Part 2 -- as well. It works great for weekly planning from your goals. Has a wonderful 2 page per week column format that you can write one reoccurring tasks and then just check them off. It here is a lot of freedom in using it with your Filofax. Hang in there I think you will work it out. I love your ideas and videos. Keep working through it, you have great things to share.
I have used a FF for years. I finally have got it under control & usable. I have 2 calendars--month/2 pages & day/page. I don't put to dos on my daily pages anymore. I have a master list. So much easier that way & way less overwhelming. I was like you & had millions of to dos every day & never got them done. Now I find I get them done & I only write them 1x. I have my own business & my FF is my life. I keep a ton in there but it's now manageable.
Ohh sweetie I feel your pain! If you have to work for 8 hrs, drive to form work, sleep another 8 hrs, eat, shower, etc...you only have maybe 5hrs left in the day...that does not include the time we all waste on YT :) and facebook catching up. So be realistic with your lists and to dos. Set an hour or 1.5 hrs and divide your tasks by the amount of minutes they will take., also prioritize. You can do it all, but not all at once..I read that somewhere here! Have a goal of 5 to dos per day, or whatever number is realistic for your situation. And take some days off...somedays you should be able to read a book and lay in bed all day! Good luck!
You might want to try a weekly time map so you can be realistic with yourself on how much time you have to complete certain tasks. I would also suggest putting your tasks into the daily schedule at the time when you will complete them. A huge list of home to-do when you are scheduled to work 8 hours is just going to make you feel defeated. Also if there are tasks that are not day specific then put a list of them on a post-it on your today marker so you don't have to copy them over each day.
I have used many different formats of pages for over 20 years. I stick with a weekly that has an area for appointments and large area for brainstorming/ tasks and to-dos. If I have not done a task in a long time(task is not important if I am dismissing it over and over.),I will drop it from my weekly. I have kids and schedules change all the time. A weekly may work. My tasks are scheduled around appointments. I use Planner Pad pages with my 10yr old leather Day Timer. Hope this was helpful.
Your planner is your safe haven, it shouldn't make you feel anxious or pressured. It's a tool for you to lessen the stress in your life. Remember, don't worry about what others expect from you, just do what you can do.
My suggestion is: write on your to do list only what is a Must Do on that day, print a "To do list" on a page finder with a list of "To do" that can be done on any other day of that week. That way you focus on the To do list for the day as a priority, and then you can do what´s on your other "to do" list at the first opportunity but you can change it to the next day if it´s not done without having to write it again.
+messua hi everyone ,if anyone else needs to find out about done for you finding profitable niches try Tarbetti Niche Supplier Tutor (do a google search ) ? Ive heard some incredible things about it and my mate got amazing results with it.
I agree with all these points. To add, ask yourself daily a series of questions to evaluate your tasks/projects/goals: -How will this task move me towards my goals? -Is this task important? -Does this task feel important just because it is urgent? -Is there another way for this task to be accomplished? You may want to also focus on only writing the essentials onto your daily pages for a while to help focus on those, and keep a lower priority list elsewhere to refer to as you have time.
I think if you are writing a todo/task on a dated page when you know there's no way it's gonna get done on that day, you are writing it the wrong place! Like others have said, a master task list where all you tasks are listed is one way or future planning your tasks (writing them on days you will have time) is a good starting place. Good luck!
I found that I needed to really schedule in certain tasks- like if I knew there was no way I could get to the post office on Tuesday, I wouldn't write that in on Tuesday's todos. It would go on the specific day when I could actually make the time. It's important to be realistic about your tasks and goals and to figure out a more specific time frame as to when they can be completed. Anyways- that's what worked for me :)
Ooooo I like the idea of the dry-erase marker. I've been looking at the Martha Stewart chalkboard labels and thinking that could work. You mentioning your daughter and husband has also reminded me that I can also delegate some things. I'm a new step-mom and don't have kids of my own, so I have focused on being the "cool" mom, but I swear I can't do everything!
There are a ton of great ideas in these comments, wow. The only thing I'd add is, consider switching to weekly column format, & schedule as many to-do's as possible right in the the timeslots. That way, you get a great visual for the week, & can easily see where things will or won't fit. We all only have so many hours in the day. Also, delegating tasks & eliminating what can be eliminated (be ruthless). Hang in there!! Love your videos, I subbed immediately. :-)
Thanks for that. You are right. The planners are fun. I should OWN THAT! My planners are a form of journaling for me. I think that's why I feel the need to write every little thing down. It's fun to look back on them. I guess I just need to find a balance. I really appreciate your input!
Sharon, I watched your video a couple of times and have a couple of thoughts. I notice you don't use your time/appointment section much. I have the same pages you have and use that sections for appointments that I write on the left but on the right I time out my other tasks such as my quiet time, making the bed, or my routine work tasks. I use the task list for only those daily tasks that have to happen I also have abbreviations I use to help with writing. I use the Plannerisms Part 1
I get so intimidated by daily sheets. I don't do enough in the day to warrant it & if I see blank pages I panic that I'm not doing enough or that I'm wasting my day. Sometimes we plan to do things that aren't even that important to do. I say use a weekly insert to track things that are concrete & get removable sticky notes that can be transferred from week to week for tasks that you do often. As for being overwhelmed just know that the only pressure on you is that what you put on yourself.
