How to use a 'brain dump' or 'master' to-do list in your planner routine

 

A new blog I discovered called Planner Fun posted about including a 'brain dump' in your planner routine, and I thought – I have one of those, let's talk about how I use mine!

Thank you to our good friends at the Philofaxy blog for sharing my last blog post, and introducing me to the Planner Fun blog via their popular 'Web Finds' post.

I talked a little in my last post – 5 Habits for highly over-ambitious planners (and dreamers) – about how I want to practice more effective goal planning in my Filofax in order to better track achievements.

In this post I want to dive deeper into how I use a 'master to-do list' as my 'brain dump', and how you can use one to help clear your mind of all the noise, and focus in on the important things so you can plan more effectively.

What is a brain dump and why do you need one?

Over time our brains get cluttered up with a backlog of information. With so many different thoughts, feelings and things to remember it can feel overwhelming if you let it all build up. 

Plus, when you're experiencing this kind of brain-overload it can feel impossible to prioritise, and soon everything starts to get on top of you.

This is where a brain dump comes in.

The act of 'dumping' the content of your internal mind onto an external source means you're essentially freeing up space so that you can begin to sort through it all and work things out.

The benefits of using a brain dump

1. Clear your mind of clutter –  by freeing up mental space you'll reduce stress.
2. Increase productivity – Getting your ideas out of your head and onto paper will help you focus on what's most important.
3. Improve organisation – A brain dump is the first step to being more organised, because once everything is externalised, you can go back and group similar ideas together in categories. This will help you to prioritise things.
4. Enhance your creativity –  There's a good reason people like to start off with a brainstorming session... there are no restraints or limitations, which can lead to new and innovative ideas.
5. Make better decisions – When you can see all of your options you're able to weigh up the pros and cons of each one. This means you can make more informed and confident decisions.

How to brain dump

People have various methods of 'brain-dumping', in which they regurgitate all of the internal noise and put it somewhere else. 

A board

I used to use an enormous whiteboard to jot stuff down when it occurred to me. It was great for when I wasn't sure if something was important enough to go in my diary or onto a to-do list, but I knew I didn't want to forget about it.

It really helped me to get the stuff out of my brain and onto something BIG that I could see more clearly and process the information over time. 

I also loved that I could just wipe the board clean periodically after taking what I needed from it. It was like giving myself a fresh start.

If you like the idea of having a large brain-dump, you might also consider using ... 

• a cork board
• a wall dedicated to post-it notes 
• or a blackboard.

People

I have used various members of my family in the past to verbally brain-dump on. I think we all do this naturally to some extent.

Offloading to other people has the added benefit of receiving immediate feedback, but also the limitation of not giving yourself the space to process your own thoughts.

Talking things through with friends is definitely a good way to get all of your feelings out and receive some validation or advice. But just make sure that you take the time to process the information independently too.

Journals

A very effective form of brain-dumping is the use of personal journals. Spilling out onto the page without limitations can be a wonderful release of stress, tension, confusion, excitement or any other feeling or emotion.

The best thing about a journal is that nobody else gets to read it, so you can genuinely dump everything out without holding back. This is going to free up so much space in your head.

It's really important to use your journal as a place for self-reflection too though, as this will help you to minimise rumination on anything negative and focus instead on finding productive solutions to problems or things that have happened.

Have a 'master' to-do list in your planner

For anyone who loves lists, having a 'master' to-do list in your planner will help scratch that itch! There is something very satisfying about writing things down in a list. Some of us even enjoy doing it when the lists don't have a functional purpose.

A 'master' to-do list (according to me) is something in-between though. You can jot down anything and everything that comes to mind, but not have to worry about whether or not you ever get to the end of the list and complete all of your tasks. The point of this type of brain dump is for it to be never-ending.

The way I avoid feeling overwhelmed by having a never-ending to-do list, however, is to use mine in a systematic way – which I'm going to share with you next.

