Yes, people, I still have a paper planner. Wait, it gets worse: I actually bought a new Filofax a few months ago, and I got the most amazing deal because these days it's like buying a rotary phone or something. I know of just a couple of other women who have them, who I won't out here. Surprisingly, there is no "I have a leather-bound diary!" Facebook support group.
I love this organizer, with its burnished leather and chunky feel and the way it isn't easily toss-able into a toilet (these are the subtleties you appreciate when you have kids). I've kept all the pages from the last 10 years, a record of my transition from carefree single woman to hypercrazed mom who jots down deep thoughts like "Buy rainbow sprinkles and glue stick." I have a BlackBerry. It's got a good phone, some fun apps and a calendar I ignore. Every December, when I order refill pages for my planner, I fear I'll find out they've stopped making them...or that the person on the other end of the line will laugh at me. ("SERIOUSLY? YOU WANT PAPER?!!!")
I realize this isn't the most eco-correct way to exist, but I'm hooked. My Filofax essentially functions as my brain: I note everything I need to do—work stuff, medical appointments, people to call, house tasks, bills to pay—and events like kids' birthday parties and the occasional night out with friends. In the back, I have a page with a list of all the specialists in Max's life. It's a looong list. This thing can get a little ridiculous looking because I shove in assorted paperwork and random stuff (like the hotel key). Friends tease me, but when we make plans I can flip to days faster than they can click. Also, my Filofax never runs out of batteries.
So, call me a dinosaur, but I am a damn well-organized dinosaur. Now that I've gone public about my paper planner, it's your turn to share: How do you (or don't you?!) stay organized?
