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Monday, September 10, 2012

Franklin Covey Two Pages Per Day inserts in my Filofax

After seeing Patty's amazing Franklin Covey setup, I was extremely inspired to try the Franklin Covey two pages per day!

For years now I've lamented not journaling consistently. When I use a large page per day book, I capture things on the day's pages that I would never otherwise get around to journaling. But a big day per page book is heavy to carry and doesn't have enough space for my lists and other information.

So I decided to go for the Franklin Covey two pages per day. I like the structured layout, and the paper is so much nicer than Filofax paper, thicker and with no bleed-through of inks.  These are the Compact pages. The pages are a little wider than personal Filofax pages, but I appreciate that little bit more writing room.

So here are some photos! I also ordered the storage binder, and I'm glad I did because the full year of 2PPD pages fills the thing up.


I'll use the binder as Patty says she uses hers: storing used pages and pages waiting to be used.

The storage binder has genius loops that open easily for handy access to pages you need.

The months are tabbed. These are the Seasons inserts, so they have seasonally colored tabs and themed seasonal images. I love them!
I got the July 2012-June 2013 inserts on discount.

The month on two pages calendars are tabbed, and not printed back to back so you can splice in pages. The front of the first month page has an index for that month, which I will use for that month's goals:
This is the design for the summer months. The tabbed month on two pages calendars are glorious! 

Except I have only two complaints: I'm used to Monday through Sunday weeks in my monthly calendars, so having the Sunday-start weeks threw me off a little. I'll adjust. And, these are North American inserts so the UK holidays aren't printed in the day spaces. No big whoop, I'll write them in.

On the back of each monthly calendar there is a Master Task List for personal and business tasks.
The two pages per day are printed back to back so when you turn the page, it's the next day's two-page spread. But the first and last days of the month are not printed back to back with the day pages of the adjacent month, so you can splice the entire month's day pages between the monthly calendars, so each tabbed month is followed by that month's day pages, then the next tabbed month and its day pages, and so on.

The front of the first day of the month has an index page again, which I will actually use as an index to easily find info written on that month's day pages.

The back of the last day of the month has a Business Expenses record page, which I will use to record my monthly bills and categorized expenses (groceries, petrol etc.).  Somehow I failed to get a photo of that page, sorry! But it's a multi-column expenses page that you can customize with your own column titles. Very handy.

Here is the two pages per day layout in all its glory! This is the design for the autumn months. Click on the image to enlarge. On the left page there's a Task List and Daily Tracker on the left side of the page, and Appointment Schedule on the right side of the page. The right page is lined for daily notes. Every day, even Saturday and Sunday, has this two-page layout!
I write my must-do tasks for the day in the Task List, or if I need to do them at a particular time I write them on the appointment schedule. I also write in tasks that came up during the day that I wasn't expecting, to have a record of when I did what. In the Daily Tracker I write expenses for that day. On the right page I take notes, jot numbers, note the weather and (yay!) journal!  I like knowing that I don't have to make choices about what's worthy of being written on the day's page. If I need more space, I can add another page!

I didn't take a photo of it, but I keep my weekly task list on a sticky note stuck to my page marker. That way if I get done with my tasks for today, I can see what else I need to do this week and work it in. The sticky note partly covers the right page, but that's fine because I use those pages for recording, not planning so it's not covering up anything I need to do. I really like this layout: Today's schedule and to-dos on the left, weekly to-dos and recording on the right.

I'm enjoying using the monthly and daily planners. Normally I can't function without a weekly view, but so far I'm not missing it.  Right now with everything I have going on I need the month calendar to see the big picture and what's coming up (which really helps prevent surprises), and the tons of space each day for details.  As I discovered earlier this year, my limit for places to look each day is two, so this two-place planning system is working well for me.

I love the seasonally-changing images! Below are the pages for the winter months:
 And here is the colorful springtime design!
The Franklin Covey two pages per day inserts include 12 full months of tabbed month on two pages with list space on the back side. After those, there's the next 12 full months of monthly calendars, these printed back to back:
 And there's a future planning page for the next year:
So here are the pages in my Aston. I decided to put in all the monthly calendars and 3 months of 2PPD into my binder so I could have as much future planning as possible, and last, current and next month's daily pages.
I knew the binder would be stuffed, but dang. The rings were absolutely full.
Here you can see not only how stuffed my Aston is, but also the difference in width of the Franklin Covey pages on top and the Filofax pages (my tabbed sections and address pages) below. My pen nestles neatly in the space there.
But really, this is crazy. Not only do the colors clash, but the pages stick out way too far from the edge of the binder. They'll get destroyed in my bag.
 This was just not going to work.
So I went through my Filofax stash to look for a wider binder. My old friend Buckingham was more accommodating, with less page overhang:
But it was so over-stuffed I was afraid I'd ruin the binder forever.
So I took it all out and put it into my Finsbury, which is not too bad but still has a fair amount of page overhang.
 The tabs stick out pretty far, and the June tab is crushed by the strap.
So in the interest of not having my Filofax crammed to bursting, I took out one future month leaving me with two months of 2PPD. I would prefer more, but oh well. An obvious solution is to buy a (wider) Franklin Covey binder with larger rings! The one I want (Compact Antique Leather with 1.5 inch rings) is out of my price range right now, and only available from the US site so I'd have to pay international shipping. But if I stick with this system for awhile, maybe I'll get it as a birthday or Christmas present!

