Some end of year reading

I'd be honoured if you would consider spending a (very) little money on one or more of my Kindle books.

If you don't have a Kindle, you can get a fee Kindle app for your smartphone or tablet. Details can be found here.

Here they are:

Journalling School

Journalling School: A Short Course in Personal Journalling provides a straightforward and insightful guide to those wishing to start a journal or those who wish to return to or reinvigorate their journalling. Covering a wide range of aspects and including exercises and questions to ponder, this will inspire any journal keeper or would-be journal keeper.

View on your local Amazon site

12 Easy Life Upgrades

It is hard to find time for personal development. This book recognises this and presents twelve life upgrades. Quick to read, easy to understand and implement, each has the potential to make your life better.

View on your local Amazon site

Very Short Shorts

What can be achieved in as few as fifty words? Perhaps there might be an impression of character or place. There is room for a surprising twist, sometimes.

The right fifty words can be as good as fifty thousand. Read these stories. See if you agree.

(Fifty words, including these.)

View on your local Amazon site

A field notes log book/diary for 2017 - special offer

If you haven't sorted yourself out yet for the coming year, how about a Field Notes size weekly diary?

There is a week on each page, so a spread covers a full two weeks.

People use this layout as a conventional diary, but also as a log - for diet, exercise, or anything that needs to be tracked daily.

I have printed a stock of these and will send you one for £5, shipping free, to anywhere in the world. To go ahead, email me and we can make it happen.

Free 2017 Filofax diary pages part 3: Pocket size

2017 is coming. If you're looking for diary pages for next year for the Filofax Pocket format, you might want to look at these layouts, which are free to download and print yourself at home.

Although you'll still find the source files on this site to produce your own diary sets for any year (or any shorter period) people seem to like the convenience of downloading full year sets. Here are Pocket sized sets for 2017. I've already posted A4 and A5 sets and Personal sets.

Day per page

Day per page minimalist:   Word file   PDF file

Day on two pages

Original day on two pages:   Word file   PDF file

Two days per page

Two days per page (unruled):   Word file   PDF file
Two days per page (ruled):   Word file   PDF file

Week on two pages

Week on two pages enhanced TM layout:   Word file   PDF file

Week on two pages CC-inspired layout:   Word file   PDF file

Month per page

Original month per page:  Word file   PDF file

Month on two pages

Original month on two pages:   Word file   PDF file

Each file is set up as an A4 document. Print this double-sided. If you have a duplex printer, set it to flip on the short edge. If you don't then you'll have to print odd-numbered pages and then refeed to print the even-numbered pages on the reverse. You might have to experiment to find out how to refeed the paper.

On one side of each sheet you'll find crop marks. Use a craft knife and a steel ruler to release the Pocket pages and punch them. The templates are set up with mirrored gutters to accommodate the holes.

If using the PDF be sure to set it to print at full size as explained here.

Free 2017 Filofax diary pages part 2: Personal size

2017 is coming. It will soon be time to set up your new diary pages. If that happens to be in Filofax Personal format, you might want to look at these layouts, which are free to download and print yourself at home.

Although you'll still find the source files on this site to produce your own diary sets for any year (or any shorter period) people seem to like the convenience of downloading full year sets. Here are Personal sized sets for 2017. I've already posted A4 and A5 sets and Pocket sets will follow.

Printing on A4 or Letter paper

Day per page

Original day per page:   Word file   PDF file     (Letter versions:    Word file    PDF file)
Day per page minimalist:   Word file   PDF file      (Letter versions:    Word file    PDF file)

Day on two pages

Original day on two pages:   Word file   PDF file     (Letter versions:    Word file    PDF file)

Two days per page

Two days per page (ruled):   Word file   PDF file     (Letter versions:    Word file    PDF file)
Two days per page (unruled):   Word file   PDF file     (Letter versions:    Word file    PDF file)

Week per page

Original week per page:   Word file   PDF file

Week on two pages

Week on two pages enhanced TM layout:   Word file   PDF file     (Letter versions:    Word file    PDF file)

Week on two pages CC-inspired layout:   Word file   PDF file     (Letter versions:    Word file    PDF file)
Week on two pages vertical layout:   Word file   PDF file     (Letter versions:    Word file    PDF file)
Week on two pages landscape layout:   Word file   PDF file     (Letter versions:    Word file    PDF file)

Month per page

Original month per page:  Word file   PDF file 

Month on two pages

Original month on two pages:   Word file   PDF file   

Year planner

Fold out (Z fold) year planner:   Word file   PDF file   

Each file is set up as an A4 document. Print this double-sided. If you have a duplex printer, set it to flip on the short edge. If you don't then you'll have to print odd-numbered pages and then refeed to print the even-numbered pages on the reverse. You might have to experiment to find out how to refeed the paper.

