One of my biggest problems is over-booking and double-booking myself. (Already this year, I did a whirlwind PA to NYC to Baltimore day, and I’m about to head off for a back-to-back-to-back-to-back teaching, vacation, trunk show, trade show extravaganza!) I have an unfortunate habit of not looking at my calendar before committing to something, a habit I’m working hard to correct.
Part of my problem was never actually bothering to write all my commitments down because I never had a system I really liked. Planners and I have never seemed to get along (despite my best intentions, I always misplace them) and even though my iPhone is glued to my hand, I found the calendar it came with pretty useless. (I mean, really, what good is just showing me a dot to indicate I have an event in month view? I have a dot just about every day.)
But I’ve recently discovered a new iPhone app that I just can’t help sharing because it’s made keeping track of my schedule and my to-do list a breeze. The app is simply called Organizer, and it’s like having a planner in your iPhone. Not only can you switch between daily, weekly, and monthly view (and actually see what you’ve got scheduled – no pointless dots) but you can also add a to-do list, notes, images, contacts, and more to each day. I love that I can view my to-do list and my appointments* all in one place.
Having this app has made a huge difference in how organized I feel. (And don’t let the $7.99 price tag scare you, it’s well worth it.) I don’t know if the company makes the app for other phone operating systems, but if you have an iPhone or iPod touch, it’s really worth it.
Now that I’ve shared mine, I want you to share yours: what do you use to help you stay organized?
*And speaking of appointments, one last little reminder that my coaching rates will go up on July 1st. If you’ve been thinking of working my me, now’s a good time to book a session.
I live or die by an A4 (paper size) spiral-bound notebook, that I write dates in myself. The paper is long enough that each day (one week gets one left-hand side page) gets enough note room, and I leave the right side for the week’s to-dos. That, plus a highlighter (to highlight things that I’ve finished… more inspiring than crossing them off) keeps me in shape!
I use Rainlendar (free version) on my computer and have everything written on paper as well!
I Use outlook for my email program and I put all of my stuff on the calendar and task list there. Recently I discovered the program Remember the Milk that lets me sync that list on an ipad / iphone or droid so I can have that list with me. Each night I do sit down and edit the list and make additions or changes and print out the tri-fold paper copy that has the day at a glance, to-do bar, and week at a glance so I can pull it out for quick reference…that is only because I am not quite ready to transition to paperless yet, but I am trying.
I’m excited for you Megan! But I’m still carrying around the honker size cell phone -the same one Zach Morris used in Saved by the Bell… do you remember the ones that look like walkie talkies? Unfortunately it is not app-able. The search still continues for me to find the right organizer.
I use a mixture of iCal, my planner, scrap bits of paper (not ideal, but it works) and Workflowy to keep on top of everything. It works for me but it’s probably not something that I could pass on to anyone.
Thanks for sharing the app called the Organizer. It should help me with my To Do List.
I also use Outlook for its calendar and task manager functions–in addition to using it for e-mail. One of the things that works well for me in the Outlook Calendar is the ability to color code each of the items, so that I can see at a quick glance what I have coming up. Also, there is a great notes section where I can include any additional additional info (such as travel arrangement information for upcoming shows). Additionally, as the month becomes more solidified, I can print out the calendar so it is posted in my studio reminding me of everything I have coming up in the next couple of weeks.
Everyone will have a program that they find works better for them, but for my money, Outlook is a one stop shop that works great for me.
I co-write a sewing and craft blog with a friend and we’ve found that Basecamp works great for keeping us organized, especially since they’ve updated with the Calendar feature. You can check off to-dos, schedule milestones, keep track of conversations and brainstorms, get email reminders, and more. It’s also accessible by multiple participants.
For my own projects and to-dos, I keep a notebook on my desk and am still looking for the online equivalent.
Thank you for writing this post! I don’t have an iPhone so can’t take advantage of Organizer, but I’ll be checking back in to see suggestions in the comments.
Congratulations on finding a good solution! I have been using Outlook on my PC, synchronized to phones, and before that, PDAs, for a long time. How freeing to be able to make appointments on the go! Tasks & notes keep me focused and free up my brain for art. Was very distressed to hear that the latest and greatest Windows phone no longer supports PC sync, notes or tasks. Grr! Crossing my fingers that this will sort itself out.
I have a Moleskine pocket calendar as well as an app called Awesome Note, which is a to-do list and a diary/journal rolled into one. I like having something on paper as well as electronic just because I often need the physical act of writing an appointment down to commit it to memory. I’d like to get back into using the whole Google suite, but I’ve found a system that works for me at the moment.
Oh thanks for the recommendation, I am a total organizer-system junkie. Currently I use a copy of the delightfully designed Calvetica calendar for the iPhone, Teux Deux and Things for Mac. But I may have just purchased a tiny pack of index cards to see if writing a short daily list is more inspiring than having software containing hundreds of to-do’s…
I feel like I’ve tried everything under the sun for calendar & task management. I’ve used my Google Calendar for a few years, and I love that for appointments, events, birthdays, etc, but task management has been the killer for me. To date I’ve tried Google Calendar’s tasks, Remember the Milk (twice), Toodledo, ToDoist, Things, 2do, BlueTick…and probably a few more I don’t remember. Most of them left me feeling as if I needed to add “organize to do list” to my to dos on a daily basis. :-/ Yesterday I stumbled across Wunderlist (http://www.6wunderkinder.com/wunderlist/) and organized everything once again. So far I am REALLY liking the simplicity and the pretty interface, but whether or not it will stand the test of time is TBD.
i like to see everything large and in front of me, so I have a dry erase board over my computer desk with three to-do lists: “this week,” “soon,” and “someday.” and i have a 4-month dry erase calendar in my studio with all my appointments, travel dates, etc. i also have post-its all over the place for small notes and reminders. maybe one day i’ll get an iphone, but for now, this does the job!
I recently began using The Action Method from Behance. I love it. Honestly. I have gotten so much more done in the past couple months, I am kind of in awe. I use their Action Journal to keep notes and ideas and use the online version for all my action items. There’s an app too (I’m on Android).
I am a cozi girl….I use it on my android. My husband and I share the app, and we can categorize appointments for my biz, his personal, my personal, and for the toddler (playdates and dr. appointments), and there are subcategories that you can build under categories, and I can update it from my pc. Their main categories are: Calender, to do, menus (only on pc portion, and you can save recipes by linking to them and do an automatic ‘add’ to your grocery list of the ingredients), shopping (I have sub-categories for groceries, and all of my suppliers), and a journal you can keep (I use this to make notes about events and what sold, the weather, traffic patterns, even where to park). I hope this made sense. I would have bullet pointed the heck out of this post, but Cozi saved our lives. We never double book, EVER!!!
I use Checklist Light. It is super simple to create tasks and organize them. I would definitely recommend it. You can find it here http://www.justlikesoftware.com/ChecklistLight.aspx