Yesterday I was so inspired by
my friend's use of her day-per-page planner that I decided to try my Pocket size Moleskine day per page planner.
I figured she, like me, is a stay-at-home-mom. She has somehow figured out how to plan ahead with a day-per-page diary and effectively manage her family. Surely I can figure it out too?
So the first thing I did was add monthly tabs
like I did on my Mole last year.
These really help me find specific days in my book, and I also use them to mark the beginning of each month so I can write monthly goals on the first day of the month and refer to them later.
For a minute I considered using daily pages in my Filofax, but then decided to go with the Pocket Moleskine instead. This has a lot to do with my recent effort to minimize the amount and weight of stuff I carry around on a daily basis. Last weekend we took a road trip to Edinburgh where, as usual, I found myself carrying a huge heavy bag filled with stuff, not to mention my big puffy coat, hat, scarf, gloves etc. I felt very encumbered by too many accoutrements. I'm currently trying to streamline.
My Pocket Mole is so small and light, I can easily carry it with me everywhere and not even notice the weight. Unlike my Filofax, which is a lot bigger:
And thicker:
But for all that weight and bulk, the difference in page size is negligible (especially considering I can't write in the rings area of the Filofax but I can write all the way to the middle of the Moleskine book:
Now that the Moleskine planners have monthly calendars, the usefulness of it as an actual planner goes up exponentially. The monthly calendars in the Pocket Mole are small, but still write-able.
You may remember my
failed experiment with
my large Moleskine day per page planner. And my other failures with day per page planners in general. How will this time be any different? Well, I don't know if it will be. But what is different this time:
1) I've had a mental shift. I'm focusing more on each day rather than a week at a time.
2) I'm using my Filofax for my lists, so they don't get lost in my daily pages.
3) This is something I've been thinking of for a long time, actually. You may remember I listed my Pocket Daily Moleskine as a contender in my
Ideal Planner post awhile back.
4) I love the portability and relatively large page size of the pocket Mole.
I'm excited about this experiment! See, I told you my planner journey is not over! :)
I'm using the same planner, but find the monthly calendar a little too small. I took two pages from a pocket sized graph page moleskine and drew a monthly calendar, and then taped it on the international holidays pages (which I don't need), using removable double sided tape. This leaves the original monthly calendars open for forward planning, but makes my currently active month more functional for me. I'll just replace the current month with the next by easily removing it from the book.
ReplyDeleteAnnie that is a really good idea. I wish the monthly calendars were across the two-page spread. But then they would've had to add more pages to the book, which would probably mess up the book thickness for folks who use covers year after year on their Moleskine planners. Oh well. To be honest, I'm so extremely happy that the Moles this year have the monthly calendars I hardly mind they are on only one page. I just hope they don't revert back to the months as columns, those are not nearly as useful to me.
ReplyDeleteI'm so hopeful about this planner I've already back-filled from January 1 up to today, so that if I stick with it I can have all of 2011 in the book. (Yvotchka, I know you can identify with the re-copying!!) Luckily it was only one month's worth!
Next I'll fill in my important addresses and contacts in the address booklet.
Last night when I was back-filling last month, I had that familiar comfortable feeling from when I used a day per page planner for all of 2005 (shockingly yes, the ENTIRE year). I started doing what I did then with my to-do list: just a post-it note inside the front cover. Easy access to my list, and no overwhelm from having too many to-dos in front of me at once.
ReplyDeleteI still have my other lists in my Filofax like things to do before I move, things to buy before we go, medical questions and vaccines to take care of, places to change my address with (banks, magazine subscriptions), on and on.
If I do stick with this little planner, I'm already thinking of getting this leather cover from Renaissance Art:
http://www.renaissance-art.com/Prod230/Product.aspx
It would give me that nice leather feel I love (I'm so tactile), and would conveniently hold my pen (I miss having a pen holder).
Hi Laurie, I am amazed yet again by your energy and inventiveness! Keep going, you'll get there someday :-) Anyway I just wanted to suggest that perhaps you could keep a Moving Planner; that is, using a particular planner just for the next Big Move when you need to schedule all the details of moving your family and household. I notice that your moves, since they are usually international, usually predicts a planner fail. Of course, that's understandable since I suspect there are a thousand and one details to be ironed out and to keep track of. That way, perhaps you could keep details of each phase of an international move to guide you in your next relocation. What a wonderful chronology that would be! I envision something bound, all neatly lined up in a row on shelf: 2010: Move to Scotland. 2011: Move to X. Then perhaps you could use whichever planner you seem to like the most for the rest of life's details. (WeekDate or self-made planner, perhaps?)