How about a master list of to-do's/tasks that are in a tab of their own. Choose 3 tasks for the day (either from the master list or just separate ones that must get done that day) and then IF you have extra time you can choose more from the master list?
I have the same kind of problem. Here is my solution to my problem: 1. I took a BIG sheet of paper (A4 or letter size) and printed weekly time map on it. I put all the time that I was busy with work, my sleep hours, my resting hours, and time with my family. 2. I took a separate sheet A4 with same printed time map and highlighted all hours that were FREE out of all scheduled things - this is the opposite of the first "busy" sheet.
I use the week on two pages format in my filofax, and daily to-do's can get tight with homework assignments and due dates because I'm a student. One thing I've done is cut small pieces of paper about the size of journaling cards, and punch holes in them. I write random things that I need to get done, and cross them off as I go. You can move this page from week to week or day to day, so there's no pressure of getting it done a certain time. Hope this helps :)
Thank you so much, Amy! I need to find out more about the time map. I've heard about it but don't really know much about it. Google, here I come. And I like the idea of putting non-day-specific tasks on a post-it on my day marker. Great suggestions!
Hi Sharon! What I did for my tasks that repeat daily and weekly was to list them separately and put in a page protector (my planner is a Day-Timer) or maybe laminate it and mark off with dry-erase markers. I have a nice, big tab so it makes it easy to turn to those pages daily. I have my daily tasks on one page, these are the things I do each day like take vitamins, sign school binder, etc.. I rarely get them all done but seriously, don't stress about it, having the list just lets you not forget those tasks that are essential to a well-run home; no one is perfect! ;-) The weekly duties, I do not check off because there are not that many of them but I list them according to the day (for example, I know that on Thursdays I will plan the menu for next week and look up any garage/estate sales for the next day). I don't have to re-write them daily or even weekly, though I know that these lists will not stay the same for more than a few months. Also, another planner that I keep is a year- by- the- month planner. This is just a small spiral that I have divided out into 12 monthly sections. This might include a family tradition for a specific holiday (or one I want to start) or when to fertilize plants. I find this nice because I do not have to change my master lists as often to accommodate something that is specific to that month. I actually started this many years before I even kept a planner and is just as essential to me. Thanks for your videos and be blessed!!
I totally agree with this POV. It sounds like planners are more of a creative activity than a planning activity. You could try switching it up and using your planner for bigger to dos and things you'd like to accomplish that are not time dependant (places to go, things to try effectively an ongoing bucket list). Or use it after the fact to write lists of the things you DID accomplish that day. Make it your relaxation reward, not the stick driving you forward.
Emi, what a nice thing to say! Thank you! I'm going to check out the videos tonight. Thanks for reminding me about them, and thanks for the suggestions!
Sometimes, when you do not feel doing anything but you have a lot to complish, drink something hot, like tea, or coffee, hot chocolate, this will warm you up for work. And work in little, first just for 25 min and then take a break, in this break you can give yourself something you like: chocolate, listening to music, ect. If you are underpressure you can use these breaks to get more done.
I have found helpful to abandon the Daily Page formats & now use the Filofax "Week on One Page with Notes" format. The left side i record day/time-specific appointments. Tasks go on the right side page, whatever order I choose. They're in view all week & the binder is less bulky. Anything not done, i use the franklin covey method of a right-pointing arrow next to the item to indicate it is to be done the next week. It is very easy to routinely flip back to see those without re-writing...
You give great advice that we all need to listen to: take care of "you" and not your Filofax. You are right about cutting out what is not important. I need to focus! Moving to an A5 may be in my future, but right now I want to really make my personal raspberry chameleon work. Thank you for your help!
Here are some things I have done: 1 Protect the basics. I will look at my current priorities and make sure I have allocated time for them in my schedule. 2.Eliminate the non-essentials. Sometimes I make commitments that seem to be important when I schedule them. However,later, I realize that they aren’t that important. 3. Re-schedule some of what remains. Some things are important, but they are not important now. So, I plan for what can be postponed without significant consequences.
My tip is to use a master to-do list. Lets say a weekly one. The night before or the morning of you can slot in the things you wanna accomplish.Think about how long each thing might take. If you have tons of appointments that day maybe put less "to dos" for that day. Or maybe even scheduling the to do items in time slots with ample time in between in case something takes longer or you need a break.
I use the Filofax personal planner now and I have used Day TImer and Franklin Covey. I use a monthly, weekly and daily. I can look at the month and tell what not to plan if I have a busy week. In the weekly I can write my personal appts. The daily is used more for work and jotting daily notes and phone messages. I try to keep my to do list separate under projects. I label on the top of the page categories of my to dos and keep a running list that I don't write over every day.Hope this helps
I so feel you! The only discretionary time I have during the work week is when I take public transit, if I get to work early and my lunch break. If I take Saturday as a day of rest, then I’m only left with about 2.5 hours on Sunday to work on my task list. And the only reason I even have that much time is because I’ve basically given up on a lot of adulting (luckily my husband is retired so he takes care of a lot of the household tasks).