How I use a 'master' to-do list as a functional brain dump

My 'master' to-do list is located towards the front on my planner to make me more likely to use it. I also have a handy tab so that it's easy to get to.

It is a simple lined sheet titled: do all the things (I have a few sheets set up ready to go as I anticipate the list will get longer and longer)

I draw one vertical line down the page on one side so there are two columns – one to write the task and the other to mark whether or not I did it.

To use the to-do list I write my tasks continuously down the page as they come to me. I can then refer back to the list (usually on Sundays), assessing what to take from it to transfer over to my current weekly to-do list, which is a sticky note I bought from Muji and goes on my clear 'Today' page marker insert. 

I like these list-style sticky notes because they are also designed to be tabs ...

Once I have transferred a task out from my 'master' to-do list into my weekly one I simply tick it off. I also highlight the whole row so that it's easier to skim through the list and see the things that haven't been ticked off yet.

If, while going through my 'master' to-do list I notice there is a task that I never seem to get round to, and I decide it's not important or relevant anymore, I tick it off with a cross instead of a tick, and I also highlight the whole line.

So when I come to browse through my 'master' to-do list on Sundays, it doesn't matter how many pages long it is, because it's easy to see which tasks still need attention as the rows aren't highlighted.

Once a whole page has been completed, I highlight the vertical column of ticks and crosses. This makes it easier for my brain to pass over that page when seeking new tasks to add to my weekly to-do lists. You might choose to remove the whole sheet instead, but I don't, because I like to use the front and back of the paper,

If you're looking for a smart daily to-do list insert for your Filofax or other planner Crossbow Planner Co on Etsy has some lovely minimalist designs ...

Etsy | Crossbow Planner Co

What kinds of things to add to your brain dump

This is very individual, but if you're starting out with this idea and feel a bit blocked, here are some prompts to get you started ...

• Everyday domestic tasks – like doing laundry or hoovering
• Bigger home tasks – like washing bed linen or defrosting the freezer
• Personal tasks – like deep conditioning your hair or waxing your legs
• New personal goals – like establishing a new exercise routine or diet
• New recipes you want to cook – including shopping for ingredients
• Things you want to add to your planner – like when you get ideas from your fave YouTubers
• Work related stuff – like new business ideas or projects
• New hobbies – like things you need to buy or research
• Kids/pets – like remembering to trim nails, do dog training or plan packed-lunches

Well, I hope this has been fun and useful to read. I'm trying to write and publish one post a week so subscribe to the blog and feel free to leave a comment if you have any ideas for a future post!

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5 Habits for over-ambitious planners (and dreamers)

What to do with an extra planner: 15 alternative uses for your Filofax

Contents page: Explore all of my blog posts in one place!

5 Habits for highly over-ambitious planners (and dreamers)

I thoroughly enjoyed reading '10 Habits of Highly Ambitious Women' by Strange and Charmed last week, courtesy of the Philofaxy blog. But after reading it I realised, with much dismay, that I may actually be a highly un-ambitious woman, and that something must be done about it immediately.

Checklist for highly ambitious women

Here's how I scored alongside the post's checklist ...

1. They set clear goals – I set many goals, which, as I suspected, is a highly counterproductive practice.
2. They take action – You're speaking with the QUEEN of procrastination here.
3. They are lifelong learners – I love random facts and spend hours researching rubbish – doesn't help that I have the memory of a goldfish.
4. They manage their time wisely – What time?
5. They surround themselves with positive influences – Well, my dog motivates me to leave the house once a day for her wee, and my cat is very 'inspiring' when he wails the house down at dinner time – does that count?
6. They embrace failure – Erm, nope, don't like failure at all.
7. They practice self care – There's a more accurate word for my idea of self care... that would be... self indulgence. (Gimme all the cake!!)
8. They build strong relationships – Not terribly keen on most people, so nurturing relationships are not at the top of my to-do list.
9. They are resilient – I've become very comfortable with giving up and going back to bed.
10. They give back – I wholeheartedly attempt to give back to the world, but honestly, most of the time I can't be assed.

