Late-night realisation!

It's 1:05 here in the night/morning, and I have realised something! Yes, my brain does work this late at night (when it is supposed to be fast asleep, whoops!!)

When me and my brother were little, my mum used to comment on an invisible being called Mr or Mrs I-Want. Mainly, she talked about it when once of us (mostly my brother, the most materialistic person I know!) started saying "Mum, I want this", "Mum, I want that". Not "May I have...", "I would like...", but demanding "I want...". My brother is not a polite person. Actually, come to think of it, I probably never got told off for Mrs I-Want coming to the surface of my Id (Freud!), because I find it VERY difficult to ask people for things like objects and money, even on my birthday and Christmas. Seriously, ask me what I want  for Christmas from you, and I will squirm in my seat and not look you in the eye, and mutter that, quite possibly, it would be nice to have X. Oh, those awkward phone calls asking my mother for money at uni when I was close to the hellish end of my overdraft.

But that doesn't stop Mrs I-Want from materialising inside my head. Currently, I WANT a plum personal Osterley. No, let me change that- every fibre of my Id is saying I neeeeed a plum personal Osterley!!! Fortunately, Ego and Superego are helping to reign Id in, and I haven't bought one, or (awkwardly) asked for one for Christmas... YET!

Anyway, this brings me to the point of this blog post!

Last week I won Filofax's twitter Win Wednesday competition! The prize was an Osterley!... in Orange!!!

Orange, like the orangest of oranges!!!

It's gorgeous!!! It's certainly not a colour I would have picked myself- I'm not an orange person- but it's absolutely gorgeous!!!
It has some fantastic features (which I will tell you about another time), but this competition prize has just shown me how amazing the Osterley is... and has made me want the plum Osterley even more!!!

But the practical side of my brain is stopping me from buying the plum Osterley! I don't have the money, I don't need another Filofax... blah blah blah! Mrs I-Want is saying to me "But you could have the plum for Autumn/Winter and the orange for Spring/Summer!! Look at the beautiful colour of the plum, and the pretty pink stitching!! Wouldn't this amazing filofax be EVEN better in a colour you actually LIKE!!"

But... Imy said something to me the other day, while I was professing my love for her plum Osterley and saying I really wanted one of my own- she said "But don't you already have an Osterley?"

Yes. I do.

And why isn't that good enough?? OK, it's not a colour I would have chosen, and it's not very Christmassy or Wintery, but it's a binder tonnes of people would love to own, and I got it for FREE!! Why am I wanting another one? Why isn't this sufficient? Is it just the colour? Or is it Mrs I-Want?



But, strangely, the more I use it, the more I am falling in love with this binder! I am forgetting that it is bright orange, and starting to fall in love with its... personality?? (if Filofaxes can have a personality!!) I think that it is such a strange colour that in 5 years time it will be so unusual that it will be a classic filofax that people crave and wish they had bought when they were released. Like those bright red strange leathered Winchesters, of which you can find rare and drool-worthy photos on the internet!
Would I love a plum Osterley as much? Maybe if I had got one before this one, or if the competition prize had been the plum, then totally! But I feel that if I get a plum, it might not seem as... special as this one! It would be my perfect filofax... for a few weeks, until I got bored of it! Oh, fickle brain!!

So I have been thinking about my thought processes and logic behind all this. How can I love a filofax that I didn't really like more than a filofax that I (or Mrs I-Want) really really wanted? I have been watching a lot of Big Bang Theory, so don't mind me while I try to put this into a semi-scientific formula!

When I want something I really really want 100%, I can't stop thinking about it (like an iphone, which I wanted for years), and substitutes or alternatives won't suffice (like that cheapo Nokia I bought instead), I HAVE to have the thing I have been wanting for ages, or nothing at all. And it's all good when I get it.

But, when I get (as an impulse purchase, as a present or competition prize etc) something that I haven't been thinking about too much and I haven't been obsessing about (like my orange Osterley), and it works perfectly, I strangely find myself loving it all the more.

