How do you organize your life?

[Lucinda]

Last weekend I spent a happy half hour perusing Filofaxes at a local stationery store. Many of my friends swear by their PDAs, but I much prefer my little paper organizer that also acts as my wallet and coin purse. I keep lists of books I want to read, my to do list, my grocery list, my long term goals, and I track my weight and blood pressure and hair cuts on the calendar.

My question to you is: What do you use to organize your life? Does it work for you? If so, why do you think it works best? Have you converted from one format to another?

[tbb113]

I can't vote because I need an 'other' choice that you forgot to give me :( I use a combination of things...I carry a small calendar in my purse to jot down appointments. I use the refrigerator to track things for my sons schools assignments/meetings. I rely on my own memory for books, errands, etc (and yes things occasionally get forgotten but not often). When I was actively losing weight, I tracked it on paper (in a composition book) and on Fitday.com

[Grace]

Oooh, interesting question! I'm organized, but not in the way you've described how you organize yourself (I don't track hair cuts, long term goals, blood pressure, etc.)

I have a wall calendar in my office on which I put birthdays and personal appointments and events. It's pretty darned full all the time! Supper club, German club, bowling league, DH's pro tournaments, birthday parties, showers, weddings, and so on.

I have a weekly calendar (spiral bound, maybe 7" by 7") for my work appointments and meetings. I keep it in my briefcase.

I keep a tiny address book in my purse for personal phone numbers and addresses (family and friends), and I have ACT software on my computer for my business contacts and customers (although I did put my personal contacts into ACT as well so I can print out labels for Xmas cards, etc).

And for my work, I designed my own forms in Excel to track my sales and all the information that goes along with that (like whether I added the customer to the ACT software, whether I sent the thank you gift, whether I sent the thank you gift to the person that referred the customer, when the loan closed, when I was paid, and all my averages).

I keep things like movie and book lists on little pieces of paper which I tack up on my bulletin board at home.

And lastly, I have CookWare software for all my recipes! :D

I'm definitely a "paper" person though - I have NO desire for a PDA, even though I love gadgets in general. I'm impatient and waiting for something to turn on, and having to push a million buttons to get what I want aggravates me, and I can't play with the PDA to take notes while I'm driving like I can a piece of paper and pen.

[lhall]

I need an 'other' option too.

I do have a day planner that I really like and I use, but I also rely on notes I stick in my purse (appt cards, etc) and all the stuff stuck to the fridge (grocery lists, dance class stuff, school stuff). :D Then there are the things in the computer. :D

Leigh

[SueK]

Originally posted by Grace

I have a wall calendar in my office on which I put birthdays and personal appointments and events. It's pretty darned full all the time! Supper club, German club, bowling league, DH's pro tournaments, birthday parties, showers, weddings, and so on.



I do the same thing. I also have an appt book that I carry in my purse or briefcase. I keep track of DH's travel schedules on our wall calendar, plus in a spreadsheet in Excel, too.

DH keeps telling me he's getting me a PDA and I told him if he does I'm not going to use it! :)

[Kathy B]

Another "other" here!

I also use a pocket calendar in my purse and a bigger calendar at home. The home calendar is in a large 3-ring notebook that sits open on the desk and displays a month at a time.

In the front pocket of the notebook I put any tickets, invitations, flyers with times and directions to events, etc... In the back of the notebook, I have dividers tabbed for each of the kids schools, team information, and scouting information. I keep a hole punch in the desk drawer.

This has worked pretty well for me to keep from losing papers that I know I will need "later" and yet avoiding a huge pile on the desk or dining room table. (I still have a pile, but it's not as big as it COULD be! ;) )

[cniles]

I have a travel calender that I keep in my purse to jot down appt's and such and that gets transferred over to our kitchen calender which has EVERYTHING on it. I tried color coding activities/birthday's etc... it got a litte out of control:rolleyes: But I'm another paper person - would not use a pda if my life counted on it!!!

[gertdog]

I use a PDA for almost all of the same things that Lucinda listed: appointments, phone numbers, grocery lists, books to read and music to find, etc. My schedule changes frequently and I feel I can make changes a bit more easily and neatly in the PDA vs. on paper, plus my boss bought me the PDA 'cause he's a gadget geek and wanted me to have one!

[KristinK]

I'm another paper person. I usually use a day planner, and I often use post-its to add my grocery list, so I can pull it off and take it in with me.

I also use my calender in Outlook for reminders like monthly payments, hair appointments, or birthdays. It gives me notice a week before each entry. But it's all backed on paper too. :)

[granolagirl]

My Palm Pilot! :)

Never ever thought I'd use one, and probably wouldn't have bought myself one, but it's great! I think when I mentioned that I make lists, but never refer to them again :o , well, that's when it was decided I was getting a Palm for Xmas. Hee.

Anyway, it's great. I use mine for much of the same things as gertdog. Grocery list, Target list, books to read, wine list, to do list, expenses, calendar (with handy alarm), etc. Very handy--and I *do* feel more organized!

[Escher]

Mind like a steel trap.

If I do say so myself.
At the very most, I might use a calendar to write down appointments if they are not occuring in the current week.

[Jazzmatazz49]

I like my big calendar. I learned a trick from my father in law...when you buy the new year's calendar, go through and copy all the birthdays and anniversaries in the family. Not only do we put names, but year of birth and age (or year of marriage and how many years it's been)! We also put the date we buy major appliances or have work done on the house. If the refrigerator goes out, we know immediately what year it was purchased. This sounds a little anal, but once you get it going it's no big deal.

