diyfish Index System
A Practical Tool for Efficient Planning
Have you ever noticed that on nearly all diyfish inserts, there is a column of small vertical boxes along the outer edge? These boxes are not merely decorative; they are designed to serve as a functional tool to help you locate the plans and notes you’ve written on the inserts. It is the diyfish Index Edge.
The inspiration behind the diyfish Index System comes from the thumb index found in printed dictionaries. No matter how many words a dictionary contains, we can easily locate a specific entry by using the index tabs on the edge of the pages. Similarly, with the diyfish Index System, regardless of where you’ve written your notes within the inserts, you can easily find the information you need.
How to Set Up the diyfish Index System
❶ First, you need to categorize the content in your planner, assigning each category a distinct color code or symbol—or both. For example, in my color coding system, important events are marked in red, personal matters in pink, family-related items in green, children’s matters in both dark and light brown, my husband in grey, and reading in purple, among others.
❷ Next, you’ll need an Index Page Marker to help organize and categorize your content consistently. The Index Page Marker should be the same height as the diyfish inserts you are using, but slightly wider so that the marker isn’t obscured by the pages when in use. If you use multiple sizes of diyfish inserts, you can create a separate Index Page Marker for each size, allowing each planner to be easily searchable.
You can make an Index Page Marker using any diyfish insert of the same size as the pages you wish to index, or you can do as I do and use a transparent plastic sheet. Cut the sheet to the same height as the inserts but slightly wider, punch holes in it for the rings, and then glue a strip of boxes cut from a diyfish insert along the edge. Be sure to align each box with those on the index edge of your inserts. Once this is done, you can start filling in the categories and color codes based on your system.
For example, I place important events at the very top, spanning two vertical boxes in red. This means that whenever there is an important event, the top of the relevant page’s index edge will have two red-marked boxes. Additionally, I highlight the corresponding content inside the page in red for quick reference.
Aside from coloring the boxes, you can also use sticky notes of different colors and widths to mark content. Below are a few common sticky note brands that come in sizes perfect for DIYfish inserts. Some are three boxes tall, others two, and some exactly one box, making them ideal for use with the diyfish Index System.
❸ Remember to regularly mark important content as you use your diyfish inserts. When you need to search for something, simply bend the pages and use the color codes to quickly locate the information you’re looking for.
