2016 Set Up - for the fourth time!

Ok it's been quite a challenge but after moving from one planner to another and in different sizes I am finally set....I think!

The change-about came when my new Fossil Personal came in, but I didn't really want to move out of my Personal Original but because it was new....you know the story.  And what that led to was total unsettlement.  No longer was I set on using a personal size so I downsized to a pocket.

Then I decided that I wanted to buy a Louis Vuitton PM Agenda for my birthday next month and after watching video after video I realised how damn small those rings are!  So I downsized again into my Extra Slim Guildford Mini (those that have followed this blog know that this one seems to be my constant go back to!) as the rings seemed similar in size - about 11mm.

But I didn't like how people were saying that they can carry 'quite a few months at a time' - What?? No, it has to be a full year for me.  Although they did have quite a few sections, which I don't.  And quite a few card holders, which I don't.  So I'm thinking it may be possible for me...

I like notepaper and lists but they don't seem to do that in the same golden gilt edge as the diary so that would irritate me too and the size of those rings are really bothering me.

So I looked a Mulberry - the layout and the size of the rings looked promising BUT silver rings and a gold/brass popper?  No. I can't do that either.

I went onto our lovely Van Der Spek store with a view to designing my own - with gold rings AND a gold popper!  I couldn't find black mock croc anywhere...have they discontinued this??  And then I had to purchase separately a zipper pouch, and as I was getting carried away with my lovely custom order I realised...

I have the almost perfect planner already sat on my shelf in it's box...

Junior Touch Me in Brown

Zipper pocket included - and on the good side :)

Sparkly 'TODAY' on my day marker

One of my favourite photo's

Another favourite photo and my Annual Leave record

Shopping Lists and a bit of glitter :)

My Fossil Piggy Bank charm

And there we have it.  

I say almost perfect as I would have designed exactly the same planner but without the back pocket. Whilst I do use it and I do find it extremely useful I don't like how it makes that bulgy bit when it's open but I can live with that - totally compensated by the delicious leather smell it still has after owning it for all this time!  It smells divine, the leather is buttery soft and it is just a beautiful planner that wants you to 'Touch Me' - I loved it then, I love it now and I can't see why I would want to replace this with a Louis Vuitton piece that will certainly irritate me after the initial excitement of the purchase has been made.  I'll spend my money on another LV piece that I can love instead.

Until next time, take care xxx

Planner -v- Diary for 2016

I feel like I have committed the biggest sin ever...and yet I am feeling slightly enlightened at the same time.  

I have decided to purchase a new diary for 2016.  It is the layout I love.  It is the size that I love.  It is also....bound.  Eeek!!

I don't know what happened, I saw it and thought it would be such a great idea as my diary layout never changes (and it was only £1!!).  It is the SIZE of diary that changes, i.e. the size of planner.  I seem to bounce between mini, pocket and A6 and each time I have to re-write everything as I hate having blank days PLUS whenever I think I can leave some information out that is exactly the information I need and always at a time when I am in my other sized planner!

It is very rare that I ever need to refer back to notes as I don't really tend to write notes, or lists (other than my To-Do list - and this is now on my iphone as I found a great app called 'Google Keep' which means that it is not only on my phone but my ipad and my computer at both home and work and the great thing is that I have 'shared' my shopping list with my hubby who is on an Android phone and it still works!!  Now we both know what we need when visiting the supermarket without having to ask!)

My idea was that if I get a small enough diary then I can just pop that into what ever size planner I am using then I will never have to re-write stuff and it wont add any bulk into my chosen planner.

What I think is actually going to happen is that I only end up carrying the little diary and the planners are going to get left on the shelf...in fact, the little diary that I bought even fits into my purse!

It is even a possibility that I may never return to a ringed planner...and what do I do with the ones that I have sitting pretty on the shelf in my office??  This is not a decision to be made lightly as I do have some lovely ones that are going to be extremely hard to part with such as the two Filofax Deco's and the sumptuous Van Der Spek's - I will never part with any of the A5's as I like to use them for projects and general stuff.