45 comments:

  1. They are really lovely! Annoying that they're just a bit bigger than the Filofax sized inserts though. How inconvenient of them!

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  2. Great post! I wish wish wish (for the millionth time) that Filofax would be open to some new page designs/options!
    These look fantastic!! If they work for you long term, it would be WAY worth investing in a FC binder I should think. I have FC binders that I've had for years, so I know they do hold up well. (Don't have a compact or I'd send it to you)
    I can't wait to see how these work long term--I used them for YEARS way before I knew anything about Filofax--nice paper, nice clean format, TABBED months! WOOT!! haha

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  3. Woah, you have STUFFED those binders! I am using Franklin Covey compact pages in my Holborn, with 2 months of ppd at the back, and they do not stick out anywhere close to as much as yours are. I think that's probably because of a combination of fewer months and that my Filofax has fewer other pages, so is less stuffed overall.

    I actually use the first month "index" page as the index, and the second "index" as a goals page. I don't plan my goals that far ahead, and I like having the index on the same sheet as the monthly calendar so that it will always be there. I might get rid of the daily pages later on, but not the monthly calendars.

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    1. LOL Hannah I do the opposite thing for the opposite reason: since I keep my monthly pages in my Filo, I like to write my goals on those pages so I can keep a record of my goals and see the progression, what I've accomplished and what still needs work. I like to keep that with me for easy reference. Then I'll keep my index with those daily pages in my storage binder.

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  4. love them! and i totally feel your pain about trying to use them in a filofax...which is why i'm using mine in a fc binder.

    i DO have a couple extra fc compact binders laying around, and i would be happy to send you one : )i have a black, open (not snap closure) vinyl one and a red canvas w/tan vinyl trim "sport" one. i know neither are the fc antique leather that you crave, but if you want to give one of 'em a go to see if you want to invest in the spendy fc binder, i would be more than happy to send one to you!

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  5. Laurie, did you order this from Franklin Covey UK? I tried orderding something last week from them, total nightmare it was, I gave up in the end and told them to cancel the order after they said they would have no idea when the order would reach me. I so wanted to use their products too.

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    1. Yikes! I did order from Franklin Covey UK, and had no problems. This was listed as In Stock, I wonder if you had a problem with an item they didn't have in stock and didn't know when it would be in?

      I do have to complain a little bit about how small the UK selection is compared to what's available in the US! Although even that is reduced compared to the selection they used to have.

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    2. I tried to order online 3 times, even phoned them twice but the phonecall order kept adding double the amount of postage and I wouldn't pay it, even though they said it would mean i got the order.... eventually managed to do an online order, then when I phoned after 5 days to see where it was, they said it hadn't even gone through and wouldn't know when it would. I told them to cancel it by then. Still stuck with a A5 FC binder with no inserts though.

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  6. Laurie, it's too late now, but did you know that the Daytimer pages for Portable are the same size as the Filofax pages? It's that extra 1/2" in width on the FC pages that's the problem. The Daytimer pages are very similar to Franklin Covey but would fit in your Filofax binder. I'm guessing you already knew that so I'd be curious about why you chose Franklin Covey over Daytimer.

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    1. I used some Daytimer pages many years ago and wasn't impressed with them. However, the few times I've used FC over the years, I have been very impressed. I like their system and I wanted all the extra pages for goal setting, tabbed months not printed back to back, etc.

      After I set up my FC pages, Rori sent me photos of her Day Timer 2PPD and I'm glad I got the FC: the Day Timer To Do list is a box at the bottom of the schedule page. I prefer my To Do list and schedule alongside each other as it is in FC.

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    2. That's true. I forgot about the list being at the bottom. And there's not much room in it either.

      I definitely agree that Franklin Covey is better.