After a while, I don't love the thing I have been obsessing about so much when it works perfectly, because I always expected it to work perfectly, so when it does, it isn't a surprise or special to me. 

But, when something that I didn't expect to be perfect for me does work perfectly, I love it even more, possibly even more than the thing I actually really really wanted!

Case-in-point: my A5 red Domino filofax. This was one of the early filofaxes I bought. I bought this particular one because it was my first A5, which I needed for uni, but it was cheap and I didn't want to spend tonnes on a leather A5 (even though I really wanted the A5 Kendal), because this size might not work for me. Actually, Rufus (my A5 red Domino's name!) worked great for me! 

So everything's good, right?

No. For some reason, after a while with one of these not-obsessed-about binders, I find myself disliking them. There's nothing wrong with them, they just aren't... right. Cue part 2 of my realisation:

I suddenly realise that it isn't what I always wanted (e.g. a really nice leather A5, instead of a cheap Domino), it isn't my ideal thing I have dreamed about, and even if it's perfect for me, I start resenting it, and wish I had the perfect thing that I (retrospectively) realise I should have got instead/in the first place!

I start not liking Rufus. No Rufus, it's not you, it's me!!! It's not anything thing he's done, or anything about him- he works great- the perfect size, light weight, great rings, etc etc- it's about what he isn't. He just ISN'T that gorgeous leather filofax I have been looking at online. He isn't... perfect... even when he is working perfectly for me!

So how do I stop this? How do I prevent myself from becoming this way with my gorgeous orange Osterley? It isn't want I truly wanted, the plum one (through no fault of its own!)... I could still start resenting it! How do I secure my love for Orangesterley (gosh, it needs a better name than this!!)?

Well, here's a (long) mantra I have made for myself!

If something is working perfectly for me,

THEN IT IS WORKING PERFECTLY FOR ME!!!

I shouldn't have to change it just because it's not the ideal I imagined!

So, I can't let myself get to the point where I start resenting my filofax!! I must stop it before it starts!!

Actually, this is all a good life lesson. Nothing's perfect. But I can't suddenly abandon things just because they aren't what I wanted them to be. I can't dump a potentially great future husband because he leaves the toilet seat up or something (although, eww!!). Suck it up, live with it, and see the positives!! And don't let my thought process become negative!!

Filofax advice for Beginners :)

The world of Filofaxes is quite complex, and if you are just starting out in it, it can become quite daunting. You know you want a Filofax, but which size, model, leather/non-leather, diary insert, layout, etc etc!!

So I am going to give Filofax beginners a bit of advice today!


Size

http://www.filofax.co.uk/sizeguide/

Filofaxes come in a range of sizes, from M2 to A4.