Am I on the slippery slope to leaving the planner world???

Until next time, take care xxx

Planner Preparations for 2016

I cannot believe that 2016 is almost upon us already, this year has gone so fast!

It is that time again where I start to get organised for the New Year and I already have my planner's set up in progress.  I have bought the calendar, a week on two pages, from Filofax as I just couldn't really be bothered making my own this year. It is in the format that works for me and doesn't have the squashed up weekend.  

I have also bought a new pack of 'to do' sheets and also 'shopping list' sheets from Paperchase.

I have rounded all the corners as I really like how this little action makes the whole lot just look so much better.

I ordered some flyleaves with tab from Amazon as I started using these quite by chance and I love it now so much that I have ordered them for all the other sizes of filo I have!  I don't like dividers and I don't like the 'today rulers'.  I like having a marker to the current page or section and I love that it is clear so does not obstruct any entries.  This works for me so well.

Unfortunately Filofax doesn't do them any more for pocket and mini sizes but I managed to get them from other sources, thank you Amazon and Ebay!  They do still do them for Personal and A5 sizes and as they come two in a pack it is pretty good value.

Clear page 'divider' is great for an unobstructed view

This was a birthday card that I cut down and punched.

It marks where my addresses are.

I have realised over my filo journey that I like clean lines, uncluttered and neat.  It makes me feel more professional and efficient, even though I don't use it for work purposes!  I do use some stickers but very sparingly and usually to highlight something important - hairdresser appointments, birthdays, etc.  My go-to-used-all-the-time hack has got to be the neon arrows that I use for important dates such as my eldest coming home from university or date night with my husband, spa days with my friend and other such lovely things.  I also like to write in different colours - the pink and the blue of the 2-colour Bic being my favourite.  There is no colour coding going on though, it is just whatever button I click down.

I have decided that for 2016 I am going to stick with one size and therefore only one set of inserts.  I am fed up of writing and re-writing everything whenever I change size.  I absolutely adore the VDS Senior (A6) size but it is just still too big for my handbags.  And it's heavy.  I'm not sure what I will end up using them for, maybe I will even sell them on...or perhaps take one into work...just seems such a shame to have such beautiful binders not being used.

So the size of choice for 2016 is pocket.  I have a few different binders to choose from - a VDS Junior Touch Me in Brown, a Raspberry Chameleon, a slimline Executive and a Ruby Deco.  So I can change binders but not inserts - that is my rule for 2016.  At the moment I am in the Chameleon, I love the pockets and the softness of the leather on this one and also that the pen loop is on the left so is not obstructing the zip pocket at the back.  I used this one as my purse/wallet for quite a long time last year (or maybe the year before) and it worked out extremely well so I am doing it again.

I hope I can do this, I am really not a huge fan of duplication so I am going to give it my best shot.  What are your plans for 2016?

Until next time, take care xxx

Getting ready for 2016!

It's that time of year when us plannerds start to stress if next year's diary hasn't been designed or chosen, punched, noted and sat neatly in a pile waiting for the new year to begin so they can be lovingly transferred into the current binder of choice.

This time I have started earlier than usual and as well as sorting out next year's calendar I have also done from now to the end of the year in the chosen format just to make sure that it does work for me because I am fed up of constantly trying out new styles only to end up back with the insert that I started with!!

The truth of the matter is that I like simple, clear formats with minimal fuss and just a sprinkling of decoration so that is what I have designed.  

I have 2016 ready on my computer - saved to the cloud just in case - and I am going to use that format from now until the end of December, if it works I will print out the rest, if it doesn't I should know why and be able to tweak it.

So, here is my clean and simple layout...

Highlighted arrows indicate important stuff and a cheeky little sticker :)
A space at the beginning of the week rather than the end suits me best.

This is the notebook that I pulled apart and used to print on

Different types of paper - cream and thinner kraft (would be good for notes)

Pen test!

How fab is it that the fountain pen and highlighter didn't bleed or even shadow!!

