Technology has given us so many options when it comes to keeping track of our to-do lists—Smartphones, web-based applications, desktop applications, PDAs—but figuring out the best system for you can be a real challenge (and a frustrating one at that). 

Interestingly enough, even with all the technology out there, informal research (mine and others’) still shows that when push comes to shove, most people still fall back on good old-fashioned paper. In fact, a lifehack.org survey shows that not only do most people use a paper to-do list, but that paper is more than twice as popular as any other method listed! 

Why is that?

Because we’re human.

Life doesn’t always happen when you’re sitting in front of your computer. We sit in meetings. We leave the office and go home. We travel. And no matter how attached we are to our Treos and Blackberries or how sophisticated the technology becomes, most people simply don’t like making lists or taking notes while squinting at a tiny screen or getting thumb cramps trying to punch in line after line of text.

The bottom line is that handhelds are great for portability and storing reference information, but they’re just not configured for extensive note-taking. That’s why so many handheld users end up being the most disorganized and messy of us all. Without a paper planner, the inevitable to-do lists and reminders end up scattered all over the place on sticky notes and little scraps of paper. Without a “home” for it all, these notes become disorganized, lost, and useless. 

So what’s the solution? Let’s look at some of the most popular approaches to organizing your to-do lists (and your life) and see if we can come up with a solution that uniquely suits you.

Paper Planners. Interestingly enough, people who use paper planners exclusively are often the most well organized of us all. Paper planners allow you to have your system available at all time, combine your personal and professional lives, see an instant view of your schedule, and keep manageable to-do lists. In the over 100 training seminars and speeches I give ever year, I’ve met countless numbers of people who tell me how they abandoned their trusty paper systems in search of hip “paperless” PDA methods—just to become so disorganized that they reverted back to paper.

However, for all the advantages, there are challenges with using a paper planner only. With hundreds of contacts, it’s often impractical to keep track of everyone on paper. Other workers in your organization can’t check your calendar for availability if you’re not on the system. Your assistant can’t schedule appointments for you easily without worry of double booking. And you can’t access your email from the road on paper.

Desktop software. Desktop computer software—such as like Outlook, Lotus, and GroupWise—is great. It allows you to manage your contacts, calendar, and to-do lists in one place without having to work with a pocket-sized interface. 

In fact, desktop software is absolutely perfect—assuming that you never leave your desk—ever. But you do have to go home. And then when you think of something you need to do at work, you have to make a note. And the scrapping begins. You probably have meetings. If someone says, “Let’s meet again next Thursday. What’s your schedule?” Your very unprofessional response is “Uh, I don’t know. It’s on my calendar back at my desk.” If you appear so out of control, why would anyone trust you with something more important?

Business (and life) has a tendency to happen on its own terms, so it is important to have a system in place for gathering things like notes, appointments, and contact information, at least until you get back to your desk. I always recommend that everyone have some sort of paper system to supplement whatever they are doing electronically. A spiral notebook is disorganized due to the rigid binding: notes, to-do’s, phone numbers, and random information is all mixed together, forcing you to go back and re-read, re-write, and re-organize. You must constantly review old pages to determine what isn’t done. Spiral notebooks become a blur of cross-outs and scribbles due to non-flexibility. That’s why I designed The Productivity Pro® DayTimer® with rings, so the pages could be moved around. You could also print your Outlook calendars and carry them around with you. Or you could sync to a PDA. I personally hate tapping on the screen all the time. Don’t get me wrong—I love my PDA (I use a Mogul by Sprint)—but really only for email, texting, phone calls, and contact management. I prefer to see a big-picture view of my schedule and things to do on my trusty paper system. I just don’t feel creative when I’m not putting pen to paper, and a centralized system beats scraps paper every time!

Web-based applications. As it becomes easier and easier to find an internet connection when you need one, Web-based applications can be a great organizational tool. Whether you use the Web simply to access your calendar or are set up to remotely access your entire PC, it is nice to be able to get what you need from any computer with an internet connection.

