At the behest of a few interested parties, I decided that maybe I ought to actually write something in my blog! Being that this is kind of public, I thought that maybe I ought to write something kind of intellectual or work related-I'm an Economist and former Biochemist....I'm really sorry...please feel free to click the "next blog" button on the upper right hand side of your screen....NAH, I don't feel like being smart today. (Silent aside to the econ geeks who might be visiting- I'll write something about the Copenhagen Concensus soon- tune back in!) Then I thought, perhaps I should write a short story of some kind and put THAT on my blog but I don't really feel like being creative either. There are numerous odd experiences that I could talk about that I have encountered in the last 2 weeks- I'm convinced that I saw Patsy from "Absolutely Fabulous" walking in the St. Paul Skyway! Its TRUE! No, that's no good. Instead, I will talk about something passionate....something deep and special to me...something intimate....my organization system:
I don't use a PDA or a Franklin Planner. I use a pile of notecards connected by a BullDog Clip. Before mocking me for my low tech means of organizing things, hear me out! For one…how much information do you REALLY need and how often? For me, I need to know…What do I have to do today? What do I need to know about the things that I need to do today? When am I going to do the things that I am going to do today? And How might an unforeseen development affect things I need to do in the near future? The pile o’ notecards is just one part of a larger organizational system- Groupwise keeps my meeting schedules and an Excel Workbook full of tabs keeps track of projects, long-term priorities and other “STUFF” Stuff includes: Gift ideas for Marcy, Packing lists for vacations, weird ideas that I think of when I can’t go to sleep, etc.. I use the groupwise and excel workbook to organize my notecards. The notecards then organize my activities for the workday.
So, notecard one is filled out every morning and consists of all of the things I would like to accomplish that day and when I would like to do them. For instance:
Read newspaper 8-9
Wander around and talk to people 9-10
Eat bon bons 10-11
Do Sudoku puzzle 11-12
LUNCH 12-1
Work on Sudoku puzzle more 1-2:30
Give up on Sudoku, watch people outside 2:30-3:30
Get ready to go home 3:30-4:30
Does this schedule always go according to plan? Of course not! The Sudoku could be EXTRA hard one day and I have to give up earlier! But, my pile of notecards allows me the flexibility I need in an environment of constant change!
Cards 2+X consist of notes on projects that I am working on or projects that I am planning on pawning off on my lackeys. Whenever, I go to a meeting, my pile of cards (with some empty ones) follow me. I use these to take notes or jot down ideas. I then keep these in an appropriate file folder that contains other meeting materials. When the day comes when I am supposed to work on this project, I bring out the appropriate notecard and add it to my daily pile. For every new meeting, I make a new card. So, I may have (in some limited cases) 5-6 cards for an individual project. I can then consult these cards at any subsequent meetings.
Card X+1 has a tiny photocopy of my next 2 months worth of appointments. Rather than dragging around a PDA with all of my meetings for the rest of my life, I can simply look at my tiny card and pencil in any necessary appointments- you must be able to write very tiny. So, now when I am at a meeting and we are trying to figure out when we can meet next, I just whip out my tiny calendar card while everyone else hauls out Franklin Planners or frantically scribbles on PDAs with those ridiculous Styluses (sp?) and non-sensical scripts. Back at my desk, I put new appointments into my Groupwise Calender.
Lest you think that I walk around with a packet of 50 notecards, I do not. In a typical day with 2 meetings, I might have 4 or 5 though sometimes more depending on the project. I do not need to recharge my notecards. I do not need to “sync” my notecards. Despite my geekishness, most people are very admiring of my notecards…though they strangely never adopt the system themselves….They easily fit in my breast pocket (with my collection of pens and photo ID!). They are flexible- If I sit on them, they do not break! If I leave them in my car on a hot/cold day, they will not “die.” When I am done with a project or a day of work, I get the resolution of throwing those cards away. Yes, most days, I must transfer unfinished tasks to tomorrow’s card- thus giving birth to another day of organizational fun and high-jinx!
