There are certain things I can’t live without.
There’s my computer for one.
I live for this thing. I’ve been a Mac-addict for about five years now and I’ll never go back. And of course, when I’m at home I have my trusty Macbook:
And then of course, there’s my Blackberry. Can’t leave home without that.
Even though I love all my electronic doodads, from my Ipod and my Bose Sound Dock to my Flip camera and my Sony Cybershot, there is one product that I would be CRIPPLED without. This is the item that is always in my bag. Never needs to be charged. Never needs batteries. Never needs to be serviced in anyway.
And it’s got my whole life contained inside.
I am absolutely helpless without it.
It’s my DayTimer Planner. I’ve had it for years. I faithfully replace the calendars each year and I don’t put my head down on a pillow at night without carefully plotting out my day on the appropriate page.
And I’m a bit obsessive about it. Yes, just as obsessed as I am with my Uniball pens. If not more so.
Let’s go over the important parts of my planner as outlined above.
1. The inside folder: This is where paperwork that is too large for my wallet goes. My paystubs, letters that need to be mailed out, stamps and gift certificates I haven’t used yet. Where do people put this stuff if they don’t have a planner? I’d really like to know.
2. Of course, I keep a pencil and pen in my planner at all times. And of course, it can ONLY be my favorite blue pencils from seejanework.com or a Uniball pen. I don’t like asking to borrow a pen from anyone. I like to have my own at all times. And where else would I keep them?
3. The front pocket is for important papers I need to see in my face. Like this prescription I need to get filled. I see it everytime I open my planner, (which is like ten times a day, at least) so it serves as a gentle but constant reminder.
4. Back there I keep receipts and other random slips of paper that I try to clean out once a month. You know how you get that little piece of paper you KNOW you’ll need one day? I put those right here. That little gold piece of paper sticking out is a coupon for my favorite day-spa. If I didn’t have a planner, I’d lose it for sure. And since I take my planner everywhere, I know I’ll have it even if I make an unscheduled stop for a manicure.
5. Don’t laugh. But I love the art theme incorporated into the calendar I chose. DayTimer teamed up with an artist named Flavia to design planner pages. And I love them. They are soothing to the eye. And filled with whimsical drawings and motivational statements like if you can love the stars without knowing the vastness of the sky, then you can believe in miracles. This is so NOT my thing, normally. It sounds like something that would be stitched onto a pillow. But somehow, for my planner, the cornier the better. Give me stars and floral patterns and uplifting words on every page.
6. Each month has its own page. I don’t put the entire calendar in here. It would be too heavy. I only have February in here so far. But I have a single page devoted to each month. I already have stuffed penciled in for May! I love getting an invitation to something months in the future. I pencil it into the planner and then I can throw it away. Purge!
I truly marvel at people who can get by in life without a planner and not forget wedding showers or doctor’s appointments or just all the tasks that need to be done in a given day.
One of those people would be TheHusband.
He doesn’t have a planner.
He doesn’t even have a wallet. Seriously. He keeps all his cards in the little envelope he got from the bank when he got a new ATM card. You know the ones I’m talking about…
This is NOT a wallet!!
TheHusband gives me a panic attack every time I overhear him getting information about an important date. He gets a phone call and I hear him say, “really important meeting? uh-huh. Life or death? Okay. What day?”
At this point, he grabs a sticky note and one of Tog’s crayons.
“Got it,” he says. “April 9th at 6:15 AM. I’ll be there!”
And of course, that sticky note ends up on the bottom of Tog’s shoe the next day. And I have to wonder for the next three months if he remembers this meeting. (Usually, he doesn’t remember).
How do people function without a planner? As soon as I get an invite, it’s penciled into my month. And each night, I have to write down what I need to do the next day or I just won’t remember.
Here’s February, so far. I don’t commit to anything without referring here. If I don’t write it here, I won’t be there. Or it just won’t get done.
But the most important part of my planner is in the back. It’s these two pages right here:
This is the heart and soul of my organizational system. You have to have a clean and neat section of your planner. Then you need some blank pages where you can just scribble important things in a safe place.
