Moving to paper diary/filofax from phone apps

[DilysPhyllis]

Has anyone done this successfully and if so is there a particular diary/filofax etc that you have? Currently everything is on my phone - calendar app, reminders, notes, lists, alexa shopping etc and I feel like I'm constantly on my phone as I go on to check one of the above and then get sucked into something else and hey presto I'm glued to the screen again.

I'm aware an easy answer would be more self control where the phone is concerned....

I also wonder if having to write everything and keep track without a phone or alexa will help with my memory which is not great, although this could be perimenopausal brain fog...

Anyone done this successfully? Am I just turning away from technology and making my life a bit harder for no real benefit. It would be easy enough to try and see I suppose but would appreciate any thoughts. Thanks.

[quote Bargebill19]@Pucarbuile

Yes there is that technicality🤣

The rocket oil comes in at under £50. That might work?[/quote]
The rocket everlast is a bit rubbish.

@Bargebill19 I need one that syncs with teams/outlook though. So basically an iPad but that doesnt look all glary and doesn't ping at me. I hate the constant pinging my phone now does and I'm left spending ages trying to work out whether it's Gmail, outlook, teams, WhatsApp, text message, a random other app that MUST have my attention.

I have a mix, which works fine for me. Work stuff automatically pops up in Teams/Outlook, I have a very slim handbag diary, and we have a calendar in the kitchen that DP and I both write stuff on. I tend to keep lists on my phone for certain things - for example meal ideas/ingredients, which then get written onto a little Blackboard with the days of the week on it on a Sunday.

I have a Moleskine diary, in which I more or less keep on top of stuff.

I don't have a smartphone, though, so haven't experienced life on the other side (thank God).

Brilliant thanks everyone, off to do a bit of research. Also good to know writing can help with memory, I've suspected for a while this might be the case.

Warning - - going paper based may generate an international pandemic

I go to various events with two sisters on their trade stalls.
One of them is quite a nightmare to keep track of and identify potential / committed events.
I keep an online calendar and we have tried to keep her down to a paper calendar, but they will discuss and confirm the coming months quickly followed by everything discussed disappearing on pieces of paper or in her head, they never make it to the official A4 sized fat diary

For 2020 I gave her a small A7 pocket diary and I kept an identical one. All was going fine at the end of 2019 with the year planned and recorded. That was until the first event in March 2020 followed promptly by lockdown

She is now banned from holding a diary, we keep track of her online and tell her where and when she is going to what she has signed up for

@Bellagonna I've fallen down a rabbit hole on smart pens and paper. Take a look at the neo pen and planner. It's the pen that comes with the moleskine smart notebooks/planners but there are other paper brands available. It says the planner syncs with ical, Google and outlook. I may risk it...

I have never used my phone diary. Something went wrong with my husband's phone and he lost his whole diary and appointments. Fortunately, we have a large week to a page diary that we always used as a back up. I had written some things in there. Husband was understandably upset as he lost some appointments. I also use a handbag diary, week to a page and have done since I was young.

Filofax personal sized thingy here for life in general (made myself with nice leather and the rings out of a cheap knock-off because I can sew but I can’t afford a nice leather Filofax), vaguely bullet-journal inspired system. I use dividers and have addresses in there too.

Then eBay a5 Filofax for work (lesson planning, class lists, timetable, meeting notes and scribble)

I’m still disorganised, but way better than before I used them!

I also have a Filofax Finsbury and use it as a diary and address book. I love it.

My phones too distracting, so this suits me best.

I never really use my phone calendar as I seem to forget events etc the minute I put them in. Plus I just can't see things on screen in the same way as I do on paper. Mostly I managed with a family calendar hanging in the kitchen and dozens of post-it notes dangling precariously from various surfaces. But I went back to a Filofax pocket size a year ago having not used one for years. There's so much stuff online about different ways of using them, it's been a revelation! I spent a long time thinking about what I really needed it for, ditched all the Filofax subject tabs and made my own eg diary, a running to-do list, tabs for each DC for their activities and school stuff, shopping lists, gift ideas, book and film lists etc. I use a Frixion erasable fineliner pen to keep it fairly neat-looking and colour-code stuff with erasable highlighters. I was feeling as though I'd jumped straight from baby brain to menopause and this has at least improved my ability to remember what's going on day to day and to feel like I have more of a grip on it all.

Serendipity to see this thread today! I’ve never relinquished my paper diary, because I too find that writing things down helps cement the memory. I usually buy something lovely every year from a museum or wherever, but today I noticed the Filofaxes in WH Smith and wondered about digging out my 80s one on the grounds of less paper/waste every year.

@Bellagonna

Turn off all notifications on the iPad .!!! I’ve done this on my phone and life is so much smoother.

You’re all so organised!

I prefer a paper diary. I have an academic one for work and home appts. I keep a separate notebook for to do lists. I have outlook calendar on my work computer.

I've had a revelation - that I probably need an A4 size diary/bullet journal because the A5 ones feel so cramped to me.

Also, I am definitely keeping up some elements of the digital organisation but think I want to try a more hybrid system with paper for for general brainstorming, to-dos, running lists, and next day schedule. Digital for reference, filing and master calender.

If A5 is too small but A4 ends up being too large (!) you can now get some notebooks/diaries in B5 which is my new favourite size ever! Bit more limited choice, and won’t be replacing my Filofax, but if you bullet journal from scratch then could be perfect for you!

Paper diary for everything, it’s easier to show dh stuff as well.