• When Bill Westerman's day starts to get away from him he creates a quick diagram like this.
  • Task completed
  • Task deferred
  • Decided not to do it
  • Important
  • Not started yet
  • For "work stuff" Bill starts at the top of the page and works his way down.
  • For "personal stuff" Bill starts the list at the bottom of the page and works his way up.
  • "Here's where the day went to crap"

    -- Bill Westerman
  • I'll do breakouts like this when I need to add info to a to-do - billwesterman
  • Post-It Note tabs. One for today (this one), and one farther back in the notebook for my master list (Home to-do, Technology to-do) - billwesterman
  • Whenever you see this mark, it's because I deferred it - and moved it to a page farther down into the book. - billwesterman

Time-management software -- offline version

Bill Westerman has joined the back-to-paper movement. Here are a couple of Bill's ingenous methods for managing his time and to-do lists in his notebook.

Bill prefers the Miquelrius notebook (shown here).

Roll over the photo to see how it works.

Comments and faves

  1. ★

    dmarsh451, Bill Vinson, the twilite kid, jasmeet, and 621 other people added this photo to their favorites.

  2. Mike Rohde (85 months ago | reply)

    Very nice approach, love the symbols with deeper meaning. It's also nice to see others appreciating Miquelrius notebooks. :-)

  3. Mike Rohde (85 months ago | reply)

    Can you explain a little more about Bill's little diagram on the right? I'm guesing this is his plan for managing what's left of his day with time blocks... but that's just a guess.

  4. neilio (85 months ago | reply)

    I love the idea of starting on different sections of the page for different types of items. That's a keeper.

  5. billwesterman (85 months ago | reply)

    Mike - that's right. If I have a wide-open day, I usually get by without scheduling so tightly. But on days with sporadic meetings, or specific deadlines - or when I'm just not completely 'together' - I draw up one of these little charts to plan out the rest of the day. See how the bottom part is scribbled out? That's because my day went to crap right around 1:30, and I ended up drawing a new timeline on the facing page.

    I was an absolute Palm fanatic for about five years (even wrote the original "Palm Mirror" application ... see utilware.com/mirror.html for details), but got tired of scratching away with the stylus all the time. Pen + paper is so much more gratifying.

  6. dgray_xplane (85 months ago | reply)

    Thanks for the notes Bill!

  7. neilio (85 months ago | reply)

    Does the little squiggle that's just to the left of a few of the checkboxes have any significance?

    I wonder if there's a place one can go to improve their penmanship - one reason I stopped using paper is my handwriting started to annoy the heck out of me. :)

  8. studio318 (85 months ago | reply)

    Thanks for sharing your organization method. It looks easy enough to use, and maybe I could be inspired to use such a detailed system. :) I like the pen and paper method too, rather than the thought of having to use a hand-held machiney thingy like a palm system... not for me.

    I'm afraid a lot of my days would end up "going to crap". LOL It would be interesting to see how many of those I experience. ;)

  9. studioJudith (85 months ago | reply)

    Love the "down/work - up/personal" approach. Thanks for sharing!

  10. billwesterman (85 months ago | reply)

    Neilio, the squiggles to the left of some of the checkboxes were a throwback to an earlier prioritization approach, where I'd put a little dot to the left of high-priority items. Then, when they were all checked off, I'd scratch out all of the dots so I wouldn't think they were priority any more. I forgot and did it on this page, because just recently switched to the "dot in a box" method, which I prefer because it's self-cleaning once you check off a priority item.

    gallery318, I've found that the actual act of slowing down long enough to write out things long-hand on the page causes me to think a little bit more clearly about them, and actually helps cement them in my head more. I find that I refer back to my to-do list much less when it's on paper than I did when it was on a digital device of some sort.

  11. Mike Rohde (85 months ago | reply)

    Bill, I can see how you manage your task list, but how do you manage your schedule and agenda? Is there another section in your Miquelrius with 52 weeks, or do you make use of a computer app to manage that part of your work/personal life?

    It's quite nteresting to me that you've moved from Palm back to paper. I came quite close to moving to a Moleskine a few weeks ago, and instead went back to an old Clie. I like the Clie for the most part, though now and again I wonder if I really need the features, or if a simple Moleskine weekly calendar and task system might be enough.

    We'll see. With the Moleskine 18 month weekly pocket calendars out soon, I might just give analog a try again. :-)

  12. thePOSTMAN (85 months ago | reply)

    Thanks for sharing.