Let’s examine my important scribbles…
1. Again, don’t laugh. But one of my goals for 2009 is to read at least one piece by Borges, Calvino and Nabokov. For a writer, I’m not nearly as well-read as I should be. So I wrote that note right there to remind myself. It’s February. I haven’t even decided which titles I’ll read. But hey, it’s still early in the year. And I think about it every time I turn to this page.
2. Ideas for my blog. But of course! I need a place to pontificate and think about my content. I’ve already done three of the topics I scribbled here months ago.
3. The random phone number. You know, the one that doesn’t necessarily get programmed into your phone. But you want access to it anyway. This is the phone number for a guy named Schon-Jomel. He’s a singer and once sang back-up vocals for Faith while she was on tour. (“That boy!” Faith always says. “He can sing Soon As I Get Home better than me!” I met Schon-Jomel at a book signing. And I wrote down his information to forward to Faith. I sent it to her. So technically, I don’t need it anymore. But I wrote it here anyway. Something tells me one day she’ll email me and say, did you ever give me Schon’s number? And I’ll have it! Damn. I’m realizing I sound really OCD right now.
4. Let me ask you dear readers, how many user names and passwords do you have for various accounts? I have one for three different banks, three different email accounts, my online fax service, my picpad.com account, my dentist’s payment plan website, my facebook account, my ning account and all of the bills I pay online, from my cell phone to my cable bill. Some require a number and letters. Some ask for six characters. Some eight. Some require all caps. Some not case-sensitive. I can NEVER keep track of these things. So they all go here, in the planner. I’d be lost without it.
[sidebar. I know, I know. I shouldn’t have too many sensitive numbers in my planner. I don’t care. I’ll take my chances. I can’t keep all this information at home. I pay bills on the road a lot. If I lost my planner, my life would be over anyway…]
I haven’t always used the DayTimer brand. I started out years ago with Filofax.
I started out with this joint. Very classy. But it was 95.00! And the accessories were expensive too. After a few years, I switched to a brand called DayRunner. You can find DayRunner at places like Staples. Much more affordable. I got one that looked like this:
It was functional. But I wasn’t crazy about the styles that DayRunner carried. And when I went to Staples to get refills, I could never find what I needed. The option to buying online was there. But I wanted to get everything in one place. Not buy some stuff at Staples and then order online. DayRunner had to go.
I don’t remember how I discovered DayTimer. But the selection is great. (My joint is the faux-leather desk-size. Only cost about 40 bucks.) They have a great selection of accessories and calendars. And shipping is fast.
I reached out to Sharon Callahan, the Category Manager for Paper Products at DayTimer and asked her a few questions about my favorite organizational item.
Do most people prefer the wire-bound or the loose-leaf version? I can’t imagine using a wire bound version. I need to be able to rearrange my pages!
Day-Timer customers are evenly split in their choice of wire-bound versus loose-leaf versions. As you mentioned, loose-leaf planners give you lots of flexibility for adding and moving accessories and add-in sheets. However, customers also love wire-bound planners for their very slim profile and easy portability.
What’s the most popular calendar set-up? I like to see one page on two days. I do a lot of crossing out. And I don’t want to see my crossed out list when I start a new day.
Our customers’ favorite planner formats include the 2-Page-Per-Day, 2-Page-Per-Week and 2-Page-Per-Month styles.
I really love the Flavia designed calendars. How did that relationship come about?
The relationship between Day-Timer and Flavia® started approximately 10 years ago when one of our product managers discovered the company’s artwork and recognized a potential connection between their inspirational artwork and our customers’ need to plan their days. The Flavia business has grown considerably since then, and the company now has a very loyal following of consumers who love their art and inspirational messages, and find them very motivating. Since we began the relationship, we have greatly expanded offerings in the Flavia line and regularly introduced the artist’s new work to our consumers. Day-Timer products are also available through the Flavia company website.
I can’t get my husband to use a planner, no matter how hard I try. Do men use paper planners?
For the Day-Timer business, the gender split is equal. However, in the paper planning industry as a whole, the gender split is skewed toward the female audience.
