What planner type(s) do you know would not ever work for you? Or that you have tried (maybe more than once) and it fails disastrously every time?
For me, it's day per page planners. I've tried so many times to use them as my planner, because I love the level of detail I can capture on each day's page. But the lack of forward planning leaves me "lost in a sea of individual days" as I call it. When I use a day per page planner, I also have to use a weekly planner for forward planning.
I know people who need the flexibility of ring binders, and bound planners would just not work for them. I also know people who can only use bound planners, because they hate writing around rings and they tend to lose unbound pages. As another example, I have a friend who has five kids, and she has to use a monthly planner. Anything with a shorter range does not give her the ability to plan ahead like she needs.
Which planner type(s) could never work for you?
And as always on Fridays, feel free to discuss anything planner related!
Same for me Laurie. Moleskine day-to-page was disastrous - everything became a surprise! I love the Plannerisms planner format because of the month and week view.
ReplyDeleteThanks northmaven, I'm so glad you are enjoying your Plannerisms planner! And yes, the nasty surprise of turning the page and finding something I should have prepared for but forgot about is a horrible feeling!
DeleteI need week to view with a flip out month to view, anything such as two days per page or day per page just doesn't work
ReplyDeleteAfter much trial and error:
ReplyDelete1) MO2P with tabs and at least one page behind for my Monthly tasks/notes.
2) times must be on there in a vertical line, half hours are really good, and must be a 7am slot with space above it for me to write in my husband's time, because it changes.
3) space for journaling/notes.
Knowing these "rules" eliminates a lot of wasted money and frustration trying to make it work for me.
I absolutely cannot use the standard bound month plus horizontal weeks. This format is just about useless for my needs. I could just scrape by with a bound month and vertical weeks, but I'd need supplemental books. Right now I'm compromising with a full year of 2 page monthlies, a full year of Filofax week plus notes, and a month of FC 2 page per day. It isn't perfect, but it's one book I can carry with me that allows for project notes and to do lists. (Am using a FC compact with 1.25" rings so it's full but not bursting).
ReplyDeleteI can't use bound books, although I love how flat they lay. I can't use a weekly view because I have too many details to write. And apparently I can't use a classic/A5 size planner although I keep trying. I can't use anything that doesn't have a lot of room for notes because I write a lot. I also can't use zippered binders - hate them. They make me feel claustrophobic.
ReplyDeleteToday, this very minute, I'm using:
ReplyDeleteOutlook and iCal, viewed on smartphone for all calendars
bound planner with month/horizontal week for deadline planning (no schedules in here)
Personal binder with homemade DO2P to plan and note each day
Quo Vadis Notor as daily journal, that I back fill every 3-5 days from my daily pages.
4 months ago I would have thought I was nuts - horizontal view and DO2P were always planner fails in the past, and I hated all ring binders as clunky and hard to write in.
The big epiphany I've had recently is that committing to an annual planner is ridiculous, for me. My life has ebbs and flows and outright chaos that need different things at different times. I am never going to find a perfect all-in-one system, I'm going to have to build and compile a working system as I go. And not get so hung up on whether it matches or is pretty.
I'm almost ready to buy a zippered planner :D Like Patty I loathe them, but maybe it would help contain the purse chaos better than the clasp binder. That Malden zip in navy looks really nice.
I don't think I could ever make a bound planner work. I'd love to just use 2PPM with 2PPD (a'la Franklin Covey, DayTimer) but I need to write in so many appointments, meetings, tasks, etc. on my daily spaced that 2PPM is not really big enough. It may work in a Letter or A4 size but then the overall system would be too big.
ReplyDeleteI'm contemplating buying these Monthly fold outs from DayTimer to start in July, thinking I could splice them in at the start of the month's day pages and write out my monthly to-do list on the list space on the back of them and then be able to view that list side-by-side with my daily pages. http://bit.ly/1lhYGl4
Years ago, I worked for a company that would reimburse you for Franklin Covey inserts and I tried my darndest to get into the system, but it just didn't work for me (plus, I though the odd sizing and hole placements were a bit petty). I did really like the to-do list bookmark however, and when I went back to my Filofax happy place, I continued using it, though I eventually moved on to using sheets from a Rhodia No. 82 as my bookmark because I liked having the extra space and gridlines.
ReplyDeleteI'd love it if my employer reimbursed me for my Filofax inserts!
DeleteI think F-C offered discounts for large company orders, but yeah, things have definitely changed since the 90's!
DeleteAnything with rings!!! I am left-handed and recently FINALLY diagnosed as "ADHD with obsessive tendencies" so I can't stand it when my writing gets all messed up because I can't put my hand down!!!!!
ReplyDeleteBy the way...look what you've done to me! I will never admit how many hours I spend on this and I'm already making changes (work pays for the planners, which I really like, but I needed more space and specialized blocks and the Uncalendar format hooked me like heroin). http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v239/shadowfx01/FirstAttemptPhoto_zpseb61a3f8.jpg
Those appointment planners where you have a time assigned to each line of a daily slot. That would be enough to drive me crazy.
ReplyDelete