February 4th, 2008
Keeping Track Of Your Life!
What type of device or format do you use to keep track of your appointments and your life, including your list of things you don’t want to forget?
I remember it seems like zillions of years ago I listened to a self study course on time management. It was actually about 29 years ago.
While the producers of this program had nothing to do with the company called Day-timer®, they used the Day-timer® as an example of a great system to use. What I started out with was a little tiny book that they made which was about 3 x 5 inches. That was a size that I could fit neatly in my purse and put all the appointments that I had for myself and for my two daughters. I used the “one page per day” style, and this was good enough for me to use for volunteering and mothering and my numerous part time jobs.
As far as a “to do” list goes, I need to put it on paper and strategize the order to feel mentally organized for the work at hand. I even do that when I cook a large dinner for friends.
As the years went on and I started back to college I got a bigger sized Day-timer® that was about 4×6 inches. During those years I had to fill it with schedules and assignments and phone numbers of fellow classmates, as well as the unending schedule of activities for two little girls who took dance and music lessons and played in sports. I even upgraded to the “two page per day” style, and filled it easily. I rarely missed a beat, or an appointment, and felt really organized. Once out of college and working I tried different sizes to keep me on track.
For a few years I even used one that was notebook size, and huge, so I could keep track of all my homecare appointments and my mileage and all else that was essential to the organized, well-balanced woman!
Time flies when one is having fun, and I now no longer had to worry about anyone’s schedule but my own. Children grow and move out and I was left with some empty spaces in the big book.
My time management system gets downsized to the manageable purse size book!
As I began to fit more classes into my schedule, this time at Coach U, I continued to need lots of room to make notations of my appointments. I had to keep looking at the date book to know what I was supposed to do at specific times. I had lots of teleclasses to attend, calls to make and work schedules to adhere to!
My mentor at that time was using a palm® and therefore I felt the necessity to use one also. I could set little alarms to go off so I would never miss an appointment or a call! There was a place to make a strategizing task list, and best of all, it can be downloaded into the computer, and synchronized between the handheld and computer. This way I could use my schedule at the computer or anywhere.
That was very handy when I did have a computer crash, the schedule was there and waiting to be placed back on via the palm® itself through the beauty of the synchronization process. The palm® has been running for five years now, and is backed up daily. This is the system that is working for me today. When I need to see my schedule on paper, I just print it out from the computer! The handiest part of this system is the little alarm that warns me of an appointment, and also the portability of the little device.
My next step will be to combine my phone, computer and palm® device all into one.
Any comments from the BlackBerry®, Treo®, or iPhone users?
I would love to hear from you about this,
Lorraine