There was a time when people began to switch over from paper planners to PDAs. Did this affect the paper planner business? I have a Blackberry. But I never use it for appointments. I still need to use a paper planner.
Certainly, at the advent of technology, many pundits predicted a paper-free future. However, people have realized that technology still has its limitations: small screens that don’t show details, and the inability to take notes, sketch, and draw. We’re finding that most people use some combination of technology and paper in their lives, whether it be cell phone technology, Outlook applications, etc. At Day-Timer, we still continue to deliver product solutions that help people navigate both worlds.
And there you have it. The official word from DayTimer on why paper planners will never go out of style.
Dear readers, how do you plan your day? Where do you put your receipts and random pieces of paper? If you use a planner, what brand do you use? And are you obsessed about it? If you don’t use a planner, how the heck do you function? I’d love to hear from the guys on this. I never see guys pull out a planner. How do you know when something’s going down? Ladies, do you ever write your man’s events in your own planner. (Yes, I’m guilty of this.)
Tell me about your paper or digital planner. I’d love to hear if anyone else is as geeky about this as I am…
Here's today's page. I haven't filled it in yet. And there's my page holder, which comes with a place for photos. There's Tog, her first summer at the beach. I love that I can look at that picture each day as I move my divider to the next page.
Aliya S. King 
February 12, 2009 at 10:33 am
Im a guy and i just use my iphone. I like the digitally automated organizing capabilities of this little device. No need to carry around a bulky book. Not practical for men who don’t carry purses. Theres a bunch of applications that that assists me with my life, and syncronize with my laptop. I carry loose papers in my backpocket or wallet. I have a special shelf for important loose papers.
February 12, 2009 at 10:55 am
Funny thing…is you are not alone. I am obsessed with keeping my life at arm’s length, however, my “planners” are digital.
I have a Moto Q (phone) that keeps both personal and professional entries. I have an email calendar that includes professional entries/tasks and only personal “out-of-office” entries so that I don’t over schedule or double book. If I don’t write it down (or add it to my phone/email calendar), I will never be at that “important” meeting, remember my dentist appointment, etc. I even write down my children’s events so I know when they are out of school.
As far as receipts and random pieces of paper go, here is my take on it. I have receipts for the last 30 – 45 days in a wrislet that I can keep in my pocketbook. The receipts are purged once a month…or when I have a free moment with nothing else to do. The wrislet is small enough that it doesn’t overcrowd my pocketbook but accesssible enough if I need it in a hurry. Random pieces of paper that will eventually be needed (at least I think they will be) are in my wallet.
February 12, 2009 at 11:20 am
That’s a real writer..an entire (great) post on dayplanners! I have several planners that I never continue to use. I just write things down ALL of the time on WHATEVER I can get my hands on—notebook paper, receipts, old papers. It’s pretty bad.
I absolutely have to have my BB. I sleep with it (on silent. That vibrate option just kills me). I check it constantly for emails even when I’m at my computer at work. I have three different email accounts, but I only use two currently.
Everything you keep in your planner pockets, I usually just throw in my bag and clean it out at the end of the week. Only God knows what’s in there.
February 12, 2009 at 11:57 am
I am addicted to my blackberry also… i don’t know what i would do without it…
I had a compaq laptop… but it was stolen :-( i am thinking about getting a MAC next :-)
February 12, 2009 at 12:19 pm
I think the main reason we dont carry planners is because we dont carry purses. every thing i need fits in my pockets and my phone on a belt clip. i know duffle bag boy tried to make it gangster to carry a purse. i cant bring myself to that even if it’s louis vuitton.
my touch screen pda works for me. and i can scribble and write on it. im not obsessive with the planning and i used to write my appointments on the piece of paper i could find. i had a lot of numbers on paper towels. my lady invested in one of those erasable planning boards and put it next to the fridge,now im good. I leaened my lesson after my dr. threatened to kick me out as a patient for too many appointments.
February 12, 2009 at 12:21 pm
too many MISSED appointment.
February 12, 2009 at 1:22 pm
I ask this with love, Aliya… Is it bad form to refer to you as a “dork”?
