Custom GTD Sheets for Circa/Arc disc-bound planners

Good Afternoon!

Second post (hoping the spam detector doesn't go off on me) here!

As a designer-by-trade, I'm always looking for little projects to work on. As a dude who thinks that pen-and-paper is by and large the easiest and most effective way to take notes and do planning, I'm a huge fan of Staples' Arc Notebooks. Cheap, robust, and they don't look half bad.

After using their filler paper for it (project sheets, 'to-do' lists, and calendars), I realized that while they were close to the GTD system, they weren't quite there. I went ahead and made my own. I'm "Alpha" testing them right now, and I've already found a few things that I need to change with them in terms of functionality in the layout.

I'm wondering: How many of you use Circa or Arc planners to house your GTD system? I'm hoping to have these things out of Alpha and into Beta this weekend, and then have a full and complete version ready for Christmas (my mother actually asked me to make her one of my planners); I'd love to have some feedback, and, of course, share the .pdfs with fellow GTDers if there's enough demand for them!

Many thanks,
.themumm

If you take advantage of the 14-day trial of GTD Connect, you can check out a video interview with Dena, one of the Connect members. She uses the ARC system (although she coyly doesn't call it by name!).

I use Filofax, but have used the Circa in the past. You might also look on the DavidCo Web site - there may be a whitepaper on how to set up a paper planner - I can't remember if that's accessible outside of Connect or not...

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Originally Posted by CJSullivan

You might also look on the DavidCo Web site - there may be a whitepaper on how to set up a paper planner - I can't remember if that's accessible outside of Connect or not...

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That article is available for free to the General Public here:
http://www.davidco.com/free_articles?

It's called "Organizing a Paper Planner."

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Originally Posted by TheMumm

After using their filler paper for it (project sheets, 'to-do' lists, and calendars), I realized that while they were close to the GTD system, they weren't quite there. I went ahead and made my own. I'm "Alpha" testing them right now, and I've already found a few things that I need to change with them in terms of functionality in the layout.

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How does your system compare with great and free D*I*Y Planner 3.0 (Classic/A5 Edition) and other templates from this site?

I own one in every color that Staples uses (they are each for a different purpose) and my 2011 paper planner was completely customized using Staples pages and pages that I downloaded from DIY planner.com and circa punched.

In fact for my anniversary a couple weeks ago, my husband got me a monogrammed leather Levenger zip around folio :) I have tried to do the electronic planner thing, but it just leaves me cold. Paper and pen is where planning and brainstorming is at for me, so I am very interested in the pages you have customized for GTD.

I have never done a 100% full implementation of GTD or perhaps more correctly I should say that I don't practice it 100% in that I have never gotten in the habit of a weekly review. I do well for a few weeks and then fall off the bandwagon. I am always looking to improve and have as a goal a full GTD implementation, but to do it requires me to need it just a bit more than I do at this moment.

I am actually considering the 14 day trial of Connect (always wanted to do it but when I have the time to really take advantage of all that it has and use it well) for the primary reason of seeing that interview. Does she give tips for using this type of paper planner?

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Originally Posted by Aspen

I am actually considering the 14 day trial of Connect (always wanted to do it but when I have the time to really take advantage of all that it has and use it well) for the primary reason of seeing that interview. Does she give tips for using this type of paper planner?

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I've only watched it once, but my recollection is that she goes through the different sections/lists in the planner... If you decide to do the trial, I would definitely check out the archives (video, audio, and paper) and download as much as you can in those 14 days! There's a TON of stuff. And there's a GTD and Paper Planners webinar as well. And the forums on GTD Connect are really rich with info...

This could just be me, but my design is largely inspired by Levenger and Staples' sheets - the low-K% greys and white make the page as a whole unobtrusive, and leave the content at the forefront if written in a black pen (my preferred writing tool).

I'm actually peeking at it right now and making some tweaks. I'll post a screenshot of the WIP a little later today or tomorrow, if I find the time (I'm under deadline for a flyer, so who knows).

Personally, I find my designs a little classier than the one linked earlier at DIY planner. Whereas those remind me largely of retail advertising, these are designed to look nice and remain functional simultaneously (no, I didn't put the former before the latter!).

Glad that there's interest in these, though! Will definitely post the .pdfs when they're done!

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Originally Posted by Aspen

I am actually considering the 14 day trial of Connect (always wanted to do it but when I have the time to really take advantage of all that it has and use it well)

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Even better, just budget, if you can, for a year's membership. You can't rush the learning in 2 weeks, in my opinion, and you'll only get a small percentage of value out of what's available.

Every year I grit my teeth and go back over all of the things I've accomplished and completed by being involved in Connect. And every year it more than justifies the cost.

The Connect forums are much more expansive than the public forums, for one. The members come from all walks of life, have very different takes on making GTD work in their lives, and actively respond to you and help you when you get stuck. And the webinars, which are the core of the Connect learning experience for me, are the keys for staying on track.

I hope you'll join us - for me, it is an extremely worthwhile expense.

Dena

o/ again, all!

Still tweaking the pages. I know, I know, I'm not supposed to spend my time tweaking the system too much because it interferes with the actual doing of the whole kit and kabootle; but I'm a designer, and my job (as well as the purpose of the piece) is to make it look good.

Had to fight the printers while I worked out the K values on a lot of this stuff (Chroma behaving the way it does at low values). Consider this version 0.5 alpha of the Next Actions list.

This is being designed for laserjet printers, and my best recommendation would be to use a 'premium' 28lb. white paper to print these on.

PUNCHING INSTRUCTIONS:
Punch EVEN pages along their LEFT side (i.e. the disc holes should be on the RIGHT side of the pages with the quotes).

I've left a wide right margin on the odd-numbered pages (filled with the GTD quotes) to allow your hand to rest on the right side of the page, against your discs, without loosing too much real estate on the fields of the list. This makes them smaller, but it beats the crap out of the uncomfortable writing that comes with the standard-sized fields I used on Staples' prefab pages.

Additional pages and tweaks will be coming in the coming weeks!

You're more than welcome to print these bad boys off at your leisure in any quantity you so desire. If you're going to repost the .pdf, you'll need my written consent to do so (don't be a dingus, please. Artists spend lots of time on these things and theft just generally sucks).

All trademarks and copyrights are (TM), (C), or (R) their respective owners.

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Originally Posted by TheMumm

You're more than welcome to print these bad boys off at your leisure in any quantity you so desire. If you're going to repost the .pdf, you'll need my written consent to do so (don't be a dingus, please. Artists spend lots of time on these things and theft just generally sucks).

All trademarks and copyrights are (TM), (C), or (R) their respective owners.

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Hello The Mumm,

We'd sure love if you would give some credit to David Allen for the GTD® Workflow Map questions you have on your actual pages. The printed pages will be long separated from your post here about trademarks and copyrights and it would be great if folks knew where you got those questions. Feel free to reach out to me directly by email and I'd be happy to suggest some text for that.

Thanks!
Kelly