Moleskine Hacks and Tips on Productivity
A funny thing happened last week. For some reason, I wasn’t able to get myself a 2015 planner before 2014 ended. And I didn’t get one as a gift either. So as I was trying to figure out how I would organize this seemingly chaotic year (starting off with the Papal visit this month), I was struck by a brilliant idea: what if I make my very own, customized Moleskine planner? Surely it’s not that difficult to do? Besides, I already have all the tools and materials collecting dust around the house. And since I was going to be frugal in 2015 (at least this was the plan), it would be wise to start the year off by NOT BUYING A MOLESKINE PLANNER. As you probably know, I’m a big fan of Moleskines. But they don’t come cheap! In fact, they are the most expensive notebooks around. So even if buying one is the only luxury I afford myself each year for the past 11 years, now may be the perfect time for change.
So I went through my pile of unused notebooks and found…an unopened Moleskine– a gift from a friend 2 Christmases ago! And it was the unlined journal which was just perfect! So I took out my stamp kit and proceeded to do my Moleskine hack.
At first, I thoroughly enjoyed the whole process. But when I realized that I would have to spend a great amount of time completing the planner, I gave up the idea. Next year maybe I’d start early. But for now, I would have to break my first New Year’s resolution– and just buy a Moleskine planner! Hahaha!
My System
So off I went to the mall and got myself a soft cover weekly notebook diary/planner. Oh the joy of having a new Moleskine! It’s simply priceless!
Remember my Moleskine Planner Hack last year? Well, I’m basically using the same system.
As you probably know, Moleskine planners don’t have month view calendars (at least for the soft cover diary like what I have). So like last year, I printed out my own month view calendars. I wanted to use paper that has similar color and texture as Moleskine paper. Luckily, I found this Korean drawing pad ( Saizen, 88 bucks). I ripped off the pages and printed the calendars on them.
I then attached the calendars using glue. And voila!
You can also use washi tape to attach the calendar to the pages (like I did last year).
Tools and Hacks
When you’re organizing, it pays to invest in simple tools to help you along the way. Here are my favorite little helpers:
1. Colored tapes, sticky flags and washi tapes
Before I use my planner, I first assign colors to the different areas of my life. I then color-code my activities using the colored tapes (Japan Store, 66 bucks). This way, it’s easier to jot down notes and track my schedule according to their assigned colors.
For blogging, I use post-it flags.
2. Stickers
The great thing about Moleskine planners is that they come with three sheets of adhesive labels or stickers to help you track your activities. But aside from these, I also keep a ready supply of colored stickers and tapes.
3. Colored paper
Aside from the usual Post-it notes, I also cut out pieces of colored paper that I use when doing my To Do Lists. I attach these using the washi tapes.
4. Binder / organizer
I also keep a binder / organizer which I use for my day-to-day accounting, goals-setting, visioning, and long term planning.
5. Envelopes
I bought these inexpensive envelopes where I stash all my receipts. ‘F’ stands for ‘filed’ which means the receipt has already been accounted for. Depending on the amount, receipts marked ‘F’ then either go to my receipt box or the trash.
With this system and these tools, I hope I’d be able to stay organized for the rest of the year! Oh, and while you’re at it, why don’t you check out the 13 long weekends this year so you can plan your trips? 🙂
How about you? Do you have Moleskine hacks and tips that you can share with us? Do tell us about it!
Food for Thought:
A woman with organizing skills can run a construction company without ever picking up a hammer and nail.
-Warren Farrell
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