February 12, 2009 at 2:19 pm
As a guy, I cant get behind the “I dont carry a planner because…” excuses. I’ve got a laptop bag that I bring with me to and from work every day, and when I travel, that covers about 95% of the time that I actually need to put something into, or refer to my planner. Other times, I can simply jot down a reminder in my Blackberry which I have with me about 99.999% of the time.
Anyway, this was a really great post with lots of good info, and I especially like seeing the specific ways in which you use your planner. I need to get better at having a routine around using mine, which is one of the Levenger planners. Thanks for the great write up!
February 12, 2009 at 2:37 pm
I hope one of the girls is not waiting for that prescription to be filled.
I use my cell phone calendar in the evening to remind me to do things in the morning. I use my email calendar at work for EVERYTHING. I love it because it can give me a reminder about what I need for my appointment, like fasting for blood work or lotion my legs for a pap, lol. My boss tried to get me to use a planner but each time I would turn the page I would never go back to the previous page so things were not getting done.
Like you have multiple passwords, which are stored in my ‘brain’. Its a little black book that I keep in my purse with little notes about each system or site I access with a hint to my password. I try to keep them similar but the combo of multiple email addresses and passwords can be hectic. My job now uses single sign on which allows you to enter one id and password to access multiple systems but it only helps with about 5 out of 20 systems that I access daily.
I thought about purchasing the voice recorder device so that at anytime I could record my to do or appointment info. It lacks the reminder option that I really need so not worth it.
February 12, 2009 at 3:53 pm
@anoynmous: do you ever lose these bits of paper? and what happens if your phones gets glitchy. or falls and breaks?
February 12, 2009 at 3:59 pm
dear readers, I have questions for quite a few of you…
@Yolanda: I just can’t conceive of depending on a phone to keep up with stuff. if you have a to-do list with ten things on it, do you type them all out there. isn’t the screen small??
@southernLady: i used to be you with the bits of paper at the bottom of the bag. I’m reformed now. I tried to sleep with my BB. But TheHusband put a stop to that.
@jenna: get a mac. case closed.
@hanif: erasable planning board. TheHusband NEEDS that. But do you use it? Do you remember to write on it?
@JWS: yes, I am a dork. I am quite proud of this.
@officesupplygeek:I saw the Levenger planners on your site. Love them!!
@Jovi: again, i just don’t get the cell phone calendar. I usually have ten things on my to do list for any given day. Wouldn’t it be hard to type out the details for each thing on my cell phone? And I also get calls on my cell phone. How would I input an address and telephone number while I’m on the phone? Write it and then input it on the phone? Hmmm.
February 12, 2009 at 5:01 pm
The biggest problem I have with it is remembering to update the calendar. It’s tedious to erase the days and write them back in each month. So I use the open writing space to write down a phone number or important appointment, and it’s right on the wall next to the refrigerator, so I can’t miss it.
February 12, 2009 at 5:06 pm
I use my cell phone calendar for very basic stuff like call dr, pay macys, milk & chips. keep it simple. I dont have a snazzy phone like you and dont receive important calls where I would need to add all that stuff to my calender.
February 12, 2009 at 6:56 pm
I carry two flash drives with me 5 days a week. EVERYTHING is on those joints! If I were to ever lose them, my life would be over as I know it.
The Blackberry holds all of my appointments, and random thoughts and ideas I need to flesh out at some point.
Any due dates for assignments, projects and the like, are stored in my brain. I’m one of those people who can instantly memorize a due date as soon as it’s told to me. And it’s etched in my head until that day comes and goes.
But my favorite thing are Post-It Notes. I’m kinda embarrassed to share this, but everyday before I start my day, I make a list of everything I want to get accomplished for that day on a Post-It Note and I tuck it in my wallet. It HAS to be on a Post-It Note. Nothing else.I tried to make my to do list in my steno once, but it just didn’t feel the same.Yesterday, I crossed off 12 of the 14 items on my Post-It Note to do list. It was a good day.
February 12, 2009 at 7:48 pm
@hanif: sounds like you need a dated wall calendar. get on it!