And just while I'm taking photo's, I got these from Paperchase too.
Can't beat a bit of Rose Gold!

I am intending to stay in this planner for the forseeable future as I am fed up of having to re-write everything so that I don't miss anything out of my current planner...and things I don't think are important enough to duplicate usually always are!  So the most ideal plan is to stay in the same one...I can swap to my black one if I want but the Senior Touch Me is the chosen one for the next 12 months AT LEAST!

If I can do that then I will sell off all my others, even the rare desirable ones.  That is my promise to myself...eek!

Until next time, take care xxx

Size matters

I have been in my pocket executive for a week or so and I really like it but I don't seem to be using it as much as I did when I was in the mini extra slim and I'm not sure why.  They are pretty much the same in all aspects other than one is a mini and one is a pocket.

So I am a little perplexed as to why the pocket is spending more time in my bag unused than the mini ever did.  They are set up exactly the same internally.  

I was contemplating going back to my VDS Senior and using it as a wallet also as they are wonderful for that but I am not sure it will work for me anymore.  

I think the mini has won me over too much.  I think it is the simple smallness of it all.  The fact that it fits in the phone pocket of my bags.  The fact that I only have room to keep what is absolutely necessary.  It is what it is - a diary/planner and a little notebook - it doesn't need to be anything else. It allows me to personalise it by way of photographs and little keepsakes, things that actually mean something to me and are special rather than things that are just there for decorative purposes.

I feel that it may be time to start selling off my other planners, yes they are all very pretty sitting on my shelf but I'm sure that they may be someone's unicorn and they really should be used!  This is what I am trying to convince myself of...not sure how successful that's going to be!!

Until next time, take care xxx

Loving the Guildford Extra Slim Mini

It has been three days and I am totally smitten with this little guy!  I am finding that it is in my hand more than it is left in my bag and as such I am using it!!  That is a result in itself :)

I love that he holds everything that I need, I love that he is used more than any other I have tried - even my beloved VDS Senior (which I never thought possible!).  

I am not sure what it is about it that I love so much - the smaller rings? the softest leather? no fastener? no pen loop? I have no idea!!

Lots of stuff to remember!

Highlighted with stickers, tabs and my favourite neon arrows!

Full running list of to-do's

My time specific To-Do's are put onto the day that they are needed - such as 'Pick up Order' on the 17th and 18th.  Anything that is just a general To-Do goes onto this running list - such as 'Home insurance' or 'Get Sasha's nails clipped' - once these are done they are just checked off.  Once the whole page is checked off (and it's on both sides) then the page will be thrown away.

Extra page flags and sparkly glitter!

Laminated note from my youngest from 2006 and my coffee loyalty card

These little card holders are fab!  I paid 99p for a felt card holder and cut it up and punched it.  They fit wonderfully and are very lightweight so add no bulk at all.  I have got four of them in here and they are double sided.  Brilliant!

I am very happy with this set up, I love the little planner and I love feeling the planner peace again!

Until next time, take care xxx

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

VDS Planners have stolen my heart!

After realising that I could make the pocket Finsbury work in theory, it was a little harder to put into practice. It really was a deal breaker not being able to put my favourite pen in the loop and also even if it would have fit the loop it would have made using the zip pocket difficult. As I was using this as my wallet too this was not good.

I also missed the softness and flexibility of the Chameleon.

After mulling it all over during a couple of days it came to me.  I needed to go back to VDS. I looked into having a custom design one but at the moment I just could not justify the cost, even though I honestly think they are worth every penny, I am just being to indecisive at the moment.  Once I have made up my mind for definite I may go down that route...I have already picked my colours!

Fortunately my best friend was selling her junior Touch Me in brown. It is now mine :) and I really do love it, I WILL make the smaller rings work for me as I am really loving being able to use my smaller bags. Win win. 

So here he is, in all his usual glory including my polar bear!

Beautiful leather

I'd be lost without this dashboard!

