Personal Organization

Organizers - Some form of organizer is essential for most of us. Keeping up
with a busy schedule with memory alone is quite difficult. There is no one tool for
this purpose and many companies have valuable organizing tools available. My
preferences involve electronic equipment but a paper organizer may work well
for you. The important thing is to have a way to keep tabs on appointments,
events and the details about individuals you communicate with regularly. Here
are a few good organizing tools.

The PDA (personal digital assistant) is one of today’s most popular
organizer tools. Many of these units also include a web browser, cell phone,
and fax. Many models have full keyboards making them even easier to use.
I use a Sony/Palm unit that serves as my calendar and organizer.
The paper-based organizer (Timesaver, DayRunner, Franklin, Etc.) is
still popular with many. These often come with leather, zippered covers
making them bulkier but still effective.
PIM is a type of software application designed to organize information
including reminders, lists and dates and often includes a calendar.
Email Client - Many email client programs include excellent organizing
tools. Outlook and Groupwise are just two of these.
Web based organizing tools are also available. For several years I have
been using Ureach.com, an excellent, web based email client, organizer,
voice mail and fax service. In addition to all of these services, Ureach.com
provides me with online meeting areas and private locations to maintain files
that are then available to others from anywhere in the world. I have
consistently recommended them to others.
Daily to-do lists are critical in order to complete the important tasks on
time. A complete section on to-do lists appears in this course.
A weekly or monthly plan helps to keep you moving in the best
direction. This doesn’t mean in-depth detail that precludes the flexibility
necessary to respond to everyday situations. Instead, it refers to a general
plan of what you want to accomplish for the next week or month so you
continue to move in that direction each day. In some cases it may be
valuable to prepare an annual plan. That way you can tie your hours to the
days, days to the weeks, weeks to the months and then the months to the
year, always moving in the best way towards your goal.
Flexibility - Be flexible when using these organizing tools. While planning
and organization are essential, so is creativity and responsiveness to new
and unexpected situations and opportunities. Organizing obsessively can
thwart the openness needed to recognize unique and often profitable
opportunities. Use the tools to be more effective and efficient, but be careful
they don’t enslave you.