Hi Sharon, First of all, I really love your videos, you are one of my role models:-). I have a few suggestions to share with you. 1. I would rethink the idea of getting an a5 (although I agree, it's a little bit clumpsy and heavy to handle). The one I use from Ordning & Reda, is a little bit smaller than filofax a 5. 2. I would use monthly overview for a more realistic planning. Be nice towards yourself. I use the printable inserts from Life is crafted and it helps me to split up my planning
I've had the same problem, giving myself to much to do in the time available. The first thing I did was go through my list and get rid of the stuff that really wasn't that important (even if I really want to do it..sometimes you just can't). On my days I put when I'm working, the time it takes to get ready, travelling there and back, dinner time etc, and that shows just how much time you actually have available to do things. I then write my to-dos in these available spaces. I hope this helps.
Love the raspberry chameleon! It was my very first real leather Filofax- my first Filofax was a raspberry finsbury. I now have a gorgeous A5 chameleon and its working out very well. My problem was same as yours- I used 2ppd and rewrote daily tasks on each day. I hardly finished them and yet there they were- written in every single daily page. I've now gone to weekly format (A5=bigger page space) and find that the tasks get written only once a week. I almost always complete my task list. (Cont)
I have 3 to dos list. Today's, this weeks, and soon. Stuff that must be done today goes on today's, same for this week, and soon is stuff like shampoo carpet, wash the car, clean the closets etc.
I'm a Firefighter. I don't need a planner. I watch planner videos. I watch planner videos because I see art in the planner itself. So do you... You went electronic because it's better for you. You said you need to fit in time to relax in your day. You simply like planners. OWN IT! I don't need a planner, but I have one. It's just filled with other stuff besides appointments. You should try that as well. Make it something you can show off as art: it will help you relax and create too.
A master weekly list is helpful. You can assign most urgent tasks an "A", less important a "B", and so forth. "A's" should make your next days list obviously. Further helpful categorizations are contact, do, buy, etc. or home prj, work, church, me-time, etc. Good luck:),
I'm loving the raspberry chameleon, too, and it is my very first Filofax! You are right -- I need to be realistic about what can be done in a day, and not just write things down willy nilly. Thanks for your help, Kris!
I noticed you moved from Franklin Planner to Filofax. May I ask why you switched over? I have a personal filofax but considering going to a Classic Franklin Planner b/c I'm really struggling with not having enough room to write things down. Just curious why you switched....
Patty at Homemakers Daily has used Franklin Covey 2 pages per day inserts for 20 years and has lots of great posts on how she uses them. You might like her post How I Plan My Week. YT won't let me post the link here, but look at her Time Management posts. I hope this helps! I think you should look at your whole week, instead of day to day, to see when you might be able to fit in tasks.
So when you are overloaded or even when you are not, this system could work: first write a things to do list - whatever you need to be done on a certain day, like cooking, cleaning, shopping, meet with friends. Then group the things in priority: {Not urgent&Important}, {Urgent&Important}, {Not urgent&Not Important}, {Urgent&Not Important}. With this you can see which are the task you can do tomorrow or which one need to be done right now.
I think you need to ask yourself WHY aren't I getting these tasks done? You identify that you don't have a lot of time during the day so have you prioritised what is essential & MANAGEABLE for that day? Manageable is important - if you feel overwhelmed by a job you won't do it, so break it down into smaller bits. The tips to have yearly & monthly goals are good - plan in advance what to complete when to finish the job, and don't plan other things which will stop you from finishing. Good luck =)
3. I took tasks that I needed to do and decided what we will do with my daughter, and what my husband will do instead of me. (he is doing a lot already, it is not a problem, thanks God!). And I put sertain tasks on my not weekly but bimonthly or monthly to-do's. 4. I took the second sheet with my Free time and put my to-do's there, then put it in clear plastic sheet protector. I can check off my to-do's with dry-erase marker without rewriting them over and over again.
I also have tried using smaller size planners(pages small) but they do not have enough space to write. so I stick to the A5 size cover.(5.5x8.5 pages or larger). This may help with using less sticky notes and pages. Hope this also helps.
I feel your pain! I've been in the same boat. One suggestion I have is to make your own pages that incorporate your requirements into the page. I have a homemade set-up that has a pg on the left with everything I need to do during the week.Some of it is already typed in because I do it every week. My daily page already has recorded the things I do every day.Then I have a spot for things I MUST do that day. If it isn't a MUST do, it goes on the weekly page. It's on my blog homemakersdaily.