• The smallest is M2, a binder size which isn't manufactured any more, but are occasionally available on ebay. I am not sure if they still make inserts for it, but lined paper for this size is available at City Organiser. It is a really tiny size, not very usable for most people, but maybe a good size as an extra binder to your normal planning system, to fit into a suit pocket! Here are a few of posts about the M2 size.
• The next size up is Mini. This is quite a small size, but I think quite usable. Filofax makes a range of inserts for this size, including diaries (limited formats), lined paper, to-do sheets and address sheets. But again, I think it isn't a very good size for a main planner, but it would be good as an additional binder for note-taking, or hand-bags!
• The next size is Pocket. This is a popular size, with many people using this as their main binder, and others using this as their planner for part of the year when their lives aren't so busy. It is a good size for smaller hand-bags, but ironically doesn't actually fit in regular-sized pockets in clothing! There is a good range of inserts for this size, including many formats for the diary. Pocket-sized Moleskine pages can fit into pocket-sized Filofaxes, although their isn't much space left around the pages for tabs; however, I prefer this page size to Filofax pocket-sized paper, which is just too small for me. There are 2 ring diameter sizes for personal, 15mm and 18mm, so bear this is mind when choosing a pocket-sized filofax.
• The next size is Personal. This is an extremely popular size, most people I know in the Filofax community use this as their main size, although they have a couple of binders in other sizes; in fact, I know of a few people who ONLY use personal-size, because it's so perfect for them. The closed binder is close to the size of an A5 piece of paper, which is why personal-sized binders are often listed as A5 on ebay, so be careful! The personal-sized paper is relatively tall and narrow, which some people don't like; some prefer the squarer proportions of the pocket and A5 sizes of paper. I find it is particularly good for lists, but there isn't much width for proper writing, which is why I use A5 for uni work etc. There's a reasonably great range of inserts for this size!
• Filofax also make 2 other sizes, which take personal paper. These are the Slimline size, and a recent addition, Compact Size. The binders are as tall as the personal-sized binders, but narrower. They have much smaller ring mechanisms; Slimline is the smallest, and Compact is about halfway between that and personal. Slimline binders don't have a clasp, so can open up in your bag quite easily, which can be annoying, while Compact binders have a clasp to keep it closed. 
• The next size up is A5. This is quite a popular sized binder for work, but can be tricky to use for your everyday binder, because to accommodate the A5 sized paper, the binder is actually quite big. Many people complain that the binder, filled with paper, becomes too big and bulky to carry with them on a daily basis, especially in their bag. People often prefer to leave them on their desks However, the page size is ideal, so they have a dilemma between paper size and portability. Therefore, most of us want a happy medium between the two- something in between A5 and personal! One of the best things about A5 sized binders is that you can easily make your own paper, or print your own on A4 paper, which you then cut in half! There are 2 ring sizes for A5 binders, 25mm or 30mm, in which you can fit a lot of paper, although Filofax have started to make some smaller ringed (compact) A5s.
• The next size is Deskfax. This is a size which was popular over a decade ago, but the binders are no longer manufactured and the inserts are quite sparse too, although City Organiser sell some. The ring mechanism has 3 sets of 3 rings, unlike all other sizes I've talked about already, which have 2 sets of 3 rings (except Mini, which has 5 rings). It takes B5 sized paper.
• The biggest size for Filofax manufacture is A4. As the name suggests, this size takes A4 paper, which is easy to refill yourself, and make your own inserts for, although of course Filofax make their own diary pages, to-do sheets etc. The ring mechanism is 4 widely spaced rings, similar to other (cheaper) ring binders. This size is most likely too big to use away from your desk, and there isn't much choice in the binders, and they are quite expensive.

Binders

There is a wide range of binders available to buy now, and a range of choices within this. 

Leather or non-leather: 

The majority of binders are leather, but there are a few non-leather ranges, including Domino and Metropol. You may have a moral/ethical reason for not using a leather binder, but leather ones are also more expensive than non-leather binders. I tend to think that leather binders will last longer than non-leather binders.

Pocket layout:

There are a lot of different combinations of pocket layout within Filofaxes, including card slots, notepad slots etc. You should consider whether you want horizontal or vertical credit card pockets (compare to your favourite purse/wallet), full-length pockets, a secretarial pocket, a notepad slot, a zipped pocket, etc etc.

Flatability:

The ability of a binder to lay flat when open is important for most people, as they want a surface which is easy to write on, and they don't want their binder to close on itself, or to have to hold it open with one hand while writing with the other hand. You can train your binder to lay flat, but it is often easier to buy a binder which will be flat to start with!

Inserts

There is (generally) a large range of inserts which you can use in your Filofax, from diary inserts to specific sheets for particular purposes. Brand new filofaxes come with a standard fill, including a diary (usually Week on 2 pages), notepaper, address sheets, to-do sheets, dividers, etc etc. However, most people want to personalise their filofax for themselves, whether just rearranging the order of the pages, taking pages out, buying more and different inserts, or making their own! That is the beauty of Filofaxes- they are completely customisable! There is a wide range of different formats for the diary part of your filofax. Filofax sell year planners, Month of 2 Pages, Week on 1 page, Week on 1 Page with Notes, Week on 2 Pages, 2 Days per Page, Day per Page, Day on 2 Pages, and the Time Management range. There is also an extensive range of Filofax pages on the Filofax UK website, by binder size.


