Keeping it All Straight

Kaboompics via Pixabay

You'd think that after all these years of writing about planners that I'd have a go-to planner -- one I choose every single time so that planner shopping is a no-brainer.

But I don't.

I used to have one of those planners when I was working full-time. It was expensive, but it had all the elements I needed. And, since I didn't carry a lot around, I didn't mind that it was bulky and not exactly lightweight because everything I needed was in there.

It took me a long time to find that perfect, albeit expensive, fit, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised that it's taken me as long as it has to find my next perfect fit. The precise interior of my primary planner (yes, I have more than one) changes somewhat from year to year, mostly because I can't seem to find an exact match, but this year's planner marks a definite departure from my norm. I decided that I wanted more room for notes, so I opted for a planner that's more of a journal, with only monthly view (not the daily I usually go for) and lots of room for notes.

That's Planner #1. And I love it. The more I use it, the more I don't know how I did without this much space for notes.

Planner #2 is my work calendar, and it doubles as a lesson plan book of sorts. This is the planner with the weekly and monthly view, but it contains only my class and work information. More utilitarian than pretty, it needs to have just weekly and monthly views and maybe a little space somewhere for notes; everything else is immaterial.

Planner #3 is one I try to replicate every year -- a cheap (I try to pay only $1), thin book with a two page spread for each month and maybe a couple of extra pages for notes or contacts at the back. This is my goal-setting and writing plan book, where I keep track of my monthly goals and my writing assignments.

My planner.
Photo: target.com

But every single one of these books closes. This is, of course, to be expected as that's an integral part of how a planner is set up. As someone with an I need to see it personal style, I need a place to corral all of this information into a format I can see at a glance.

Enter my Knock Knock notepads. I'd seen these in a number of gift shops and bookstores (and on Amazon), but then discovered I could go to the website and explore the whole gamut of options, not just the ones the store buyer liked. I settled on the "This Week" version, which I've been using since sometime last summer. Then, after Christmas, I found several others (which appear to be discontinued) at Marshall's, and I added a different version of the weekly planner and a weekend planner to my collection.

Each Sunday (okay, sometimes it's Monday), I check my planner and transfer any appointments to my "This Week" sheet, which, by the way, also has a "Next Week" block so I can give myself a heads up if I need to do something to prepare for an upcoming appointment hidden in my neatly closed planner.

But I digress.

I then put a clean sheet of copy paper or notebook paper on a clipboard with my 6 x 9" "This Week" sheet on top. The difference in size between the two pages allows me to use the margins of the larger page to make a master list from which I transfer tasks to the appropriate day of my "This Week" sheet.

If this sounds like a lot of work to you, try keeping track of all of this in your head.

All kidding aside, this system might be way too complicated (or time-consuming) for you. You might prefer simply one planner and one master list, and if that works for you, that's wonderful. Before landing on this plan, I tried all sorts of ways of keeping my lists separate yet merged, and something always fell through the cracks. For me, this set-up provides the perfect blend of visibility for immediate planning (and urgent tasks) and long-term planning. Writing the tasks out each week keeps them in the forefront of my mind and, when I find myself overrunning the space provided, it makes me stop and think about whether I might be overloading the day -- something a big, blank sheet of paper just doesn't take into account.

As a serious stationery lover, I get very excited bout finding my "just right" fit and I'm a sucker for pre-printed pads that are a match for my personal style. These are the kinds of things I like to splurge on, but you might prefer to go more basic and/or make your own.

Have you found your perfect set-up? If not, what is your current set-up missing?

Stick to It

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I love Post-it Notes. They stick without being sticky. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Perhaps best of all, their bright colors are a great match for my I need to see it personal style, not only calling attention to the things I need to do, but standing out amid a sea of nondescript to-do notes on a desktop or table.

Last April, I wrote a post for CatholicMom.com about Postit.com, a site by the makers of Post-it Notes, filled with great ideas for ways to use them. I'm not even going to try to compete with the creative ideas you can find there, but I wanted to share a couple of my favorite uses.

• Family notes. At our house, the place to find a note from someone who has left the premises is on the range hood in the kitchen. A sticky note attached to the range hood is an eye-catcher, almost directly in the line of vision, and extending beyond the range hood to make its presence -- and message -- known.
• Calendar notes. A few years ago, I bought one of those large, Post-it Note calendars to use as a planning tool, but it ended up not working for me -- at least not in the traditional way. Although I've reverted to my usual calendar/planner set-up, I've used those pages as project planners, even creating an entire fictional writing workshop (with color-coded events) for a character in one of my novels. I also use single sticky notes to remind myself of recurring events and due dates (you know--those "third Thursday of the month" events) a week ahead of time. I simply write the name of the task on the sticky note and put it on my desk calendar so that if I need to prepare anything, I have time to do so.
• File folder tabs.  I love all things stationery, and colorful file folders in fun prints are one of my favorite things. I use and reuse them until they begin to tear or become otherwise unusable, and they often serve multiple purposes before I retire them. Consequently, I hate to write on the tabs. I could write in pencil (that's what I do on manila file folders), but pencil doesn't show up well on colored file folders, so instead, I put a small, square sticky note on the tab and label it in Sharpie marker. If I'm feeling really fancy, I might even pull out my label maker. Then, when I'm ready to use the folder for something else, I just replace the Post-it Note, under which is a pristine file tab.