How many of the things you schedule, do you "really" have to do? You need to differenciate between efficiency and effectiveness. You can be super efficient at a task, but what's the point, if it's a task not really worth doing. Also, don't plan and schedule things that take less time being done than they need being administered. Instead of post its you could just have a weekly bullet point list and a monthly bullet point list and just tick things off as you go (plan to do at least 2 of them every day, but don't schedule specific things to specific days, that just takes uo too much mental space). If you fail to achieve those things for more than 2 months, then your list is simply too long and you need to let go of non essentail activities.
Your to do list is not realistic. Have you looked at the GTD method? As for me, I created a 1-page checklist in Word which lists everything I have to do each day, week, and month for every 5-week period. I then check items off as they're completed or put an X if I didn't do it then move on. The following week, I resolve to do better or adapt expectations and adjust the checklist.
I have a video as an answer! It is called Filofax and paper planner tips. DIY flyleaf. How to avoid writing things over and over again. For some reason, youtube don't allow to post link here!
Maybe don't rewrite what is on the sticky, just move it over to next day at the end of the day. Write only appointments and things that advance your monthly or yearly goals (that's the planning part of a planner, IMHO). I love your videos.
You could write everything down on another page, list to or my goal . On the day of the week you could write only what you can do. 1 to 3 things and see how that goes or else you ll be discourage etc . Hope this could help , take care
In this system you working with different lists. You collect everything that's in your mind. Then look what you need to do with every item. After that you make different kinds off lists. When you search on Internet on GTD you will find a lot off links. (I'm from the Netherlands, so my English inset that good. Sorry for that)
Have you watched @imysworld 's video? How about getting a separate zippy pouch to store sticky notes and tabs so that your Filofax might be able to close?
Planners make great journals for me because I can take take out the journal entries and archive them, but leave the artwork my daughters make me, the stuff I want to keep with me, and the planner itself. It never gets full because I just keep rotating. When I looked at your planner I saw a work of art, not something for work...
I know people who cook just once a month for the entire month ahead. It takes the whole day, they put it into the freezer, so cooking doesn't take time every day.
5. If my husband is not satisfyed with the apartment, he could hire somebody to clean it! And I hang my schedule on the wall so he could be aware of it!
I have a chalkboard for those tasks that I write over and over and don't do ....so I can stare at it day after day till I get tired of looking at it and actually do it.
Only write down the things you know you'll do. Also, removing the post-its and pencilling in their contents will slim your FF. Remove any used pages or any which are far in the future: file them elsewhere. You seem to have organisation overload. Consider scrap-booking.
it seems like you have a master list, a review list, then post it note list, then you still write it down in the diary. that's a lot of writing for the same reoccurring tasks. wouldn't it be helpful if you had one list laminated for that day. laminated, removable, like the ruler with slits so you can just move it to the following week and if their is something you weren't able to accomplish that day just write that down. using a grease pencil/wet erase marker to check it off. hope that helps
Hi! I think you are becoming overwhelmed with the number of your responsibilities. I used to write everything down, and now I have stopped. I only make a list if there are 5 or less jobs to get done. If there are more than 5, I keep them in my head and see how many things I finish. I find with myself, more than 5 causes me anxiety. Everything get done eventually, maybe not on the day I thought it would, but it still gets done. For me writing everything down was too time consuming. I find using my alerts on my smart phone to be more effective. Hope this helps.
I know a lot of people living without a planner-tool....and they are doing fine ;o)) Hmmmm...I am not planning as much as some people do...I plan my job-appointments,my childrens appointments...my personal appointments.My planner is 50%filled - in comparison with yours..?
Nicely done! Got few non published numbers to locate, I found myself tired, so that I write some reviews concerning this, ~Detectivephone. ORG~ Extremely helpful! Thanks!
Well, for starters why don't you get an A5, it would give you more room. I think we all get these things and fill them plum full and write everything down and that alone is an accomplishment. Maybe your overwhelming yourself. maybe start by actually cutting what you need to do in half and focus on the things you really have to do. You sound to have alot on your plate and clealy doing to much. take care of "you" not your filofax. Blessings to you and light a candle!
Monthly, weekly and during the day and actually over the year=(my goals for the year). It's for persinal size to. Check out her videos on youtube:-)./take care emi (itsbyemi)
Prioritize, there is no way you can accomplish all that in a day. You need to pick your top three maybe throw in 15 minutes of chores but that’s it. You are pushing yourself too hard and you are never going to win
Part 2 -- as well. It works great for weekly planning from your goals. Has a wonderful 2 page per week column format that you can write one reoccurring tasks and then just check them off. It here is a lot of freedom in using it with your Filofax. Hang in there I think you will work it out. I love your ideas and videos. Keep working through it, you have great things to share.
I have used a FF for years. I finally have got it under control & usable. I have 2 calendars--month/2 pages & day/page. I don't put to dos on my daily pages anymore. I have a master list. So much easier that way & way less overwhelming. I was like you & had millions of to dos every day & never got them done. Now I find I get them done & I only write them 1x. I have my own business & my FF is my life. I keep a ton in there but it's now manageable.