So that's just some starter information for you, to help your with your Filofax journey!
I recommend going to a shop that sells Filofaxes so you can see them in person, to try to work out which size, pocket layout, etc etc, is right for you. Then, buy your Filofax!! You can buy Filofaxes in a shop, or try to get a bargain online! But be warned, once you have bought your first Filofax, it won't be your last- they are VERY addictive things, and within a couple of months, you will have a little collection of your own!

And don't forget to visit Philofaxy, your home for everything Filofax-ish! Here, there are daily blog posts about Filofaxes and organisation, free downloadable diary inserts and other inserts, a list of Filofax bloggers all over the internet, a place to advertise Filofaxes for sale, and so much more!! This is one of my favourite websites, and will help give you brilliant advice if you are not certain about buying a filofax!!

Happy Filofaxing!

Having a job while studying at university

Hello class!

Are you sitting comfortably? Then I shall begin!

I'm going to talk to you a little bit about having a job while studying at uni. This is all based on my own experiences, so it might not be true for everyone, but I think most of what I say will be true for everyone.


As you probably know if you have read my blog, I have done 2 degrees at the University of Liverpool, studying a BA in Egyptian Archaeology Hons. and an MA in Egyptology Hons., so I have spent 4 years at uni. I lived either in Halls of Residence (years 1 and 2), or private rented houses (year 3 and my MA), rather than living at home because I couldn't commute to uni. So I was in Liverpool for about 8 months of the year.

When you are a student at university in the UK (other countries are different), you can apply for government grants, loans etc etc to help pay for your degree, accommodation, and other living expenses. However, as I am sure most students will agree, it is hard to make that money go far enough! And for postgraduate students, you generally can't get any money from the government, and although you can take out loans from banks, you will have to pay back a lot more than you are getting. So, a great way of getting money is by working while at university.

Obviously there are lots of different types of jobs you could do while at uni. Most unis will probably offer some opportunities like showing people around during open days etc, in which you can earn an hourly wage, but these opportunities can be quite irregular. If you are doing a specific degree, you may be able to get a job related to your degree, such as a job in a bank if you are doing a degree in business, mathematics etc, which would give you work experience as well as money. However, I think the majority of students with jobs work in 'unskilled' positions, for example as a bar tender or as a shop assistant. In my personal experience, it's nice to have a job where you don't have to think too much, as you are using your brain so much in you university degree!

During year 3 of my BA, and during my MA, I worked in my students' union shop. It is a little shop selling lunch food, especially crisps, sandwiches, soft drinks and chocolate, and stationery and university memorabilia, particularly hoodies. It is a nice little shop, and I have enjoyed working there, and I want to carry on working there when I do my PhD. I wish I had started work there during my year 2, when I lived on campus- it would have been a very short walk to work! I am very glad I worked there during my degrees, as it gave me something to do other than my essays! I made some good friends, and I feel like I have gained skills in many areas I didn't have before, and I have gained confidence too!!

There are some things you have to take into consideration when you are thinking about getting a job at university.
In particular, where you work: I worked in my students' union. 99% of people who work there are students, and therefore the working situation is very flexible for us- we tell the managers our availability for working by the Thursday, and then on the Friday we get the rota for the next week. If we can't do a shift for whatever reason, we email everyone on the staff email "Can you cover my shift", so you can have time off if you need it. If you can't work a certain week, for example if you have an essay due in, you just don't give in your availability. You can work as many or as few hours as you want. The shop isn't open during Christmas and Easter vacations, so we don't need to work then when I want to go home, and it is only open for short hours during revision periods, so they didn't expect many of us to work when we had to revise.
However, other companies and employers are not so flexible. If you work somewhere such as a shop in the city centre, they may give you a fixed rota, and they will expect you to work that. It may be very difficult to get time off when you need it, or get cover. If you have a timetable of lectures for your degree, you can try to fit your rota around that, which would be ideal, but in my experience, lecturers rearrange lectures quite often, and this is difficult if you have a fixed rota for work. If you are late because a lecture over-ran, you may get in trouble at work. If you work in a shop, most likely you will need to work during Christmas Eve and Boxing day, which means that you will find it difficult to spend Christmas at home if you can't commute. If you work in a bar or similar, you may need to work very late, which means that if you need to get up for a 9am lecture, you may not get much sleep! Also, some degrees require you to do a work experience placement, which may be difficult if you have to work in your job! And if you have a permanent job which requires you to work during the summer, you may never be able to go home to visit your parents!
Remember, working while at uni is a big commitment. If you are doing your uni course full-time, you are probably expected to work around 40 hours on your projects etc; if you work, for example, 12 hours per week in a shop, you are actually working 52 hours per week!
Don't forget that you have to factor in travelling to and from work. Fortunately, my work was on campus, so about 5 minutes work from my department, and if I walked REALLY quickly, a 7 minute walk from my house. However, if you work somewhere off-campus, it might take you quite a long journey to get to work. It may cost you extra money every day to get to and from work, such as if you take the bus, and it will take you time to get there and back, especially if you walk.