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  7. I used FC in the 90's and was a dedicated user. Jump forward to the present time and I still like the FC planner pages, but I can't bring myself to buy a binder. The Filofax binders are so much more elegant. I have a personal Malden and personal Finchley and I love them. I've been using the FC planner pages in the Finchley and it's okay, but I've been thinking about the Daytimer. Anyone use them and, if so, what are your thoughts?

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  8. Excellent post, Laurie... you're making me feel nostalgic about my former FC 2PPD! I used to put certain reminders on post-its on the page finder, too. And I went through a similar cycling through various binders that I kept hoping would work, but ultimately I had to get a somewhat blah but very functional FC binder because it was the only one that fit right. And that extra half inch in the page width makes such a difference -- it's unbelievable but true.

    - Tina

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  9. Thank you for posting this, Laurie! I ordered FC planner pages last week (2 page/week) and am nervous but hopeful that I'll be able to make it work in my FF Ostrich binder.

    I used FC Classic for years and loved it but then fell off the wagon...not sure why.

    Sadly, I believe the one store in VA that was 20 minutes from my home has now closed. :-( I was hoping to try out the pages there but had to just order them online instead.

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  10. I have been using the Franklin Planner system since the early 80's--maybe even before that-Whew! I currently am using the compact "Blooms" pages (pretty seasonal flowers) in a personal pink Malden Filofax without too much overhang. I found that I do need that extra width on the pages with my large writing or I'm not happy. I carry one year of 2PPMO, and the 2PPD for the current month. (I use the 43 Folders tickler system for future events and add next months 2PPD around the 15th of the month.) There is plenty of room for photos, credit cards, and sections with info pages/note pages/to buys/to dos, etc. The quality of the paper is amazing--I use a liquid gel ink with no bleeding through-this should sell the product itself, along with the amazing selection of styles here in the U.S. Maybe we should email Franklin-Covey concerning missing out on their global market! Good luck with your planner!

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    1. I LOVE the paper. No bleeding, no show-through at all. It's awesome.

      I know FC is available in several countries, and I know they are diminishing their selection in general, but I do wish they had a wider selection available here!!

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  12. Did you have to punch your own holes to fit the FC pages into your Filofax, because they seem perfectly aligned and I don't see any extra holes in the photograph.

    With an A5 Filofax (I have a Chameleon) the FC Classic pages are a better size (half an inch taller, but just a bit thinner)but the holes are not in line at all.

    I'm trying to decide just how much a mess it will be if I punch an additional six holes in the FC pages...

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    1. These are the FC Compact pages in my Personal Filofax. The pages have the exact same hole configuration and same height, so no punching was required.

      Yes it's unfortunate the Classic and A5 pages are so close in size but have totally different hole configurations. I don't know if it's possible to effectively re-punch the holes to fit, or if you would have a problem with the holes being too close and ripping through.

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    2. I've had another look and it appears (from the photographs on the FC website) that the Seasons two pages a day have the Filofax hole configuration. It is the only one on the website that looks like this.

      I have taken the plunge and ordered - will be keeping my fingers crossed!

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    3. Carol be careful because they don't always show the photo of the exact size they're referring to, just to show the layout of the pages. So if you ordered the Classic size pages for your A5 Filofax, the holes will be different.

      However, if you ordered Compact pages, they will fit a Personal Filofax.

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    4. Nope - Classic - I guess it will be the hole punch for me and the sticky reinforcements....[sigh]

      Oh, well...

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    5. Ah dang. Well, good luck with the punching and please do let us know how it goes. I know A5 Filofax people would be thrilled to know if the Classic FC pages can work!

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    6. Steve has an article on Philofaxy that shows Franklin Covey Classic pages punched for an A5 Filofax. I found that very helpful when I was thinking of switching.

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    7. Patty do you remember which post that was? I remember he did one where he repunched Quo Vadis A5 pages, but didn't realize he did FC ones.

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  14. FC inserts have the same hole spacing as Filofax. I am trying them in my Finbury. I like them but the pen holder gets in the way and pushes on the tabs but I am ok with that.
    Karen

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  15. Carol and Unknown: the Franklin Covey Compact pages have the same hole configuration of the Filofax Personal pages.

    The FC Classic pages are almost the same size as Filofax A5 pages but have a completely different hole configuration.

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  16. Laurie - this and the previous FC post really hit a spot for me - I find the FF pages too narrow. so this might be a really good option. I've ordered some reduced pages (run from Apr 2012 to Mar 2013) to see if I can take to it. I just can't lug around my A5 so it gets left on my desk and not used. I have a Panama binder which I think may take the pages without too much hassle if I don't put the pen in the holder (shame as the pen holder is one of those great ones with leather and elastic!). The reduced pages were just the green ones, but if I take to this I will happily buy some prettier ones for next year - I just didn't want to spend a lot on what is really an experiment!