Inventive? Not terribly. Functional? Very!

What's your favorite way to use a sticky note?

Planning Passions in an Unorthodox Fashion

passionplanner.com

About a month ago, I broke down and bought the Passion Planner I've been eyeing since last fall. Sucked in by the beautifully illustrated pages that fill its Twitter feed, I needed to first make sure that someone lacking that degree of artistic talent could utilize its interior equally well.

My new purchase (with its undated pages) sat in my office for a few days as I decided what to do with it. I'm sure you're wondering why this was even an issue. I mean, it's a planner, after all. What does one usually do with a planner?

All sorts of things. As a fan of white space, I often use calendars to keep track of things besides appointments. I use a thin, inexpensive month-at-a-glance calendar to keep track of my writing and a smaller, spiral-bound, equally cheap school-year calendar (July to June) to keep track of the assignments and lessons for the classes I teach. This is in addition to the main calendar on my computer, duplicated in hard copy form on the bulletin board in the kitchen where it's accessible to all who live here.

And this new Passion Planner with its soft, leather cover was much too beautiful to use for something as mundane as word counts, assignments or appointments. Too thick to stash in my overstuffed book bag, and more journal than calendar, it begged to be used for loftier pursuits.

It didn't take long for me to dub it my "Brainstorm Book," and to create tabbed sections for projects I want to map out. Placing baby steps in individual squares not only makes big projects seem less insurmountable, but it also allows me to see progress as I check off each square as I accomplish it.

Yesterday, I grabbed my Passion Planner and started doing one of my favorite things: mapping out the summer. I pulled out my felt-tip markers and created areas on the page for the things I want to devote time to this summer, things that get pushed aside in the crush of class planning and teaching and grading. TED Talks. Reading for pleasure.

Then came the things that I want to focus on but not be consumed by. New promotional opportunities for my writing. My Thirty-One business.

Finally, I wrote in new ideas that popped up at the writers' conference I attended last weekend -- things I want to investigate or learn more about. And when I'd finished with those things, there was lots of blank space left for me to jot down new ideas that come up as the summer progresses.

Because I'm using the Passion Planner more as a project planner and less as a month-by-month life planner, I've yet to decide how to use the monthly reflection pages. I suspect that the perfect way to use them will occur to me as I continue to use the planner. Meanwhile, my I need to see it style is practically drooling over the sheer visibility of my goals laid out in a step-by-step fashion.

How about you? What typical organizing or time management tool do you use in an atypical way? How does it fit your styles?

passionplanner.com

Finding a Process that Works

While looking through old blog posts this morning, I came across this one, 

originally published on The Porch Swing Chronicles in January 2014.

When you find a process and tools that work, it's a wonderful feeling.

Though the master calendar is now on my laptop, the rest of this post

is an accurate representation of how I still do things.

When it comes to organization, I am an "I need to see it" girl. I know this, and have (mostly) made peace with it, though it drives other members of my family a little crazy. But, when life gets hectic and things pile up (literally), I start to feel the stress mount as well.

This morning, I turned on some music and began digging through the pile of papers that had begun to accumulate on my desk. Just a few weeks back, I'd excavated the desk, and I was not about to lose the paper wars again -- at least not so soon.

What was surprising this morning was how quickly I began to feel a sense of relief. Today was one of those rare days where nearly everything in the pile had a home, so I quickly discovered that it was easy to sort things into piles and from there, put them where they belonged. To-do lists (yes, plural -- arranged by category) grew naturally by extension and I felt myself begin to relax.

My current calendar 

I know the rules say that multiple to-do lists are a bad idea, but sometimes, one ginormous to-do list is an even worse idea. While I often work from a master list, then divvy tasks onto a daily schedule, some days it's easier to think in categories. Today was one of those days. Since the papers were being sorted into categories, so were the to-do lists.

I've also noticed that while I play with different organizational ideas, when it comes to time management, I have two things I consistently rely on: a master schedule (on my iPad and synced to my phone) and a page-a-day calendar. The first one makes sure all of my appointments are in place, while the second one allows me to break overwhelming lists into manageable pieces.