@jovi: If my phone is fancy, it’s of no use to me. Cause I don’t take advantage of any of it’s fanciness.
@del: see, you’re a whiz with the Blackberry. You type super fast on that thing. And you’re not old like me. I’m blind. I need to print. in LARGE type. on paper. Post-It notes. good to know. ha.
February 12, 2009 at 8:15 pm
This is a great subject (guess im a geek)- because I have been looking for help ie the right solution. My current setup is with Outlook email, contacts, calendar and tasks which automatically wirelessly sync with my PDa. This works great for the emails and calendars, since i can enter details from either my computer or phone at any time. I also use an “in the sky” Exchange Server which I swear by because I can lose any one of my devices and not have to worry about losing any of the above information.
My problem is with my Tasks, which really is kind of synonymous with my To- do list. While Outlook will still wirelessly sync my tasks to my phone and such, its not really practiacal with ALL tasks, because some tasks, are labor intensive and have tasks wrapped inside of tasks (hope this makes sense) . It also isn’t conducive to writing general notes, random but still important numbers, reminders, those important papers that need to be in your face, etc.
So, currently I have been just carrying around a business notebook in my laptop bag and this has been moderately successful. However, I still don’t feel super efficient, because the notebook is unorganized.
Also, I can now see the importance of having a planner that will allow me to shuffle the papers around. Right now I may have 1 subject matter on 3 different pages scattered in my notebook. This is why a regular notebook is not the best for me right now.
However, i have yet to find the perfect dayplanner that is receptive to multiple tasks, daily to do lists and generous note taking, without predating each page, because some days need several pages.
I will check out the Daytimer, where’s the best place to examine it i wonder?
Sidebar: before I started carrying my laptop with me, there was really noway to get me to carry a planner around in my hand, because I would probably lose it, and/or forget to carry it most days, which usually made matters worse.
February 12, 2009 at 8:34 pm
funny that you write down your passwords. I should do that. I don’t know how I remember mine-there are about four that I use on different accounts…actually I’ve forgotten passwords a few times and had to change ’em.
As for the planner, I used to be an avid paper planner but then I copped a PDA and it changed my life. So much easier. Now I use the Calendar function in my blackberry for everything–birthdays, meetings, dates, interviews, flight information, etc. I do everything in my blackberry–even have a checkbook application to keep track of my bank account. I have no idea how people remember things without writing it down! I have the memory of a 70 year old. I can’t.
-clove
February 12, 2009 at 8:36 pm
Sweet day in the morning! You seem to be very organized. I’ve been attempting to reach organizational heaven (no luck yet but my progression is key right?). I have however managed a somewhat cool organizational chaos status!
I’ve used Franklin Covey products down to the minimum to the gargantuan. But no luck! Either I’ll leave the planner at home and start using random post its with the hopes I’ll keep up with them. Or I’ll just use a nearby spiral notebook from my classroom.
Now because I am a HUGE fan of the old school black/white composition books, lately what works has been using them for different things. Since I have tons of them around mi casa, they each have a decorative cover which is distinct from the rest. For example, or por ejemplo since I’m brushing up on my Spanish!
1) My journal has Adinkra symbol stickers on the front. Real sacred!
2) My journal with all my usernames and passwords are in another comp book and is decorated in red. The way I see it and since my billing info is included, I am always reminded not to get “in the red” or else the 1800 #’s start ringing.
Hey, I’ve even gone down the pda family. Old school palm pilot, Tungsten, Palm 2, 3, etc. My mother and I are still clueless as to why that didn’t work out.
In the end, I’m reminded of that robot Rosie from the Jetsons…”There’s a place for everything and everything in its place”.