On one side of each sheet you'll find crop marks. Use a craft knife and a steel ruler to release the Personal pages and punch them. The templates are set up with mirrored gutters to accommodate the holes.

If using the PDF be sure to set it to print at full size as explained here.

Printing on Filofax Personal blank paper

If you have a printer that can print directly onto blank Filofax paper, you might prefer to download from the following selection. These are set up to print two-sided and you're likely to have to print even pages first, then restack in the printer tray to print the even pages.

Original day per page:   Word file   PDF file
Original week per page:   Word file   PDF file
Week on two pages CC layout:   Word file   PDF file
Week on two pages vertical layout:   Word file   PDF file
Original month per page:  Word file   PDF file
Month per page with notes:  Word file   PDF file
Original month on two pages:   Word file   PDF file
Month on two pages with notes:   Word file   PDF file

Free 2017 Filofax diary pages part 1: A4 and A5 size

Somehow it seems to be almost 2017 and it will soon be time to update your diary pages. If that happens to be in A4 or A5 format, you might want to look at these layouts, which are free to download and print yourself at home. These are the result of a collaboration between me and Steve Morton of Philofaxy and you can find the files there also.

Although you'll still find the source files on this site to produce your own diary sets for any year (or any shorter period) people seem to like the convenience of downloading full year sets. Here are A4 or A5 sets for 2017. Pocket and Personal sets will follow.

Day per page

Original day per page:   Word file   PDF file
Day per page minimalist (narrow ruled):   Word file   PDF file
Day per page minimalist (wide ruled):   Word file   PDF file

Day on two pages

Original day on two pages:   Word file   PDF file
Daily Dashboard:   Word File   PDF file

Two days per page

Two days per page (ruled):   Word file   PDF file
Two days per page (unruled):   Word file   PDF file

Week per page

Original week per page:   Word file   PDF file
Week per page with tasks:   Word file   PDF file
Week per page CC-inspired:   Word file   PDF file

Week on two pages

Week on two pages enhanced TM layout (4 line ruling):   Word file   PDF file
Week on two pages enhanced TM layout (5 line ruling):   Word file   PDF file

Week on two pages journal layout (ruled):   Word file   PDF file
Week on two pages journal layout (unruled):   Word file   PDF file
Week on two pages new TM/journal layout (4 line ruling):   Word file   PDF file
Week on two pages new TM/journal layout (5 line ruling):   Word file   PDF file
Week on two pages CC-inspired layout:   Word file   PDF file
Week on two pages vertical layout:   Word file   PDF file

Month per page

Original month per page: Word file   PDF file
Month per page with notes: Word file   PDF file

Month on two pages

Original month on two pages:   Word file   PDF file
Month on two pages with notes:   Word file   PDF file

Year planner

Original year planner:   Word file   PDF file
A5 Z-fold year planner:   Word file   PDF file

Each version is set up as an A4 document. To use them as A5 inserts, print the document in booklet mode on A4 paper, then use a guillotine to divide each sheet into two and punch the required holes, which the templates are set up with mirrored gutters to accommodate. Or, if you have A5 paper, then either the printer or the PC will scale it to size for you.

Free Midori diary inserts for 2017: Part 6 - Field Notes size layouts

Today's post contains 2017 versions of my layouts for the popular Field Notes format.

As usual, all are available for download as A4 and Letter paper PDFs. As ever, they are all free for personal use.

Here we go.

1. Week on two pages

The week on two pages layout gives you a straightforward planning view, a week at a time. You'll need two booklets for a full year.

  2017 A4 version: H1  H2

  2017 Letter version: H1  H2

2. Daily log book

The daily log book is ideal for tracking daily activities - exercise, say, or diet - even Pokemon

  2017 A4 version

  2017 Letter version

Special offer

Maybe you prefer not to print your own. For a limited time I will print and bind a 2017 daily log book for you at a cost of £5, including postage to anywhere in the world. It will have a printed card cover that looks like this:

If you want to take advantage of this offer, email me and we can make arrangements.

What you'll download each time is a file that is ready to print straight away, without any need to use booklet format on your printer. Just print this straight to A4 or Letter paper, with duplex set to flip on the short edge (I'd recommend you print just one or two pages first to make sure your printer deals with this correctly and make adjustments as necessary.)