All-in-all, having a job at uni is very beneficial; however, I would recommend getting one that will be flexible, such as a job in your students' union! Your uni might (should) have a 'job shop', which will hopefully be full of flexible jobs suitable for students! There are other places you can go to find a job, such as employment agencies, where they can either find you a job or temp work, the Job Centre, online, or ask for vacancies in shops and bars! Remember to update your CV, and have a photocopy available when you are out and about, just in case you see an 'Employees Needed' sign in a shop window!

365/30 Lists: November!

Here is November's 365/30 Lists!

If you don't know how this works, please see this post!

If you are on facebook, please join the group https://www.facebook.com/groups/196198370510150/

1) Goals for this month

2) My favourite things about November

3) Best childhood memories

4) My perfect house

5) The best things in life are free:

6) Recipes I want to learn

7) Favourite things to do on the internet

8) What colours should they add to existing Filofax ranges?

9) Best gadgets

10) Historical figures I would like to be

11) Guilty pleasures

12) 10 favourite blogs

13) If you could only read 3 books for the rest of your life, what would they be?

14) Favourite healthy food

15) If you were a Filofax (style, size, colour), what would you be and why?

16) On my wishlist...

17) Favourite names for pets

18) TV/Film/Book characters I'd like to be

19) Favourite subjects at school

20) Filofax inserts I use the most

21) First 5 things I do in the morning

22) What I am thankful for (Thanksgiving)

23) Favourite names for pets

24) Sources of inspiration Filofax should use

25) Dear Santa... (Christmas list)

26) 5 things I'd like to be an expert in

27) Favourite things to do on days off

28) In 10 years I see myself...

29) Preparation for the holidays

30) Review of the month

Filofax vs. bound notebooks- what I'm going to do next part 2

NB: If you haven't already, please read this post first

So this is a quick turnaround...


This morning I wrote a post about not using a personal filofax because they get damaged in my handbag. So I tried to start using a notebook for my day-to-day stuff...  

I wrote a day plan thingy for today, and a shopping list page, which only has 1 thing on it- a little hand whisk!

Well... harumphh. This isn't working. I just can't get used to a bound format, the randomness of where my lists etc will end up because I don't have specific sections, and the inability to move/remove/add things! :(

Also, the quality of the paper in the Moleskine I am using leaves much to be desired- the following page (shopping list) is decorated by some stamps, my new favourite thing- 

But the ink bleeds through to the other side!! :(

So, I'm going back to my personal Filofax for my daily organisation. I am still REALLY annoyed that the quality is rubbish, but I notice that the majority of damage (rings getting worse and dents in the leather) happens when I carry my filofax in my handbag. So, maybe I should change the way I carry it! It shouldn't go in my bag any more!

So the next question (besides solving my planner fail), is how should I carry my filofax when I can't have it in my hand?

Do you have any ideas for me? Please comment below!

BTW, I am still thinking about selling some of my personal filos, so if you see one you want, make me an offer!