    I love the moleskine, went to it Jan 1st of this year. Best move I have made in a long time, no batteries, no recharging and it keeps my notes, my sketchs and my time.

  13. Mike Rohde (85 months ago | reply)

    Postman, thanks for the encouragement. I'm kicking around 2 approaches: making my own weekly planner with a Moleskine lined (or squared) or buying one of the new, flexible-covered weekly 18 month planners:

    www.moleskine.it/eng/_interni/catalogo/Cat_in t/catalogo_d...

    However, I don't know if I'd have enough room for either my daily appointments or my tasks in the 18 monther, compared to a week on 2 pages and a separate section of the M for tasks.

    I'm on the fence now, as sync from iCal to the Clie is quite nice, but with a recent Clie low-battery crash and restore, I'm continuing to question the "care and feeding" that a Palm constantly requires (charging, tuning, restoring, etc.).

    Bill's system is pulling me toward paper! :-)

  14. famous boxer (85 months ago | reply)

    Brilliant method. I like pen & paper too...cos when your day starts going down the pan, you can always doodle.

  15. billwesterman (85 months ago | reply)

    Mike - I manage my schedule using iCal on the Mac. I'd actually prefer to use (cough) Outlook on the PC because I really like the calendaring capabilities, but since everything else I do is on the Mac, I'm learning to love iCal. I might end up creating monthly calendars myself on the quadrule paper.

    - Bill

  16. Mike Rohde (85 months ago | reply)

    Bill, I use iCal and like it for work. I think my use of a paper-based system for personal stuff -- agenda and tasks.

    Tonight I've decided to turn my thoughts into a weblog post, writing out my arguments for ditching my PDA in favor of a custon Moleskine:

    www.rohdesign.com/weblog/archives/001832.html

    You'll be glad to know that your elegant task system had an impact on my thinking this weekend, causing me to consider paper again.

    Thanks!

  17. Steve Webel (85 months ago | reply)

    Okay, what's the difference between a "Miquelrius" notebook and a "Moleskine"?

    I tried to go to the Miquelrius web site but it ranks up there with the most all-time aweful Flash based websites - completely useless.

    I'm a Moleskine fan and I'm just curious if there is something of similar quality out there.

  18. Mike Rohde (85 months ago | reply)

    Webel, the Miquelrius is a slightly different type of notebook -- soft pseudo-leather cover and white paper that's gridded with light blue grid lines. I'd say the paper is a tad lesser quality than Moleskine, more like ruled school paper.

    They come in a larger 6 x 8.25 inch size with several hundred pages, and a smaller, 4 x 6 inch size. The covers are available in black, blue and red. The 4 x 6 version is slightly larger and thicker than a standard pocket Moleskine.

    Yes, the Miquelrius website is pretty bad for usability. I've created a Squidoo reference page on Miquelrius notebooks, but info about 'em is pretty scarce compared to Moleskine:

    www.squidoo.com/miquelrius/

    If you want to check one out in person, visit a local Barnes & Noble. They should have some in the blank book section of the store.

  19. Steve Webel (85 months ago | reply)

    I'm in Hong Kong for the time being, I'll take a look around and see if I can find them here.

    Thanks for the info!

  20. Mike Rohde (85 months ago | reply)

    Webel, check out City Super -- that's my friend Patrick Ng's stationery shop in Times Square in HK. I bet he might have a lead on Miquelrius notebooks.

    www.citysuper.com.hk/

  21. Patrick Ng (85 months ago | reply)

    Thanks Mike for the referral. Webel, I don't know where I can get a Miquelrius A5 or pocket notebook in Hong Kong, I never stocked them in our stores, although I do have some of their wire bounded student type of notebooks. Maybe you can try Papyrus. Message me if you really want to dig out where to get Miquelrius, I'll ask Spain for you.

  22. Steve Webel (85 months ago | reply)

    Patrick - thanks so much for your kind offer. I'm actually really liking my Moleskine notebooks and I'll probably stick with that until someone can convince me to change.

    btw - citysuper grocery stores are the best in HK!

  23. judepics (85 months ago | reply)

    Blimey!

  24. Mike Rohde (85 months ago | reply)

    Heh, comments took on a life of their own, eh? Gotta love the web! :-)

  25. naughton321 (85 months ago | reply)

    cool - I need to start organising myself more effectively, this is quite inspiring because I much prefer the tactile nature of paper and writing...

