Organization
Since College v2 has a “What’s your system?” series going on, I thought I’d write about mine. (I’ll write about school specifically once that starts up for me again.)
My organizer of choice is currently a Tungsten E. On it, I have DateBk6 ($27.95), MyCheckbook (free), and HandyShopper (free). I also use the integrated memos app.
Appointment categories:
ToDo categories:
I have a couple custom views that help narrow down which ToDo categories are shown. No need to see tasks needed to be done at home when I’m at work or out, right?
Any ToDos that aren’t dated don’t show up on the calendar. I’ll occassionally look in tasks to see if I can get any of the lesser-important tasks done.
Tip: Use the icons for categories sparingly, otherwise the week or month view will be cluttered.
If you don’t want to fork over the cash, you can use the built-in calendar. However, you won’t have the luxury of hiding items that aren’t in the context of what you’re doing. Visually, I feel it’s worth it.
I use MyCheckbook as my checkbook register. I reconcile weekly, so I keep up with my checking account really well. Plus, you can backup to memo(s). Simple and neat!
HandyShopper currently isn’t used too much, but it’s cool nevertheless. I have two checklists: one for clean installing Windows XP at work, and another for my weekly review. I’m pretty sure I should brainstorm for other list ideas. Do you have any ideas?
I enter calendar items and tasks in Palm Desktop, both at home and at work. That way, I have two backups. In addition, I use BackupBuddyVFS personal (keeping the SD card at home).
Sidenote: I got a lot of insight from PDAaddict at OrganizedHome.com, who religiously uses Palm Desktop and her Palm PDA. She gets a ton of credit. I suggest that you read through her journal entries and create a system that fits you.
I use Memos for reference. Andy gave me a a portable and foldable IR wireless keyboard, so if I’m away from a computer, I can type stuff in there quickly. I have the following categories for sorting:
Within the File category, I prefix the title of the memo with a 1-2 word description contained in brackets []. (Example: [Car], [College], [Spiritual], [Work]) That makes it visually easier to sift through and find the memo I want. The Palm search function is really quick, too.
For Projects, I’ll list the tasks I need to accomplish and the goal for that project. If I can tackle one of the tasks that day, I’ll copy it as a new ToDo, then “cross it out” when I complete it. (I’ll put an “x” in front of the line.)
At home, my inbox is a single wire desk tray. When I’m out, I put loose papers, receipts, and index cards in a poly ultra wallet. Then when I get home, I dump from the poly wallet into the desk tray.
I’m really good with keeping up with voicemail. I’ll write the message down on an index card with the timestamp, and process that accordingly.
I have a tickler file setup, but I haven’t been using it with consistency. When I get back to a trusted system, where I get my inbox to zero and keep it that way, I’ll probably get better at it as a byproduct. Since my summer hasn’t been intense, I’ve been fine not using it. I’m sure when school starts, I’ll feel much more inclined to using it.
If you don’t have a handheld, look into the Hipster PDA. Although Palm OS 5 includes Notepad, I currently use index cards because it’s easier to write on. I definitely don’t like writing with the stylus too much. Plus, it’s easier to carry index cards in my pocket. So, I’ll write something down, toss the card in my inbox, then process it at a later time.
I have a single letter-size hanging file drawer. I use manila folders to keep the papers in, as opposed to the hanging folders themselves, for easy transport. The majority are sorted by full name, except for purchases. I’ll file miscellaneous purchases in a generic A-to-Z filing system. However, for the major ones that I buy semi-regularly, I’ll create a dedicated folder for those. I’ll occassionally go through and purge to keep the drawer fairly light.
When I’m without index cards, I use my cell phone. I either:
The fewer the amount of inboxes, the easier. In this instance, I’m getting stuff sent to email. I’m happy to say my email inbox is at zero, and it’s been there for a long time.
My calendar isn’t public or shareable, like Google Calendar, Backpack, or 30 Boxes. My system is currently like this because I’m not by a computer all the time, and the internet connection at work is slow.
I wrote this to show yet another way of keeping organized. I probably missed a few points, but this post was sitting in queue for a long time, and I just wanted to get it out.
However, I’m always open to new ideas if it’s for the better. The only reason why I haven’t tinkered is because David advises us not to. (Right?) We can get stuck tweaking the system, but it comes to the point where it’s counter-productive. At the moment, this has been working for me. However, if you have any idea that could possibly be it, chat it up in the comments! Thanks for reading!
A light bulb materialized above my cranium as I was manually “synchronizing” the contacts between my Palm Tungsten E and my cell phone. Usually, if we get a new phone number, we put it into our phone and leave it at that. What about the geeks that has a PDA?
My solution? Write the number down immediately! (Put in in your inbox, too.)
Personally, I don’t carry my PDA with me in my pocket; it’d be too bulky. By writing it down, when I get back to my PDA, I can add that contact there as well. You have to be vigilant to do this when someone changes their phone number, too.
My goal: never to have mismatching contact information for anyone across all my devices.
What do you do to make sure you have up-to-date contact information for everyone?
I got home last night, and my mom wanted to make a long distance phone call to the Philippines or something. She takes the cordless phone and goes into the room - only to become frustrated trying to find the phone card she thought she had bought. She couldn’t find it. The looked through lots of unopened (or rather, opened and unprocessed) envelopes, weekly ad papers, and coupons, to no avail. (more…)
The Beauty of the Recurring Task
I think I’ll input more in my calendar. I haven’t been as disciplined lately with GTD, so I need to get back on track. Using recurring tasks frees up my task list so it just has one-time tasks that need to be done. (more…)
Anybody use KeyNote? I know there’s basic examples on the site, but I’m still curious: how do you use it?
If you’ve heard of the Zipster, I have another idea you can use it for. I’m sure you despise bringing a coupon somewhere, only to find out that it’s expired. How aggrivating!
Using the Zipster template, print the tab cards and create one for each month. Store the coupons in the month that they’ll expire. When each month passes, and you can easily trash the unused coupons.
Anyone use outliners extensively, on a regular basis?
I used most of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday to collecting stuff into my inbox in my quest to be more efficient using the GTD system. Monday was the day I started to process a lot of it. I took four trips to the dumpster (because my trash can is only 7 gallons).
For the most part, I think I’m making great headroom. I think my file drawer needs purging, because that hasn’t been done in at least a year, like the book recommends. However, I’m going to stay the course and keep going through my inbox. I don’t have too much further to go.
Ooh, I should use lists: O.F. Jay-style!
I think I’ve been using HandyShopper for the past week, and I’m very stoked with how it’s helping me. (more…)
I’m not sure if I’d use this, but Backpack looks awesome. Everything is stored online. You need to look through the website to better understand it. I wonder if it supports Palm Desktop…. Second thoughts: I’m not sure if I’d use it extensively, because I’m not exactly connected all the time. I’m still really impressed with it. I’ll keep my free account and try to use it if something comes to mind.
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