Filofax vs. bound notebooks- what I'm going to do next! Part 1

NB: My system has changed since this post, so after you read this, please read this later post

Over the past few weeks I have been VERY annoyed with the quality of new Filofaxes. What with my Purple Malden debacle, and the problems with rings, especially in my brand new Holborn personal!! Quite frankly, I'm scared to use my Filofaxes at the moment, especially out and about when I carry them in my handbag! This is where the problems arise- my purple Malden has become really dented through things resting on it in my handbag (although this hasn't happened with any of my other Filofaxes, so I think the leather of the purple Malden is just too soft!), and I have noticed that the already bad rings of my brand new Holborn (it came to me like that) have got worse after an afternoon in my bag! I don't treat them badly- in fact, when I take my filo in my handbag, it sits inside my handbag organiser, in a special compartment, so it's not anywhere near any sharp things like keys etc! But they just get damaged when I take them out with me. I used to always carry my filo in my hand at uni, but when I'm carrying other bags or it's bad weather, I need to put it in a bag. But I'm scared to do so as they are getting damaged!!

Damage to my Purple Malden after one afternoon in my bag!

Yesterday, to try to get ideas to solve my planner fail, I went to Waterstones, who have some nice diaries at the moment. I saw the Moleskine 2013 daily large diary, and I have to say, when I held it in my hand, I really liked the feel of it, how chunky it was, how all the pages were uniform and 'together'. I didn't like it as an actual diary/planner- I have had a Moleskine pocket DPP before and didn't use it much- but I did like how chunky it was. It didn't feel bitty like a Filofax does. But most of all, I liked the thought that it was simple, and straight forward. This isn't just for Moleskine diaries/notebooks, you can say the same about any bound book.
When I got home, I noticed the rings of my Holborn were getting worse, which REALLY ANNOYED ME!!!, and something else struck me about the Moleskine I had looked at earlier- it wouldn't suffer as much damage as my Filofaxes (although I have read about some binding issues with the Moleskines); and also, I wouldn't really care as much if the cover etc got damaged, because I would replace them more frequently, and wouldn't want to keep it forever like my filos. And not to mention, bound planners cost a LOT less than filofaxes!!

So I'm going to start using a bound notebook for my day-to-day stuff. I am still going to use my Filofaxes, BUT they are going to stay at home, safe, where they can't get damaged!!
The way I am going to use the bound notebook is to hold important reference information and lists I will need while I am out and about (shopping lists etc), as a notebook, and a daily planner. BUT I will still use my filos in the same way I am currently using them- my A5 purple Malden for my hobbies/projects, my A5 ochre Malden for my research project (PhD) planner, with a cheaper A5 to take the insides of my A5 ochre Malden to uni (I don't take my ochre A5 to uni through fear of it getting scratched, so I use a cheaper one to take the insides to uni instead), and of course my personal-sized filos for organisation. I am going to use personal weekly diary inserts (probably WO2P from Europe, with appointment times and room for to-dos) as my normal weekly planner, but I won't be doing daily planning in my filo- instead, I will be doing daily planning in my bound notebook.
But now I am thinking, why use personal-sized filofaxes any more? The reason a lot of people use personal rather than A5 is because A5 filos are too big and bulky to carry around with them every day, but when they stay at home, they are great. Well, my filos are going to be staying at home- so maybe I could use an A5 as my organisation filofax! In that case, I don't need as many personal filofaxes as I have, because I won't be using them all the time. However, I will be using some of them, for hobbies, a journal/log-book, a notebook, and there are definitely some I WON'T be selling, because I love them too much! So I'm going to start thinking about selling some of my personals- keep watching my blog for a list of them!

If anyone wants a specific filofax that I have, email me with an offer at bernasconiray at hotmail dot com, and I'll get back to you!

Planner fail with my Filofax inserts...

Hello!

For the past few days I have been feeling Planner Fail. I know a lot of other people have been feeling the same- a general dissatisfaction with their planner, and uncertainty how to solve it.

