'I Lost my Filofax....'

[Update] Please note that Filofax no longer offer this facility.

Details can be found here: Filofax closing its registration scheme

'Oh no..... my life is in that thing.... what am I going to do?'

It's something I often see on my Filofax Twitter feed the most recent one from an English comedienne, novelist and actor Jenny Eclair:

Naturally there was the usual banter about 'What is this 1987?' etc, but we all know how to ignore such insults! Fortunately this story does have a happy ending:

But could you survive for 11 days without your Filofax? I know I couldn't. So how do you protect yourself from such a calamity?

Well by duplicating the information in some way, either electronically... or on paper in another Filofax that stays at home... or both even. Electronics as we know have a habit of going AWOL with your data from time to time. So it's best to have a multiple solution to this in place.

For names and addresses I keep a copy of my contacts on the Filofax Address Book Software, this only runs on Windows, but I also have it working on my Windows Emulator(WINE) on my Linux box, so if and when Windows XP goes to the software graveyard, I will not be crying in my wine too much!.

I don't have too many appointments, for the key ones I use iCal on my Mac to keep things in check and so the family know where I am etc.

My task lists are mainly memory joggers for myself really, so it wouldn't be too tragic if I lost those, but I've been playing around with Wunderlist for repetitive tasks such as backups that I have to be at a computer to do each day, so using an app for those doesn't worry me too much, once entered they just constantly cycle though. But I wouldn't use this for my other day to day tasks that I jot in my Filofax... it's far easier!

I carry a copy of my contacts and appointments in a personal size Filofax of some kind or other... it changes often! Keeping the main A5 and the Personal one in sync isn't too difficult.

The other essential thing you should do is of course register your Filofax with Filofax themselves. You will be issued with a serial number for that particular organiser. If it's reported as found to Filofax they will ensure that your organiser finds its way back to you and reward the finder.

It doesn't take very long to do, just visit the Filofax website and put in your details. Use the back button on your browser if you are registering more than one!