A card cut down to fit marks the contacts section

Annual leave days

Zip pocket for train tickets and card holder

A braindump notebook and my bank cards

Polar bear, paw print and piggy bank charms are all Fossil

I LOVE VDS planners, I have heard they are bringing out another colour for the Touch Me range, I think purple.  I will have to get one of these!  I would have LOVED a red one...maybe next time!

I feel as though with my three sizes of VDS I am done. I really don't fancy the standard size at all.  I have reached my planner heaven and I can't see me wanting or needing anything else.  I have totally lost the love for Filofax and other than the few I have left I will not be purchasing any more. I may even get rid of some more although the ones I do have are pretty rare ones - a personal Ruby Deco, an A5 Domino Bronze Snake and an A5 Cuban Zip. I think my A5 Aston is going to be stolen by my eldest son for his second year at university. I don't mind at all, I am proud that he uses the old one I gave home when he started!

My Kate Spade Wellesley in Garnet I will also not get rid of.   The rest can go. 

I could put the money towards a new VDS handbag - and I already know which one!!

Until next time, take care xxx

Slimming down the VDS

I think I may have finally found my peace.  I have bought a new planner and I couldn't wait to move in and set it up...it's another VDS Touch Me in senior size but in classic black!  I have decided that this is the size for me for my everyday carry - and trust me I don't/won't go anywhere without this!! It's not that it has tons of important meetings, appointments or information in it, it's just because I feel lost without it in my possession.  What if I needed to write something?  I do sometimes get the urge to just write something, anything, and it's always when I am paperless...so I no longer allow that situation to happen by always having my planner with me, always.

I have designed and created some new inserts as I felt as though my calendar was taking up too much space for the information I need.  This was resulting in less paper space for me to write my sudden urges in whatever they may be!  

After having a good look at my calendar I have realised that I do have appointments but usually just one in any one day but the days are also used, in the main, for to-do's and little reminders.  I tried using a rolling list but it just didn't work for me as I couldn't tell when I needed to do what and that was frustrating so I ended up having to write it on the day as well which defeated the object of having a rolling list.  I also thought of using sticky notes but the additional clutter would stress me out.

Then in a moment of clarity I realised!  If I reduced my calendar to week per page and then only added in a to-do list when I had lots to do then I could throw it away once completed - AND I had the idea of putting the days on it so that I knew what needed to be done and when...genius if I do say so myself!  If there isn't much to be done that week then I can simply write my to-do on the day, if there is loads then I can add a sheet...it really isn't rocket science and I kind of already took this approach many years ago when I lived out of a pocket planner as my main and only planner...(I'd love to know how I did that!!)  I used to have a week on two pages and my to-do's were added to the day, on those days where I had tons to do I used a to-do list - and I always had loads of room in my planner and now I'm thinking that was before the multitude of  'sections' and copious amounts of sticky notes, page flags and oli clips - they all take up that space!  I NEVER use them either, nor do I use paper clips or project life type cards...I didn't even have dividers back then!  I don't have tabbed dividers now either but I do have my glittery tab-free ones that I love, love, love!!  It's all about the glitter :)

Anyway, whatever it was I used to be able to do when life was so much less complicated, I can't do it now, it just doesn't work for me anymore.  I don't know why, I've tried to remember, to figure it out but alas I have no idea!

I will update once I have had a chance to run with this system and let you know how it goes :)

Until next time, take care xxx

Planners and Overwhelm

Planners are supposed to help you deal with the overwhelm.  Help you deal with organising and breaking down of tasks to more manageable chunks to avoid the feeling of overwhelm.  

I'm not sure that I have mastered the art of this planning lark.  Since I got into the Planner War I have felt totally at odds with everything!  So, why is that?

After thinking about it for a while I have come to the conclusion that using a planner forces me to write everything down, all my appointments, goals, to do lists, chores, bills due, birthdays, engagements...I'm thinking that prior to this Planner War, ignorance may have been bliss!

I think I find having everything documented in the same place is causing me stress. Realising that I have so much to do and so little time to do it is causing me to procrastinate even more resulting in less time resulting in more stress.  I tried colour coding once and that made me realised that I spent more time doing stuff for other people and hardly anything for myself so I stopped colour coding.