ReplyDeleteI think because of the way I use my planner, I'd create a tab for Moving and insert all the details there. Then, after the Move, I'd just take out that tab and insert it in my storage binder. But, then again, I am committed to carrying a bigger binder than most folks are willing to haul around:-)
It's only a couple of days later but I have to say this little planner is awesome. I love having plenty of space to write each day without having to cram my handwriting into a small space. And, it's wonderful to be able to take my planner with me absolutely everywhere. So far so great!!
ReplyDeleteI think Stefee's idea of a moving book is fantastastic! And she's right: it would enable you to smoothen your following moves (I suspect the next one won't be your last then?).
ReplyDeleteThat said: I was quite shocked at how small the daily moleskine is compared to your Filofax. Geez, that really IS a huge difference to carry around.
Also, I'm amazed at how brandnew your filofax still looks! I have the feeling you've had it for ages and used it for quite a while?
Yes I meant to add, I should definitely create a moving book like Stefee suggested, it would streamline my packing and logistics each time!
ReplyDeleteJotje I've had my Deco for about a year and a half but have mostly used it at home so it hasn't had the wear and tear it would have if I carried it everywhere. Except for a few tiny scratches on the polished clasp, it still looks like new.
Laurie,
ReplyDeleteI bet you could start your own company as an international relocation consultant! What a wealth of information you must have on that subject :-) BTW, any hints as to your next (exotic) locale???
LOL Stefee!
ReplyDeleteAs to the location, there are currently a couple of possibilities. But when everything is finalized I will be sure to let you know! :)
Hi Laurie
ReplyDeleteYou've got me quite interested in 'Moleskine possibilitles' once again! Can you offer any comment on how the Moleskine might take fountain pen? I've already got a 2011 week-per-view and I guess the paper might be pretty much the same (although obviously there are never any guarantees in matters of planners!), but I would appreciate your view. I also use a Moleskine notebook as a daily journal, and TBH have found it pretty poor at taking fountain pen, which is a shame, since journalling is the one area where it might really be nice to use fountain pen. Salutary thought....in all the years I have been spending so much money on pens (many of which I still own), I have yet to find anything that gives a better impression or suits my handriting, or enables me to write for o long without the dreaded writer's cramp, as the humble Bic medium biro - £0.50 a time, and available in a variety of colours entirely suited to my various needs!
I don't use a ring binder planner b/c of the weight/bulk issue. Even tho i rarely carry my planner around with me, I still don't like the extra weight. And those rings do take up space & get in the way while writing.
ReplyDeleteI'm using a Large (a little over 5X8) day per page Moleskine & it's working out great. I prefer this size b/c it gives me extra room to write. The pocket size is just too small for me.
I also use a (I think) faux leather FranklinCovey cover I bought at a thrift store for a couple of bucks. It has a big extra pocket in the back & several business card-size slots in the front for extra papers or index cards. The Moleskine & cover together weigh a little less than 2lbs. I wouldn't want my planner system any heavier than that. The FC cover also comes with a pen holder on the side.
The monthly pages in the front of the Mole are all i need for future planning. I agree a month across 2 page layout in the Mole would be better. It would give more room to do long range planning. I personally don't need bigger monthly spaces but I can see someone with many appointments or with kids with lots of activities finding it helpful.
David the paper in the Moleskine planners is the same as the journals and notebooks. I don't use fountain pens, but from what I've read online the Moleskine paper is notoriously bad with FPs. I don't know about the sketchbook paper though, it is thicker (almost like card) and might work.
ReplyDeleteLaura I love the large page size of the Large Moleskine daily planner, but the book is so big I don't take it anywhere, and often find myself needing my planner when I'm out and about. I love this small one because I take it absolutely everywhere and it's not cumbersome.
Even though the day spaces are small, I am liking seeing two months at a time, it really helps me plan ahead well.
So far I'm having lots of success with this little planner!
I did the deed and ordered up this Ren Art cover!!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.renaissance-art.com/Prod230/Product.aspx
I can hardly wait to get it! I love the inside of the Moleskine planner but I don't really like the black cover. I'm really looking forward to the soft feel and beautiful rustic look of the leather cover. So excited!! And of COURSE I'll do a post on it after it arrives! :)