to physically use, so you have no choice but to take a few sheets out so that the pages can move more freely again.
This is a good reminder of when it's time to declutter. I regularly re-evaluate what I really need, taking out inserts that are no longer useful.
This minimal set-up is helping me to stay more focused and I have a much clearer idea of what I need to do next, which means I don't feel as stressed.
I design my own inserts and only draw up a month or two at a time. I intend to remove and archive the months as I go.
I have to say there is something very satisfying about minimalism, and only using what you need.
I hope that you have enjoyed reading about my new Filofax and TN combined setup, and that it has inspired you to think about how you use your own planning and journaling tools.
As always, please head down to the comments section and leave your thoughts, I love to read and respond to all comments!
Intrigued by what it looks like to use these two beauties together? Watch my video where I show you my secret trick to help them both together.
See you in the next post!
Loved it and want more?
How to develop a planner routine using to do lists and be more productive
 |
| To-do lists from Paperchase |
Did you know that tasks become much easier to complete when you do them on a daily basis? This is because they become habits. Find out how to develop a planner routine using to do lists and be more productive ...
To do lists can end up being your worst enemy if you don't use them in a productive and sensible way. How many times have you written a list and then completely ignored or forgotten about the list? I do this ALL the time!
In this post we're going to look at ways to use to do lists in your planner in a more productive way.
Create daily habits to make tasks easier and get things done
I read an inspiring post on Linkedin about how much easier it is to complete tasks when you incorporate them into your daily routine so that they become a daily habit.
It goes for all sorts of things in your life, like:
- writing a post for your blog
- establishing an exercise routine
- cleaning your kitchen sink before bed
The task becomes SO familiar that you can even do it without thinking. It becomes part of your everyday life, rather than something you have to plan, remember or find the time to fit it in.
A planner routine can help you pay attention to your to do lists on a regular basis.
Why to do lists fail
I am a to do list addict. I can't help it. I just LOVE making pointless lists. They are pointless because I make them and then never look at them again.
It got to the point where creating to do lists was actually stressing me out. They were bringing attention to all of the things I knew I was never going to get done!
It didn't help that my lists were long and rambling, full of unnecessary tasks that were completely unrelated to each other, and just causing chaos in my head.
I was basically creating a lot of pressure and expectation, and I was left feeling overwhelmed knowing that I had lists and lists of unfinished business.
Something had to change.
How to make lists work for you
If you're like me and you love making lists but you'd also like to reduce the stress you are causing yourself and find a way to turn your lists into a useful habit, you have to come up with a planner routine to make sure that you're paying attention to your to do lists.
1. Separate your hobby lists from your immediate goals
'Hobby lists' are those lists you make just for the sake of it. They are called brain-dump lists, and the purpose of them is to just get everything out of your head and onto paper.
Hobby lists could be:
- books you want to read
- films you want to watch
- things you want to buy
- things you want to do
- places you want to go
- projects you want to start
It's fine to make pointless lists, as long as you separate the important tasks on them, and don't put any pressure on yourself to achieve everything on your hobby lists.
Look at them as a way to clear your mind so that you can stop thinking about all of the things you dream of doing, and work out which of them are achievable.
Good practice is to go back through hobby lists and pick out anything that is actionable right now.
If you spot an achievable goal, then this could be something you break down into a short to do list of tasks that can be filtered into your day, week or month.
2. Group your to do lists
For some people it's helpful to group to do lists. This way it's easier to focus your mind on one area of your life at a time.
Here are some category ideas for your lists:
- Work goals/tasks lists
- Project lists
- Home goal/tasks lists
- Shopping lists
- Wish lists
- Bucket lists
- Fun lists
- Don't forget lists
3. Recognise the difference between a goal and a task
A common mistake is to have a list full of long term goals. This kind of list is never going to get ticked off! If you have a list that looks something like this, you'll drive yourself insane ...
