FILOFAX to NOTEBOOK : Improving Productivity

Using a Filofax was a big part of my early working years, a tool that we carried into meetings, updated with notes, financial and money tracking, adding address details and phone numbers as we went.
Flexible and easy to adapt to your own needs with a huge variety of inserts, plastic pockets, maps and punched sheets in multiple colours and designs, the Filofax was the accessory of the 1980s and 1990s.
In a world where information was fast becoming the new currency for the workplace, the Filofax was the last big analog product before the arrival of PDA devices and very basic mobile phones.
Even today I still have some favourite slimline versions of the Filofax which I will slip into a jacket pocket for the occasional meeting where I know it will be handy to make notes on pages which are larger than those in my bullet journals.
Join me in this personal review of some of the products which were part of my journey with paper and pen. Let me know in the comments which tools best help you to capture ideas and tasks, helping on this journey of personal productivity.
#bulletjournal #timemanagement #productivitytools #personalproductivity

Пікірлер: 37

  • @nicksturgeonbooks
    @nicksturgeonbooksАй бұрын

    SUBSCRIBE here for my weekly Newsletter 'Notes from the Desk' : nick-sturgeon-books.ck.page/dc20c708fc

  • @froufroufeatherstone6291
    @froufroufeatherstone6291Ай бұрын

    I still keep an address book because I no longer commit that info to memory. Phones get stolen, get run over, malfunction. Cloud accounts get hacked. Get locked “for your security.” But my little purse buddy and my midsize desk book don’t ever lock me out.

  • @nicksturgeonbooks

    @nicksturgeonbooks

    Ай бұрын

    Hello Froufrou. Quite right. These paper tools are quite enough for me.

  • @stephengarley8576
    @stephengarley8576Ай бұрын

    Really interesting viewing. I liked the address book with your old school. I lived next to the comprehensive for a few years in the 80’s and used to play around the school grounds.

  • @christinecortese9973
    @christinecortese9973Ай бұрын

    They’re still more useful for organizing information than phones. They don’t go dark when you’re using them and don’t require charging or passwords. Plus I can add info lickety split compared to my phone.

  • @nicksturgeonbooks

    @nicksturgeonbooks

    Ай бұрын

    Good morning Christine. Yes indeed, paper and pen is quite good enough for capturing and saving information

  • @MR_THINQ

    @MR_THINQ

    Ай бұрын

    So true! I use an A5 ring binder for my note taking and I use all different types of papers - it’s so easy to customise.

  • @debpaynepurnell6131
    @debpaynepurnell6131Ай бұрын

    Lol! I'm using my old Filofax as a notebook, too. I even purchased a fountain pen.

  • @nicksturgeonbooks

    @nicksturgeonbooks

    Ай бұрын

    Morning to you Deb. Great idea about using your Filofax as a notebook. I'm going to see quite how many stationery packs I have and look at combining these into one good size Filofax for jotting down ideas and contact details

  • @junkjournaldavao
    @junkjournaldavaoАй бұрын

    Love that tucked in ephemera with a note from Francois. Such a treasure to keep. 💙

  • @nicksturgeonbooks

    @nicksturgeonbooks

    20 күн бұрын

    Good evening Davao. Thanks for your comment. Yes, after recording the video I went online to find the car that I had that lift in with Francois down to Bordeaux. It was a lovely Citroen with a massive cabin and red dashboard lighting.

  • @toxmot
    @toxmotАй бұрын

    This video showcasing your Filofaxes was so intriguing. It tells such a life story. Thanks for sharing.

  • @nicksturgeonbooks

    @nicksturgeonbooks

    Ай бұрын

    Thanks Tiffany. Glad you enjoyed it. It was a joy to record. I have been amazed by the response. Nick

  • @cind_h_er5717
    @cind_h_er5717Ай бұрын

    Very interesting video - I stumbled upon it thanks to KZread, and am glad I did. Francois's note is a treasure. I've subscribed.

  • @nicksturgeonbooks

    @nicksturgeonbooks

    20 күн бұрын

    Thanks Cind. Yes, it is nice to pick these things up and be surprised at what we find. Since the video I have actually been using the Filofax very regularly.

  • @FoItynFamiIy.
    @FoItynFamiIy.Ай бұрын

    Wow, brilliant, humbling. Thanks for sharing your life experience and notebooks with us. Its nice going to our past every once in a while without having to charge or stare at a screen for a long time.

  • @nicksturgeonbooks

    @nicksturgeonbooks

    20 күн бұрын

    Yes indeed. I like to try and limit screen time to just a few hours each day and am happy with that. I tend not to send or read email using my phone and only check it every couple of days. Using the journals and the Filofax products is where I find an easy way of self-expression and also bringing my thoughts together..

