How do you organize your life?

[adina]

Are you digital or paper?

I've got a program on my laptop I am forcing myself to switch to, which should keep work organized, but I also have a planner (with actual paper) that I use as well, for addresses and calender stuff, as well as notes and misc stuff.

I'll be trading in my cell phone for a blackberry within the next few months, which will sync with the software on my laptop, to try and go completely digital, but I'm terrified of loosing stuff.

What works for you? What hasn't worked for you? I used to use a spreadsheet to keep track of sessions and progress, but that's been taken over by the software. Certainly not as easy, but it should (once I get it all figured out) be more detailed.

[Photo-John]

Ha ha. You're funny. What is this "organize" thing you're talking about?

[mjs1973]

It's all in my head. If I forget something, it must not have been that important anyway.

I tried using a date book once, but I found it to be pointless for me. I go to work in the morning, then do what ever in the after noon. No busy schedule to keep track of at this point, and I like it that way. About the only thing that I schedule a long way out is my 6 month dental checkup. That gets tacked onto the fridge.

No spreadsheets, no software. Maybe an occasional post it note, but that's about it for me.

My wife on the other hand, has a pretty crazy schedule and doesn't make a move without her date book.

[Frog]

I go to bed when its dark and I get up when its light.
Sometimes I put off the going to bed part until a few hours after dark.

[another view]

Ha ha. You're funny. What is this "organize" thing you're talking about?

I think it's Latin for "make it up as you go".

I started using iCal on my Mac in January. Before that I used Mike's method until a couple of "oh crap" moments came up. I just use iCal to make notes of what I'm supposed to be doing. I'm sure it does a lot more but this gets the job done for me.

[Skyman]

i have a large notebook at work it sits next to my desk. everything i have to do gets written in it and then lined off. as it is completed i cross it off. i rarely stick to the list order though, so about once a week i flick through the pages and do the things i have missed. i use outlook at work for all my important calendar dates. we run an exchange server so everything is backed up to tape a couple of times a day as well as being held locally on my machine and duplicated on the raid array, so the risk of loosing it is limited to a major catastrophe. if one of those happens i dare say i will have bigger things to worry about than anything i might forget to remember :idea: our exchange server supports wireless synching with any pda phone running windows mobile. at the moment i can't afford one of them but i am hoping to get one soon as i plan to change mobile carriers. i will then have access to all my calendar and contacts all the time and any change i make on the pc will automatically synch to the phone and vice versa, as well as being as securely backed up as you can get. if only they released pda phones that run windows mobile and have a built in gps i would be a happy man!

[mn shutterbug]

I go to bed when its dark and I get up when its light.
Sometimes I put off the going to bed part until a few hours after dark.

Good one. My problem is, sometimes it gets light too early in the morning.

[Ultra Magnus]

Ha ha. You're funny. What is this "organize" thing you're talking about?

I'm with you...

[Medley]

I use my notebook- a little 39 cent pocket spiral jobby, complete with stylus- of sorts.

Personal electronics don't survive well in my occupation.

- Joe U.

[Liz]

Are you digital or paper?

I've got a program on my laptop I am forcing myself to switch to, which should keep work organized, but I also have a planner (with actual paper) that I use as well, for addresses and calender stuff, as well as notes and misc stuff.

I'll be trading in my cell phone for a blackberry within the next few months, which will sync with the software on my laptop, to try and go completely digital, but I'm terrified of loosing stuff.

What works for you? What hasn't worked for you? I used to use a spreadsheet to keep track of sessions and progress, but that's been taken over by the software. Certainly not as easy, but it should (once I get it all figured out) be more detailed.

I'm a bit of both digital and paper. I have a PDA which I use for calendar, memos, contact info, etc. However, for my office work and daily "to-do" lists I use a spiral notebook. I'm a visual person and like to see the "full page" right in front of me. I mostly use the computer to update everything and print it out as I need it.

In the office, this is my first year not having a secretary in many years. Being my own secretary isn't what I do best, so I'm still trying to organize the paper work. I had papers in priority and "tomorrow" baskets, but recently sorted it all out by Mon-Fri and "do-it-next-week" files so I can get more organized and stop procrastinating with the "tomorrow" stuff.

I'm always looking for better ideas to organize paper work - most of my job is out in the field so to speak visiting patients, clients, etc. This office stuff tends to push my procrastination button.

I'm not technically savvy enough for a Blackberry - takes me too long to figure it all out. I never realized how much my secretary did until now!

This is a great thread - maybe I'll learn something.