  26. Mike Rohde (85 months ago | reply)

    And it comes full circle: I've just posted a photo of my custom-made Pocket Moleskine planner system, inspired by Bill's Miquelrius:

    www.flickr.com/photos/rohdesign/152626650/

    Thanks again Bill! :-)

  27. billwesterman (85 months ago | reply)

    Well, I finally decided to document my system in a bit more detail. Check it out at utilware.com/gsd.html - and enjoy!

    Bill

  28. Mike Rohde (85 months ago | reply)

    Woo hoo! Thanks Bill! :-)

  29. A11en (84 months ago | reply)

    Hey, just wanted to let you know it was great to come across such an interesting system for task management!

    [BTW, a quick note about Miquelrius paper quality- I personally find them of much higher quality than Moleskines. I'm a fountain-pen user, and tend to notice paper-quality very quickly these days. Miquelrius, Clairfontaine, Rhodia, and GLalo are all excellent paper-makers. If you're an FP user, I highly suggest Miquelrius over Moleskine.]

    Cheers, Bill! Oh, and thanks for that Palm-mirror app. :) I have to admit I really didn't understand at first... then I thought- do you really think it's just the reflection?- and then I smiled. ;) he he he.

  30. srogers2 [deleted] (84 months ago | reply)

    I strongly recommend the Black & Red line of notebooks. Paper quality is not quite as good as Moleskine, but they are less expensive, come with hard cardboard or flexible plastic covers, and are spiral or spine-bound. Really great notebooks - available from staples.com.

  31. teejayhanton (84 months ago | reply)

    yeah, i'm digging this. a lot less to keep organized than GTD. i need something simple and effective, or i won't do it. thanks!

  32. www.guigo.eu (83 months ago | reply)

    huh, nice to see others use paper to organize daily activities, i'm not the only one ;)

  33. Mike Rohde (83 months ago | reply)

    I like Miquelrius paper as well, though I don't use a fountain pen on it very often these days. The surface is nice and smooth, great for ink or pencil.

    BTW, I've just came across a resource for Miquelrius notebooks via a reader on my blog this week:

    www.shopmiquelrius.com/

    This might be be handy for those who can't locate them locally.

  34. falsefridays (83 months ago | reply)

    Hey Bill--do you use the 4 X 6, or the bigger one?

  35. dgray_xplane (83 months ago | reply)

    FalseFridays -- Bill uses the 6 x 8 version

  36. falsefridays (83 months ago | reply)

    right on! and, thanks for adding me. :-)

  37. gracielou6191 (82 months ago | reply)

    Has anyone tried the Ciak line? They are not as thick as the Miquelrius but thicker than the Moleskine. I happened to use a paper clip on my Miquelrius and the pages started ungluing. Should have use a flag like suggested. I'm currently using the Moleskine now but came across the Ciak and considered it because it had more pages.

  38. Liora Hess (82 months ago | reply)

    Never heard of it. Went to check their website and found it the most frustrating, useless, poorly designed website I've encountered in a very long time. Never did find the notebook. Hope it's designed better than the web site. grrr

  39. billwesterman (82 months ago | reply)

    Hey Dave (et al) ... since my Miquelrius is a bit large for the pocket, I've been thinking of ways to take notes while away from the desk. At the same time, been trying to come up with a new business card concept for my consulting. As it turns out, I solved both with my new business (note) cards ... flickr.com/photos/billwesterman/231364723/

  40. anna1028 (81 months ago | reply)

    hi everybody,

    im so glad to see fans of pen-to-paper agendas... ive been making my own forever!! i like a consistent and gridded visual of my hourly day (makes my schedule easily manageable) and i use an excel spreadsheet to make the blank hourly "worksheet"... it makes glancing at my week (2 facing pages) simple, and when my time is blocked out, i can recognize my free time easily too.
    i print them and bind them together myself, i make a cover out of durable cardstock or some sort of found material that i wont mind looking at every day for several months!
    these datebooks feel very personal in the end... fingerprints everywhere, rounded edges, post-its, doodles and notes.

    id like to hear what you have to say about these obstacles i find with using a typical moleskine (i have one id like to start to use!):

    1. how do you deal with "to do" lists... if you dont finish a task one day, how do you know to look back to finish the task? ive got my own little language as well (boxes, lines, arrows!) but once ive finished the day, its hard to look back for those not-yet-accomplished little things... and THEN there are long-term lists, short term, etc... any keen ideas on how to keep a running list?...which brings me to:

    2. ideas for categorizing agendas better?... always want to add things, tab things, be able to reference things quickly. anything better than a 3-ring binder but not your typical filofax? "dayrunners", etc are too conventional and are never the right size. if i take lengthy enough notes in a meeting or with a friend, i want to be able to take them out and categorize them where they belong.

