Archive for May, 2007
May 15th
Several years ago the New York Times featured this wonderful pocket-sized travel guide in its “Currents” page. Compiled and published by Pentagram, the design firm, it is packed with quirky tips. Designers, photographers and others suggest their favorite museums, restaurants and other finds around the world. Pentagram has offices in New York, London, Berlin, Austin and San Francisco.
“Feedback” was first published in 1974. The current edition is edited by Angus G. Hyland, who chose a fine paper used for Bibles and a skinny typeface called Trade Gothic - the better, he said, to “cram in bite-sized bits of information.” Contact info@pentagram.com to purchase.
This great idea from Pentagram gave me the notion of using this blog and/or the Quo Vadis website to ask Quo Vadis and Exacompta customers for their suggestions on favorite places around the world. As we receive feedback we’ll publish it on our web site for others to read, and hopefully spark a few nominations of their own.
What’s your most memorable place?
May 14th
I use a Space 24 weekly planner. One of the reasons I like it is the ruled, full-page for notes on the right. I fill it up with a weekly “To Do” list. For all my other “To-Dos” I have a homemade notepad clipped to my planner cover.
I am an inveterate list-maker. I have a weekly list; a daily list; and individual project lists. The days I get a lot done I thought out ahead of time where I need to go and what I need to do–no matter how small–an errand or task. I find if I don’t write it down I forget to do it.
The ability to make a doable list is an art in itself–put too much down, and you feel inadequate and unproductive. I have not mastered the doable list yet, I always think I can do more than what I really can.
I make my own notepads. I use strips of different colored Pollen notebook paper, the cuttings left by the machine that prepares the paper for binding. As a change, I will also use multi-colored index cards. Color-coding makes for easy reference. I hold a stack of paper together with a strong binder clip.
Between planner and notepad I’m ready!
May 11th
Last week as we were talking about the things we do to customize our date books, Karen told me about a technique that I think is well worth sharing: in order to incorporate an easy month-at-a-glance view into her weekly planner, she slides an Exaplan refill into the inside cover flap of her Space 24. Good idea!
May 10th
We receive several emails from customers every month suggesting changes or improvements to the planner format; offering ideas for new versions; or recommendations for holidays to be included in the datebooks we sell in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
In past years we have expanded the number of religious observances we show–adding Jewish, Muslim, Catholic, Buddhist and Hindu holidays. We have also added holidays celebrated by Chinese, Latino and African-American residents.
Carla, a long-time Quo Vadis customer from Canada, recently wrote to us suggesting we include special days and observances by the United Nations such as International Women’s Day (March 8). She also told us she would like to see First Nations Day (June 21) included as a Canadian holiday.
Thank you, Carla, and all the other people who take a minute to write to us. Please know your comments are read by the president of Quo Vadis North America, the managing director for Canada, and the marketing and product development staff. Most of the changes we make in our formats come directly from our customers - so please continue to write to us with your ideas and comments. We want to know what you like and value, as well as what you don’t find useful or a waste of space.
May 9th
I’ve currently been thinking about one of the most enjoyable things to plan—a vacation! This Saturday, I’ll be going to Santa Fe and Albuquerque with a friend… and I can’t wait.
I’ve never been to the Southwest before (I grew up in the Midwest and have lived here in New York City since college). Does anybody have suggestions about where to go or what to see and do? If so, please post a comment below; I’d be really grateful to hear from you!
On a different note, we’re hoping to put together a “to do” travel list of trips and tips from QV users around the world, so if you’ve got another destination that you’d like to share, please let us know.
May 7th
A new study of cities across the world shows people are walking faster.
The international study says people in Singapore walk the fastest at an average of 60 feet in 10.55 seconds; New Yorkers came in at number 8 with 12 seconds. Researchers say we are trying to cram as much as possible into our busy days. We’re on the go all day, every day, all around the world.
Professor Richard Wiseman of Britain’s University of Hertfordshire released the study last week, saying the pace of life in major cities is much quicker than before. “This simple measurement provides a significant insight into the physical and social health of a city,” Wiseman said. “This increase in speed will affect more people now than ever, because for the first time in history the majority of the world’s population are now living in urban centers.”
What does this mean in terms of stress? Are we trying to do too much too fast? Do we feel better trying to cram it all in–or do we feel like a failure if we can’t? Are we walking faster just to end up with a little time for ourself?
May 7th
Geralin Thomas, a professional organizer based in Cary, North Carolina, emailed us last week to share her system for using the Minister to stay on top of her schedule. She suggests:
1. In the unlined columns on the right-hand side, delete the category “write” and instead add, “buy” and “dinner.”
2. Alphabetize the list:
A: Action
B: Buy
C: Call
D: Dinner (as in what is for dinner every day this week)
E: E-mail
F: Future (stuff you need to do, later)
“This is how I customize each box within the Minister’s weekly layout for myself,” says Geralin. “I share this alpha list with clients and they love it!”
Perhaps the college professor we blogged about last week could develop a similar system to keep track of his expenses?
May 4th
A college professor who uses the Principal to keep track of his appointments and record his students’ grades wrote us recently to ask if we knew of a way he could use Quo Vadis planners to record his daily expenses. Since neither Karen nor I use our planners to track expenses, we weren’t sure what to tell him. The Principal does have several blank boxes on the right hand side of each day that could be customized for that purpose… but it’s true, nonetheless, that there aren’t any Quo Vadis planners which include a specific template for recording expenses.
In the absence of a better answer, I thought I’d turn to our readers for advice. Have any of you developed methods for using QV planners to track your daily expenses? Is it a feature you’d be interested in seeing in an upcoming planner format?
May 4th
Old calendars—like this one from 1935—can be found in antique stores, eBay, and sometimes, even still hanging from walls in old houses. They can tell us a little about another era in its own words and images; and how dress, cultural norms and advertising have changed or stayed the same over the years.
For example, women in sexually suggestive poses are still used to sell products. However, I can’t imagine today cigarette companies having calendars printed for their customers. I don’t think very many people would hang them in their home or business.
May 2nd
Late last night, we sent around an email to the Quo Vadis distribution list (if you’re interested, you can sign up for it here) announcing our new blog.
If you’re here as a result of that email, welcome! We invite you to poke around, read some of our previous posts, and let us know if you have any comments or suggestions. Several readers have, in fact, already written back to us, and we’re going to do our best to address their responses on the blog over the next couple of days. One email in particular attracted our attention:
I can’t imagine why a calendar or planner needs a blog. Maybe the planner can complain about the anal-retentive control-freaks that always buy it, and the calendar can complain about how it’s the same holidays months, year in and year out. Maybe the calendar can blog about changing the names of the months in 2008 to fruits, and creating new holidays based on colors of the rainbow.
As you’ll see, however, our intention is to do more than post about Quo Vadis products (or impersonate them, for that matter). We’ve already written about more general time management techniques, holidays, and crafts, and we’ve got many more ideas—both practical and esoteric—up our sleeves.
