Using a calendar / planner is critical to getting things done in a productive way. Mike St. Pierre is writing a series on choosing a planner. He interviewed me by email for some tips! Here is what I wrote him...
I find that choosing an organizer / planner is very dependent on a person's style and how much effort they are willing to put into it.
Myself, I'm pretty techy, so I use Outlook. I customized a template to suit my needs, print it out 3 months at a time and keep it in a binder to take it with me. When a page gets messy I reprint it! I program all my regular appts and reminders like birthdays in it. I can also use it to send appt's to my husband and colleagues who are also on Outlook. It's perfect for me.
I used to use www.PlannerPads.com which is excellent. Everyone I know who has used them loves them. It is great for people who want a simple and flexible system with a week at a glance. Another new and innovative calendar that a lot of moms like is at www.BusyBodyBook.com Also see www.thinkbin.com
#1 Avoid having more than 1 calendar! Put everything on one.
#2 Use your calendar mainly for events and appointments. Avoid using it as a To Do list unless there is a special section for the To Dos. Just block out time to work on your To Dos!
#3 Keep a Master To Do / Project list and only have 5-10 things on your daily To Do list so you don't have to keep re-writing them. Keeping a To Do or Action Notebook is a great way to avoid having to re-write your To Do's and never lose those little pieces of paper. You can stick your post-its right in the book!
#4 Take 10 minutes to review your calendar and updates To Do's in the evening. Check your calendar several times a day.
