Posts Tagged ‘MS Outlook’

I used to take my calendar and fill it with a “to do” every hour. I would have
a list a mile long of things I wanted to complete by the end of the day.
However, I would find myself throughout that day just shuffling things around. I
was completely overwhelmed by the list, and therefore, it stifled my ability to
move forward.

Like all good learners, I sought a solution to my
problem. I took a time management class, attended a managing multiple projects
seminar, and I’ve purchased many books on the topics. I learned two invaluable
lessons from my research: 1) I must put myself on a “to do” list diet, and 2) my
time management system will be ever evolving.

What is a “to do” list diet, you ask. I used to be the
type that would put ever “to do” on the list for Monday, and then move the
undone things to Tuesday. Then repeat throughout the week until the Monday “to
dos” were finally done. It would be aggravating and frustrating to see the list
growing, and feeling like I had nothing checked off. So, in essence I was
creating a lose/lose scenario for myself: too much to do and not enough week to
get it all done.

As a result of the classes I took, I immediately recognized
that I was adding too many “to dos” to my daily list. I was encouraged to only
add one or two a day. I thought, “I’ll never get through my list with only one
or two things on it.” Then I tried it. I was astonished to discover that by
limiting the number of things I was requiring myself to complete in a day I was
actually able to complete more tasks on my list, and with no pressure. This is
my “to do” list diet: one to two tasks to complete a day.

Now, why does the system evolve? It has been my
experience, after trying many systems, that a combination of things actually
works best for me. So, today I use a Planner Pad, my Palm®Treo smartphone, and
my Outlook calendar to track tasks, and keep myself generally organized. My
friend, Toni Jo Artz, gave me her extra Planner Pad this year. I didn’t think I
would use it because I’ve evolved beyond paper. (Hahaha! The jokes on me!) It
has been the best system I’ve ever used. I’ve color coded my clients, and list
out their “to dos” in the Categories section of the pad. Then assign the tasks
a day under the Daily Things To-Do section. Finally, I set aside time within my
Appointments section to work on that client’s project. I transfer the
appointment information to my Outlook calendar, and then synchronize my Palm®Treo
with my Outlook. I am able to stay completely on track! It’s like my own checks
and balance system.

Reevaluate y our time management system? Consider what
you can do to be more efficient. Next time I share details about my tickler
file.