February 12, 2009 at 9:07 pm
Swear by my Blackberry!!! I use the calendar religiously, use the notes or memo section for passwords. I actually use a mini spiral notebook for stuff I need to write down, so a combo of paper and tech. Reciepts, gift cards, pens all go in the purse then purge periodically. But I like the wristlet idea like Yolanda uses. I used to have a planner just like that. Question for you Aliya, what do you do with the old calendar pages? I have kept mine, just recently found them in my parents garage. Of course I went through the planner and reminisced about all the old appointments, and stuff that I scribbled…it was fun :)
February 12, 2009 at 9:35 pm
@Timothy: you’re making me wish I could be a professional organizer. I’m DYING to help you get it together. Let me think. My gut tells me you need a paper planner. A small one. Solely for your to-do lists and tasks. i know EXACTLY what you mean about labor intensive tasks. And I love the idea of the “in the sky” server you mention. with that kind of setup, I could be convinced to use an electronic server. Except maybe not. I noodled around the daytimer website. Don’t see a list of retailers. I’ll ask the woman I interviewed…
@Lucky: I don’t get how you can do this stuff on your Blackberry. I feel so old.
@Keisha: i like what you’re doing. two reasons: 1. it works for you and 2. it makes sense. i can see having a notebook for different things. And the thing is, I’m NOT super organized. Well, I am on paper. But in real life, I’m still late to stuff. And somehow miss events that were written in my planner. I also make a grave mistake at least once a month. I commit to an event WITHOUT my planner in front of me. Then I see a conflict. Ugh.
@Retha: of COURSE i keep my old calendars. Are you kidding me? I love looking at them! I order a calendar that has two pages for each day. One page functions as a journal, when I feel like writing. When I was pregnant, I jotted down my thoughts in my planner. Tog was TWO WEEKS overdue. The things I scribbled in those two weeks are priceless.
February 12, 2009 at 9:55 pm
Aliya, yes ma’am, I type everything on that “lil” screen…to-do lists, important numbers, appointments, etc. but I must admit most of my to-do lists are for my professional life so those usually go in the email calendar. Honestly, I don’t “schedule” my personal life with to-do lists that have more than three tasks in a day (usually, I can remember those things without writing them down)…I try to be free of lists on “my time”
February 12, 2009 at 11:14 pm
OMG! We are kindred spirits for real!! I never leave home without my planner…Franklin Covey, Classic style. I, too, have the page holder with 2 pics of my favorite kiddos. Like you, if I don’t write it down, it’s erased from my memory. I even write down my hubby’s important dates. You’ve really hit home with this one. :-)
February 13, 2009 at 7:02 am
So, i am convinced you are a Virgo now!
So many people have commented so I don’t want to be long and drawn out, but BOY oh BOY you make a sister feel sane. Between being born in Sept AND having a touch of OCD you can only imagine what my quirks are. I am a blackberry/dayplanner/post-it person. At home (and at work) I use binders to organize EVERYTHING. I keep all of my financial information in a binder with monthly tabs and sheet protectors that contain all of my paid bills and receipts for those bills, my paystub and any other receipts for major purchases or monthly expenses like my daughhter’s dance class and rent as well as my bank statement for the month. Daily, I start with a to-do list and only add things to my phone calander that are appointments or phone calls, everything else goes on a list. I do a blank sheet of paper and a crayola marker (seriously) I love how they write, they are better than sharpie bc they have a true fine/wide point.
Anyway, I digress, love this post, love the blog. Geek paradise.
February 13, 2009 at 8:40 am
@keeya: hmmm. I keep hearing a lot about Franklin Covey in the comments. I’m not familiar with that brand. I feel a battle of the planners coming on!
February 13, 2009 at 8:44 am
@Yolanda: Now I’m starting to think maybe my planner-mania is a symptom of a bigger issue. Cause I can’t imagine only having three things on my to-do list per day…How do you manage that?!
@Tarana: I’m not a Virgo. But I’m a Libra! And my birthday is at the very beginning of Libra-ness. Wow! First of all, you’d better be long and drawn out when one of these posts speaks to you! I’m nost just obsessed with my own planner. I’m obsessed with everyone else’s too! I want to see pictures of these binders! (I tried them and they didn’t work for me. Punching holes in stuff got too consuming/annoying. And I found myself holding on to things I didn’t need. I’m strictly file-folders and cabinet now. And did you say you do a blank piece of paper and a crayola marker?!?! Please scan and email me a sample. I need to see this. A crayola marker?!
