Comments on: Do-It-Yourself Planner v1.0

By: allen claxton

allen claxton — Wed, 22 Dec 2004 13:55:19 +0000

This looks great; I’ve been looking for this kind of thing for household projects. One request, though: Do you mind releasing the original Illustrator file, as well as the PDF? There are some sections I don’t need, and would like to create my own PDF without them.

By: Slacker Manager

Slacker Manager — Wed, 22 Dec 2004 15:51:37 +0000

DIY template for G-T-D
If your organizational psyche is paper-oriented, AND you subscribe to the Getting Things Done method, you’ll probably really dig Douglas Johnston’s latest version of do it yourself templates.

By: Andrew Forde

Andrew Forde — Wed, 22 Dec 2004 16:59:09 +0000

Very good! I also would like a copy that can be edited - I want to add a few pages but mostly want to switch it to A4 from letter. Is that possible please?

By: Shawn's Thoughts

Shawn's Thoughts — Wed, 22 Dec 2004 22:48:02 +0000

Great treat for paper organizers
Slacker Manager points out the “DIY template for GTD”. I like that Doug included the GTD diagram for reference. If you’re implementing the GTD philosophy using paper systems, you need these templates.For me, I’m comp…

By: dougj

dougj — Thu, 23 Dec 2004 00:10:32 +0000

Allen, one of the things about the PDF is that you only basically print off those pages you need, when you need them (and then print the opposite sides, unless you have a duplex printer). As for the Illustrator files, they are only part of the puzzle; the rest is done in InDesign because AI lacks any decent way to make multi-page PDF files. There is no easy way to edit things without plodding through both of them.

As for Andrew’s request for A4, I’m looking at creating a version for non-letter-sizes, including A4 and A5, but I need to learn a bit more about the sizings first.

And lastly, as for sending out the Illustrator files, I’ve decided not to keep doing this, for several reasons. First and foremost, because of the Creative Commons license and the whole thing about derivative works, I have to be careful about diluting and signing off permissions. (What happens if someone makes a minor modification and decides they want to create a commercial package, for example?) Second, if anyone wants to volunteer to help convert these templates to other paper sizes for release, I’d like to work with them, again so the license stays intact, but also because it allows me to perform quality control over them. Third, I ran into… uh, “problems” with a few people I sent the AI beta files too. One even wanted to have several of them printed by a promotional organisation for their give-away kits, complete with its logo and some very minor changes, and I still have a bit of a sour taste about the unpleasant words that were exchanged.

I’m truly sorry about this new policy. However, if you folks do have suggestions for other templates, I’d be interested in hearing any ideas for ones you’d like to see done.

By: allen claxton

allen claxton — Thu, 23 Dec 2004 00:53:57 +0000

I’m truly sorry about this new policy.

No problem. What you say makes sense (and its unfortunate that you had problems before). I was just looking for a way to be a little lazier.

By: Brian

Brian — Thu, 23 Dec 2004 04:17:20 +0000

This is a great package. As it makes its way around the world a lot of people will achieve more because of it–thanks to your imagination and initiative in putting it together.

BTW: Costco stores in the US (and at www.costco.com) are selling a classic-sized Franklin-Covey leather 7-ring planner (zip closure) with 2005 calendar inserts (2pp per day) for US $40. This is a low price compared to standard retail.

The quality of the binder is first rate. I picked
one up and am replacing most of the FC internals with some of your DIY forms, because what I need most are pages for notes and projects. The structured flexibility of your approach really works for me.

By: bonsai bratwurst breiwerk

bonsai bratwurst breiwerk — Thu, 23 Dec 2004 11:44:21 +0000

getting things done templates
In ware DIY-style biedt Douglas Johnston deze printbare templates aan. Gewoon in je agenda voegen en klaar: Do-It-Yourself Planner v1.0…

By: Clint Laskowski

Clint Laskowski — Thu, 23 Dec 2004 12:36:33 +0000

These are so great … Thanks for all your hard work and for putting them under a Creative Commons license. You deserve some Happy Holidays!

By: Clint Laskowski

Clint Laskowski — Thu, 23 Dec 2004 12:40:56 +0000

In the HTML instructions (diy_planner.html), under “Tips” it says, “You wouldn’t want to leave home without your brain, would you?” … Actually that did happen to “someone I know” once. It was a funny storry, but I digress …

By: Don Voltz

Don Voltz — Fri, 24 Dec 2004 13:06:50 +0000

Thank you for your generosity in releasing these templates for us. I am a big tablet PC user and have printed them out using MIcorosoft Image Writer. Now I can fill in the forms using ink on my tablet PC maintaining a paper”lite” organizational system. Thanks again and have a great holiday

By: kevin cooley

kevin cooley — Sat, 25 Dec 2004 00:57:29 +0000

Do you have any of these templates in 8-1/2 x 11? I like them a lot, but am considering a switch to the larger size. Take care.

By: Marc Orchant

Marc Orchant — Mon, 27 Dec 2004 13:49:22 +0000

Doug:

Following up on Don’s excellent Tablet PC suggestion I have done the same thing in GoBinder using its print-to-image function and can now use your most excellent templates in that Tablet PC-friendly application as well.

You’ve done a terrific job on these templates and have given a very nice gift to the GTD community by releasing them under a Creative Commons license. Thanks so much!

By: Dan Schneider

Dan Schneider — Tue, 28 Dec 2004 11:58:52 +0000

Marc and Don–These templates would make fantastic OneNote stationary. How did you resize the pages to fit the GoBinder window?

