Opinions on Day planners/Calendars

[jonwings]

I was at Barnes & Noble the other day and I stumbled upon this

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/20...Calendar/Barnes-Noble/e/9781435116009/?pwb=1&

I normally do not use a planner of any kind, but this one looked pretty sweet and I know this will be kind of a hectic year for me it might be a good idea to pick one up.

Does anyone else use something similar? This just looks cool to carry around

 

[_JP_]

Check into Franklins.

 

[cfriend]

I've digitalized and gone to iCal + OmniFocus. I like the illustrations in the one you've linked, though.

 

[chainfire]

Check into Franklins.

+1 I used Franklin Covey planners for years. They stand up and work great.

 

[arghblech]

These things require that you be very diligent and put *everything* in them. If you don't do that you won't receive the benefits of a day planner. I, having used them for many years, find them repulsive and have ceased usage (apparently redness persisted ). I am so much happier now that I don't catalog my entire life.

 

[jonwings]

I actually think I have something along the lines of one of the Franklins. While it is definitely more practical to have the binder that you can just refill. The leather zip up one I got close to 10 years ago always seemed to bulky and I remember it being a hassle to carry around. It still looks nice.

What I like about one I linked to is that it was much slimmer and less bulky.

 

[Bertilak]

Day-Timer has the biggest selection. I am mostly happy with their two-page per week compact edition (3x5 inches). You get a whole year that fits easily in a shirt pocket. I use the wire-bound version because it is the easiest to hold open and write in.

Day-Timers are not cheap but you do get quality to match the price.

 

[WhosYerBob]

I was at Barnes & Noble the other day and I stumbled upon this

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/20...Calendar/Barnes-Noble/e/9781435116009/?pwb=1&

I tried that one awhile back; it's okay. Good but not great. I found the Moleskine 18 month weekly planner to work better for me:
http://www.moleskine.com/catalogue/..._weekly_notebook__black_hard_cover__large.php

 

[azmark]

Been with Franklin Covey for 11 years now. Best thing ever.

 

[toucanlamp]

I dunno, tradition can be fun in some things like shaving, but just about every smartphone on the market has a agenda/planner application that is a billion times easier and more efficient than a physical book you need to lug around.

 

[jonwings]

I tried that one awhile back; it's okay. Good but not great. I found the Moleskine 18 month weekly planner to work better for me:
http://www.moleskine.com/catalogue/..._weekly_notebook__black_hard_cover__large.php

I do like the way that looks. I am going to have to check those out.

 

[KarthVader]

The moleskine planner is very nice. I use a combination of things. I have a small moleskine notebook and I enter items into it using a writing system I found on artofmanliness.com. That way, I keep things organized and I can refer to them when I'm on the go. Any pertinent dates get placed on a large, monthly calendar that is hung up on a wall so I can see it. I have different colored pens to signify different events, i.e. green for social events, red for school, blue for extra curricular activities. Certain things are entered into my phone's scheduler, usually items that are time sensitive or something I would forget otherwise.

 

[Obsessed]

I've digitalized and gone to iCal + OmniFocus. I like the illustrations in the one you've linked, though.

I dunno, tradition can be fun in some things like shaving, but just about every smartphone on the market has a agenda/planner application that is a billion times easier and more efficient than a physical book you need to lug around.

But if you happen to practice law in the Federal District Court in Manhattan, you need a paper calendar as well, because you are not allowed to bring cellphones, blackberries, etc. into the building, and the judges still want to know when they can schedule the next appearance.

 

[Bertilak]

I dunno, tradition can be fun in some things like shaving, but just about every smartphone on the market has a agenda/planner application that is a billion times easier and more efficient than a physical book you need to lug around.

I dunno about that. The last two cellphones I bought I messed around with the built-in planner and it was fun for a while but nothing beats my compact Day-Timer. It has analog input -- a step up from digital!

 

[MoJoe]

I've digitalized and gone to iCal + OmniFocus. I like the illustrations in the one you've linked, though.

Another David Allen fan I see. It's iCal and Things for me. Anyway, this stuff is all good but I'd recommend that you read Getting Things Done by David Allen. It puts organization into better perspective than Franklin or Covey ever did independently or as a merged company, in my opinion. The system will not tie you to a fancy planner and is as or more effective. It focuses on workflow. There's a good video of Allen explaining GTD to the folks at Google on YouTube which gives a good foundation to what it's all about.

 

[my19]

For the Moleskine fans, onekingslane.com has 'em on sale. You have to "join," but it's free and anyone can. Not sure how great a deal this is -- I've never priced them -- but they look to be roughly 40 percent off retail.

 

[Sam]

Old Version of a tungsten E2. Syncs with outlook for me and I can sync with my phone but i Donty

 

[kwk285]

I found I kept misplacing paper calenders so I switched over to the calender on my Iphone.

 

[stobes21]

Another David Allen fan I see. It's iCal and Things for me. Anyway, this stuff is all good but I'd recommend that you read Getting Things Done by David Allen. It puts organization into better perspective than Franklin or Covey ever did independently or as a merged company, in my opinion. The system will not tie you to a fancy planner and is as or more effective. It focuses on workflow. There's a good video of Allen explaining GTD to the folks at Google on YouTube which gives a good foundation to what it's all about.

+1 on David Allen/GTD. I like the system so much in part because it isn't tied to any particular piece of software or hardware. You can use something as simple as a giveaway promotional paper calendar and some 3x5 notecards, or a sophisticated software setup that runs on your computers and smartphone. I am by nature a procrastinator and a person who piles "stuff" everywhere. I'm finding the GTD system to be the most effective system I've ever used to get myself organized.

Anyway, I use Google Calendar synced with iCal on my phone and home and work computers and an app on my iPhone called "EasyTask." I think a nice paper calendar looks sweet and has some advantages, but I prefer the smaller form factor and convenience of having my phone, calendar, tasks/projects, email, and address book all in one little device that I always have with me.

 

[cricky101]

I used the various day planners for a couple years, but have moved completely digital in the last year.

I love Google Calendar online and on my phone - they sync beautifully so any changes are automatically updated.

I've got multiple calendars (work, personal, my community service group, even sports teams I follow, etc ...) that I can show or hide anytime on one calendar. I've also been using the SMS feature where I can set up alerts to send me a text message when there's something I need to remember to do.

For example, I just moved into a new house and garbage collection is on a different day than I had at my old house - and I knew I'd forget to put out the trash. And last night at about 9 pm I got a text message from my calendar reminding me to put out the garbage.