It’s funny how one can be technically not that busy, and still feel like there are hundreds of things you’re forgetting to do. Most of the big things happen, but it’s everything else that just seems to slip through the cracks these days. You know, that crucial ingredient you were supposed to buy at the grocery store, or maybe getting around to finally having prints made and sent to your grandmother from an event three weeks ago. That sort of thing. Not earth-shattering (or glass-shattering like the picture above), but still.
I thought about using the “Tasks” option in Outlook/Plaxo to try and keep a list, but the problem is I always forget to look at said list. So that doesn’t really help me much. I do love Julie’s ever-present “to-do” list she has on a clipboard on her desk but I feel it would also fall into the “forget to look at” category. Especially when I go home. Hmmm.
I think what I need to figure out is the best way to have those reminders always waiting for me at home. Perhaps the home page on my browser being said list? Something like that. Either that or I can just start peppering my journal entries with subtle reminders to myself to stretch, and check which ingredients I will need for making cupcakes, or perhaps another self-nagging mention about finally taking my old (heavier days, and hideous pleated pants to boot) suit to Goodwill.
Anyone else have any ideas on how the heck I’m supposed to be all responsible? It’s frustrating because the big things happen, but I forget that I’m planning on giving a friend a call until almost midnight. That does me (or anyone else) no good. Bleah.
you could try Todoist.com or Remember the Milk.
I like the fact that Google Calendar will send me an SMS message on events, and if you make something that you need to do art of your schedule, you’ll know when you can do it!
David Allen’s _Getting Things Done_ offers a great assortment of organization tips that you might find useful. I like the book because it can work as a system, or you can take the things the work for you and leave the rest.
The idea of the book is that we carry stress because there are tasks in our heads that we are worried about keeping track of, and the book works toward creating means of documenting and tracking those things so we can lose the stress.
Another thought is a digital voice recorder (the Olympus WS-300M is a good one). There are a great way to capture random thoughts, if you can get used to carrying it around. You would, at some point, have to remember to play them back…!
Terry — I haven’t experimented with Google Calendar yet. If they could get it to sync with my iPod (which beeps at me) I’d be set. But the SMS option is an awfully nice one. Hmmmmm.
Deb — I am reserving that book at the library right now! I fear with a digital voice recorder that I would just lose it, though. 🙂
ah, my baby. she’s so good at getting the important stuff done, and always finding better ways…
for me, it’s the paper list. i loved outlook in the office, and you can make it pop up reminders for you…crossing with calendar, etc…but that was for work, and i am not in that environment.
for me the process of actually writing with an instrument of the hand (?) onto paper helps me remember somewhat more. I have to redo and redo and collate and redo, but i have learned to carry paper scraps and notebooks.
some lists sit. i’ve started to learn that’s ok. i hate it though. if i think of it, it must be done. and that sucks. because not all of it matters.
update us on what works …