    3. i find its hard to cross-reference my jotted notes (ALWAYS jotting notes! npr info, new restaurant, good movie, phone numbers, websites)... how do i cross-reference all of this? for instance... have a "section" tabbed off in the back for books to read? and another for music to look up?

    i wonder if any of you have solved these problems creatively! i suppose im looking for a version of or type of (or creatively invented) miquelrius or moleskine without all of the "freedom" of big blank pages?

    thanks everyone!!
    this is my first comment entry ever anywhere on the internet!!

    anna

  41. Augusto Castañeda [deleted] (81 months ago | reply)

    What you say??? hehehe.

  42. twoway (78 months ago | reply)

    It was great to come accross this page! I discovered about three years ago that "to do" lists only work for me when they are on paper lying on the desk beside me so that I see the list everytime I start day dreaming. Ever since then I've used paper planning as well.

    I use the FranklinCovey planers. Very expensive, but it gives me a bit more room to do the lists and take notes. Plus I really like the idea behind the system.

    Moleskin I use to capture ideas. I carry around one booklet to capture ideas when I'm out and about. I have another in my car for the same reason.

  43. yonthebeach (78 months ago | reply)

    Hi, wich MIQUELRIUS Notebook do you use? 200 Pages or with 300 Pages? Thank you

  44. dgray_xplane (78 months ago | reply)

    I'm not sure!

  45. billwesterman (78 months ago | reply)

    300 pages, because otherwise I would have to transfer information to a new book too frequently. However, it's kind of large, and can be a bit difficult to carry around all the time.

  46. Lord Groundhog (74 months ago | reply)

    Sorry to make a long post but this subject is near and dear to my heart and all finding this page and the other links has tickled my enthusiasm.

    This is all interesting to me, because although I've dabbled with a few I've resisted using a PDA all these years, until recently when I succumbed to the seduction of the Newton MP2100 (and now I love it, but that's another story). Even with the 2100's excellent facilities and execution of features, which could have been custom-made for me, I still favour my fountain pen and paper. It's great to realize I'm not one of the last of the dinosaurs.

    Since 1973 (that's not a mistype) my solution has been something called a "Seven Star Diary", which was the first loose-leaf system I found (similar to the FiloFax I guess). To me the best features are: [1] a practically indestructible ring-binder (even my 1973 binder still works perfectly); [2] a wide choice of sizes, (I use two of the smaller page sizes (67mm x 104mm and 80mm x 125mm); [3] a choice of week-per-2 pages packs, day-a-page packs, month-per-two-pages packs for each year, or simply to use blank pages, lined pages or graph-lined pages or other stock including several colours; [4] the liberty to change my mind about how things are laid out at any time, and to have as much or as little in it as I like; [5] the ability to have a "rolling" schedule by removing old stuff and inserting new pages as I go; and [6] paper that's fountain pen friendly and doesn't blot or tear easily.

    The slight downside of course is cost. The binders aren't that cheap, but considering that the small one is still good after 34 years and the larger one is still good after 26 years, so I only buy certain fillers and I can live with that.

    The coming of the Newton into my life does complicate my choices somewhat because it reads my handwriting almost flawlessly, but after 2 almost years i still love my Seven Star and I'm not likely to abandon it any time soon.

    It's satisfying to see that other folks are rediscovering paper and pen. Maybe it'll encourage PDA makers to think more about designing them to suit our use instead of to shape our use. In the meantime, we all get to track our work and personal activities the way we want, and as so many people have mentioned we get to enjoy the superior tactility of pen and paper.

    And now, I can see me incorporating several of the ideas I've seen here from Bill Westerman (and Mike Rohde for that matter) into my own system. Thanks guys!

  47. megafan (71 months ago | reply)

    cool

  48. billwesterman (69 months ago | reply)

    Hey, by the way Dave, I just did a fresh new writeup on GSD. It's at my GSD page - and I've added a clear four-step process at utilware.com/gsd3-p3.html.

  49. yabune (68 months ago | reply)

    Is the master list like a project list? Or it's just some todo tasks? if so, don't are you repeating by writing todo items in the master list and in the daily list?

  50. See-ming Lee 李思明 SML (68 months ago | reply)

    Hi, I'm an admin for a group called SML Viz, and we'd love to have your photo added to the group.

    --
    Found in a search. (?)

  51. cinema (65 months ago | reply)

    Is this Miquelrius notebook comparable in style and flexibility (of the spine and material) to that of Bill's notebook? Just curious.

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