Especially if you travel often, using Web-based software comes in handy where traditional desktop software might break down. You don’t need to get to your computer; you just need to get to a computer. 

However, Web-based software has the same problem as desktop software—it isn’t always going to be at your fingertips. That’s why, just like with a desktop application, you’ll still need a paper supplement. 

Handheld devices. By this I basically mean anything that fits in your pocket—a PDA, Treo, Blackberry, Smartphone, whatever. When handhelds started catching on, many were probably thinking that our organization problems were solved. After all, we could finally have the best of both worlds—technology and portability.

Unfortunately, most of us quickly found that however sophisticated an electronic device could become, they still didn’t quite cut it. The task list isn’t user-friendly. Even if you understand categories well enough and can sort your list, the devices max out at usually 15 categories. And nobody wants to scribble with a stylus or furiously thumb-type their way through a meeting or conversation, and you look like a dork. (I gave myself a painful condition called “Blackberry Thumb” from attempting it.) And even if you do get all of the information entered properly, tiny navigation screens and tinier font sizes just don’t quite cut it.

Handheld devices are great when you need to enter a new contact’s information on the fly or check to see if your schedule is open two Thursday’s from now, but they still can’t do the job of simple pen and paper when it comes to writing notes and creating lists.

The Solution—a Hybrid method! It’s getting harder and harder to find people that don’t use some form of electronic organizing tool, but even the most tech-savvy tend to fall back on paper for some tasks. If you’re listening to a voice mail on your phone, what are you doing? Writing down the message. Bingo. You need a paper planner. When you’re talking to the Hertz customer service agent on the phone, and he asks for your Gold number, what are you doing? Trying not to hang up on the person while you mumble, “Uh, hang on, it’s in my…phone.” Bingo. You need a paper planner. You’re sitting in a meeting talking with your biggest client. What are you doing? Typing notes with your thumbs while attempting to listen? I doubt it. Again…you need a paper planner…one place that will consolidate your lists, reference information, and notes.

I became so frustrated watching people struggle with finding an effective way to use their hand-held organizers in the real world that I teamed up with Day-Timers, Inc. to create a paper system that is specifically designed for users of hand-held organizers (although it works just as well for those without handhelds).

The Productivity Pro® DayTimer® planner has monthly calendar tabs but no time slots on the daily pages (you probably keep that sort of information on your computer or handheld). This gives you a large, easy-to-manage writing space for your notes, lists, and those pesky to-dos that always seem to be slipping through the cracks otherwise. (Visit www.daytimer.com/productivity to check out the planner.) It also has tools to help with things like long-range planning and ongoing lists—things that don’t always have an intuitive home within electronic organizers. If you’re more curious exactly how it works, get a sneak peak of the planner directions and features and benefits. It allows instantly-accessible paper that allows you to follow my mantra: if you think it, ink it! ™

Beginning May 10, there will be a 20% coupon off the purchase of a bundle: my smooth black Nappa leather binder, storage case, and one-year of neutral, dated pages and inserts (start date July 2008) at www.daytimer.com/laurastack (click “Laura’s products”). Guys, don’t worry—no frills—I designed this with you in mind. Hopefully this will help you create a time management system that exactly meets your needs. I can’t wait to hear what you think!

Make it a productive day! ™

Listen on…

(C) 2009 Laura Stack. www.TheProductivityPro.com

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Register today for a free webinar on April 7, sponsored by Day-Timer.

Find a system that works for YOU!  Create a completely personalized planning style.

How do you make the best use of paper and electronic planning methods? The simple answer is “it depends.” How do you describe yourself? What are your preferences? What does your work require of you? What are your work and home environments? Do you travel? This webinar will discuss the fundamentals of an organized, effective time management system and help you design one that perfectly meets your needs.

Objectives:

• Understand the advantages and disadvantages of handhelds and paper
• Identify what frustrates you about your current system
• Test to see if you’re more inclined to plan on paper or electronically
• Evaluate your time management methods against key effectiveness criteria
• Learn the essential ingredients in an effective time management system
• Design a system that works most effectively with your personality and work situation
• Create an action plan to implement the changes you need to be more organized

I look forward to seeing you there!  Register today, as the last one sold out in a few days.