Ohh sweetie I feel your pain! If you have to work for 8 hrs, drive to form work, sleep another 8 hrs, eat, shower, etc...you only have maybe 5hrs left in the day...that does not include the time we all waste on YT :) and facebook catching up. So be realistic with your lists and to dos. Set an hour or 1.5 hrs and divide your tasks by the amount of minutes they will take., also prioritize. You can do it all, but not all at once..I read that somewhere here! Have a goal of 5 to dos per day, or whatever number is realistic for your situation. And take some days off...somedays you should be able to read a book and lay in bed all day! Good luck!
You might want to try a weekly time map so you can be realistic with yourself on how much time you have to complete certain tasks. I would also suggest putting your tasks into the daily schedule at the time when you will complete them. A huge list of home to-do when you are scheduled to work 8 hours is just going to make you feel defeated. Also if there are tasks that are not day specific then put a list of them on a post-it on your today marker so you don't have to copy them over each day.
I have used many different formats of pages for over 20 years. I stick with a weekly that has an area for appointments and large area for brainstorming/ tasks and to-dos. If I have not done a task in a long time(task is not important if I am dismissing it over and over.),I will drop it from my weekly. I have kids and schedules change all the time. A weekly may work. My tasks are scheduled around appointments. I use Planner Pad pages with my 10yr old leather Day Timer. Hope this was helpful.
Your planner is your safe haven, it shouldn't make you feel anxious or pressured. It's a tool for you to lessen the stress in your life. Remember, don't worry about what others expect from you, just do what you can do.
My suggestion is: write on your to do list only what is a Must Do on that day, print a "To do list" on a page finder with a list of "To do" that can be done on any other day of that week. That way you focus on the To do list for the day as a priority, and then you can do what´s on your other "to do" list at the first opportunity but you can change it to the next day if it´s not done without having to write it again.
+messua hi everyone ,if anyone else needs to find out about done for you finding profitable niches try Tarbetti Niche Supplier Tutor (do a google search ) ? Ive heard some incredible things about it and my mate got amazing results with it.
I agree with all these points. To add, ask yourself daily a series of questions to evaluate your tasks/projects/goals:
-How will this task move me towards my goals?
-Is this task important?
-Does this task feel important just because it is urgent?
-Is there another way for this task to be accomplished?
You may want to also focus on only writing the essentials onto your daily pages for a while to help focus on those, and keep a lower priority list elsewhere to refer to as you have time.
I think if you are writing a todo/task on a dated page when you know there's no way it's gonna get done on that day, you are writing it the wrong place! Like others have said, a master task list where all you tasks are listed is one way or future planning your tasks (writing them on days you will have time) is a good starting place. Good luck!
I found that I needed to really schedule in certain tasks- like if I knew there was no way I could get to the post office on Tuesday, I wouldn't write that in on Tuesday's todos. It would go on the specific day when I could actually make the time. It's important to be realistic about your tasks and goals and to figure out a more specific time frame as to when they can be completed. Anyways- that's what worked for me :)
Yes, it does help! Getting rid of the things that aren't important is definitely the first step. Thank you!
Ooooo I like the idea of the dry-erase marker. I've been looking at the Martha Stewart chalkboard labels and thinking that could work. You mentioning your daughter and husband has also reminded me that I can also delegate some things. I'm a new step-mom and don't have kids of my own, so I have focused on being the "cool" mom, but I swear I can't do everything!
give yourself a time limit for each task if its not done, its still better than what it was before.
There are a ton of great ideas in these comments, wow. The only thing I'd add is, consider switching to weekly column format, & schedule as many to-do's as possible right in the the timeslots. That way, you get a great visual for the week, & can easily see where things will or won't fit. We all only have so many hours in the day.
Also, delegating tasks & eliminating what can be eliminated (be ruthless). Hang in there!! Love your videos, I subbed immediately. :-)
Thank you, Melody. I love the TED series, and it hasn't occurred to me to search for productivity videos.
Thanks for that. You are right. The planners are fun. I should OWN THAT! My planners are a form of journaling for me. I think that's why I feel the need to write every little thing down. It's fun to look back on them. I guess I just need to find a balance. I really appreciate your input!
Sharon, I watched your video a couple of times and have a couple of thoughts. I notice you don't use your time/appointment section much. I have the same pages you have and use that sections for appointments that I write on the left but on the right I time out my other tasks such as my quiet time, making the bed, or my routine work tasks. I use the task list for only those daily tasks that have to happen I also have abbreviations I use to help with writing. I use the Plannerisms Part 1
I get so intimidated by daily sheets. I don't do enough in the day to warrant it & if I see blank pages I panic that I'm not doing enough or that I'm wasting my day. Sometimes we plan to do things that aren't even that important to do. I say use a weekly insert to track things that are concrete & get removable sticky notes that can be transferred from week to week for tasks that you do often. As for being overwhelmed just know that the only pressure on you is that what you put on yourself.
How about a master list of to-do's/tasks that are in a tab of their own. Choose 3 tasks for the day (either from the master list or just separate ones that must get done that day) and then IF you have extra time you can choose more from the master list?
