This is another way I add extra calendar pages during busy week – lined notepaper with updated bookings lists for each day.
I book quite a number of lessons in advance. Closer to the time I have cancellations, time changes, and other bookings squeezed. The original page ends up illegible, or too full of notations. If I misread something or something is illegible, it could end up in disaster.
Last night I rewrote the first three days of next week on plain lined notepaper (Wednesday is on the reverse of the page). I added washi tape to brighten the notepaper up a bit because I am rather stressed at the moment.
My ring organiser really keeps me on top of things. I follow whatever it tells me and I hardly ever double book or miss a lesson. Perhaps once a year?
For each hour of teaching I probably have an hour of administration (Teams invitations, emails, preparation, correction, attendance registers, printing and posting, as well as invoicing). In September I am up to 210 hours of work so far. Next month will be even busier, and travelling time between clients will make my working hours longer. We’ll se how messy my calendar will look then!
For years I used an A5, and that size would definitely be better for what I do. But the binders are so big and heavy that I end up not taking them everywhere I should, and I end up making mistakes. Personal has been a far more versatile size for me, although nowadays I am avoiding my beloved 30mm rings because they make the weight and size less portable for me.
Interestingly, I don’t think what I do is planning. It’s scheduling. And many other people record things, rather than plan things. Although we all call it planning. What do you think?
I am just in the midst of rearranging my set-up and I saw this post of yours. I tend to do my scheduling on a hobonichi A6. What I’m wondering is when you plan for the contents of a lesson, do you also do it in your Filofax personal? I was just trying with my A5 Filofax but like you, I find it very heavy. Personal seems a tiny bit too small, but somehow the best solution so that I can move pages around. I had tried a Bujo, but this doesn’t work that well. Any feedback would be appreciated 🙂
I do make a few notes about lessons on the page a day calendar in my pocket Filofax. Because of the nature of my lessons (I usually work with speaking points, presentations, meeting agendas which my students provide for me etc) I don’t need many notes. If it is a grammar lesson I tend to just note down what printouts I need to take with me. Luckily, after 25 years in the same job, I have a large bank of material that I just need to print.
yes – I agree on size – I have always used personal for the same reasons as you – and now with “fold outs” I get more space when absolutely needed – don’t know why I didn’t think of it myself! I’m impressed at your tracking – very important in key business and personal tasks
I use my A5 for scheduling, tracking, and planning, but planning is the smallest part of what I use it for. I primarily work from home and at an office, so the size isn’t a very big problem. Its footprint while open on my desk is reasonable. I am jealous of all those who can fit everything into a personal size planner. Are task lists planning or scheduling if they are on a specific date?
I guess that if you do have a list of to dos for a particular date that would be both planning and scheduling.
Wow, good idea to put it in the middle. I am actually looking for the layout you use for my personal. Wanted to order it on the filofax website, but they don’t ship to the Netherlands 🙁
These are not Filofax inserts, but by Burde. Filofax Sweden makes similar ones though. Have you tried https://www.kalenderkungen.se ?
Love adding the washi to lift your mood!!
Excellent point about planning vs scheduling vs recording. It’s something I contemplate often. I think a planner can be used for all 3, simultaneously or at different times/ in different circumstances.
I guess if I wanted to get really particular, planning would be, for example, writing down what you need to take to a meeting or do before the meeting to prepare for it. Scheduling is just writing down the time and location but I consider that a form (subset maybe?) of planning.
I always think of planning in terms of projects where you have subgoals and deadlines for each subgoal. Each part of the project would have its own lists. I have seen project planning for huge contracts and it seems impossible without detailed planning for every step of the way. Mine is more just booking meetings, but I guess it is a way of planning my time.
Thank you so much for your reply! That sounds a lot like my lessons. I work with a textbook provided with my school for my adult classes so overall I don’t need to take that many notes and print outs go in a different folder, which is why I was struggling carrying this big print out folder and the big A5 Filofax, so I guess that using a personal sized one might just be enough! Thank you so much! I was really stuck and I could never find someone who was sharing the same concerns as me (stationery and adult language classes).