So there you have it, my list of failures. And as no. 6 says – I am not a fan of failure, so we must fix this.

What my results mean

I've analysed myself and come to the conclusion that, rather than being a highly ambitious women, I am, in fact, an over-ambitious planner and dreamer – which basically means I revel in writing long to-do lists and dream about high-flying achievements that are way beyond my reach (becoming a millionaire and owning a unicorn)

5 new planner habits towards being a highly successful woman

In an attempt to bring myself back down to reality (and an excuse to write a blog post on planners) here is my plan of action ...

1. Set 3 goals a week (and 3 tasks per day)

Everyone has a master to-do list – right? I think it's an essential brain-dump and I literally dump everything in it because it helps me to relax. But a master to-do list that is pages long, isn't helpful – it's frightening.

So, each week  I will be setting myself three goals:

1. A work goal
2. A home goal
3. A personal goal

Goals are always clear and measurable;

So, a work goal might be something like – Create and execute a content plan for the week for my new website. 

A home goal might be something like – Eat healthy and save money this week by doing some home cooking with pantry ingredients and meal prepping for the week. 

A personal goal might be something like – lose 1-2lb on the scale this week through exercise.

Then, I'll split the goals up into easily seven achievable tasks, and set three tasks per day, one for each goal.

For example:

(Work)

1. Conduct keyword research
2. Create content plan for the week
3. Write and publish one blog post for the next 5 days.

(Home)

1. Create meal plan
2. Cook dishes and do meal prep for the week
3. Eat healthy for the next 5 days, no spending.

(Personal)

1. Hula-hoop to one song every time you go to the kitchen to make tea (do this everyday)

As you can see, the tasks hold me accountable, and by completing them all I will be able to reach my goals for the week! Boss girl in the making – that's 1 and 2 on the checklist for ambitious women done.

2. Create a tracker for consuming video tutorials/talks

Quite often when I've finished my day job, I simply don't have the brain capacity to do any more work, let alone learning ... or so I think! 

I have actually found that watching or listening to Youtube videos and Ted Talks in the bath are an easy and relaxing way to take in some extra information on a variety of different topics relating to career and business development.

This means that I'll be able to use my time effectively in the evenings without feeling like I'm overdoing it.

Other times where similar multitasking can take place are when I'm ...

• on the loo
• washing the dishes
• walking the dog

That's 3, 4 and 5 on the checklist done.

3. Add self-reflection through journaling into my planning routine

This is something I used to do a lot more, but since getting back in touch with my mother, I've found a verbal outlet for all my problems. The main issue with this is that talking everything through with my mother on the phone doesn't really allow for efficient self-reflection and my mother's feedback isn't always reliable (sorry mum!)

In order to fully recognise and embrace my failures, I must stop seeking validation from my doting mother, and instead be more honest with myself by writing down my private thoughts and reflections in a journal.

Journaling is an important self care tool. And with more space in my relationship with my mother due to me not being so self-absorbed, I'll be able to focus more on creating and enjoying meaningful conversation too.

So that's 6, 7 and 8 sorted.

4. Record challenges faced at the end of each week

As part of my new planning routine, I'll be reflecting at the end of my week on what challenges I faced in achieving my tasks and goals.

Hopefully this will enable me to recognise my weaknesses so that I can create better goals and plan tasks more effectively – therefore, making me more resilient and able to overcome obstacles.

That's 9 in the bag... just one more to go.

5 Post more helpful content on my blog

Highly ambitious women 'give back'. I do genuinely love sharing my ideas and I always hope to entertain and inspire when I write a blog post. However, I'm not very good at being consistent.

So, I am going to attempt to commit to writing and publishing one post a week on the Filofancy blog.

Enjoyed reading this post and want to hold me accountable? Leave me a comment and tell me what you'd like to read about next week!