By: randomthoughts

randomthoughts — Wed, 29 Dec 2004 03:56:00 +0000

Do it yourself planner
Some do it yourself templates for the GTD system

By: Ted Cates

Ted Cates — Wed, 29 Dec 2004 15:49:19 +0000

The planner is great, but I did have one question. How did you create the PDF file with the rotations to work for a duplex printer and 2-up printing? This has been vexing for a while as I’d like to print 5-10 page 2-up word documents to a Classic sized planner and was thinking a PDF file could do it for me some how.

By: dougj

dougj — Fri, 31 Dec 2004 03:34:39 +0000

Ted, the original templates were created in Illustrator, each front or back being a separate layer. When it came time to produce the PDF booklet, I hid all but each pertinent layer, copied that page, and pasted it into InDesign, where I rotated and moved as necessary. From there I made a PDF including all 26 pages. (I’m still cursing at Adobe for not allowing AI to produce multiple pages, like CorelDraw.) In short, it was a bit of a convoluted process.

That being said, I’m looking recently at the Open Source application Scribus, and it seems to have potential for the templates’ further development.

As for using Windows and Word to produce such a beast with 2-up duplex printing, I wouldn’t have the first clue. Did you investigate Adobe Acrobat’s print dialogue for the “multiple page” and range options? Or perhaps someone reading this would be able to tell you more?

By: Randy Stokes

Randy Stokes — Thu, 06 Jan 2005 21:35:49 +0000

I would love to see these in 5.5 x 8.5 format. I have lots of pre-punched blank pages that size, and would love to be able to print the templates out directly onto that paper without cutting and punching.

By: Tiara

Tiara — Fri, 07 Jan 2005 05:31:18 +0000

Oh, for a PDA version of some of those templates. I type better than I write ;p

thanks though. Good job!

By: Scott Johnson

Scott Johnson — Tue, 11 Jan 2005 07:59:08 +0000

I just stumbled across a link to your excellent templates from Merlin Mann’s site. Nice work! I’m looking forward to getting these printed out and in use.

By: Durbrow

Durbrow — Fri, 21 Jan 2005 02:04:51 +0000

This is very good. Thanks. For those mac users, this works particular well with CocoaBooklet (donationware) to print mini-booklets that can fit in your pocket. Check macupdate.com or versiontracker.com and set your printer to 0 margins if possible.

By: David H. Sundwall

David H. Sundwall — Tue, 01 Feb 2005 17:49:56 +0000

Thanks for these very useful templates. I would like to join kevin’s requestfor larger 8 1/2 x 11″ individual page templates. Thanks again for the great resource regardless.

By: Paul Wylie

Paul Wylie — Wed, 16 Feb 2005 09:42:42 +0000

I have made a number of forms for my own use. I recommend a table form for store opening hours. Space for store name & tel number in collums along the top and days of the week in the rows at the side. Fill in the hours for the places you visit. You can then check if the supermarket; library or gym is open simply before setting out & call to check if the drycleaning is ready or Blockbusters has the DVD you were after. It’s simple but makes out of home or office errands and activities run very smoothly.

By: Andrew Forde

Andrew Forde — Wed, 16 Feb 2005 16:33:36 +0000

Doug,

Good to see that your excellent efforts are still getting praise a number of weeks on from your original posting - that’s great and well deserved.

Have you had any joy with an A5 and A4 version?

Thanks,
Andrew

By: dougj

dougj — Wed, 16 Feb 2005 20:49:32 +0000

Andrew, version 2.0 is coming along well, and will be released in a month or so. It’ll be released in 5.5×8.5 format first, then A5. The letter-size and A4 size may have to wait a bit, depending on my schedule and if there are any volunteers to help produce them.

By: Taper Wickel

Taper Wickel — Fri, 25 Feb 2005 08:34:49 +0000

People needing printable calendars for these might look at incompetech.com — they’ve got monthly and yearly PDF calendars in 8.5″x11.5″ and 11×17 sizes, but more importantly, they have a dynamic calendar generators that let you specify arbitrary dimensions. It’s all URL hackery at the moment — there’s no forms — but as an example, http://www.incompetech.com/beta/cal-monthly/pdfs/2005_2_11_8.5×5.5_en_0_.pdf is a monthly calendar from February-December 2005, on 5.5×8.5 paper in landscape mode.

(The graph paper generators there might be useful as well, for note pages and such.)

By: Laura

Laura — Mon, 28 Feb 2005 21:20:00 +0000

Thank you for your generosity in making these templates available at no charge. I began reading the post and fully expected to see a price attached — you made my Monday. Now, back to “getting things done”.

By: Die Schatenseite: Weblog » Back to the roots: Organisation auf Papier

Die Schatenseite: Weblog » Back to the roots: Organisation auf Papier — Tue, 01 Mar 2005 17:29:08 +0000

[…] en bin da� das nichts f�r mich ist, hat mich eine Umsetzung ganz besondert fasziniert: Der DIY-Planner von Douglas Johnston. Urspr�nglich hie� das Proje […]

By: Lola Michaels

Lola Michaels — Sun, 27 Mar 2005 22:21:23 +0000

Let me add my thanks to the growing pile. I really had to dig (well, two Yahoo searches - your site was #10) for a non-PDA, non-PC-based, non-MAC-based solution. I’m fairly high tech but if I have to turn on my MAC/PC or carry a PDA everywhere (I sat on my last one - RIP), then organization will not happen. Also, a lot of my to-do lists come from print sources (e.g., magazines, catalogs, invoices) and it’s much more efficient to file the source with the to-do list than to scan it (;-))