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Leave the Office Earlier(R)!  Join Laura Stack in a FREE webinar, sponsored by Day-Timer, on Friday, February 27, 2009 at 8:00 AM pacific/11:00 AM eastern.  Register at www.daytimer.com/elearning

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My QVC segment aired live on 1/8/08 at approximately 8:20 EST.

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Tune in on Thursday, January 8, 2009 at 7:00 AM EST to QVC and watch Laura Stack LIVE as she sells her Productivity Pro(R) Day-Timer(R)!  Or if you miss the show, go to www.QVC.com and watch it on-line.

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When was the last time you had a really relaxing holiday?  I don’t mean that peaceful thirty-minute aftermath that follows a successful dinner party or the kids’ gift-opening extravaganza.  I mean a holiday that is relaxing, from beginning to end.  That includes travel, dinner preparations, and shopping.  All it will take is a little organization and advance planning.  Here are some tips to get you started.

Plan your travel now.  Need to be out of town to see family or friends?  If you haven’t already made arrangements, make it a priority.  Especially if you plan to fly, the best deals disappear fast.  Get online and start shopping around as soon as you know where you need to be and when.  Once the arrangements are made, start getting things squared away with work.  Whether you need to request time off, reschedule a recurring meeting, or just let your employees know that you’ll be gone, do it as soon as possible.  Depending on where you work, getting holiday time off can be competitive.  Especially in this case, the early bird tends to get the worm.

Mark your calendar. Sit down with your Day-Timer® and plan backwards.  If you want your holiday cards to go out on December 20, when would you need to buy the cards, get the stamps, write the newsletter insert (if you do one), and start addressing in order to make that happen?  Think backwards through the entire process and write the individual steps down on the to-do list for each date.  Same with your holiday meal, gift shopping, and tree decorating.  When would you like to be done, what are all the steps, when would each need to start, and write them down.

Make a budget.  Unless you’ve got more money that you know what to do with, it is easy for the holiday season to turn into a financial headache.  Ninety-nine percent of that stress can be eliminated by thinking ahead and making a budget.  Financial sanity doesn’t come from having a ton of money; it comes from spending it wisely.  Decide how much you’re going to spend and stick to it.  Letting yourself creep over your budget probably isn’t going to make you a hero in the gift department, but it might cost you a gray hair or two when it comes time to sort out the holiday bills.  How many times have you charged expensive items and spent five months paying for them?  See if you can break tradition this year by drawing names or just sending cards.  Tell the people you’re not buying for that you’ve pared down your gift list out of necessity and ask them not to buy for you as well. 

Avoid the shopping marathon.  Unless you really do enjoy the “shop ‘till you drop” marathon mall sessions, skip the all-day shopping trips.  If you start now (or better yet, six months ago), you’ll be amazed at how much you can get done by picking up an item here and there while you’re running your everyday errands.  The secret is to sit down, make a list of the people you need to shop for, and keep it with you.  Ideally, your list will include one or two gift options for each person, too.  Keep your list with you and cross off a few people every week.  Also keep your eye out for stocking stuffers and similar small items.  And as for that whole Black Friday thing – if you don’t enjoy it, skip it!  Unless shopping is in your blood, the money you’ll save probably isn’t worth the aggravation.

Wrap as you go.  Don’t put all of your wrapping off until the last minute.  As you pick things up, go ahead and wrap them as soon as you get a chance.  Wrap a couple extras for a guest who shows up unexpectedly and gives you a gift.  It helps to have a dedicated wrapping area cornered off that is well-stocked with all the essentials – wrapping paper, scissors, gift tags, tape, etc.  The easier you make it for yourself, the more likely you are to get it done.

Simplify, simplify.  No matter how cool your friends and family might play it, you are NOT the only one who gets stressed out around the holidays.  If the stress of preparations is getting out of hand, don’t be afraid to propose a simplified pot-luck dinner instead of a more elaborate affair or a gift exchange instead of shopping for everyone individually.  Even if you just try this approach with a small group of friends or extended family, it’ll be at least a small relief for everyone involved.  When it comes to reducing you holiday workload, every little bit helps.