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What to do with an extra planner:15 alternative uses for your Filofax

Journaling tips for Filofax and ring planner users

Contents page: Explore all of my blog posts in one place!

What to do with an extra planner: 15 alternative uses for your Filofax

Nobody in the planner community has just one planner – most of us have at least two. If you're wondering what to do with an extra planner (or several) check out my ideas for alternative uses and put that spare Filofax to good use!

I used to have SO many Filofax planners. Regrettably, I sold quite a few of them many years ago when I decided I was going to be a one-planner girl – HA! Who was I kidding? 

I'd probably have close to 20 by now. Instead, I have 7, all of which are currently in use, aside from my A5 Chameleon that's currently boxed, and two of my least favourite personals that I use as storage binders for old diary inserts – but I count that as a use.

I've been thinking of ways I can put my A5 Chameleon to use though, and it inspired this blog post. So here are 15 ideas for alternative Filofax uses to inspire you to pull a few of your old or extra planners off the shelf and enjoy them this year.

1. Recipe binder

I think this is a great use for a spare Filofax or any other ring-bound planners you have lying around – regardless of whether you're a kitchen Goddess/God or a hopeless wannabe Master Chef contestant.

If you know your way around the kitchen cupboard then you'll need a gorgeous binder to store and collect all of your foodie wisdom to pass down to your little ones when they go off to Uni or have a family of their own.

If you're more like me – single at nearly 40, still learning that you can't just chuck all the spices into the pot each time and expect your dishes to be distinguishable, and frequently engaging in weekend culinary 'experiments' that leave you feeling relieved you only have to one mouth to cater for (your own!) –  well, you'll need a gorgeous binder to store all of your takeaway flyers!

Jokes aside, collecting your favourite recipes, taking notes when watching your favourite cooking shows, and tearing up Waitrose food magazines to make yummy dividers and other inserts is a fab idea for a new 2023 hobby if you're looking for one.

Check out Crossbow Planner Co on Etsy for lovely minimalist recipe binder refills to get you started.

I might do this myself this year. My trusty A5 Chameleon Filofax needs a job! 

(If you're new here, you might like to know that my A5 Chameleon was the Filofax that instigated the birth of the Filofancy blog, so have a read of my very first post if you're interested.)

2. Junk journal

Never heard of a junk journal? The clue is in the name. Basically, a junk journal is a handmade book of recycled and found materials and ephemera – and I think a Filofax/ring binder is the perfect starting point!

Why keep one? Well, it's a rather charming way to keep a record of your everyday life. 

A junk journal is different from an ordinary journal. The emphasis is not necessarily on writing down your thoughts and musings, but instead on compiling a book full of bits and bobs relating to your everyday experiences and interactions.

Over time it becomes a tactile book of memories, filled with old ticket stubs, receipts, menus, letters, sketches, magazine cuttings, recipes, pieces of ribbon and gift wrap, and so much more. It'll be a pleasure to look back on in years to come – a bit like a time capsule.

There's loads of inspiration to be found on Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube. People are so creative and their junk journals can be real works of art. 

The great thing about using your Filofax or ring binder planner as a junk journal is that you can punch holes in everything and just pop it all in, or use hole-punched paper envelopes... what fun!

Get yourself an official Filofax hole punch, it'll make junk journaling easy peasy.

3. Scrapbook

A scrapbook is similar to a junk journal, but you don't have to fill it with things that are significant to your life. You can just fill it with, well, whatever you like.

It's a blank canvas for your fun and creativity – set the kid inside you free!

Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Experiment with colour, stamps, paints, stickers and magazine cuttings
• Create themed pages on your favourite things – cats, food, heart-throbs (you're never too old to have a heart-throb, in my opinion)
• Fill it with vision boards to manifest your dreams – I hear this is powerful stuff!
• Use it to keep your toddler's drawings safe – how cute!
• Start a postage stamp collection, or how about a sticker collection?