We all have 24 hours in a day so how come some people seem to get more done than others?  I spent a long time wasted reading up on this when I could have been doing stuff instead!  I have books and books and books about reducing clutter - ironic isn't it!?

Everywhere you look there are books on how to get things done quicker, easier and more efficient. There are self help books galore, all promising to provide you with clarity of thought and a determined more positive and focused outlook.  I have read so many of these and all they have ever provided me with is more brain fog together with a spiraling feeling that I am just not good enough...

Enough is enough.  All I want is a simple life that is fun.  I don't want to live my life by a schedule, I just want to live my life.  I am not getting rid of my planners, hell no - but I am going to re-purpose them into fun things rather than something that provides me a regimented schedule that constantly berates me for not doing enough - I am doing enough, I really am but I am not superwoman, and what's more - I don't want to be.

My beloved Senior VDS Touch Me is the only planner I am going to use - as a diary. Not a planner, I don't want to plan any more.  It's too time consuming and it just sucks the fun out of my life.  It is just a diary with gentle reminders that I have something to do and somewhere for me to put photographs and ticket stubs and happy thoughts.  My to-do lists are going to be on post it notes so I can throw them away when done, I don't want to look back through my diary and be reminded that three weeks ago I spent the whole day cleaning, shopping or doing boring stuff.  I do want to be reminded that in four weeks time I will be relaxing in the sun in lovely Cyprus with my fantastic Husband at my Parents house :)

Until next time, take care xxx

My little planning space

I have spent the last few hours trying to get some kind of organisation going on in my little room and it's filling up fast with all kinds of stationery, files, books and the obligatory 'happy bits' that I see and can't resist buying but I really need to STOP as I am running out of space!!

I wanted my little room to be somewhere I could hide out and do my craft bits, plan and study and generally relax but it is turning into chaos and I need to get a grip on it QUICK!

It has set me off thinking though, why do we feel the need to surround ourselves with 'things' - surely there cant be that much joy in ten packets of the same pen? Or multiple multiples of post it notes - seriously, I don't even use that many!!  But how could I resist this while I was out shopping yesterday?

Even my office at work is starting to acquire the notebook thing...

And pen pots...why do I keep buying these??  The lovely snakeskin ceramic ones were from Asda in their clearance for 90p each...although they are supposed to be for the bathroom but I thought they'd make nice pen pots :)

The 'leather' organiser I got from the Range and didn't really think I'd use it...didn't take me long to run out of space in it though!!  Even the little drawer is full!!  I have THREE huge pencil cases that are all full to bursting with every kind of pen, pencil and highlighter imaginable and these don't include my fountain pens (another fetish) or felt tips for colouring in!  I got this set and the colouring book from my best friend for my birthday and although I haven't managed to do much colouring in, I love it!

Even my little storage area is starting to overload...

Those drawers are FULL and so are the boxes.  This is where all my new pens and packets of post it notes are kept, well some of them...the rest are in another box(es) along with enough stickers to keep a children's nursery going for a year!  I don't actually use that many stickers either, go figure!  The boxes are full of stamps and inks.

I've sorted my 'platform' out so it isn't piled high with mountains of post and stuff to do.  This area isn't finished yet, need to still get some covering (using old postcards, photographs, concert tickets and other memorabilia under a sheet of perspex) and sort out the wiring for my colour changing globe - this is an amazing light that seems to make the book wallpaper look so real!

I've found the other end of my shelf that my filofaxes are on (it was a huge shelf cut down) and I am going to put it above the filo's to put all my notebooks on...the job now is to retrieve all the notebooks from their hiding places and see exactly how many there is and whether there is too many for the shelf space that I have...

Right, off to seek out the notebooks...I may be some time!

Until next time, take care xxx

Flex Planner for Study Purposes

I am quite excited.  I have just received the result of my first assignment in Insurance Law and I got an 'A' - I am very proud of myself!