Liz

[WsW-WYATT-EARP]

I just rely on my wife - she is good for telling me where to go ......

I pretty much just worry about when I need to be at work and when my next poker game is.

This will be changing soon and will have to figure out something to keep track of my free time. I will probably use some sort of calendar. Most likely some electronic deal.

[drg]

Both after trying digital only. The paper and ink is real handy for making notes that include little drawings or diagrams like maps when I don't want to whip out a big ol' computer. I am very careful however, to be sure to update the master calendar to keep everything synced up.

The various software that allows for 'reoccuring events' is great for those quarterly, monthly, etc. reminders. There are clients I like to remember a birthday or anniversary, a meeting or get together that is the second Tuesday of alternating months, etc so I don't double book.

I also like my electronic 'punch list' so I am not constantly crossing off and rewriting. From groceries to work demands, that little memo function and To-Do list in the PDA is a life saver!

Paper is also great to be able to hand to someone and say, write it down. From email addresses to odd spelling of names to phone numbers from folks with foreign accents that we only share languages that one of us speaks adequately. (Its often me that falls on the short end of that!) I can tear out a piece of paper and leave a note and so on.

I blogged somwhere along the line about this (w/pictures) and, yes, with all the toys, paper still has its uses!

[GB1]

Depends if you're a list person, or what not. If you do like to organize stuff because you're so busy that you need to do things efficiently or lose your mind, processes or procedures can save your *ss. Organizing them in digital format on a PDA or whatever as opposed to paper is just a personal preference. I don't think it will really make your life better or worse in any appreciable way..........

G

[Franglais]

My current project involves bringing one of the major French corporations from the dark ages of email systems to a state-of-the-art dual-site EXCHANGE system with email, shared agenda, shared documents, Windows Mobile Direct Push, etc.

It's gone pretty well. When people realise that they can have their email, calendar, address book, Internet access etc. directly on their PDA/Phone (no need to connect to a PC) they go for it.

My personal setup is a mixture of the Corporate system and my Home system. The PDA has everything - but the master copy is on a server somewhere.

[victorhuang20]

i use ical on my macbook because i am a student, my macbook goes everywhere with me, as does my camera but aside that, ical helps.....alot but the only problem is updating it! haha

[walterick]

Skyman have you looked for such a device? I seem to recall a GPS PDA a few years ago not sure if it took off or if it was running Windows Mobile.

Rick

[walterick]

I am just like Liz, I use my PDA for calendar and contacts, and I keep a notepad for scribbling down thoughts, notes, ideas, and to-do lists. I get more satisfaction out of drawing a red line through something when I'm done with it rather than just deleting it.

One of the advantages to using a PDA/Blackberry is the calendar feature DRG mentioned that saves your important dates from month to month, year to year etc without having to reenter them. That comes in really handy with birthdays and reoccurring classes and meetings, for instance. The other key bonus I find is keeping a digital contact list you never run out of pages in your paper dayrunner and have to start buying more pages or reorganizing lists of people.

You'll like your Blackberry.

[MJS]

I keep my schedules synced on my three computers and my iPod touch. I don't have a smart phone because I am constantly dropping the phone and only use the cheap ones. Being a former Newsie, and now teaching it in school, I always have a reporters notebook available for notes. My wife is all paper and I'm an electronic geek.

[Skyman]

I seem to recall a GPS PDA a few years ago not sure if it took off or if it was running Windows Mobile.

Rick

that is the caveat, you can get gps phones and you can get pda phones that run windows mobile but not yet both.

[SmartWombat]

Organise ?
I have a wife

She keeps me organised, and she uses paper.
Almost an obsessive list-writer and planner.

[Franglais]

that is the caveat, you can get gps phones and you can get pda phones that run windows mobile but not yet both.

A number of my collegues have bought the HTC Touch 3450. This is a PDA/Phone running Windows Mobile. They have connected an external GPS receiver to the phone and used TomTom Navigator to run it. They are quite satisfied.

I'm the vanilla flavour reference system so I haven't been able to mess about with mine

[Lori11]

One of the best things EVER is a site called Memo To Me...I swear to god I use to email
myself and leave VM's at home... go to www.memotome.com it's a life saver, and easy to use! You will love it.

[adina]

Okay, so I'm using the software on my laptop, a paper planner, and a list pad (you know, those long narrow ones).

Every morning while I drink my coffee I make a list of what I need to get done today. Appts go in the laptop (and the book for now).

So far I haven't lost anything ,but man, a bit time consuming.

Blackberrys on hold, had to fix my car. Again.