Since mid-August I have been using a hacked Organised Mum diary, which is Week on 1 Page with Notes. It has been working well for me, because until mid-September I had very little to plan day-to-day, and now since then, I have been using it for forward planning and a weekly over-view, putting my weekly to-do list on the notes page on the left.

I don't have a lot to write on the diary page on the right, and during the current week, I won't write anything extra on that week's diary page, because I use other, additional pages for the current week. I then use the spaces for each day as a space for a little log book and journal, which is working really well for me!

I can't possibly use the WO1P as my main planning space, so I utilise other diary pages along with them. I either insert these pages in between the notes page on the left, and the WO1P on the right, or I put the WO1P/notes back-to-back in between the extra pages.

I have been trying to plan my time better, so for a while (7th Oct to 21st Oct) I used DPP as my extra diary pages with the WO1P plus notes. In the left column, I put appointments (although I don't have many of those at the moment), or try to block off my time so that I can organise my day better, assigning myself time to do the things I need to. On the right, I list my to-dos, maybe some quick notes, and my priorities for the day. I colour-code to make things easier to organise in my head.

A typical couple of days.

The weekends are more difficult- the 2 days are divided over 1 page, and the appointment times aren't there so I have to write them in myself. After that, there's not much time to write to-dos!

This is my most successful and productive day- this is what I'd love every day to look like!!

But that's the problem- most days don't look like this; I'm not using the DPP inserts to their full capacity.
Some days I don't plan in advance, or I don't need that amount of space. The majority of days I used the DPP inserts, I either didn't stick to the time slots I had made for myself, or the entire day was blank because I hadn't forward-planned, so instead of having a big blank space, I just went to fill in what I had already done, so it's nothing more than a detailed log-book. And on days where I have been lazy, on my computer all day, there isn't anything to write, reaffirming my laziness and making me feel guilty!! I'm not using the DPP inserts properly, although all-in-all, they are probably my favourite format and I think they have great promise if you use them well!

This is where my massive planner-fail started! I wanted to use something different than DPP. Something that wouldn't be left so empty on my less-productive days, but would still have enough space for my busy days. It's just like that conundrum between personal and A5 filofaxes- people want the space of the A5 binders, but the portability of the personal-sized binders- I want a lot of space that comes with the DPP, but a smaller, more practical insert like WO2P. But one is too big, and the other is too small!

After some testing of other formats (Day Timer Flavia WO2P, home-made WO2P columns with appointment slots), I decided on Cotton Cream WO2P. They have equal space for all the days of the week, so the weekend slots aren't teeny-tiny! I inserted the Organised Mum diary/notes page in between the 2 pages of the week, which works quite well.

I have tried to use WO2P before, but my brain NEEDS my daily things to be structured more linearly, which is why the time slots of the DPP work so well for me. But this page is much too-unstructured for me- everything I write down seems to float around the page. I have tried to make it a bit more structured by designating areas for specific things (top-right for priorities, bottom-right for TV progs. to watch), but it's still not perfect.

So now that I've gone from the overly-structured (DPP), to under-structured (WO2P), I know that I need something between the two. But this goes to more than just what planner format I use, but how I use it, and how I manage my time, which is something I am trying to improve.
I need appointment slots, preferably with half-hour slots, because a few of the shifts in my new job start on the half-hour. I would like them to go from 8am to 6pm minimum, although later into the evening would be ideal. And I need a bit of space for to-dos etc. BUT I don't want too much space. What would be a good idea is a system where I can have a weekly overview, then I can add extra space when needed. For example: WO1P or WO2P for the weekly overview, and for the less busy days, but a range of inserts I can add as necessary for more busy days, such as 2DPP, DPP or even DO2P. I am happy to make these myself. But I think that might get too messy for me- I think a regular weekly system would be better, where I have the same inserts every week, but it still has the flexibility I need.

I am thinking of a format where I can have a weekly overview with appointment slots on the left, then a page on the right for to-dos. A column on the right-hand page to write down a deadlines for these to-dos, and using post-it flags to show priorities. But I don't know if this will work at all!

Do you guys have any ideas for me?