I am also excited to learn that the format for future exams is changing as of the 1 April 2015 to a multiple assessment which is coursework following by multiple choice exam at a time chosen by me - this is very different to the three hour written essay exam that could only be booked in either April or October.

For people like me who know and understand what they are learning only to forget absolutely everything come exam time then this is wonderful news!!  I may finally get my qualification.  This pleases me a lot!!

What also pleases me a lot is the fact that when I upgrade to the mixed assessment format in April I can choose the textbook to be via e-book rather than the chunky (and extremely heavy!) textbook that it currently is.  This means that I can have it on my ipad mini - much easier to transport around and read on the commute!!

This also means that I can properly utilise my A5 Flex which I was trying to use by photocopying the pages of my text book but they were still hard to read on my ipad but this way, this way I will be able to not only read the text but also annotate it and highlight and even get the 'text to speech' going if I wanted to!  (Which to be honest I probably wont as last time I tried it I found it too be too much like listening to a 'speak and spell' and the whole sentence was lost in bad translation!)

The ipad mini fits perfectly in the flex, even with the keyboard attached!

Much sleeker and lighter than a massive textbook

I am looking forward to studying again - I realise how sad that sounds - but I miss it, I miss the organisation and scheduling that is required with proper studying.  I miss the notebooks and the highlighting...yeah, that sounds even sadder!!  Lol.

I'm looking forward to the wonderful bonus paid by work for each exam passed and then the award for getting the qualification - does that make me sound any less sad?  I thought so!

I could do with making a small monthly calendar for the Flex though, I could just print one out and have it bound, it'd only be for reference purposes...

Obviously my timetable will be scheduled in my delicious Van Der Spek Senior as this is my ultimate tool in keeping me in check.  I may have mentioned previously how delightful and exquisite the Van Der Spek Touch Me range are...maybe just once or twice.  I have the A5 Manager size too with the 35mm rings and that is such a beast of a binder that there is no way that I could use that on the go, not without some sort of trolley device!  But I may store used paperwork/notes from the Flex into a section of the Manager...that's actually quite a good idea :)

Roll on the 1 April - this had better not be an April Fool's thing or I will not be impressed!!!

Until next time, take care xxx

Ramblings of a Planner

It's the beginning of February and the start of using my new template mentioned here - I had lots of chilling out time, watching a film with my hubby, sorting bits out in my little room, having a planning session, generally just pottering around, getting the laundry done (yes, this is the only chore I actually like to do!).  I like days like this!  I'm planning on a nice hot bubbly bath later to end the day.

Makes me realise that I don't do it enough, I don't make the time to do it, I have the time but I don't make the time - instead I procrastinate my time away on the internet...I'd hate to see how much actual time I waste just doing nothing in particular, nothing that I actually enjoy doing, I'm just doing, Nothing more.

What did we do with our time before the internet?  Before Facebook?  Before Twitter?  Before Instagram?  How did we communicate with each other?  Oh that's right, we talked, we wrote letters, we went out to the local pub or restaurant...what a shame no one really does that anymore.  No-one really writes letters anymore either, and that is such a real shame as it would seem that thanks to texting no-one can even spell or use grammar anymore either!  I hate text talk and I hate reading posts on Facebook where even the most basic of grammar is incorrect, it really grates on my nerves.  

• There is no space between the word and an exclamation mark
• Does is not the same spelling as dose
• To know something is not to no something
• U/ur instead of you/your is just plain lazy!!  (In the days that there was an issue with the amount of characters you could text it was almost acceptable but not these days!)

I feel old and antiquated sometimes...but the art of writing is dying and it is such a colossal shame.  I love handwriting, especially the old fashioned cursive and calligraphy, I adore looking at old postcards and letters from the vintage era, even the language is different...more sincere and even romantic.

Anyway I digress.  I don't think I'm that keen on this age of everything being so fast-paced that you can't even think properly.  Don't get me wrong I love the efficiency of it all but it's all so - characterless and impersonal.

