Filofax + Erin Condren=love in my book

I recently posted a few long overdue pics of my beautiful, vibrant Erin Condren planner. I imagine a few in the  Philofaxy community sputtered menacingly, "But what about your Maldens? You are such a Benedict Arnold." However, other weirdos like me find the EC planner to be a nice contrast in color, paper quality, and card stock TABS to the beloved monochromatic, painfully thin untabbed monthly inserts. Just sayin'...

And while New Planner Bliss may be short-lived for some, I am still loving this planner even with a good month in to using it each and every day. I still use my personal crimson Malden, dear ones, and my personal black Malden is my main wallet squeeze. With my loyalty to Semper Phi reaffirmed, I will not explain my system of sorts and why I like it in comparison to my pre-Erin Condren days (BEC).

My EC planner is my primary datebook and daily schedule keeper.  I track appointments and deadlines on the TABBED card stock monthlies and note additional details on the dashing, whimsical weeklies. The TABBED months are sandwiched within the weeklies but I like that. Yeah, I love me some TABS.

Motivational quotes filling up space created by the a "divided week" dilemma.

Flip to next page and here is what you see.

And flip to current week and there is my life for the moment. I didn't have to write "blog" on Saturday because my Twitter Philofaxy friends were urging me to blog on this planner. Thanks Jotje and Rori!

Most importantly, I am tracking my dissertation mini-goals, deadlines, motivational tidbits, and miscellaneous writing tips in the EC planner. Why, you ask? Well, I read on a outstanding website for ABD-ers like me that dissertation writing should, ideally, be part of your day and be integrated into one's daily craziness routine. 

Two year planning spread. Nice! Plan to add circled-in-red due dates as I progress toward
defense and graduation.

 Now while my actual chapters each have their own special 3 ring binder, the other items are right in front of me. I am, unfortunately, a "out of sight, out of mind" person when it comes to the overwhelming process of writing my Big Paper. By tracking these details in my primary planner, I can't pretend that huge black cloud isn't right overhead. Now. Wait, let me look...yep, still there.

More "get 'er done" insights and tricks and a backward planning calendar. 

Did I mention the stickers, both pre-printed and plain, that are in the back of the EC planner?  Two different pre-printed sheets and four blank sheets! I do like my stickers...

  

Because my Erin (Condren planner) is my main datebook, I am using my personalized tabs in my crimson Malden in this manner:


daily- 1 ppd inserts to track yoga/exercise/food intake. I love being in my 40's. Really, I do.


notes-motivational thoughts regarding writing a better to-do list, work reference notes, other tidbits and thoughts


to-do---ongoing master to-do lists by life compartment (work, family, school, personal me).Chores, home maintenance, meal plans are in the Women's Success Planner that sits at home). 

goals-reiteration of goals delineated in my Women's Success Planner


to buy-by store and website with discount codes noted for easy reference


misc-contact numbers, addresses, things that need a home but don't fit anywhere (um, misc?)


media - website list, to read list, music list

In the past I would try to put all important information and lists plus my datebook in one book. This may have worked while tracking one person, but now that there are 6 of us (7, if you include Mabel) this will not work. I encountered a Major Planner Fail due to too much information shoved into one poor place. And whilest a Filofax Loyalist may argue, "Hmmn. If that EC planner is so awesome, why do you need a Filofax?" Well, that is simple. It ties back to my TAB obsession and the sweet ability to reorganize my lists/info/reference material as I see fit due to Filofax's flexible nature. 

In the past I did use my pocket Malden's week plus notes inserts to track calendar items and align it with my 1ppd and monthly inserts in the personal Malden. I stopped doing that. Now my pocket is my wallet and budgeting friend and I use that insert to track daily and weekly spending. This is brilliant for me to figure out to do, and I wish I had done it sooner. I mean, duh. 

Thanks for reading, and thank you even more for your patience. Off to tend to someone that needs something. ;)