Make friends with the Internet.  More and more shoppers are finally taking the plunge and skipping the traditional brick and mortar stores completely.  Internet shopping has come a long way in the last few years and you might be surprised at how simple it has gotten.  You can easily compare prices and can generally find good deals on shipping that will guarantee arrival in plenty of time for the big day.

Play your cards right.  Many people take one look at that mound of Christmas cards and can suddenly think of three or four other things that require their immediate attention.  We love getting cards but hate the prospect of doing ours.  So we procrastinate until December 22 and pull another 2:00 a.m. shift to get them in the mail by Christmas.  So, I look at my cards as a process.  Breaking the project down into smaller pieces makes it seem more manageable.  You can even begin now!  The first thing I do is create the labels.  Second, I stick them on the envelopes with a return address label and stamp. Next, I write the family newsletter and get it copied onto the special paper.  Finally, I set up an assembly line:  (a) add a salutation to the card such as “Dearest X Family,” (b) sign our names, (c) enclose the newsletter and a picture, and (d) seal the envelope with a sticker.  No licking for me!  If you prefer to hand-write your cards, the trick is to write five each day, starting the day after Thanksgiving.  Take some with you wherever you go, in case you find some free time: at the doctor’s office, waiting for a meeting to begin, or picking your child up from a lesson.

Cheat.  Unless you really enjoy preparing mass quantities of food from scratch, there’s no reason not to take advantage of a short-cut or two.  Particularly when it comes to the dessert menu, there are plenty of quick and easy mixes that can help you shave some serious time off of your meal preparation schedule.  Just go to the grocery store and find a few easy-to-make offerings or buy something from the deli.  For a special touch you can dress your desserts with extra holiday sprinkles or a squiggle of chocolate sauce across the plate for a very restaurant-looking presentation.

Give yourself the gift of time.  How about purchasing a few months of housekeeping instead of clothes?  Purchase a gift certificate to a restaurant so you don’t have to cook.  Have the veterinarian groom your dog instead of doing it yourself, being soaked, and making a mess.  Buy a book on tape to listen to in the car on the way to work.  Purchase a cell phone and eliminate phone tag by forwarding your calls when you leave the office.  Have your groceries delivered once a week for a month (less than the cost of a blouse).  Hire a teenager to do the major cleaning required before houseguests arrive.

Remember your priorities.  Take shortcuts where it really doesn’t matter: buy cookies instead of baking them or barter a task you don’t like for one you do.  I know two women who trade chores at holiday time.  One hates to bake; the other hates to do crafts.  So one woman decorates the other’s home and wraps her presents beautifully; the other does the meal preparation and holiday baking for the other!  Cut out as many social engagements as possible if you want more family time—you can’t go to a school musical when it’s more convenient.  Kids appreciate happy and relaxed parents more than perfect decorations.

Get moving!  However you choose to get a head start on the holiday season, you won’t regret putting in the extra effort early on.  Keep yourself motivated by thinking about how nice it will be to cruise through the end of December stress-free and full of holiday spirit.  You might make a date with yourself to visit the mall on the last weekend before Christmas—just so you can observe the mayhem you successfully avoided by being so productive!

Make it a productive day! ™

(C) Copyright 2008 Laura Stack.  Laura is the president of The Productivity Pro®, Inc. and the bestselling author of Find More Time and Leave the Office Earlier. She presents keynotes and seminars on time management, information overload, and personal productivity.  Contact her at 303-471-7401 or www.TheProductivityPro.com.

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I will be on QVC between January 1 and January 8, 2009, selling my new Productivity Pro(R) branded Day-Timer.  In preparation, I’m conducting a brief survey about the to-do list habits of the typical person.  When you think of something you need to do, what do you usually do?  Please visit the survey on my LinkedIn page and respond to one of five choices.  Thank you for your assistance!

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