CLIPBOARD : DISCOVERY : Franklin International Institute
Do you have trouble dropping off to sleep at night because you know there was something you forgot to do but can’t remember what it was? Do you have scraps of paper cluttering your desk that are supposed to remind you of important details? Ever lose one of the reminders?
The Franklin International Institute in Santa Ana has the perfect remedy. The store sells Franklin Day Planners, a time-management system designed to help people gain control over their personal and professional lives.
“Actually, we refer to it as ‘event control,” store manager Ken Bialas says. “You can never control time, but you can determine priorities and give yourself peace of mind by planning your day systematically.”
Purchased as a kit, the Franklin Day Planner comes with cassette tapes that tell you how to incorporate it into your daily life as a life-planning tool. The institute also conducts personal productivity seminars once a month to give Day Planner users intensive training in how the system can help them focus their energies and redirect their lives.
The concept is based on precepts developed by Benjamin Franklin, who, at age 27, felt that he was a total failure. “He turned his life around by developing a book that he carried with him at all times. He used it to determine his values and priorities, and structured his day around them,” Bialas said. “He was one of the signers of the Constitution, and what we teach people here is to develop their own personal constitution and life plan. Instead of making life more hectic, the Day Planner can give you peace of mind. You can write something down and forget about it until it’s time to deal with it again,” he said.
The basic kit includes a year’s worth of calendar pages starting from the month of purchase. It includes sections for addresses and phone numbers, a system for recording personal values and goals, an exercise log, a dictionary and other reference tools. There are pockets for a calculator and credit cards. Day Planner users have a choice of sizes and binder styles.
The next addition to the product line, Bialas said, will be Day Planner computer software and a binder that holds both the Day Planner, a laptop computer and a cellular telephone.
“We live in an information-oriented society, and sometimes it gets overwhelming if you don’t have a systematic way of keeping track,” Bialas said. “It’s a wonderful stress-control device.” Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday-Friday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday Address: Metro Town Square Shopping Center, 3798 S. Bristol St., Santa Ana Telephone: (714) 751-1776 Miscellaneous Information: For information on the next Day Planner seminar, call 1-800-767-1776.
