06.23.08
Keeping it together
First, thanks for the great discussion on my earlier post about balance! It’s always good to know that you’re not alone in this. Today’s post kind of goes along with that…tangentially.
I’ll make a confession that I can be a rather scattered person. Not precisely disorganized, although I won’t invite you to look in my basement. I’m just the type of person who’s brain jumps from one thing to another, often faster than I can up with.
So, years ago I started carrying around a little notebook to remind myself of things. There is all sorts of stuff in this notebook from grocery shopping lists to books that I want to read to the usual to-do lists. And it really helps!
Then there is the day-to-day life stuff to keep track of. When I started my current job, I started needing to keep track of all sorts of stuff; meetings, desk shifts, days off, weekends working, meetings (did I mention that already?), deadlines for projects. I’ve kept a day planner for a long time, but needed to pull a part of my old life out and start using a bigger one. Yes, I still use a paper planner, mostly because I don’t carry a computer with me everywhere and I haven’t given in to the temptation yet of a Blackberry or similar device. Actually I tried something like that years ago and discovered that it’s easier for me to use the old-fashioned method. My planner generally stays open on my desk all week so that I can add things to it as needed. It actually helps me keep my personal and professional life organized during the weeks.
The there is Remember the Milk. If you are one of those to-do list keepers but don’t want all the little pieces of paper all over, this is a great tool. It’s online and super-easy to use. I have to admit that my life has become much simpler since I started using it. I even use the note feature to add extra info about items on my list. And for stuff that I need to read online, the link feature is fabulous. Everything I need in one place. There are a couple of other similar tools out there. This just happens to be the first one I found.
So, these are my three things I use to keep it together. As you enter the professional world (or reenter in my case), it’s good to think about how to keep on top of things. Most of us have a lot going on each day and this can definitely help keep the stress level (not to mention your work) in check. Plus, this stuff helps me realize when I might have too much going on and to evaluate the times when I need to ask for help.
How do you stay organized?
Bridget said,
June 23, 2008 at 9:46 am
I still have a (paper!) planner as well. I keep some lists on tadalist.com and I also update my Google Calendar regularly. Actually, my GCal is my go-to for keeping myself together. I keep the paper planner because I fear the day that I don’t have a non-electronic back-up and I lose everything. (I might be showing a little bit of a type-A personality there!)
bluestockinglibrarian said,
June 23, 2008 at 10:02 am
I find MS Outlook’s Calendar/Tasks to be invaluable, especially with the pop-up reminders with built-in “snooze” button!
Merriwyn said,
June 23, 2008 at 10:33 am
In addition to good old scraps of paper (which i then shove in my handbag or laptop bag depending) I have taken to using a nifty new web tool I have discovered called wridea to write down all my big ideas and planned for projects for work. Not my day-to-day ‘what vital tasks must I absolutely not forget to do today’ to do list, but my bigger longer term ideas and concepts and things I need to and want to get done. Kind of like a private 43things for work stuff, but not quite (not the same tracking or social aspects). This is an issue that I came up against recently when I realised that important things I was trying to remember just kept dribbling out of my brain, so I decided to start looking for goal/project/idea trackers to keep a handle on them all. Fate intervened in the form of a post at the the college degrees dot com blog about ‘100 useful web tools for writers’ which I glanced down for stuff for the library webpage, and decided to try out some of the tools for keeping track of your ideas to solve my problem. It seems to be helping so far, anyway.
iwan said,
June 23, 2008 at 10:48 am
just find your blog from google, nice blog and lot info here
thanks
http://www.koncoplex.com
Colleen said,
June 24, 2008 at 8:04 am
I’ve become a slave to my Outlook calendar, since our department keeps the reference schedule on it, and we send meeting-makers for our regular weekly meetings and such. I used to be addicted to my paper calendar, but havent used it much since I started my position last fall; if I need to, I print out my outlook. The only problem occurs when Outlook occasionally to forgets to ding me with a reminder pop-up.
I’m also pretty scattered by nature; I tend to work best that way, though occasionally (about every 4 months) I go into a cleaning fit. I have to have some standard calendar, whether it’s online or in paper, or I’m lost. Between meetings for work, deadlines for projects, due dates for my MFA and MA work, and trips out of town, I shudder to think of what would happen if I lost it all.
*sigh* Now I’m paranoid and am going to print out my next 12 months of Outlook calendars just in case of disaster.