Once you've printed out the pages, you can bind them into a booklet and cut to size using these instructions:

Remember, though, that for this size you meed to cut down to 90 mm wide rather than 110 mm and you'll have to trim 35 mm from the top and from the bottom as well, leaving you a booklet 140 mm tall. 

Free Midori diary inserts for 2017: Part 5 - Large Cahier size layouts

Today's post contains 2017 versions of my layouts for the Moleskine Large Cahier format.

As usual, all are available for download as A4 and Letter paper PDFs. As ever, they are all free for personal use.

Here we go.

1. Daily dashboard

The Daily Dashboard gives you a booklet per month and contains a monthly overview followed by a double page spread for each day, letting you organise tasks, appointments and anything else you can imagine.

 2017 A4 version - Jan
 2017 A4 version - Feb
 2017 A4 version - Mar
 2017 A4 version - Apr
 2017 A4 version - May
 2017 A4 version - Jun
 2017 A4 version - Jul
 2017 A4 version - Aug
 2017 A4 version - Sep
 2017 A4 version - Oct
 2017 A4 version - Nov
 2017 A4 version - Dec

 2017 Letter version - Jan
 2017 Letter version - Feb
 2017 Letter version - Mar
 2017 Letter version - Apr
 2017 Letter version - May
 2017 Letter version - Jun
 2017 Letter version - Jul
 2017 Letter version - Aug
 2017 Letter version - Sep
 2017 Letter version - Oct
 2017 Letter version - Nov
 2017 Letter version - Dec

2. Week on two pages

The week on two pages layout gives you a straightforward planning view, a week at a time.

  2017 A4 version: H1  H2

  2017 Letter version: H1  H2

What you'll download each time is a file that is ready to print straight away, without any need to use booklet format on your printer. Just print this straight to A4 or Letter paper, with duplex set to flip on the short edge (I'd recommend you print just one or two pages first to make sure your printer deals with this correctly and make adjustments as necessary.)

Once you've printed out the pages, you can bind them into a booklet and cut to size using these instructions:

Remember, though, that for this size you meed to cut down to 130 mm wide rather than 110 mm.

Free Midori diary inserts for 2017: Part 4 - Personal size layout

Today I'm updating the week on two pages layout I produced for the Personal size.

You have the choice of downloading this in A4 or Letter format. Either way, you will need both the Half 1 and Half 2 files to make both booklets covering a full year between them.

 2017 A4 version:    H1   H2

 2017 Letter version:    H1   H2

You can get more guidance on booklet making in this video.

Remember that you will need to trim Personal size booklets more narrowly, as well as trimming the top and bottom.

Free Midori diary inserts for 2017: Part 3 - Monthly and yearly layouts

Following on from the weekly and daily layouts for 2017, today I have the monthly and full year layouts.

As usual, they are all free for personal use.

Here we go.

1. Monthly - month on two pages

Nice and simple, this layout gives you a two pages for each month. A booklet includes two years.


 2017-18 A4 version 

 2017-18 Letter version

What you'll download each time is a file that is ready to print straight away, without any need to use booklet format on your printer. Just print this straight to A4 or Letter paper, with duplex set to flip on the short edge (I'd recommend you print just one or two pages first to make sure your printer deals with this correctly and make adjustments as necessary.)

Once you've printed out the pages, you can bind them into a booklet and cut to size using these instructions:

2. Yearly calendar

The yearly calendar will print equally well on A4 or Letter paper. Each version includes two years. Cut each one out and fix to the cover of a booklet for a quick overview of the whole year. There is a choice of colour themes.

 2017 - 2018 Red
 2017 - 2018 Orange
 2017 - 2018 Blue

 2017 - 2018 Purple

 2017 - 2018 Green

Free Midori diary inserts for 2017: Part 2 - Full size daily layouts

Following on from the weekly layouts for 2017, today I have the daily layouts.

As usual, all are available for download as A4 and Letter paper PDFs. As ever, they are all free for personal use.

Here we go.

1. Daily Journal 

Nice and simple, this layout gives you a page per day with two months to each booklet. You will need to make six booklets to cover a whole year.


