Organization Talk :)

I recently saw this planner and loved it! After I saw this I took some time to make my own since there were many things that I wanted that wasn't in her planner. My planner currently has a calender, a to-do list, a scrapbooking section that includes to-dos, deadlines, OLW ideas, photography challenges, etc., a blogging calendar/ideas, weight loss tracker, movies, books, meal planner/grocery list and a room by room home project section. And I really like how it turned out.

BUT almost as soon as I created it, I also hated the idea of having to carry around a book. Over the past year or so, I've gone back and forth from trying to keep track of things on my iphone, to on my computer with spreadsheets, etc. to a planner thing like this.

I can't make up my mind and it doesn't seem that anything works 100%.

So how does everyone organize that kind of stuff?

I am terrible at this kind of organization! I seem to always have three calendars going and there is always one that I seem to have misplaced at any given time.

Saw the planner you shared and booked marked it the other day. I think it is cute and would like to think I could put all my "stuff" in one place. Then I think I just need to just find some electronic device that holds EVERYTHING. I'd probably loose that, too.

I am a write things down person. I tried to do computer things, and being how i'm a pretty techy person; I thought that would be the best thing. But I need to actually write stuff down.

Its the main reason I want a tablet one day.

Well now, that doesn't help me any. lol

Yeah, I suck I know lol

You know, you could do A LOT of that stuff with google calendars and the like.

Create seperate color coordinated calendars and to-do lists.

i thought i'd use microsoft OneNote and my bberry, but really, my to-do lists are the ones i write on paper.
and i bought a blank weekly calendar i think will help.
oh, and those damn daytimer pages. i'm LOVING those right now.

rukristin wrote:Create seperate color coordinated calendars and to-do lists.

So, you're voting for me to go back to the computer method?

It was easier when the world was all paper. lol

I wish I had an answer. Would you be willing to share pics of your organizer? Not sure I want to go the book route, either, but it might be my only option for now. I've got lots of apps on my phone for this sort of thing and I never use them, but maybe if I had a physical thing, it would inspire me?

I have a small calendar I carry around which has everything in it. I colour code everything so things are easy to find. This is what works best for me.

Ok...I've ALWAYS had this problem...
I use gmail to organize all the different calendars we have. Linked to iPhone...done. So happy about this! Thanks DH!

Kaymcee wrote:Ok...I've ALWAYS had this problem...
I use gmail to organize all the different calendars we have. Linked to iPhone...done. So happy about this! Thanks DH!

That's what I've done. My DH hates calendars, but if I send him a link to something on the Google calendar, at least he knows it's going on and he's held responsible for it.

I've color coded my calendars so I have one for me, one for Bella, and one for our whole family. When I get something in the mail or schedule ANYTHING, it immediately goes onto my calendar. The reminders pop up when I need them, and... so far, so good.

I use Google calendar, too, and dh is hooked up to it so he can check for himself and know what's going on. I'm very visual so the color coding helps. I even put when the boys have school and when I have work rather than just noting the "no school" days because then I can visually see free time. I have colors for each of us individually, then a color for the boys together, one for me dh together, one for me with each boy, and one for dh with each boy, and one for the whole family. All that's missing is combinations of three of us, but if there's three of us doing something, it gets the "whole family" color

One thing I learned is that although I am definitely a techie gal, my memory style is more suited to a paper planner. And I'm not kidding when I say I love gadgets. My friends joke about the fact that if you want a review of a gadget, ask me, I've tried it or own it.

I have no idea where I read it, but I read that if you remember things best by how or where you wrote something down, you will do best with a paper planner. I have always been that way. I remember my notes if I write them off to the margin because I can 'see' where I wrote that when I close my eyes. As a matter of fact, I can remember most things if I just write it out. And when I visualize what I wrote, I can see where, how, what page, etc. I do not have a photographic memory at all. Even if I type my notes out for a speech or something, I would need to go through and physically highlight key words/phrases to be able to remember what I needed. Therefore, paper planners have always worked best for me.

Franklin Covey used to be my absolute favorites. Now that I don't travel or have meetings, a simple wall calendar works just fine for me and my family.

I love the concept of a journal but hate actually carrying one around. I mainly use apps on my itouch now. Its not perfect but its the best solution I have so far.