I have the same kind of problem. Here is my solution to my problem:
1. I took a BIG sheet of paper (A4 or letter size) and printed weekly time map on it. I put all the time that I was busy with work, my sleep hours, my resting hours, and time with my family.
2. I took a separate sheet A4 with same printed time map and highlighted all hours that were FREE out of all scheduled things - this is the opposite of the first "busy" sheet.
I use the week on two pages format in my filofax, and daily to-do's can get tight with homework assignments and due dates because I'm a student. One thing I've done is cut small pieces of paper about the size of journaling cards, and punch holes in them. I write random things that I need to get done, and cross them off as I go. You can move this page from week to week or day to day, so there's no pressure of getting it done a certain time. Hope this helps :)
Thank you so much, Amy! I need to find out more about the time map. I've heard about it but don't really know much about it. Google, here I come. And I like the idea of putting non-day-specific tasks on a post-it on my day marker. Great suggestions!
Hi Sharon! What I did for my tasks that repeat daily and weekly was to list them separately and put in a page protector (my planner is a Day-Timer) or maybe laminate it and mark off with dry-erase markers. I have a nice, big tab so it makes it easy to turn to those pages daily. I have my daily tasks on one page, these are the things I do each day like take vitamins, sign school binder, etc.. I rarely get them all done but seriously, don't stress about it, having the list just lets you not forget those tasks that are essential to a well-run home; no one is perfect! ;-) The weekly duties, I do not check off because there are not that many of them but I list them according to the day (for example, I know that on Thursdays I will plan the menu for next week and look up any garage/estate sales for the next day). I don't have to re-write them daily or even weekly, though I know that these lists will not stay the same for more than a few months.
Also, another planner that I keep is a year- by- the- month planner. This is just a small spiral that I have divided out into 12 monthly sections. This might include a family tradition for a specific holiday (or one I want to start) or when to fertilize plants. I find this nice because I do not have to change my master lists as often to accommodate something that is specific to that month. I actually started this many years before I even kept a planner and is just as essential to me.
Thanks for your videos and be blessed!!
I totally agree with this POV. It sounds like planners are more of a creative activity than a planning activity. You could try switching it up and using your planner for bigger to dos and things you'd like to accomplish that are not time dependant (places to go, things to try effectively an ongoing bucket list). Or use it after the fact to write lists of the things you DID accomplish that day. Make it your relaxation reward, not the stick driving you forward.
Emi, what a nice thing to say! Thank you! I'm going to check out the videos tonight. Thanks for reminding me about them, and thanks for the suggestions!
Sometimes, when you do not feel doing anything but you have a lot to complish, drink something hot, like tea, or coffee, hot chocolate, this will warm you up for work.
And work in little, first just for 25 min and then take a break, in this break you can give yourself something you like: chocolate, listening to music, ect. If you are underpressure you can use these breaks to get more done.
I have found helpful to abandon the Daily Page formats & now use the Filofax "Week on One Page with Notes" format. The left side i record day/time-specific appointments. Tasks go on the right side page, whatever order I choose. They're in view all week & the binder is less bulky. Anything not done, i use the franklin covey method of a right-pointing arrow next to the item to indicate it is to be done the next week. It is very easy to routinely flip back to see those without re-writing...
You give great advice that we all need to listen to: take care of "you" and not your Filofax. You are right about cutting out what is not important. I need to focus! Moving to an A5 may be in my future, but right now I want to really make my personal raspberry chameleon work. Thank you for your help!
Here are some things I have done:
1 Protect the basics. I will look at my current priorities and make sure I have allocated time for them in my schedule.
2.Eliminate the non-essentials. Sometimes I make commitments that seem to be important when I schedule them. However,later, I realize that they aren’t that important.
3. Re-schedule some of what remains. Some things are important, but they are not important now. So, I plan for what can be postponed without significant consequences.
Try the Art of Stress Free Productivity..it is video here on You Tube I think it was part of the TED series.
I have not read your time management ebook, but thanks for pointing it out! I'll go get it tonight. Thank you so much!
My tip is to use a master to-do list. Lets say a weekly one. The night before or the morning of you can slot in the things you wanna accomplish.Think about how long each thing might take. If you have tons of appointments that day maybe put less "to dos" for that day. Or maybe even scheduling the to do items in time slots with ample time in between in case something takes longer or you need a break.
I use the Filofax personal planner now and I have used Day TImer and Franklin Covey. I use a monthly, weekly and daily. I can look at the month and tell what not to plan if I have a busy week. In the weekly I can write my personal appts. The daily is used more for work and jotting daily notes and phone messages. I try to keep my to do list separate under projects. I label on the top of the page categories of my to dos and keep a running list that I don't write over every day.Hope this helps
I so feel you! The only discretionary time I have during the work week is when I take public transit, if I get to work early and my lunch break. If I take Saturday as a day of rest, then I’m only left with about 2.5 hours on Sunday to work on my task list. And the only reason I even have that much time is because I’ve basically given up on a lot of adulting (luckily my husband is retired so he takes care of a lot of the household tasks).