4. Sketchbook

Learn how to draw this year and keep your sketches together with an A4 or A5 Filofax so you can track your progress. 

The great thing about using a binder as a sketchbook is that you can add any kind of paper you want, from pastel paper to watercolour paper.

Alternatively, if you're already a bit of an artist, you can use a Filofax as a portfolio to store and proudly show off your masterpieces.

Store your favourite pieces in these Filofax plastic pockets for extra protection!

5. Art Journal

You'd be forgiven for thinking that an art journal is the same as a journal, a junk journal, a scrapbook or a sketchbook - ah my naive friends, you have so much to learn and discover!

An art journal is a hybrid of a sketchbook and a journal. If you're arty and creative you can use it to express how you feel through drawing, painting and collaging. 

Art journals often have beautiful pages that are crafted to combine art with inspirational quotes, thoughts and journal entries. 

Using a Filofax to store art journal pages may take the pressure off starting an art journal because you don't have to be afraid of ruining your sketchbook with a badly designed page – if you don't like how something turned out, you can just take it out! 

You can also move things around if the chronology isn't important to you.

6. Grimoire

A Grimoire is kind of like a witch's book of spells, but you don't have to be a witch to be inspired by this creative idea. You can use a spare Filofax or planner to bind all of your witchy things.

Here are some ideas for your Grimoire:

• Herbal tea recipes
• Healing soup recipes
• Favourite essential oil combos
• Healing herb recipes
  
• List of herbs and spices
• Natural medicine
• Tarot card spreads
• Divination readings
• Houseplant care notes
• Spells or manifestations
• Affirmations
• Phases of the moon
• Horoscope info
• Pressed leaves and flowers
• Dream journal
• Record of the seasons
• Meanings of colours and numbers
• Poetry
• Feng Shui notes
• Crystal properties
• Notes on Auras/chakras
• Favourite witchy books
• Mystical decor

Sometimes it's just nice to have it all in one place, you know?

If you're a green witch and in the market for a new planner, inserts or accessories, you might like the Filofax Garden Collection, I think it's rather lovely and would make a pretty Grimoire.

7. Bible study file 

I'm not a religious person myself, but if I was, I think I'd want to use a Filofax to store all my bible study notes. A personal planner is a similar size to a bible, so I think they'd go well together. 

Alternatively, for a bit more space, and if you don't fancy lugging a heavy A5 planner with you, the A5 clipbooks or reusable notebooks are a great inexpensive alternative, and you may have one knocking around that you don't use. 

They're better than ordinary notebooks because you can personalise them with dividers and different inserts according to your needs – not to mention offering the ability to rearrange pages and take them out without having to try and cleanly rip a page out of a bound notebook (and usually losing another page on the opposite end as a result!)

8. Project organiser

A separate Filofax or planner is a must if you're taking on a new project.

It might be your goal to minimise everything in your home this year – in which case you'll need a place to put all your lists – lists of things to keep, sell, donate, and recycle; not to mention sections for different rooms... you get the idea.

How about a wedding planner? A course project? A new business idea?

Your project for the new year might even be yourself – a new fitness routine, eating habits and other goals. You'll need trackers and lists for sure. 

I think sometimes it's nice to have a separate place to plan a single project or area of your life, in order to clear your mind from distractions and be able to focus on one thing.

9. Wedding guestbook

Why not use a spare planner as a guest book? It'll be a lovely memory to treasure long after the event, with so many beautiful heartwarming messages from your friends and loved ones. 

You'll also get to design your own inserts – that's always fun.

How about teaming it up with a polaroid camera so that people can take selfies of themselves and stick them into the guestbook on their message page? It'll make your memories all the more special.

10. Photography project (365-days/52 weeks)

You could use a spare planner to keep a record or a daily or weekly photography project! It's nice to have a new hobby, and photography is such a great way to record your memories. 

You don't need a fancy camera either. Smartphones take great photos these days, and they're convenient because you'll always have your phone with you! Plus, editing apps/filters are free if you want to get really creative.