 2017 A4 version - Jan & Feb

 2017 A4 version - Mar & Apr

 2017 A4 version - May & Jun

 2017 A4 version - Jul & Aug

 2017 A4 version - Sep & Oct

 2017 A4 version - Nov & Dec

 2017 Letter version - Jan & Feb

 2017 Letter version - Mar & Apr

 2017 Letter version - May & Jun

 2017 Letter version - Jul & Aug

 2017 Letter version - Sep & Oct

 2017 Letter version - Nov & Dec

2. Daily dashboard

The Daily Dashboard gives you a booklet per month and contains a monthly overview followed by a double page spread for each day, letting you organise tasks, appointments and anything else you can imagine.

 2017 A4 version - Jan
 2017 A4 version - Feb
 2017 A4 version - Mar
 2017 A4 version - Apr
 2017 A4 version - May
 2017 A4 version - Jun
 2017 A4 version - Jul
 2017 A4 version - Aug
 2017 A4 version - Sep
 2017 A4 version - Oct
 2017 A4 version - Nov
 2017 A4 version - Dec

 2017 Letter version - Jan
 2017 Letter version - Feb
 2017 Letter version - Mar
 2017 Letter version - Apr
 2017 Letter version - May
 2017 Letter version - Jun
 2017 Letter version - Jul
 2017 Letter version - Aug
 2017 Letter version - Sep
 2017 Letter version - Oct
 2017 Letter version - Nov
 2017 Letter version - Dec



What you'll download each time is a file that is ready to print straight away, without any need to use booklet format on your printer. Just print this straight to A4 or Letter paper, with duplex set to flip on the short edge (I'd recommend you print just one or two pages first to make sure your printer deals with this correctly and make adjustments as necessary.)

Once you've printed out the pages, you can bind them into a booklet and cut to size using these instructions:

Free Midori diary inserts for 2017: Part 1 - Full size weekly layouts

It is that time of the year again, when the ultra-planners start thinking about the next year and getting itchy to commit their plans for it to paper.

In a series of posts I will present the full set of all available layouts in all available sizes. All will be available for download as A4 and Letter paper PDFs. As ever, they are all free for personal use.

We start today with the suite of weekly diaries.

1. Week to view with tasks

With this layout, you have a choice of colours. You will need to make two booklets to cover a whole year. Some people have a different colour for each half.


 2017 A4 version - Blue:    H1   H2

 2017 A4 version - Green:    H1   H2

 2017 A4 version - Orange:    H1   H2

 2017 A4 version - Red:    H1   H2

 2017 A4 version - Purple:    H1   H2

 2017 Letter version - Blue:    H1   H2

 2017 Letter version - Green:    H1   H2

 2017 Letter version - Orange:    H1   H2

 2017 Letter version - Red:    H1   H2

 2017 Letter version - Purple:    H1   H2

2. Week on two pages - purist layout

This layout is for people who want a very traditional layout, dedicating the maximum possible space to each day.

Again, you will need both halves to make up a full year.


 2017 A4 version:    H1   H2
 2017 Letter version:    H1   H2

3. Week to a page - purist layout

Based on the week on two pages purist layout, this places a week on each stage in the same style. The advantage is that a single booklet covers the whole year.

 2017 A4 version
 2017 Letter version


You can get more guidance on booklet making in this video.

Introducing The Londoner Special Edition TN

It's been a while since I created a new Special Edition TN. This one celebrates my city.

If you want one, you can send me an email.

A Field Notes Camel Traveller's Notebook

In the days before the return of the Camel version of the Midori Traveler's Notebook, I created an alternative, my Camel Special Edition. It is still available.

But you still can't get a Midori in Field Notes size. May I present my Camel Jr Special Edition?

If you want one, you can send me an email.

I did it again

Six weeks after the Watford Half Marathon, I ran the Welwyn Half Marathon this morning. These were my thoughts as a progressed along the course...

New grid paper choices for your Filofax

I made a grid paper template for the Filofax Personal some time ago. You can find it here.

Recently I was asked to make a new version, with a finer gird pattern. So now there is a choice between wide grid and narrow grid versions.

You can download the pages either as editable Word files or as PDF files. If using the PDF versions remember to set your printer settings so as not to shrink the pages.

Download the Wide Grid version pages as a Word file or a PDF file.

Download the Narrow Grid version pages as a Word file or a PDF file.

Each file should be printed double-sided with the duplex set to flip along the short edge. You can then cut out and punch individual pages as outlined in this post.

Flexible week and notes layout for Large Cahier size Traveler's Notebooks

I recently made a flexible weekly and notes layout for the full size Midori. Today I am releasing the same layout in Moleskine Large Cahier size.