  • @cathyberry9793
    @cathyberry9793Ай бұрын

    As an independent contractor, I used a Filofax for decades. There was usually a mad dash to the stationery store in the week between Christmas and New Year’s to purchase the insert for the upcoming year so that I could claim it as a home office deduction for the current year. Now in retirement I still use a “hard copy” notebook, albeit a much larger one (eyesight not being as acute). I use a Franklin Covey zippered affair that houses both standard US size printer paper (cut in half) and Universal A5. I’ve kept all my previous notebooks, as well as - and you’ll love this - an original IBM leather-bound Think Pad from the 1960s. It still has many unused pages.

  • @nicksturgeonbooks

    @nicksturgeonbooks

    Ай бұрын

    Good afternoon Cathy. You're right! I do love the IBM reference. They were the best employer I ever had and I learned so many good processes while with them in the UK at their North Harbour site just off Portsmouth island. Franklin Covey was my move from the Filofax usage of the 1980's and until the late 1990s. Hyrum Smith and Stephen Cover worked well together and Hyrum's book Time and Life Management remains a steady inspiration for me. Thanks for taking the time to comment here. Nick

  • @Kickrocksproductions
    @KickrocksproductionsАй бұрын

    very powerful moment. It shows the layers a journal can provide if you keep one. lovely!

  • @nicksturgeonbooks

    @nicksturgeonbooks

    20 күн бұрын

    Hello Kickrocks. Sorry I haven't got round to replying before this evening, but really appreciate you taking the time to comment. It does matter and it is special to read such comments. Keeping a journal has always been a very special practise, serving as both useful and enjoyable.

  • @abbaschild2499
    @abbaschild2499Ай бұрын

    Thank you for sharing your analog history. What a delightful, beautiful stroll down memory lane! I'm from around the same time period, but we used Franklin Covey (which has been enjoying a renaissance recently - what goes around, comes around). Today I use a hybrid analog/digital system, but I'll always be a PlannerGirl at heart. The affirmations and notes, etc you collected would probably find their way into a commonplace book today. Such an incredible legacy for your family. Thanks again for sharing with us.

  • @nicksturgeonbooks

    @nicksturgeonbooks

    Ай бұрын

    Thank you Mae. I think we have it good with our understanding of defining projects, managing a diary and planning with paper and ink. Franklin Covey served me so very well for at least 15 years. I still use their Compass Cards each month for a focus on my core roles and a reminder of What Matters Most.

  • @SteveGullett
    @SteveGullettАй бұрын

    Great video. The company I worked for in the mid 90's supplied a Franklin Planner. Man I had arrived packing that beast around everywhere I went. Haha! About once every few years I flip through my diary and journal collection. They hold alot of memories. I really appreciate you sharing your experiences with us. Have a great week!

  • @nicksturgeonbooks

    @nicksturgeonbooks

    Ай бұрын

    Thanks Steve. I love the structure that Franklin Covey have given us with their pages.

  • @mariakoszalin
    @mariakoszalinАй бұрын

    loved it!

  • @nicksturgeonbooks

    @nicksturgeonbooks

    20 күн бұрын

    Thank you Maria. Very kind of you to say so. Nick

  • @olgaschijan3041
    @olgaschijan3041Ай бұрын

    cool, thank you

  • @nicksturgeonbooks

    @nicksturgeonbooks

    20 күн бұрын

    Thank you Olga. So pleased that you enjoyed the video and the various contents within it.

  • @olgaschijan3041

    @olgaschijan3041

    20 күн бұрын

    @@nicksturgeonbooks 🥰

  • @evangeliapapaelia339
    @evangeliapapaelia339Ай бұрын

    can relate to those!!

  • @nicksturgeonbooks

    @nicksturgeonbooks

    Ай бұрын

    Hello Evangelia. Have you got a Filofax that you still use? Perhaps a nice address book you keep aside from pc or phone based contact screens?

  • @evangeliapapaelia339

    @evangeliapapaelia339

    Ай бұрын

    @@nicksturgeonbooks I have an older version of a filofax like ring binder which I use for disposable to do lists. I have no address book, I never had one, still relying on memory. I think as I grow older I have to write more things down, telepone numbers and adresses on a small notebook. I almost fainted when I lost my mobile phone!!

  • @JT1358
    @JT1358Ай бұрын

    Paper all the way for me. Writing as opposed to typing feels so much more fulfilling. And don't get me started on tick-lists! 🙂

  • @nicksturgeonbooks

    @nicksturgeonbooks

    20 күн бұрын

    Thank you JT. Very tempted to ask you about the tick lists. It sounds as though there are some fascinating personal stories tied up in that comment :) Nick

  • @jaysfarrell
    @jaysfarrellАй бұрын

    Can I ask what make that wrist bag is? Very useful

  • @nicksturgeonbooks

    @nicksturgeonbooks

    Ай бұрын

    Hello Jay. Can't help you there. I bought in Mexico City in the early 1980's. I've seen plenty of similar bags in trips to Portugal, Spain, Italy and in Belgium. I featured the bag strongly in a video a couple of months ago, called my Every Day Carry. Hope you enjoy it. Nick