Try taking a photo a day, and then print them off using your home printer at the end of the week and trim them down to size to fill a week-on-two page diary spread. 

You could create a visual journal of places you've been to or things you've seen. You might want to record memories of your kids or pets in everyday life. Or even a visual record of how much your houseplant babies have grown throughout the year – in which case Filofax's Garden collection week-on-two-pages insert would be perfect!

11. Poetry Portfolio

If you've got a knack for rhymes and enjoy expressing yourself through poetry, why not use an extra Filofax as a portfolio to keep all your poems together?

I really love this idea because there's less commitment than using a bound notebook to write your poems down in. 

I used to write poetry in a cheap spiral-bound notebook. The one thing that used to drive me absolutely nuts was how messy my pages would get after I had scribbled down ideas, crossed sections out and tried to change lines a million times until they sounded just right (because I'm a perfectionist).

By the time I had finished my poems, you couldn't really read them, and I'd have to write them out again. My solution at the time was to use a pencil so I could use a rubber to make changes more easily. 

With a ring-binder system like a Filofax though, you wouldn't have to rip pages out if you wanted to remove all your 'workings'. Instead, you could have a tabbed section for drafting, and then tabbed sections for your finished pieces – all organised into topics!

Browse Filofax dividers – they're so cute.

12. A paragraph-a-day journal

If you've always wanted to keep a journal but have been intimidated by the thought of having to write pages and pages of your thoughts, doing a paragraph a day can ease you into it until you feel like you have more to say.

You can buy similar journals like this five-year one-line-a-day journal, but personally, I like the flexibility of a ring-bound system where you get to choose how much space you need to write your thoughts.

Alternatively, if you like the idea of restricting yourself to just one paragraph of journaling a day then you can use a week-on-two-pages diary insert like these from Filofax and fill each day in with your reflections.

13. Finance and expenses manager

Something I've been seeing more and more during the cost of living crisis is people using a separate Filofax to keep track of spending. Having a dedicated planner to manage your money is a great way to focus on setting financial goals.

In fact, even Filofax has latched onto this trend encouraging us to 'Gain control over your finances with our budgeting essentials.'

They have a lovely collection of zipped personal Filofax planners that look just like wallets and are perfect for a project like this.

Filofax products to help you keep an eye on your savings:

• Calculators – love that you can put them in the rings (so convenient!)
• Zip closure envelopes – for creating a cash envelope system
• Refills – for tracking finances, expenses, meal plans and more!

Browse the full Budget savvy planner collection by Filofax.

14. Mood Diary

Anyone who struggles with a mental health problem like anxiety depression or bipolar disorder probably knows the value of keeping track of moods. But anyone can benefit from tracking how you feel on a day-to-day basis.

If you're wondering what sections you could include in your planner, there are plenty of everyday things that are related to mood. 

The idea of tracking various things that could affect your mood is that you'll more easily be able to look back and spot patterns. This could help you to make adjustments to help improve how you're feeling.

Here are some ideas of things you can track in your mood diary:

• Sleep – track what time you go to bed, what time you wake up and what your quality of sleep was like.

• Exercise – track how many steps you walked, if you did a workout or practiced some yoga.

• Food – it can be interesting to look back and see changes in your diet. You can look out for increases in sugar, caffeine and alcohol. You can also look out for any periods of time you ate more or less than usual. 

• Give yourself a daily mood score – come up with a system to score yourself on how you're feeling, for example, on a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being the worst and 10 being the best. 

• Self-care – it's so easy to forget to make time for ourselves. Keeping track of the things we do to relax and feel good can remind us to do more of those things. Self-care looks different for everyone, for example, reading a book, taking a bath, painting your nails, walking the dog or making homemade soup.

15. Editorial Calendar

With so many of us feeling inspired to start our own online businesses or develop a social media presence, using a spare planner specifically as an editorial calendar can help you to keep on top of your projects, even the ones you just do for fun.