Maybe this explains my love of paper and stationery.  I love pretty notepads and fountain pens.  I used to love sitting down and handwriting a letter to a friend, but this doesn't happen anymore.  We still 'write' but it is in electronic form which has the advantage of being able to share photographs and images within the letter itself but that only goes some way into personalising it.

We have our paper planners and we love them, we love writing in them and decorating them but to what end?  To enable us to cram so much into our schedules that we barely have time to sit down and relax, reflect and recharge.  We actually have to schedule in time out!!  Ironic really.

There are so many issues to deal with and from watching You tube and reading Facebook there is a common theme - we are all totally obsessed with what other people think of us that we spend all our precious time trying to please them, be what they expect us to be, do what we are expected to do.  We all have quote upon quote about being yourself, being true to yourself, enjoy life, reminders to love yourself, laugh often, be unique, think positive, etc.  Do we really need this constant reminder because we are actually not being ourselves, enjoying life, laughing and being unique?  Are we all so pessimistic that we need positive quotes everywhere?  

Even in my own little room I have bought wall art that says "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams - live the life you've always imagined" and "Life doesn't get easier you just get stronger" - when did I get so weak that I needed these positive reinforcements everywhere I look?  

In the rush to get success, promotion, acknowledged and rewarded in life we have simply forgotten how to live.  I'm not so sure I want to live like that anymore.  It's exhausting!!  I'm sure our ancestors didn't need this constant reminder, they got on with their lives the best they could, with what they had.  Is there an almost urgent desire to have something better than someone else as a measurement of success.  I am my own worst enemy when it comes to that, I have more designer bags and accessories than is required and I'm sure it doesn't make anyone stop and think "Wow I want to be just like her because she is so successful and has the perfect life" - or does it?  Do we gauge our own success on what we have materialistically?  Do we gauge the success of others on what they have?  I guess our ancestors may have had the same kind of thing but it was how many chickens they had, or whether they had shoes on their feet, or a bed to sleep in - makes you think really...

Oh well, rambling over, I'd better get back to scheduling next week, I've got a lot on!!

Until next time, take care

New Template for the VDS Manager

I was playing around with templates the other day and I think this one came from the Philofaxy website and I have changed it to the way I wanted it and one that will help me do an overview on a monthly basis, and hold me accountable for some goals I want to achieve this year.  I have printed them out and put them in my VDS Manager which really does seem to be working for me in that it is a 'me' planner.

This planner is so special to me, it makes me want to use it and I just love how it does that!  None of my other planners had that bond...I don't know why.  Maybe it is the softness of the leather, the smell, the overall feel of pure luxury...it's just a very special planner and I love it and love using it.

Onto the template...

A simple front page

The right hand page

On the left as you can see is an overview of goals for the month (personal and work), key events and a reminder to do section and on the right is a breakdown of what I did that month - water intake, Yoga, Gym and Me time (which includes anything from taking time out to be creative, going for a walk, having a long soak in the bath...anything that makes me feel good) and also habits to start, continue and stop.  I like the section for review and reflection, I'm looking forward to using that and seeing how it works out.

In the planning stage I couldn't help but put in the birthdays and anniversary's and other bits and pieces like going on the booked holiday and concerts...complete with little pictures!  I am a very visual person and I like to see lots of images and photographs in my planners - not so much stickers and washi, the images have to mean something - like when my eldest son went to university and we had our photo taken outside his new Hall's - that photo went into my every day carry planner (which is another VDS in Senior size), or the tickets for the concert, they have also gone into my planner along with the flight confirmation booking slip - all reduced in size and put into my planner as a memento.  I'm not sure why I do that as I don't keep the pages once the year is out but they are nice to have in there for the time being.  

I do have a separate journal and those things that are special and in my planner are duplicated into my journal too and that's for keeps.

I think I may take the diary section out of my VDS and put it into another planner as this really has evolved into just all about me, the sections are not really time specific like a diary and it is a lovely place to be able to dip in and out of as and when, although it does seem to be almost a daily thing at the moment!

Thinking cap on...

Until next time, take care xxx