Hi Sharon,
First of all, I really love your videos, you are one of my role models:-). I have a few suggestions to share with you.
1. I would rethink the idea of getting an a5 (although I agree, it's a little bit clumpsy and heavy to handle). The one I use from Ordning & Reda, is a little bit smaller than filofax a 5.
2. I would use monthly overview for a more realistic planning. Be nice towards yourself. I use the printable inserts from Life is crafted and it helps me to split up my planning
I've had the same problem, giving myself to much to do in the time available. The first thing I did was go through my list and get rid of the stuff that really wasn't that important (even if I really want to do it..sometimes you just can't). On my days I put when I'm working, the time it takes to get ready, travelling there and back, dinner time etc, and that shows just how much time you actually have available to do things. I then write my to-dos in these available spaces. I hope this helps.
Love the raspberry chameleon! It was my very first real leather Filofax- my first Filofax was a raspberry finsbury. I now have a gorgeous A5 chameleon and its working out very well. My problem was same as yours- I used 2ppd and rewrote daily tasks on each day. I hardly finished them and yet there they were- written in every single daily page. I've now gone to weekly format (A5=bigger page space) and find that the tasks get written only once a week. I almost always complete my task list. (Cont)
I have 3 to dos list. Today's, this weeks, and soon. Stuff that must be done today goes on today's, same for this week, and soon is stuff like shampoo carpet, wash the car, clean the closets etc.
I'm a Firefighter. I don't need a planner. I watch planner videos. I watch planner videos because I see art in the planner itself. So do you... You went electronic because it's better for you. You said you need to fit in time to relax in your day. You simply like planners. OWN IT! I don't need a planner, but I have one. It's just filled with other stuff besides appointments. You should try that as well. Make it something you can show off as art: it will help you relax and create too.
I saw your video, thanks for posting it! The flyleafs and dry erase marker is a great idea!
A master weekly list is helpful. You can assign most urgent tasks an "A", less important a "B", and so forth. "A's" should make your next days list obviously. Further helpful categorizations are contact, do, buy, etc. or home prj, work, church, me-time, etc. Good luck:),
Great suggestions, Melody. Thank you for your help!
I'm loving the raspberry chameleon, too, and it is my very first Filofax! You are right -- I need to be realistic about what can be done in a day, and not just write things down willy nilly. Thanks for your help, Kris!
I noticed you moved from Franklin Planner to Filofax. May I ask why you switched over? I have a personal filofax but considering going to a Classic Franklin Planner b/c I'm really struggling with not having enough room to write things down. Just curious why you switched....
Patty at Homemakers Daily has used Franklin Covey 2 pages per day inserts for 20 years and has lots of great posts on how she uses them. You might like her post How I Plan My Week. YT won't let me post the link here, but look at her Time Management posts. I hope this helps! I think you should look at your whole week, instead of day to day, to see when you might be able to fit in tasks.
Great ideas, Michelle. Thanks for your input!
So when you are overloaded or even when you are not, this system could work:
first write a things to do list - whatever you need to be done on a certain day, like cooking, cleaning, shopping, meet with friends.
Then group the things in priority: {Not urgent&Important}, {Urgent&Important}, {Not urgent&Not Important}, {Urgent&Not Important}. With this you can see which are the task you can do tomorrow or which one need to be done right now.
I think you need to ask yourself WHY aren't I getting these tasks done?
You identify that you don't have a lot of time during the day so have you prioritised what is essential & MANAGEABLE for that day? Manageable is important - if you feel overwhelmed by a job you won't do it, so break it down into smaller bits. The tips to have yearly & monthly goals are good - plan in advance what to complete when to finish the job, and don't plan other things which will stop you from finishing. Good luck =)
3. I took tasks that I needed to do and decided what we will do with my daughter, and what my husband will do instead of me. (he is doing a lot already, it is not a problem, thanks God!). And I put sertain tasks on my not weekly but bimonthly or monthly to-do's.
4. I took the second sheet with my Free time and put my to-do's there, then put it in clear plastic sheet protector. I can check off my to-do's with dry-erase marker without rewriting them over and over again.
I also have tried using smaller size planners(pages small) but they do not have enough space to write. so I stick to the A5 size cover.(5.5x8.5 pages or larger). This may help with using less sticky notes and pages. Hope this also helps.
I feel your pain! I've been in the same boat. One suggestion I have is to make your own pages that incorporate your requirements into the page. I have a homemade set-up that has a pg on the left with everything I need to do during the week.Some of it is already typed in because I do it every week. My daily page already has recorded the things I do every day.Then I have a spot for things I MUST do that day. If it isn't a MUST do, it goes on the weekly page. It's on my blog homemakersdaily.
Hello. I am in definitely need of your update information about planners.