Unfortunately, today's commitments interrupted my sorting, and so the tasks I began nearly twelve hours ago are still sitting unfinished. But, because I got off to a good start and developed a plan early in the day before things seemed too overwhelming, I'm actually excited to get back to my sorting.

How about you? What time management tools simplify your life?

Planners by Style: Questions to Ask as you Seek a Planner to Match your Styles

pixabay.com

I was at the mall with my daughter on Monday and discovered that the calendar kiosk still has a few selections left -- at 75% off! -- which is proof that if you've procrastinated pursuant to your planner purchase, you still have options. Not a big fan of the leftovers? Online sites sell planners year-round, so no, you're not off the hook! I'm a firm believer that everyone should have a planner, and, like any other organizational tool, your planner should fit your styles.

Perhaps you've been delaying your purchase because you're in pursuit of the perfect planner. Here are a few things to ask yourself as you head online or to the mall to make this VIP (very important purchase). Feel free to skip over the styles that don't apply and focus on your styles.

• Do you need to see it? I need to see it folks can be very picky about the view. Some like month-at-a-glance, while others are die hard day-by-day planners. Finding the view that works best not for just your life, but for your personal preference plays a role as well. Personally, I need to see white space. A cluttered planner stresses me out, so trying to cram everything into one of those pocket-sized calendars is an absolute guarantee I won't use it, no matter how cute the cover is.

• Do you like to be busy? I love to be busy folks need calendars that travel easily. Many I love to be busy people choose electronic planners and apps for just that reason. Whether you choose paper or electronic, however, finding a consistent home for your planner is key. A lost planner is of no use whatsoever, and is more stress-inducing than no planner at all.

• Do you drop and run? Then you need a place to corral all of those appointment cards and reminders or you need a planner that makes them obsolete. Electronic planners or desk planners may rise to the top for this style because it's less likely that we'll set down a device that serves multiple functions and forget about it than a single-function paper planner. Your personal style may also lead the way here. An I love stuff/drop and run person may gravitate toward a different planner than the I love to be busy/drop and run person.

Photo: dhester via Morguefile

• Do you know you put it somewhere? Once again, location is key. While personal style may lead the I know I put it somewhere organizer to a particular planner, the most important thing for someone with this organizational style is deciding on a consistent, convenient home for the planner so that it always goes in the same "somewhere." Electronic planners, desk calendars and the ever-faithful kitchen calendar just might do the trick.

• Do you cram and jam? Electronic planners and apps may be your saving grace. Not only do you not have to worry about deciphering all the information you crammed into a small square on a paper planner, but their electronic counterparts will notify you of all the things you tried to squeeze in as well.

• Do you love stuff? You might be reading this post hours after you started it because you made a run to the mall to check out those 75% off calendars! Using just one calendar is often your battle. Notice that I said using, not owning. I love stuff is not my primary personal style, but I do love stationery stuff, so you'll find multiple calendars in my house. Each has its purpose, however, and when it comes to scheduling appointments, they all must go on one calendar.

Tomorrow we'll wrap this up with three key questions that tie all the planner posts together.

3 Keys Thursday: Planning Planners: Newfangled or Old-Fashioned

Photo: Dodgerton Skillhause via Morguefile

The grocery store offers paper or plastic -- or, perhaps, reusable. When it comes to planners, the choice is paper or electronic -- or, perhaps, both.

Last week, I started my 3 Keys Thursday post with some considerations on the topic of paper vs. electronic, sharing my eventual hybrid choice. This week, I'd like to explore three questions to help those still on the fence to decide on the option most likely to succeed.

Do you need to write things down in order to remember them? For many of us, the very act of writing something down helps us commit it to memory. If you worry (or if experience has shown) that once you type it into your phone, it's forgotten, you might be better off with a paper calendar.

Store sign at 'Round the Clock Diner
York, PA

Do you need 24-7 access? This one comes down to personal preference. Although many of us take our phones everywhere we go out of sheer habit, it's just as easy to develop the habit of taking a paper planner with us. The key here is making sure that your planner of choice has a consistent home as you travel from place to place. I know many women whose calendars live in their purses, which means these ladies are just as likely to have their paper planners as they are to have their phones when it comes time to make an appointment.

Do you need reminders and other bells and whistles? No matter how much you love that beautiful paper calendar you so lovingly chose, it's not going to send you notifications. If you need reminders for all of the dates in your planner, you might want to go electronic. While medical practices routinely call to remind us of our appointments, they won't tell call to remind us of our lunch with Aunt Sue.

One final consideration: no planner is foolproof. Phones and electronic devices need charging and both electronic planners and paper planners can be lost. And, every planner is subject to human error. If we enter an appointment incorrectly (or not at all), having a planner is little help.