February 13, 2009 at 8:48 am
@everybody: Can you all PLEASE send me pictures of your planners, post-It notes, to-do lists with Crayola marker, binders, notebooks, composition books, etc. I’m really loving this post. And I’d love to see how people handle this stuff. There are prizes involved! First one to send me a picture of their quirky system gets a copy of India.Arie’s new CD!! And the person who sends me the best photo overall will also receive a copy! So get to scanning! Or take a picture. Send to aliyasking@gmail.com.
February 13, 2009 at 2:34 pm
Aliya your right…here’s my dilemma…I really need a little planner, just for to do lists and general notes and reminders,…however, I also need a big planner, just to be able to stuff regular size paperwork, bills and stuff in…so thats why I got this regular business notebook that is mostly empty but i guess its getting the job done now. The other part is on me to make sure i fully utilize it.
The exchange server i use is at http://www.1and1.com. I pay like 6.99/month. Basically if my computer goes kaput or my phone has to be replaced, I just enter the password and url info and it re-uploads and updates my new device with extensive contact info, calendars info, dates, tasks, and notes.
The most important part about it, I think, is that once you enter whatever information you want into your computer or phone, it automatically backs up your information and is always available to you, until you decide to delete it.
It also works with Macs!
February 13, 2009 at 3:44 pm
@Timothy: First of all, I am SO signing up or 1 and 1. like, now. As for your dilemma. I can only endorse using ONE planner. Two sounds way complicated. It sounds to me like you need to continue to explore your planner needs. And then you need to make a list of everything you’d want the planner to have and then (and only then) start looking for the perfect one. I have spoken.
February 13, 2009 at 6:09 pm
I decided that I need to get a dry erase board like I had in college because I’ve been forgetting A LOT of things lately. I haven’t gotten a planner yet because I feel like it would just collect dust. I have a big 5-subject notebook that I basically jot everything in…and sometimes I use a smaller journal. It’s pretty unorganized but it gets me by. For important dates, I sometimes e-mail myself a reminder and use all caps and asterisks in the subject line. I, too, plug important dates into my cell phone or iPod. :-/ It hasn’t failed me yet! *knocks on wood*
February 13, 2009 at 6:46 pm
O one more thing I meant to tell you. There are other competitors out there like 1and1, so dont feel obligated to use them exclusively. However, I haven’t had any problem with them at all, even with the automatic billing, which occurs every 3 months.
Yo also have the option to create your own email address and websites, ie http://www.aliya.com and/or aliya@aliya.com. that kind of stuff.
I will keep searching for the perfect planner. I almost pulled the plug last night on the daytimer, but TW pulled me away at the last second.
Thanks again!
I will keep searching for my own
February 14, 2009 at 10:01 pm
I used to do the planner thing. I bought the plain ones from Waldenbooks without all the pockets and stuff. I don’t have that much to organize. One year I was late on getting a new one and decided it was too late and I could barely remember anything! I still don’t have one, but I have my iTouch now. I also use my cell phone. Receipts go in my wallet and I empty them out into a shoebox when it gets too full. Any other coupons or notes will go in a pocket in my purse.
February 14, 2009 at 10:04 pm
Oh and I do have a spiral notebook that I write random lists, things and ideas in. There’s so many ways to keep up with stuff, no one should ever forget anything. You have online calendars with your e-mail (which I use the least, but there’s some birthdays there). I used to buy calendars before I got into planners, but that was too open and people would be reading it. I needed more privacy. I was still in high school then. lol I had to write in code if I kissed a boy so my brother wouldn’t know all my business.
February 15, 2009 at 12:19 pm
[…] Thursday, I confessed another of my Geek Love obsessions: my DayTimer […]
February 16, 2009 at 3:21 pm
I gave up on my Franklin in ’05. Since then, I’ve pretty much gone digital, using my Instinct phone for personal and Lotus Notes for work-related stuff. Now when it comes to bills, I’m COMPLETELY different and a lot more anal. I keep a 8×11 wall calendar and write everything down in there, slipping the bills in as I get them, and once paid, I take the bills out and shred ’em. I suppose I could use a planner for all of this, but if I carried around that big ‘ole thing again, I wouldn’t have room to carry around all the other writer stuff like books/notepads/manuscripts/dictonary, etc.