[Chiffonade]

I have a dayrunner but don't use it for anything but the telephone directory. This does not stop me from wasting $$ on a new refill calendar every year :rolleyes:.

[Gail]

Organizers? Palm Pilots? To-do lists? Date books? Huge calendars? (shivering violently)

No thanks.

[Arete]

OK, I'm one of the "Organized, are you kidding" responses. I really want to use my PDA, but I always forget to update it with my Outlook calendar, or I forget to take it with me. I'm planning on getting a new cell phone soon that also has a PDA and can sync w/Outlook. I figure that since I never forget to take my cell phone with me, that at least I'll have my PDA too. Now, as for whether it will actually ever get updated... that remains to be seen. Mostly I currently use a very bad and unreliable system of postits, a calendar upstairs and one down stairs, and my Outlook calendar/contacts/tasks. But it's not really working for me.

[HejazSunKat]

I put all of my important dates to remember into Yahoo calendar and set it up to remind me in time to send a card or whatever. I also use Amazon.com's 'wishlist' feature as a place to accumulate books I'm interested in reading or things I might like to buy. Whether or not I end up buying the books from Amazon or renting them from the library at least this way I don't forget. Whenever a new book thread comes up for the month I open a second window and go to Amazon to read about the books people are recommending and if it's of interest I add it to my wishlist. I also have all of my contacts in Yahoo. Especially for this I find it works better than paper because people are always moving around, changing e-mail addresses and cell phone numbers etc. I think it's easier to make changes electronically.

[eas11]

I voted DayRunner, etc. Although I actually use a Quo Vadis planner, which has been my favorite brand for years. I have so many work appointments, meetings, calls, etc- I NEED to be vigilant in recording times and reminders to give co-workers the illusion that I'm somewhat organized ;)
I don't use my PDA for calendar feature any longer, had it crash a few times and lost everything- I was too disorganized to synch :mad: I do love it though, gadget person that I am.
I am not very organized at home. With no kiddo's to plan for and run around with anymore, the big calendar and refrig notes are gone!

Ellyn

[Kristine]

I voted I am naturally organized, with no need for a crutch. I'm not sure that is an exact definition of how I operate, but close enough. I remember things extremely well, and I don't like to carry alot of "extras" with me (I don't even take a back pack to school...just a notebook and my small purse), so I just rely on memory to get me through. It's probably not the best/most reliable method, but for now at least it works. When I have a real job and a family and lots more to think about, I may do something different, but for the time being I'm happy to not have a PDA, Day Planner, etc. :)

[NewMrsG]

I'm an "other" too - I have a datebook and a leather binder the size of a paperback book. I keep my to-do list in there along with important papers, bills, any kind of list that I need for errands (a list of books I want to read for when I stop at the library, a list of items I need at Walmart, groceries we've run out of, etc.).

My DH bought me a palm pilot a couple of years ago and I just couldn't adjust. I didn't want to put the software on my work computer, but that's where I do alot of my organizing. And I'd forget to synch it and lose all of the information. Then it was finally stolen and I didn't have to feel guilty for not using it... :o

I have a friend who was planning her wedding at the same time I was - she uses the post-it note system. Any time we'd run a wedding errand together and she needed to find her notes, she'd be wading through 12,000 post-its in 2200 places. Used to make me NUTS!

[lindrusso]

I'm an "other" option too.

Like Linda, I primarily use my Yahoo Calendar - I set it up to send me reminders for appointments, school/sporting events, birthdays (also set up in time to send cards :) ), etc. Since I am always checking my email and love to tinker on the computer, this really works for me.

I carry a PDA so that I can refer to it when setting up appointments away from home, but it's not my main source for organization like Yahoo is. It's nice to be able to set up the next hair appointment, doctor's appointment, while I'm out and about.

I also have a calendar on the fridge so that the rest of the family can see what's going on. Not sure they notice it much, but I like to have something I can quickly glance at without getting on the computer.

Alysha

[clairea]

I keep pretty much everything in my PDA. When I was working I was a paper person, but as a SAHM it is much easier to carry a PDA in my purse than a binder. I do have a case for my PDA that also holds some note cards and a pen, so if I need to jot a phone number or something down quickly I can do that.

Like Alysha, I also keep a calendar on the fridge that has things the rest of the family needs to be aware of. I'm not sure they look at it, but at least I can say "I put it on the calendar" when DH claims ignorance;)

Claire

[wallycat]

Obligatory other as well....
When I worked full time, I had a small calendar in my purse...
now, we have a kitchen calendar that we only mark doc appointments on so either DH and I can plan accordingly (and don't forget)...for everything else, it's by the grace of god I hope the brain works...and at my age, it's getting more and more difficult :eek: :D

I should have voted (and maybe I will :p )...organized?? who me?? ha!

[ellamay]

I voted PDA.

I have a Sony Clie that is a lifesaver for me. I used to be able to remember things, and now I can't anymore - I think it's just info overload. I would miss a lot of meetings and deadlines without it.

I do have a really bad habit that I am trying to break myself of - I write notes on post-its and random bits of paper and they end up all over the place. I should just go into Outlook and write a memo, but I don't. I am really working on breaking myself of this but it's slow going so far - I am just so used to grabbing whatever piece of paper is handy and scribbling away.

[Lucinda]

It's so interesting to see the various ways people organize their lives. I have always loved working with a paper-based organizer and have had 5 or 6 over the years. The latest system, with the wallet/coin purse/calendar/organizer all in one works the best for me, especially since I only have to keep myself organized.:D