PART 1: THE RESEARCH PHASE
*The following Filofax and pages set-up was designed to specifically address memory, organization, and time perception problems associated with particular disabilities. Any feedback, questions, or suggestions are welcome. I hope this set-up information and associated descriptions are helpful for people.
Background:
I’ve used some kind of organizer since 1990 when I went to a group class paid for by our employer for what was then called the Franklin Quest Planning System (now Franklin Covey). I’ve tried to go paperless a number of times but by the time I get the correct application open on my phone, it finishes it’s automatic sync, etc., I’ve completely forgotten what I was going to write down. Also, because of my PTSD, alarms attached to events on my phone can be extremely startling on a bad day, which further spirals my anxiety downward. I’ve also found that because my short term memory is pretty bad during periods of increased anxiety, I can find myself turning on my phone to look at my calendar multiple times in just a few short minutes. When my calendar is down in print close to me, a quick glance resolves any confusion about where I’m supposed to be and when I’m supposed to be there.
I’ve used both Franklin Covey pages and Filofax brand pages but I find both too visually stimulating. Filofax has multiple languages and international holidays on their pages and Franklin Covey has a lot of wasted space with cartoony pics and quotes from Stephen Covey that I don’t find useful or interesting.
Recently I found some organizer pages on Pinterest from a self-employed woman, Sheng Chen from Singapore. I read her blogs, watched various videos on YouTube of how people utilized the pages, etc. I decided that I liked the ability to not only schedule things in advance, but being able to retrieve information via color coding. Most people get very detailed with washi tape, stickers, drawings, etc. but that is just WAY too much for me to see when I’m trying to find old information and I really don’t have the time or interest to get into heavy decorating. If I have a sticker or something, it’s usually to celebrate a special event or something. The benefit for me of having very few decorations is that later on if I’m flipping through old pages, the dates with stickers have a visual punch that makes those events easier to see.
So the following is how I set up her pages to fit my needs. Stay tuned!
My Dog Linus 