An editorial calendar is great for:

• a blog
• a social media account
• a YouTube channel
• an Etsy Shop

You can create sections in your planner for:

• brainstorming ideas
• lists of links/contacts
• keyword research for SEO
• posting schedules
• a content planner
• your year-to-view - Get the Filofax undated yearly pull-out insert (you get 5!)
• marketing campaigns

Thanks for reading! Find any of these ideas inspiring? Got any of your own? Leave your thoughts in the comments below – I love to read them, and I try to reply to every single one.

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Things I've learnt about 'Planner Peace'

Journaling tips for Filofax and ring planner users

Contents page: Explore all of my blog posts in one place!

If you're thinking of making any Filofax purchases, please use my affiliate links as I might get a nice little bit of revenue (no extra cost to you) which goes towards helping to support the Filofancy blog – Browse the Filofax website now!

Review: Filofax Norfolk (Personal Sage)

Would it be weird if I described the personal-sized Filofax Norfolk in 'sage' as being... cosy?  I look at it and immediately my mind goes to cosy knitted jumpers, cups of tea and snuggling up on the sofa with my dog and my cat. It feels like I might have found my planner soulmate.

If you read the post about my Port-fuelled Christmas Day impulse purchase of this planner, you'll know that I wasn't planning on getting one...

...Sure, I'd lusted after the collection, done my research and checked my bank balance several times to see if an extra hundred quid had miraculously found its way into my account (it hadn't) – but I had made a firm decision that I wasn't going to do it. 

Well, I did it. Clearly.

To be honest I was nervous. What if I didn't even like it? What if it was a ghastly green brick? What if it arrived faulty like the birthday-gift-to-myself Centennial Filofax did? What if, God forbid, it felt like a waste of money?!

I've never felt like any Filofax I've ever bought was a waste of money because I've been so absolutely in love with them all. But I'm older, and so much more cynical now. This purchase could literally ruin 2023 for me!

Okay, I'm being melodramatic, and as we all know, it has all turned out fine. Aside from the fact that the inserts I purchased from Filofax on the 18th Dec, still haven't arrived, and I wanted them for the 1st of January... goddammit.

Let's get into the review!

Design inspiration and vibe 

Filofax on their blog says, 'Norfolk is a rural county in the East of England, known for its community spirit and easy-going way of life.' 

This Filofax definitely has a countryside vibe. It feels down-to-earth, friendly, warm and welcoming, like a good novel in front of a fireplace with a blueberry muffin!

Leather and structure

I love the cushioned matt leather and how comfortable it feels to hold. The leather feels soft and flexible, but there is plenty of structure to the planner with a slight bit of padding – it's definitely not floppy, but it's not stiff either. It feels very well made. 

The strap is lovely and wide, which makes opening and closing the planner feel very satisfying. It's also nice and long so the planner doesn't feel tight when stuffed.

You can see in the pic below how much space the strap allows, it's not tight, and because it's also quite stiff it allows the planner to hold it's shape when closed even when it's not full.

The planner rings

Bringing me to the rings... they are a generous 30mm in the personal size, which is wonderful! 

I've noted that the larger rings don't cause the paper inserts or the dividers to be pushed outside the edge of the planner, even though the width of the planner is the same as my Originals...

...You can see in the picture further down how the inserts will stop at the edge of the planner from the centre of the rings, which is where the inserts will be pushed out the furthest.

It just means that there's no outer margin of leather like in the others. Of course, this may mean that the inserts are slightly less protected, but this doesn't bother me as I'll be using it at home anyway.

I thought I'd miss the gold rings that I fell head-over-heels for when I bought my Centennial, but actually, the silver ones go really nicely with the cool sage, and I don't think gold would have looked right.

They do seem more flexible than my Centennial rings though, and I have to press down on both of the end buttons together to work the mechanism and open them, whereas with my Centennial I can just press down on one end. This doesn't feel like an inconvenience though, and really it's how we should be operating them for a longer life.

