I have tried what feels like a million time management or organization systems and tools over the years. At every turn, it seems there’s someone inventing a “new” way to get and stay organized.
Way back in high school, when we were still using a rock and chisel for assignments, I bought my first bound calendar book. In it, I diligently wrote every test and assignment due date so I could plan out my study time, work schedule (there weren’t child-labor laws back then), tennis practice, and still leave room for a social life. I used that method through college. Oftentimes the social life beat out the study plan but I did, in fact, have a documented plan.
Getting Serious About Planning
Then came life after college, when others (called employers) were a lot more serious about meetings, assignments, due dates and being on time than I was and I learned quickly that if I was going to get ahead, getting and staying organized needed to be an important part of every day. Right around 1992 (Stone Age, I know), I attended my first Covey seminar where not only were we given a beautiful Covey planning system, but taught how to actually use it. I stuck with that planning system for years, diligently marking my calendar, blocking my time, prioritizing my tasks using his ABC/123 method. I got so good at it, that I could even use that exact same system on any design of calendar the market could throw at me, and even in a plain old notebook.
Early Tech Adopter
Then came technology. A Palm Pilot, right around 1997, was my first attempt at going paperless. I was an “early adopter” and looked great, all modern and techie. But I stunk at electronic form. I tended to overbook myself because I couldn’t always see my whole schedule, my appointment alarms that I began to rely on didn’t always work, and when I hard-wire synched it to my computer inevitably one or the other was wrong. The worst part was my purse began to feel like a boat anchor carrying both a Motorola Trac phone and a Palm Pilot!
Technology Evolves
Believe me – I went through many technology versions over the years, from Blackberries of varying models to smart phones, through Outlook, Google Calendar, iPhone’s embedded app, and a couple random free apps I found in the app store. For some reason, I kept thinking that going 100% electronic was the way to go – ditch the paper, for Pete’s sake, it’s the 21st Century!
Back to my Roots
But, almost 30 years later, I still come back to my roots in the Covey planning method only now I use a simple and inexpensive At-A-Glance Weekly Planner, coupled comfortably with Outlook to meet the needs of my out-of-home job. I begin my week on Sunday night by checking my scheduled meetings in Outlook on my smart phone and jotting them on my paper planner. Next, in my planner I make a prioritized list of things I know I must do each day, then block time as necessary both on paper and Outlook. Boom. Done. Simple, visual, effective and I accomplish what must be done, on time, every day.
I’ve gotta hand it to Stephen Covey. He sure was onto something all those years ago with his method, and I can tell you it’s stood the test of time and technology. And, while I know Covey has technology versions of their planning system, I just can’t bring myself to do a full cut-over to technology…yet. So, today, my biggest dilemma is picking out a pretty paper planner that’s one I’ll love to look at and work with every day for a whole year. I’m quite picky about my paper!
The Magic Bullet
Could this back-to-basics, combo mambo method work for you? Look, I’m no expert by any stretch. What I do know is this – there is no magic bullet. Period. Double underline. Each person needs to figure out their own best method, one that they can stick to. What I do know is if you plan your work and work your plan, you can maximize your day, manage your load, reduce stress, and accomplish anything you put a plan to.
How about you? Are you a paper scraper or a techie tapper? Comment below….I’d love to hear what methods you use to stay on track!