So, what happens if I am out on the road and I need to know somebody’s number NOW! Well geez….you can’t plan for every contingency in life. Is it really worth it to wander around with a huge book or a fragile PDA “just in case” you need something. My calendar card comes with a tiny photocopy of my office phone list. If I need a number not on that list, I can call someone on that list to get it for me. Or better yet- be a Free Rider!- Just bug your coworkers who carry around those PDAs and get the number from them! -Kyle
I don't use a PDA or a Franklin Planner. I use a pile of notecards connected by a BullDog Clip. Before mocking me for my low tech means of organizing things, hear me out! For one…how much information do you REALLY need and how often? For me, I need to know…What do I have to do today? What do I need to know about the things that I need to do today? When am I going to do the things that I am going to do today? And How might an unforeseen development affect things I need to do in the near future? The pile o’ notecards is just one part of a larger organizational system- Groupwise keeps my meeting schedules and an Excel Workbook full of tabs keeps track of projects, long-term priorities and other “STUFF” Stuff includes: Gift ideas for Marcy, Packing lists for vacations, weird ideas that I think of when I can’t go to sleep, etc.. I use the groupwise and excel workbook to organize my notecards. The notecards then organize my activities for the workday.
So, notecard one is filled out every morning and consists of all of the things I would like to accomplish that day and when I would like to do them. For instance:
Read newspaper 8-9
Wander around and talk to people 9-10
Eat bon bons 10-11
Do Sudoku puzzle 11-12
LUNCH 12-1
Work on Sudoku puzzle more 1-2:30
Give up on Sudoku, watch people outside 2:30-3:30
Get ready to go home 3:30-4:30
Does this schedule always go according to plan? Of course not! The Sudoku could be EXTRA hard one day and I have to give up earlier! But, my pile of notecards allows me the flexibility I need in an environment of constant change!
Cards 2+X consist of notes on projects that I am working on or projects that I am planning on pawning off on my lackeys. Whenever, I go to a meeting, my pile of cards (with some empty ones) follow me. I use these to take notes or jot down ideas. I then keep these in an appropriate file folder that contains other meeting materials. When the day comes when I am supposed to work on this project, I bring out the appropriate notecard and add it to my daily pile. For every new meeting, I make a new card. So, I may have (in some limited cases) 5-6 cards for an individual project. I can then consult these cards at any subsequent meetings.
Card X+1 has a tiny photocopy of my next 2 months worth of appointments. Rather than dragging around a PDA with all of my meetings for the rest of my life, I can simply look at my tiny card and pencil in any necessary appointments- you must be able to write very tiny. So, now when I am at a meeting and we are trying to figure out when we can meet next, I just whip out my tiny calendar card while everyone else hauls out Franklin Planners or frantically scribbles on PDAs with those ridiculous Styluses (sp?) and non-sensical scripts. Back at my desk, I put new appointments into my Groupwise Calender.
Lest you think that I walk around with a packet of 50 notecards, I do not. In a typical day with 2 meetings, I might have 4 or 5 though sometimes more depending on the project. I do not need to recharge my notecards. I do not need to “sync” my notecards. Despite my geekishness, most people are very admiring of my notecards…though they strangely never adopt the system themselves….They easily fit in my breast pocket (with my collection of pens and photo ID!). They are flexible- If I sit on them, they do not break! If I leave them in my car on a hot/cold day, they will not “die.” When I am done with a project or a day of work, I get the resolution of throwing those cards away. Yes, most days, I must transfer unfinished tasks to tomorrow’s card- thus giving birth to another day of organizational fun and high-jinx!
So, what happens if I am out on the road and I need to know somebody’s number NOW! Well geez….you can’t plan for every contingency in life. Is it really worth it to wander around with a huge book or a fragile PDA “just in case” you need something. My calendar card comes with a tiny photocopy of my office phone list. If I need a number not on that list, I can call someone on that list to get it for me. Or better yet- be a Free Rider!- Just bug your coworkers who carry around those PDAs and get the number from them! -Kyle
posted by LMI1 at 5:59 PM
6 Comments:
Kyle
Love it! I went from paper, to day planner, to PDA back to day planner. And of course I need to keep the electronic office calendar up to date for others to be able to track me down and plan my day for me.
Just need to know...it there a pocket protector in that pocket with the pens and the badge? We may need to make you an honorary engineer!
Oh...and other tip to avoid carrying around phone numbers...call the central operator at work.
I love it when in a meeting room...someone is missing...we want to call. Someone is flipping through their pda...I call x28000 and ask for the person's number. I always get a comment about how clever that is.
Free riding like you suggest works also.
HEE! No, no pocket protector...but I would be honored to be considered an "honorary engineer!" -Kyle
Okay, hysterically Funnyman Kyle, thanks for blogging!
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The former comment was from LOKi. He is again assisting me.
I enjoyed your low-techno comments. I don't even know what an i-pod is. I don't know how to use the quick dial on my phone- all the numbers are in my head. I will keep on reading your entries- they are great!
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