Gillio Envy

There has been much talk about Gillio Firenze planners lately.  Many people have purchased them and written blogs posts about them; they have been featured in Philofaxy posts; there’s a dedicated Facebook group for them.  Their planners are beautiful, but they have a price tag to match (though well worth every penny, from what I’m hearing).  It’s like an exclusive club, the way people are talking about them—I’m not all too familiar with the company or the planner names; I don’t have a new bag to compare my new Gillio planner to; I don’t own a binder whose leather is so soft and supple, like butter.

I’m jealous.

There, I said it.  Sigh.

Yes, I’m jealous.

All of the buzz I’m hearing—the excitement over a new planner, and not just a new planner, but a gorgeous one at that, one that compares to nothing like I’ve ever seen before.  Or so I’m hearing.

I’ve perused the website.  I like what I see.  I especially like that there’s a slim collection, with a closure and even without a closure.  Since starting up with the compact Filofax size, I’ve never looked back.  And for some reason, the slim without a closure really appeals to me.  Perhaps in the brown leather.

But at the cost the planner translated into US dollars, and the shipping from Belgium.  We’re talking almost $300 (perhaps even more).  I’ve never paid that much for a planner, never paid that much for a handbag or any other leather good.  It’s simply out of my budget. 

For now. 

I’ve created an envelope labeled “Gillio.”  When I have leftover cash at the end of any given week, I will put that money into the envelope.  When (and if) I reach the amount I would need to purchase said planner, I just may purchase it.  It will take a long time, I’m sure, so we will see how it all plays out.

In the meantime, I need to find some planner excitement.

Truth be told, it’s not the Gillio planner itself I’m really jealous about, but the thrill and surge of excitement over a new planner, or at least a new setup.  I haven’t changed my setup in quite some time (since April to be exact).  That’s because it works so well for me.  And that’s great!  But it’s not very exciting.

I see how others are getting new binders (Gillio or otherwise), starting with new inserts, adjusting layouts and functionality, and generally shaking things up a bit.  They are excited to start organizing in a new way, to plan their lives a little differently.  They are pumped.  They feel the promise of something new, something better.  They have found their planning sweet spot.

I keep pushing on with the same old thing.

Don’t get me wrong—it’s great to have something that works so well that I don’t even have to think about it.  I’ve been in that mental torment of needing to choose which layout is best, which inserts would serve my purpose.  Sometimes I would drive myself crazy with all of the options and my need to choose something quick so that I can reorganize my life and move on.

I don’t want to be there again.

But I would like to spice up my planning life just a little.  But in what way?

Well, in answer to my question, just yesterday I received the latest Franklin Covey catalog.  I stumbled across two types of inserts that intrigue me: the Retro Pop Daily inserts and the Serenity Daily inserts.  Both come in a one-day-per-page layout, which is what I like.

But I hesitate with any FC inserts for a few reasons:

• They are wider than Filofax binders, and so I would need to trim and repunch every page.  I’ve been there, done that.  Twice.  And both times it didn’t last.
• While I love the tabbed months that FC offers, I don’t like the Sunday start to them.  I’ve become so accustomed to the Monday start that Filofax provides, and it works very well for me—I love seeing the entire weekend together.  It helps me plan a whole lot better.
• The inserts listed above do not have time slots.  There is enough room for me to add my own, but do I want to have to do that for every single page?  Probably not.

With all I would have to do to make these pages (as pretty as they are) work for me, I’m not sure it’s worth it.  Plus, I’d be spending more money considering I’ve already purchased and set up my 2014 inserts.

So that leaves me back right where I started.  Function but no fun.

At some point I’ll find something to make my planning fun again.  Until then, I’ll have to dream of the day when I can finally get my hands on the Gillio…