Design features 

Because the leather is so soft, I suspect that over time the card slots may become looser as the leather stretches depending on what you use them for. I don't see that as being a problem for me though, as I'll probably be using them to home sticky notes and bits and bobs. Plus, once the Filofax is closed, nothing will be falling out.

The inside zip pocket isn't gusseted, but it does feel pretty generous. I have nothing really to say about the other inside pockets, they seem fine for extra stickers etc.

I'm not sure what I'll be using the full-length back pocket for. It has a very structured feel rather than floppy. I think this will be good to protect paper or letters and stop them from crumpling or creasing in the pocket. 

I don't think I'd want to put anything in the back pocket that would cause lumps and bumps for fear of denting the perfectly flat front and back covers as the leather is so beautifully soft – but that's probably just me being precious because it's brand new.

I've watched some videos and in one it was noted that the positioning of the pen loop on the pocket size planner was not well thought-out at all as it makes the pen sit behind the inserts. It also interfered with the lady's divider tabs because the loop is pointed inward instead of out. 

On the personal size Norfolk, the issue is similar but not as pronounced. The pen does get in the way of inserts as it sits behind them, and more so if you use thicker pens. You can see in the picture below what I mean...

...however, keep in mind that when the rings are full some of the inserts to the front and back will lie further in as the rings curve, and this does allow for a pen to sit more comfortably without leaving a gaping gap at the back, especially if you're using a thinner pen like mine.

I use a thin, discrete mechanical pencil, so it's not a problem for me. I've also tried my Filofax pen from the Centennial collection and the issue seemed very slight. This might annoy some people though.

Considering that there is so much space inside the strap when the planner is closed, I do think that Filofax could have designed the pen loop so that it faced outward. But instead, they chose aesthetic over function as they clearly wanted to have the little strip of leather to cover the elastic of the pen loop. 

I think that many people will appreciate the fully elasticated pen loop that enables us to insert fatter pens – however, with the pen having to sit behind the paper in the planner, fatter pens may get in the way, so it's a bit of a contradiction.

You'd think by now that Filofax would have the functionality of their planners down to a T. However, I think this might actually be my only gripe about the Filofax Norfolk, and it's more on the behalf of those of you who may find this feature-flop annoying. Personally, I'm not affected by it because of my choice of pen – and I do actually really like how neat it looks with the leather flap covering the elastic.

'Flatability' and weight

As my Filofax is brand new it doesn't lay completely flat like the Originals do, but I think in time that it might. It certainly lays flat enough to please most 'flatability' seekers. 

Once you have filled the pockets on the right it'll also add the bit of weight it needs to lie flat, and as you trun pages, they will contribute to flatability too.

Considering that this is a chunky monkey, I don't feel like it's overly heavy. Obviously, that could change depending on what you decide to put in it.

It is slightly bigger than other personal-sized Filofaxes because of the larger rings, but it still feels and looks pretty compact to me. 

Final thoughts

I'm very, very happy with my purchase, and I'm sure that I'll be talking about it lots more as I discover different things I like or dislike. With it being one of the more expensive collections, I definitely think the Norfolks are worth the money. 

They are made of beautiful quality real leather in lovely muted and natural tones that I think will appeal to many people, and they have lots of useful features for an all-round everyday planner.

I'm very happy with my choice of colour, but I like them all! The sage is earthy and homely. The lavender is very delicate and pretty for spring, the almond is warm and perfect for autumn, and the taupe is a lovely neutral option.

I'm also 100% happy with the personal size. I think the A5 would have been overkill for my needs, and I may have found the pen loop thing irritating in the pocket size.

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As always, thank you so much for reading my blog, I hope that you enjoyed it :) I absolutely love reading and replying to your comments, so please feel free to put your penny's worth below, because we all have different ideas and experiences with planners, which is what makes our community so interesting!

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