How many of the things you schedule, do you "really" have to do? You need to differenciate between efficiency and effectiveness. You can be super efficient at a task, but what's the point, if it's a task not really worth doing. Also, don't plan and schedule things that take less time being done than they need being administered. Instead of post its you could just have a weekly bullet point list and a monthly bullet point list and just tick things off as you go (plan to do at least 2 of them every day, but don't schedule specific things to specific days, that just takes uo too much mental space). If you fail to achieve those things for more than 2 months, then your list is simply too long and you need to let go of non essentail activities.
Your to do list is not realistic. Have you looked at the GTD method? As for me, I created a 1-page checklist in Word which lists everything I have to do each day, week, and month for every 5-week period. I then check items off as they're completed or put an X if I didn't do it then move on. The following week, I resolve to do better or adapt expectations and adjust the checklist.
I have a video as an answer! It is called Filofax and paper planner tips. DIY flyleaf. How to avoid writing things over and over again.
For some reason, youtube don't allow to post link here!
Maybe don't rewrite what is on the sticky, just move it over to next day at the end of the day. Write only appointments and things that advance your monthly or yearly goals (that's the planning part of a planner, IMHO). I love your videos.
You could write everything down on another page, list to or my goal . On the day of the week you could write only what you can do. 1 to 3 things and see how that goes or else you ll be discourage etc . Hope this could help , take care
In this system you working with different lists. You collect everything that's in your mind. Then look what you need to do with every item. After that you make different kinds off lists. When you search on Internet on GTD you will find a lot off links. (I'm from the Netherlands, so my English inset that good. Sorry for that)
Thanks, Steve. Sounds like a good read.
Have you watched @imysworld 's video? How about getting a separate zippy pouch to store sticky notes and tabs so that your Filofax might be able to close?
Planners make great journals for me because I can take take out the journal entries and archive them, but leave the artwork my daughters make me, the stuff I want to keep with me, and the planner itself. It never gets full because I just keep rotating. When I looked at your planner I saw a work of art, not something for work...
I know people who cook just once a month for the entire month ahead. It takes the whole day, they put it into the freezer, so cooking doesn't take time every day.
Thanks for the great suggestions!
I get planner envy every time i watch your videos! ;)
5. If my husband is not satisfyed with the apartment, he could hire somebody to clean it!
And I hang my schedule on the wall so he could be aware of it!
Great suggestions! Thank you!
I have a chalkboard for those tasks that I write over and over and don't do ....so I can stare at it day after day till I get tired of looking at it and actually do it.
Thanks for the information and advice
Thank you for doing my tasks!
Thanks for the tip, Laurie. I'll check out her posts.
I read Zen to Done (ZTD) and it works for me....
Only write down the things you know you'll do. Also, removing the post-its and pencilling in their contents will slim your FF. Remove any used pages or any which are far in the future: file them elsewhere. You seem to have organisation overload. Consider scrap-booking.
it seems like you have a master list, a review list, then post it note list, then you still write it down in the diary. that's a lot of writing for the same reoccurring tasks. wouldn't it be helpful if you had one list laminated for that day. laminated, removable, like the ruler with slits so you can just move it to the following week and if their is something you weren't able to accomplish that day just write that down. using a grease pencil/wet erase marker to check it off. hope that helps
WOW! Can you pick top 3 MITs to do? You're putting WAY too many to do's down!! How did you resolve this?
Cool idea. Thanks!
Hi! I think you are becoming overwhelmed with the number of your responsibilities. I used to write everything down, and now I have stopped. I only make a list if there are 5 or less jobs to get done. If there are more than 5, I keep them in my head and see how many things I finish. I find with myself, more than 5 causes me anxiety. Everything get done eventually, maybe not on the day I thought it would, but it still gets done. For me writing everything down was too time consuming. I find using my alerts on my smart phone to be more effective. Hope this helps.
Good advice Bree.
Thanks, Josh!
I know a lot of people living without a planner-tool....and they are doing fine ;o))
Hmmmm...I am not planning as much as some people do...I plan my job-appointments,my childrens appointments...my personal appointments.My planner is 50%filled - in comparison with yours..?
Thank you so much!!
I wish I wrote everything done. you are fine
I hope it helped :)
What helps me by planning the things I need to do is : getting things done by David Allen.
Love your Filofax
Thanks! And ditto! :)
check out bullet journal for task management/ capture tool.
Nicely done! Got few non published numbers to locate, I found myself tired, so that I write some reviews concerning this, ~Detectivephone. ORG~ Extremely helpful! Thanks!
You are right about that!
Well, for starters why don't you get an A5, it would give you more room. I think we all get these things and fill them plum full and write everything down and that alone is an accomplishment. Maybe your overwhelming yourself. maybe start by actually cutting what you need to do in half and focus on the things you really have to do. You sound to have alot on your plate and clealy doing to much. take care of "you" not your filofax. Blessings to you and light a candle!
Amen sista!
Monthly, weekly and during the day and actually over the year=(my goals for the year). It's for persinal size to. Check out her videos on youtube:-)./take care emi (itsbyemi)
Prioritize, there is no way you can accomplish all that in a day. You need to pick your top three maybe throw in 15 minutes of chores but that’s it. You are pushing yourself too hard and you are never going to win
hi,