So, believe it or not, in the wake of all the chaos of my job changing a couple weeks ago, I think I have found a planner system that will work for my new duties…and that won’t require either a humongous, backbreaking handbag, carrying TWO bags (one for work & one for weekends) and/or hiring staff to cart all my junk around for me.
But it’s Franklin Covey inserts in a Franklin Covey binder.
I went to take some “on location” and action shots over the weekend to post to Flickr, but then I remembered that I can’t…because there is no FC-ofaxy group : (
Cue sad trombone.
If I want to share my non-Filofax planner success with you, I guess I will have to settle for doing so via my blog.
For the rest of this year, I am using 7 Habits 2-Page per Day inserts.
Laurie recently wrote about her FC Seasons 2-Page per day inserts here, and basically the structure is exactly the same as she described so well, only the design/color scheme is different.
I started out with an old black FC compact I wrote about here, but I am trying to be more fun & colorful, so until my teal Giada binder with 2013 Her Point of View 2-Page per Day inserts arrive, I changed over to another old FC compact that is a jazzy metallic silver.
Hey, it’s as close as I could get to an actual color from my old, bland stash.
This leather binder has a cool metallic silver sheen to it
I like the interior fabric used. If you look closely, you can see that this was once a zipped binder, but with a little Exacto surgery, it is now an open binder.
et Voila! Open binder ; )
Right now, since it’s so late in the year, I only have three months of the Day on 2 Pages inserts loaded up (September through December), with the full year of the monthly tabs so I can still have an overview of the previous months.
These rings could hold a lot more…
I also only have one tab in there, appropriately called “Brainstorm”. Here I capture just about everything…notes, lists, quotes…you name it, it all goes behind this tab.
Then, once a week or so, the quotes get cleaned out and put into my Commonplace Book, lists are (hopefully) all taken care of by then, notes can either stay or be culled if they are no longer useful. This minimal subject tab system is something I tried a while back when I was using FC and didn’t care for the 12-tab system. So far it is working out very well, especially with all that wonderful room to write on the 2-Page per Day format!
See how tiny the tabs are?
Finally, here is the back of the binder…it has a nice slip pocket for paperwork, receipts, etc.
A “What’s in my Bag” post is coming soon (I hope) as a guest post, but for now this FC system gives me the writing room and page real estate I need with my new work responsibilities yet still remains managably portable.
As most of you know, I have tried FC inserts in a Filofax binder with varying degrees of success in the past. It can be done with a Malden Personal, if you are okay with carrying your pen in the note pocket rather than the pen loop, because the tabs stick out just far enough to get all bent if you use the pen loop for it’s intended purpose. You can also do it fairly well with a Domino, thanks to the elastic closure, if you don’t mind carrying the pen in the rings.
Both are tolerable, but neither are optimal.
I want to stay with Filofax…I really do…but I can’t deny that the paper FC uses is simply GLORIOUS by comparison, the tabbed months KICK ASS and nothing sticks out annoyingly IF YOU USE A FC BINDER.
Sigh.
Would any of you be interested if I were to start a FC group on Flickr at all?
the zeitgeist of zoe 
ecdale
Sep 10, 2012 @ 16:38:25
Hi Zoe
YES! !! A FC Flicker group! I’m in! 🙂
Erin
Laurie
Sep 10, 2012 @ 18:21:55
Yes yes yes! FC Flickr group! Honestly I’m shocked no one has started one yet considering the multi-year loyalty of many FC users.
Awesome you took the plunge with the Giada binder! I can’t wait to hear all about it!!!
thezeitgeistofzoe
Sep 10, 2012 @ 20:22:14
alright then, two comments in favor was enough for me! here is the link:
Anne
Sep 10, 2012 @ 20:37:13
You’ll love the Giada. I have a classic size and the leather is fantastic. I have also purchased a Franklin Covey planner for 2013. I think the FC has better paper and is more user friendly.
I selected the black compact Sophia for the great leather and 3/4″ rings. It’s a great looking binder in real life. The Sophia is unstructured and very streamlined in comparison to the one I used to use which is one reason I switched to FF in the first place.The small rings and wider paper is easier to read and write in and helps free my muse. I probably would have purchased the Giada if it was available at the time. Sure I’ll still be lured by the sleekness of the FF compact binders and the other colors, textures and designs, but who says I can’t play with them from time to time.
I’d be for Flickr for the Franklin planner, but unfortunately I will not be able to contribute. Curious how there are none given the fact that FC is probably the most popular ring binder in America. I guess this is because it’s more of a work piece than a fashion piece. I bet your feeling a sigh of relief right now. Happy planning.
Gina
Sep 11, 2012 @ 20:42:26
I absolutely love this post and your blog. Thought of you today as I was in Target’s office isle. They have some cool rubbery “book bands” in different colors that would work perfectly to hold that baby closed if you wanted to just toss it in your bag whilly nilly.
Gina
Sep 11, 2012 @ 20:48:25
PS- FC binder rings can be changed out if you want bigger or smaller rings. Just use a hex key to undo the 2 screws and replace it with the size rings you like from another FC binder. Not many other brands can do that but almost every FC can.
Cheryl Balmas
Sep 12, 2012 @ 19:32:49
It’s so funny. I’ve used a FC compact binder for 20+ years, always the day on two pages and month on 2 pages. I’ve probably had 25 or more binders over the years. I have one compact binder left and one classic binder. Last year I switched to Filofax for the opposite reason most people like them. Meaning, I felt the compact size was too wide and bulky for my handbag and I wanted the slimmer Filofax. Then when I found the Philophaxy blog I just got addicted to Filofax. Don’t get me wrong, I still have a special place in my heart for FC. It served me well over most of my career. I’m only sorry I don’t have a few more of my binders. There are 2 that I wish I still had and I’ve even looked all over the internet to see if they might possibly be available. And, unfortunately, I got rid of most of my binders before ebay and craig’s list so most of them went to charity or to the resale shop but if they sold I certainly have no idea and not more for a very few dollars. The other thing I find interesting is that there is no FC flicker group and very few nice binders on ebay. I was hoping to find some of their nicer binders on ebay but the ones I saw for sale were bland and boring and not in the best of shape! I think people here in the US just took the FC binder too seriously and didn’t know how to have fun with it. Over the years I rarely saw anyone carry one around for personal use. Its as if when the work day was over the planner was left on the desk, quite unlike Filofax users. Well, good luck with the Flicker group. I would add pictures of mine to it although I don’t have any current inserts, but just if you wanted to see the binders. 🙂
thezeitgeistofzoe
Sep 20, 2012 @ 18:16:39
@cheryl: i have set up a FC flickr group : ) it is called FC-ofaxy. check it out and definitely post some of your franklin covey photos!!!!