I have two versions of the inner pages. You can choose between the 'righty' and the 'lefty':

Although anyone can use either, I suspect that the 'righty' will work better for the right-handed writer and the 'lefty' for the left-hander. That is because diary entries tend to be short - a word or a phrase, say, whereas notes tend to require longer writing sessions, so the note section is on the relevant preferred facing page.

On the notes page, I've added action checkboxes on each line. Because these are unobtrusive, you can use the page either for tasks that you check off or just for general notes, ignoring the boxes. Or you can divide the page as you see fit and do both.

So, as I say, I think this will prove a flexible insert. You can download and print it for free. Links to the various versions are below.

 Lefty A4 PDF file
 Lefty Letter PDF file

 Righty A4 PDF file
 Righty Letter PDF file

What you'll download is a file that is ready to print straight away, without any need to use booklet format on your printer. Just print this straight to A4 or Letter paper, with duplex set to flip on the short edge (I'd recommend you print just one or two pages first to make sure your printer deals with this correctly and make adjustments as necessary.)

Once you've printed out the pages, you can bind them into a booklet and cut to size using these instructions:

Remember to trim these booklets to a width of 130mm rather than 110mm.

Here is a post I would never have believed I'd be writing

I'm going a little off topic today to share a project that's kept me busy for the last six months. To be honest, it's a bit of a vanity post, so you absolutely don't have to read to the end,

In July I turned 47. On a bit of a whim I spent some birthday money on a pair of running shoes and downloaded the 'Couch to 5k Plan' running app for my phone. I spent August following the plan. At first I was running for just 60 seconds at a time, my muscles, unused for decades, complaining at every step, my heart almost whirring in its acceleration and my lungs labouring to fuel the whole enterprise with what suddenly seemed like very thin air indeed.

Over the weeks, my runs lengthened until at the end of August this happened:

The Couch to 5k Plan promises to get you to 5k or 30 minutes. Because of my relatively slow running speed, I reached 30 minutes before I got to 5k. But the thought of running 5k continued to inspire me, so two days later...

That was the day I felt able to call myself a runner. In truth I became a little emotional when the voice in my ear announced, "Completed: five kilometres."

Just ten days later and it was saying, "Completed: ten kilometres."

Even now I can hardly believe that ten days after my first 5k I ran my first 10k. It seems ridiculous.

Around this time, I joined Parkrun and started running timed 5k distances. This was my first experience of running with a group, which added a dimension. Until you run with other people it is possible to believe this is a private pursuit. Parkrun forced me (in a good way) to acknowledge and embrace the community aspect of running. 

I kept going. I ran three times a week, concentrating on 5k runs with the odd 10k now and again. Before Christmas I booked my place on the Watford Half Marathon, which I ran yesterday.

Here we all are ready to get going:

I was never going to set any records, but I hoped first that I would finish the race and that if I did that I could do it within two and a half hours, although I would happily have settled for three. In training I had never run farther than 17k, so I was making the assumption that I could maintain that pace for an additional 5k on the day.

Here is what happened:

This also happened:

I can't really explain what this all means to me without getting a bit blubby, but I'll try. I've never been fit, Even at school I used any excuse to get out of games, I think that if I showed my medal to any younger version of me they would be incredulous. Indeed, I find it hard to believe myself.

And if I thought it was all down to me I would leave it there. But it took a team of people. There are my wife and children who have supported me in a thousand ways and were there yesterday at the finishing line. There are the marshals on the Watford route who didn't have to be so enthusiastic, so encouraging, but unfailingly were. There are the Watford residents who came out of their houses and clapped and called to us all as we ran past. There are the friends who sponsored me, who asked how it was going, who egged me on daily. There are the Parkrun volunteers and runners who made 'coming out' so easy. There were also the people walking by the canal last August who must have thought the sweaty, panting man running past them who stopped every minute was ridiculous but never gave any indication.  I owe all these people a very great deal.

New Midori insert - Week on a page - full size

When somebody recently asked me for a week on a page insert for the Midori, I was surprised to find that I had never made one. A few different weeks on two pages layouts, certainly, but never a week on a page.

So, if you've been waiting for such a layout, this one is for you.

You can download and print it for free. Links to the prepared sets for 2016 are below.

    2016 A4 version                         2016 Letter version

What you'll download is a file that is ready to print straight away, without any need to use booklet format on your printer. Just print this straight to A4 or Letter paper, with duplex set to flip on the short edge (I'd recommend you print just one or two pages first to make sure your printer deals with this correctly and make adjustments as necessary.)

Once you've printed out the pages, you can bind them into a booklet and cut to size using these instructions: