Getting organised - what do you do?
- Thread starter Paul_B
- Start date
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I use a desk diary and a "to do" list... and a memory like a sieve!
If all of that fails - then it was not worth remembering...
The good lady wife has a calander to remember birthdays etc...but she is the one who always forgets our anniversary (trying to blot out the memory I guess...) but is always forgetting things for the shopping list!
If all of that fails - then it was not worth remembering...
The good lady wife has a calander to remember birthdays etc...but she is the one who always forgets our anniversary (trying to blot out the memory I guess...) but is always forgetting things for the shopping list!
I married my organisation. If there's something I need to know, she tells me.
If I really need to know something, she tells me to pay attention first.
If I really need to know something, she tells me to pay attention first.
Blackberry with a Bluetooth sync to Outlook on my computer. Will print out filofax type pages. It automatically sets reminders for the calender and the "ToDo" list.
As I tick things off as "done" on the "Todo" list, they disappear from view and the "not finished" come to the top. I can sort the Todo list by importance or due date.
Clients and colleagues send me invitations and appts by e-mail - I can respond using my phone or lapdog and it all stays in synch
As I tick things off as "done" on the "Todo" list, they disappear from view and the "not finished" come to the top. I can sort the Todo list by importance or due date.
Clients and colleagues send me invitations and appts by e-mail - I can respond using my phone or lapdog and it all stays in synch
I've usually got a moleskin notebook on the go, three at the moment because I've started a new job.
a wise man once said '' you can only do the job in front of you'' after that, if its important someone will start shouting.
I gave up with electronic organizers because I kept forgetting to charge them.
Paper doesn't give up like batteries do.
Paper doesn't give up like batteries do.
Mobile phone for me, i have a bad memory for dates, appointments etc. It bings to let me know i need to be somewhere ! It also syncs with my laptop with google calender and outlook.
Interesting that. I find electronic systems much better for diaries. At my last client, 3,000 peoples diaries were all available through Outlook. You could add (for example) three people to an appointment if you wanted to discuss a topic and the system would automatically tell you the next time you were all free (and even which rooms were availble). Superb.
FOr me, the joy of electronic organisers like Blackberrys is that they are always with you, automatically update and even remind you in advance where your next appointment is and when.
Red
I have a works BB, personally android phone, an A5 diary for work, somewhere I don't know at the moment is a tiny pocket diary no bigger than 2.5" square, personal pocket sized zip up filofax type organiser, Outlook on my work laptop, Google online calendar and Microsoft Live calendar. Also I got hold of a large 4 drawer filing cabinet from a friend of a friend who was emigrating and it came with a load of files, suspension files and a stack of pads A4 with To do list printed on them.
Phew what a list!
Anyway, I am currently using my brain to keep me organised! That means I'm often screwed when it comes to remembering things. I kind of know something is coming up and I have to search around to work it out. Birthdays I half know which month peoples' birthdays are in but I have to be told to be sure. Facebook is a life saver (literally in some cases) as people often let you know their birth date so you can go into events and look birthdays up. I also get that synced to my android phone too. That was a pleasant surprise to notice that phone had events listed when I never entered anything.
Work is the problem sometimes and I have to write a list out somewhere. Then ignore the bits I don't want to do until I really MUST get it done.
My homelife is generally easier. I am a member of various groups who have websites with calendars of events. This means that my memory tells me that this sunday I have something coming up that I can't miss but not what that is. So I trawl through all those websites until something turns on the light!! I must admit I do remember about 75% of the things I have to remember so I am not too bad normally. Funnily enough I seem to remember the least enjoyable events (work usually) better than the exciting things I am really looking forward to. I nearly forgot I was off on holiday for a week in Scotland and only remembered when someone asked where I was going next week!!!!
Does the above make me a hopeless case? I think it does hence me asking this question.
My conclusions from the thread so far is as follows: -
-I need to learn how to do to do lists and get into the habit of using them (on paper perhaps with a quick summary on some phone).
-I also need to put birthdays on a phone with an annual re-occurrence on it.
-I need to pick which phone to use and only use one for organization. OR use both but get some way to sync them very, very easily.
Any other thing? Well I guess discipline is needed which is the real stumbling block I reckon. I could change my life somehow so that I don't need to be organized but I can't see that happening without a large lottery win and a PA somehow not expecting that to happen.
BTW Blackberry or Android phone? Which is best for self organizing.
I downloaded Jorte last night. A filofax type diary app on android (probably the apple and Berry ones too). Made me think I want a new organiser / filofax. I got bought by my parents years ago a zip up pocket one and I just can not get on with the zip part. It is good for keeping stuff in it but I don't like writing in it because of the annoying zip. Might have to shell out £25 to get a new one with just the pop stud closure. I did like the idea of the filofax when I got it. They seem so useful. Seen the professional range and they are the business!!
They have so many different types of organizer bits to create a totally modular system. All in A4 I think. Cost? Well that is something like £120 upwards, I think without the infills too!!
Phew what a list!