- lose weight
- get rich
- get rid of junk
- eat healthy
- quit smoking
The problem with this to do list is that these are all long term goals that need their own lists of short-term tasks or actions. Without actionable tasks, you're not going to achieve anything – they help you to work out HOW you're going to achieve the long term goal.
For example, let's say you want to lose weight by eating healthy. Your to do list might look like this:
- research healthy recipes
- make a meal plan
- create a shopping list
- do a food shop
- complete meal prep
- track weight in a daily tracker
4. Establish a planner routine
It's very easy to make a list, file it away in your planner and forget it's there. But lists are only useful if you refer to them regularly, so you have to create a habit.
It's up to you what your planner routine looks like, but the most important things are:
- Keep it simple and achievable
- Be consistent
- Enjoy the process
My planner routine is quite simple. Once a week I transfer goals and tasks from a master to do list over to a sticky note list that lives on my weekly spreads. Then I move tasks from there into my days throughout the week and tick them off when they are done. That's it!
I hope these tips and insights will help you to be more productive with your to do lists and come up with your own planner routine.
Let me know in the comments what your personal experiences are with making lists in your planner!
See you in the next post!
Loved and want more?
Cool ideas for Moleskine Postal Notebooks
 |
| Moleskine Postal Notebooks |
I love it when I discover innovative little notebooks!
Small pocket notebooks are always a tempting purchase, they sort of grab you by surprise. You never usually need yet another pocket notebook, but at the same time, another wouldn't hurt.
When it has a quirky little feature - like transforming from a notebook into an envelope ready to seal and pop in the post - well, resistance is futile.
Why would you need a pocket notebook/ready-made envelope? Well, who cares... don't you just want one?
Ideas for how to use the Moleskine Postal Notebook
Encourage children to create storybooks
I have a five year old niece, and being a fan of good old snail-mail service, I developed a penpal hobby with her so that we could write letters back and forth. It was the perfect opportunity for me to go to Paperchase to purchase lots of girly letter-writing sets and stickers. (I always take advantage of reasons to spend money in Paperchase!)
Most of her letters consisted of pictures. I like to think I'm a bit artistic too, and one day I got carried away and wrote a whole mini picture book for her to read. It was about a little owl's first day at school, and I used lots of cute owl stickers.
I knew she was nervous and excited about moving up the the big school. So I designed and hand-crafted a little pocket storybook specifically to fit into an envelope and pop in the post for her.
Now if only these Moleskine Postal Notebooks had been available then – they would have been perfect!
Therapeutic 'sealed' journalling
I got into the habit of writing hand-written letters to myself as a form of Journal Therapy while I was going through a break-up.
I'd write myself a letter and get all the emotional analysis out of my system. Then I would seal the letter and put it at the back of my bookcase and feel SO much better.
I don't know why, but there was just something about finishing the letter, saying everything I needed to say, and sealing the envelope, that felt really good. And then of course not being able to re-read or mull over what I had written.
It was my way of saying that I had dealt with those feelings, said what I needed to say, and that was the end of it. And if I felt the feelings resurface, I would simply write another letter, until one day I got a bit bored of it, had nothing more to say, and miraculously I was over my break up!
You could do the same thing with these Notebooks. When you come to the end of the notebooks, just seal them like a letter, and store them away somewhere for future entertainment or self-reflection. In fact, these Moleskine Postal Notebooks could be dedicated specifically to journal therapy needs. I like it!
Travel pen pals
If you're doing a bit of travelling it would be nice to collect thoughts and scribbles to send back home to friends and family.
Moleskine Postal Notebooks would be perfect for that.
Or even if you have a pen-pal that you write to regularly, whether you're travelling about or not, you could still use these notebooks as a fun and alternative way to write your letters.
I know that I would love and treasure a letter if I received it in such a cool form! It would be like a little piece of art or a mini travel-journal – someone else's adventures in a little bound book written specially for me. One of a kind. how wonderful :)
Who knows, maybe 'notebook mail' could be the next big thing? What do you think? Tell me how you'd use a Moleskine Postal Notebook in the comments below...
See you in the next post!
Loved it and want more?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)