Next week, we'll wrap this up by tying planners to styles. Meanwhile, if you've found tips, tricks or a planner you love, please share in the comments below.

3 Keys Thursday: 3 Keys to Effective Time Management

Photo credit: Dodgerton Skillhause

The semester has begun, and I feel as though time is managing me rather than vice versa. As I sit down to write this, for example, it's 11:14 PM -- about 24 hours later than I'm usually finalizing a Three Keys Thursday post, and yet I'm just getting started.

How ironic that the post I planned for today is on time management. Fortunately, two of the three keys are brought to you by people wiser than me.

Zoom in, zoom out. This one was inspired by Marcia Ramsland, who talks about managing time horizontally (from the beginning of the week to the end of the week) and vertically (from the beginning of the day to the end of the day) in her book Simplify Your Life. Doing only vertical time management gives us tunnel vision and creates pressure to get it all done in a small space of time, while managing time only horizontally may leave us planning in generalities and neglecting the step-by-step process necessary to get to the things on the weekly calendar. Balancing the two helps us balance small tasks and big ones.

Pencil it in: Set a time or it won't get done. I first read this in a book by Julie Morgenstern, and it makes a lot of sense. Making lists is a great start, but often, if we don't assign times to things, they don't get done. If something's been lingering on your to-do list, pencil it into your calendar so you can get it off the to-do list.

Make time to manage time. Ironically, it takes time to manage time, especially when you're trying to coordinate multiple schedules. Pausing to take a look at what lies ahead each day (or the day before) and each week gives us a better sense not only of what we have to do, but of time itself.

freepik.com

Still, despite the best strategies, time management is an imperfect process. Time is a non-renewable resource that often seems to run out much sooner than we'd like, and when it comes to time management, a certain amount of energy is required. When we feel overwhelmed or exhausted, it's hard to look at to-do lists and calendars and weave them together into a pattern that makes sense. At our house, Friday dinners have become our opportunity to talk about what everyone has planned for the upcoming week, and to coordinate our calendars so we all have some idea of what lies ahead. Admittedly, I'm more enthusiastic about this than anyone else in my house; perhaps that's because I'm the one who needs it the most.

Especially this semester.

See you next Thursday. After all, I've got it on my calendar.

Throwback Thursday: Organizing Time

This piece on time management first appeared on The Porch Swing Chronicles in June 2012, right after I retired from public education.

I'm always happy when I find a way of organizing things that works for me. I'm especially happy when I find something that helps me organize my time.

To me, time management is a pipe dream. I can't even capture it, let alone manage it. But when I organize my time in a way that makes sense to me (the combination of must do, should do and want to do that I mentioned in my last post), I gain a sense of accomplishment even when the to do list remains long at the end of the day.

One of the best things about summer vacation is that lovely combination. We're not held captive by the must dos, and we have more room for the things that we enjoy, which, ironically, give us more energy to do the things we have to do. Warm days and sunshine help, too.

www.workman.com

When I cleaned out my office at school, I took home my page-a-day to-do list calendar. At first, I wasn't sure what I'd do with it (and I still haven't found it a permanent home - though I do have some ideas). Earlier this week, I tried using it to focus in on only one day's worth of things to do - the third tier in my time management hierarchy.

Tier one is the family calendar - all the appointments we've made, practices we need to shuttle our daughter to, etc. - the must do items. Tier two is my to-do list - a combination of should do and want to do.

Tier three is my page-a-day. Ideally, I fill in each day's page the night before - since I'm a night owl, this works well for me, and it gives me a head start on getting focused on my chosen tasks. First on the page are the items from the family calendar, which I keep on a monthly calendar on my iPad.

Next are items from my to do list - those that are time sensitive take priority over all the others. Since the page is divided into two columns, I follow the age-old time management advice of blocking out time for some things (those go in the left column with scheduled appointments). In the right hand column are those things I hope to accomplish in addition to the things I have scheduled. When that list gets too long, I stop because I've discovered that overbooking my day leads me to accomplish less. When I underbook my day (is there any such thing??), I feel less stressed and, at the end of the day, usually discover that I've done more.

The key thing for me is flexibility. I hate feeling so bound by the calendar that there's no room for spontaneity or fun, and when I see white space on the page, I feel less constricted.

Those of you who are natural time managers are probably shaking your heads - if you're even still reading this. I've tried one calendar, but when it gets too full, I panic. I suppose I could put some of this on the day-by-day view in my iPad, but when it comes to calendars, I'm still very much a pencil and paper kind of girl.

Only one tool is still missing - my long-term project calendar for my writing, teaching and other professional obligations.

Photo by JessicaGale
via Morguefile.

No worries. I'll just go pencil in that purchase.


What time management system works for you? 
I'd love to hear your ideas.