February 16, 2009 at 3:22 pm
Okay, my bad, that’s dictionary… LOL!
February 16, 2009 at 3:33 pm
@yes: you are hilarious with your codes.
@ K. Dubb. I’m liking the idea of the wall calendar. Right now, I keep all my bills on a calendar printed on regular paper. It should be large. And on the wall. But I can’t do that. Because it would remind me of what bills I’m not paying. Ha.
February 21, 2009 at 6:18 am
[…] S. King has a REALLY awesome post on her DayTimer Planner with lots of pictures and specific examples of how she uses it. She is not a pen, notebook, or […]
February 23, 2009 at 11:23 pm
I am also obsessive with my planners, and I have kept one per year since my freshman year of high school (11 years ago) and still own every one of them. I usually get the ones that are organized by week, and each day has about 4 inches of space. I am VERY specific to the type of planner I need.
Once in college, I lost my planner for 2 days, and missed no less than 3 very important meetings. I didn’t know what to do with myself. I found it and wanted to kiss who gave it back. I’m sure they were thinking I was about to tackle them as I went for a huge hug that I didn’t care was welcome or not.
February 24, 2009 at 9:18 am
If I lost my planner I would die. DIE.
February 24, 2009 at 9:19 am
@luvvie, also, how do you fit everything for a day in just 4 inches of space? I have to get the calendar with two FULL pages per day!
April 3, 2009 at 12:54 am
Well, it happened to me. i lost my planner yesterday. Daytimer, with everything in it. in addition to my using it constantly, i also was fond of it, family pics, charms, little sayings…i keep remembering more and more things…a hand written note from my Mom who has passed away…arghh!!!!
i had to do the serenity prayer and remind myself that my family is all healthy, nothing had happened to my children….i feel totally different without it. not sure what i’m going to do yet…but i am noticing in one day i have to put on my thinking cap to remember things…i’m doing better than i thought. what can you do sometimes?
best wishes all..
April 3, 2009 at 9:33 am
Oh no!! TD, I feel your pain and mourn with you. Yes, family is healthy. Children are alive. You really do need to focus on these things. I know losing that planner is like losing a limb. I can’t even imagine. But it IS replaceable. (Some of the things at least…)
damn.
May 19, 2009 at 7:08 am
I have tried all sorts of planning styles. Electronically, I’ve had a Sony Clie, a Blackberry and an MDA Vario3. They all really got on my nerves, because they were so inflexible. I also really disliked getting them out during meetings; it looked as though I was texting someone. I was never able to use electronic to-do lists effectively and tended to carry a Moleskine notebook.
For the last year, I have used a Day-Timer and wouldn’t change it for the world. I have become a fastidious keeper of lists. I check my planner first thing in the morning and last thing at night and refer to it on numerous occasions throughout the day.
No more losing pieces of paper with random indecipherable notes!
July 29, 2009 at 6:18 pm
[…] Geek Love: My DayTimer Planner « Aliya S. King […]
September 6, 2009 at 10:05 pm
Does the woman who posted this article work for Daytimer? It really, really sounds like a sales pitch to me – the part where the rep from Dayimers talks – really?
September 6, 2009 at 11:14 pm
Nope. I don’t work for Daytimer. I just love the product! And the part where the rep from Daytimer talks? That’s called an interview.
I’m a reporter. I interview people. For a living. Check the bio.
September 7, 2009 at 6:10 pm
It is way beyond gratifying to find people who are also obsessive about their planners. I have used nearly every brand out there for years and years, but for the past 5, I’ve been in love with Franklin Covey’s compact size. As you say– my life is in this little book. After buying the monthly and weekly calendar pages, I lovingly make dividers and tabs like scrapbook pages for subjects necessary to my life ( like some of the GTD items). I loved all the pictures!!
To TD who lost her planner: my very heartfelt sympathy. Offer a reward– go to every place you can think of that you’ve been– post ‘Lost’ posters.