Anyway, I am currently using my brain to keep me organised! That means I'm often screwed when it comes to remembering things. I kind of know something is coming up and I have to search around to work it out. Birthdays I half know which month peoples' birthdays are in but I have to be told to be sure. Facebook is a life saver (literally in some cases) as people often let you know their birth date so you can go into events and look birthdays up. I also get that synced to my android phone too. That was a pleasant surprise to notice that phone had events listed when I never entered anything.
Work is the problem sometimes and I have to write a list out somewhere. Then ignore the bits I don't want to do until I really MUST get it done.
My homelife is generally easier. I am a member of various groups who have websites with calendars of events. This means that my memory tells me that this sunday I have something coming up that I can't miss but not what that is. So I trawl through all those websites until something turns on the light!! I must admit I do remember about 75% of the things I have to remember so I am not too bad normally. Funnily enough I seem to remember the least enjoyable events (work usually) better than the exciting things I am really looking forward to. I nearly forgot I was off on holiday for a week in Scotland and only remembered when someone asked where I was going next week!!!!
Does the above make me a hopeless case? I think it does hence me asking this question.
My conclusions from the thread so far is as follows: -
-I need to learn how to do to do lists and get into the habit of using them (on paper perhaps with a quick summary on some phone).
-I also need to put birthdays on a phone with an annual re-occurrence on it.
-I need to pick which phone to use and only use one for organization. OR use both but get some way to sync them very, very easily.
Any other thing? Well I guess discipline is needed which is the real stumbling block I reckon. I could change my life somehow so that I don't need to be organized but I can't see that happening without a large lottery win and a PA somehow not expecting that to happen.
BTW Blackberry or Android phone? Which is best for self organizing.
I downloaded Jorte last night. A filofax type diary app on android (probably the apple and Berry ones too). Made me think I want a new organiser / filofax. I got bought by my parents years ago a zip up pocket one and I just can not get on with the zip part. It is good for keeping stuff in it but I don't like writing in it because of the annoying zip. Might have to shell out £25 to get a new one with just the pop stud closure. I did like the idea of the filofax when I got it. They seem so useful. Seen the professional range and they are the business!!
They have so many different types of organizer bits to create a totally modular system. All in A4 I think. Cost? Well that is something like £120 upwards, I think without the infills too!!
I used to rely on my memory but eventually, I had so many appointments I had to deal with on a weekly basis, I bought a desk diary. The problem was, I never had it with me when I needed to record an appointment. So I switched to a pocket diary. This was a revelation! 
Been using one for a dozen years now and it works like a charm. I wear a Filson vest every day and the diary fits neatly in the vest pocket, along with a small Moleskine volant to record lists and take miscellaneous notes. The electronic pocket devices just don't appeal to me for some reason or other. Paper is ultrareliable and I've not really discovered a reason to change for what I do. At the end of the year when I do my activity report, the diary and volant are good references for information. A leather-bound At-A-Glance is my fav pocket diary. 
Been using one for a dozen years now and it works like a charm. I wear a Filson vest every day and the diary fits neatly in the vest pocket, along with a small Moleskine volant to record lists and take miscellaneous notes. The electronic pocket devices just don't appeal to me for some reason or other. Paper is ultrareliable and I've not really discovered a reason to change for what I do. At the end of the year when I do my activity report, the diary and volant are good references for information. A leather-bound At-A-Glance is my fav pocket diary. BR - I do think we mostly don't know how to use the Outlook system and certainly very few use all the functionality like the invites to meetings. Similarly MS office quite has OneNote. Does anyone use that as a kind of thinking pad? YOu can cut and paste important bits from any document or websites in a kind of unlimited sized scrapbook. Organized into projects or groups and within that tabs and tabs within tabs!! I used it once but got too busy to use it the way I started. I had the first few projects set up but got too busy to update. You need to have time to be organized I came to realize.
Paul,
Can I perhaps help you out? If you have a works e-mail address on your Outlook account, I can show you how to set things up. If it synchronises to your work Blackberry better yet. In the course of a few e-mails, I can show you how to use all the basics. If you keep your Blackberry in your pocket, you can never forget again - it won't let you (buzzing for meetings, popping up reminders etc.).
Happy to walk you through it all if it helps? Probably best by PM to avoid boring other people. Spend a couple of hours learning and you will never go back I believe.
Don't use OneNote myself as clients often don't have it.
Anyway, if I can help, I'm happy to. Shoot me a PM
Red
Can I perhaps help you out? If you have a works e-mail address on your Outlook account, I can show you how to set things up. If it synchronises to your work Blackberry better yet. In the course of a few e-mails, I can show you how to use all the basics. If you keep your Blackberry in your pocket, you can never forget again - it won't let you (buzzing for meetings, popping up reminders etc.).
Happy to walk you through it all if it helps? Probably best by PM to avoid boring other people. Spend a couple of hours learning and you will never go back I believe.
Don't use OneNote myself as clients often don't have it.
Anyway, if I can help, I'm happy to. Shoot me a PM
Red