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    1. I hear ya Alison! Great opportunity to try these out on discount. Let us know how it goes for you!

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  17. What are your thought about these Franklin Covey sheets being wider? I love the layout and wouldn't might probably getting some for 2013. I think day timer or day runner sells the exact format of the ones you shown (if I'm not mistaken). I'm currently only use the day on two pages for work and the rest I will use the weekly layout.

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    1. So far so good with the wider pages. It's not bothering me as much as I expected to. Still, I hope to get a FC binder in the next month or so to accommodate the wider pages.

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    2. Laurie, I bought 2 FC compact binders on ebay in very good condition verrrry cheep 1 was 15.00 and the other was 20.00 I also got a compact hole punch for 21.00

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    3. Debbie I ended up getting a FC Compact binder for a great price on ebay: http://www.plannerisms.com/2013/02/franklin-covey-vegetable-tanned-leather.html

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  18. FC is running a promo thru 9/16 of 20% off binders (I'm not sure if it applies to all, or only a selected group of binders). The promo code is 22093. Sometimes when entering the site, you will get the promo popup, and then the pricing seems to reflect the 20% discount. Enjoy!

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  19. Every time I see pictures of someone successfully using FC inserts, I always want to go back to them. But I've been down this road several times: I hate that the pages stick out, so I trim them to be the same size as the FF pages, which is okay but then once repunched, the new holes take up valuable writing space, leaving me annoyed. I do love th layout of the FC 2ppd but the reality is they just don't work for me and I end up going back to FF. while I don't love the FF paper, I do use them in a way that works for me, so I guess that's what I'll stick with for now. I'd love it if FF came out with a layout like FC, but we all know that isnt going to happen! Great post!

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  20. Freaking out over here! I spent $75 on a Franklin Covey system yesterday and I can already tell it is going to be an epic planner fail for me. I'm so sad about it because I LOVE the binder, it's so pretty! I got a compact size with the seasons weekly vertical planner. Originally, I was using a Quo Vadis Minister. I bought the FC because I wanted to put everything in one place instead of carrying around 3 books. I carry my planner, a small stapled at the top Rhodia in a bright orange leather cover, and a miquelrius notebook with each section set up for finances, my food diary (recently found out I'm allergic to dairy), goals, and notes. I thought about getting the classic size but it's so huge I couldn't imagine carrying it around with me. I'm beside myself. :(

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    1. Hi Becky, don't worry. I think you should give it a try, and give yourself time to adjust to your new system. The multiple books issue is a major reason why I switched to this system too: I was carrying my weekly planner, my daily planner, a slim address booklet, and a Moleskine Volant notebook to write notes in. I felt crazy with so many books. This setup is great for having just one book.

      But I have to be really honest here and say I did abandon this after only a week, because I have to have a week view. The monthly calendar spaces weren't big enough to plan days in advance. I went back to my weekly planner with my lists right there on the weekly pages where I can see them all the time. And, I didn't like only having 2 months of daily pages in my book at one time. I still feel crazy with multiple books, but I need my week view and detailed forward planning.

      Anyway, your new setup is worth a try because you never know if it will be your Planner Nirvana unless you try it! :)

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  21. I love my FC inserts. I use mine in a Daytime Malibu portable planner and have no problems with over hanging tags. It holds a lot of stuff and holds all my wallet stuff too.
    Karen

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  22. Hi Laurie...I like your blog. But my English is not very deep. Could you insert a translator and so many could follow you from anywhere in the world?
    Thank you...

    From Spain...

    Luis

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    1. Hi Luis, thank you so much for your suggestion! I did not even know I could add the Translate feature. I have added it right at the top of my blog so it's easy to find. I hope this brings me lots of readers who prefer to read Plannerisms in a language other than English.

      Thanks again!

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  23. I LOVE IT!! I love the colors! I love the scenery! I love the inspiration! Who couldn't accomplish EVERYTHING with this type of binder!! You got it!! You just got a follower and an apprentice ; )

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  24. Am just rereading this post months later as I contemplate jumping ship from personal Filofax to Franklin Covey compact. I just bought an inexpensive used FC binder on ebay to give it a try. I know I'd never manage with sticky-outy pages in my filofax so an FC binder was the way to go; plus, it's got usefully larger rings! I've used Day Timer a good bit and I like the layouts, particularly their 8.5x5.5 design which is very similar to FC. But their paper is so bad that I have trouble "enjoying" my planner and need to be careful to not write in with a fountain pen. I think the FC compact is a nice compromise between portability and writing space. Very eager to give it a try!

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