Do you record what
you do?
A number of
organizing books I have read over the years suggest that one write
down everything that one does. The idea is that you will see two
things – how much you are getting accomplished and also how long
various tasks take you to do.
Even before I
started trying to get organized I kept an annual appointment book
with short notations of work items completed (and appointments of
course). As a matter of fact, the appointment book would be my
annual Christmas gift from my husband (bought by me, of course) and
in many years it would be only gift. (Suggestion if you use a paper
appointment book, which is good for many things – if you have a
black covered appointment book it can easily disappear from view in a
stack of something or a mess. I used to have gray appointment books
– still professional and more visible (my gloves are also gray for
the same reason).
Sometime in the late
1990s I got a computer appointment book – I used it to keep track
of what I did for work plus more and more personal items also.
Unfortunately it did not work with Windows XP and when I got a
computer that worked with same, I could no longer use it. Before I
stopped using the old computer I printed out as pdf files all of the
entries from that program so I still have the records from it
available to me. The problem I had with the computer appointment
book was that I could only use it on the computer – it could not be
carried with me, so while using that program I also kept a paper
appointment book to carry with me.
I had to find
something else to use. I got a wonderful program called Lotus
Organizer it was even better than what I had before. It had an
appointment book, todo list (completed tasks remain on the date they
are finished – most such software moves them to a list when
completed – this way I can page through the book and see what was
done), address/telephone book, and also allowed me to have memos.
Even better, it sync with (among other devices) Palm Pilot. Husband
had a Palm Pilot and gave it to me as he did not use it. Now what
was in the program on my computer was also in my hand.
I started making
more and more notes in the todo section as completed todos. Short
notes on conversations with clients (or others) – where we went for
meals – where we went on trips – what stores we went to with
reason if there was one – and so on. I worked out a sort of
shorthand to use to save time and computer/Palm memory. Husband was
delighted as there is rarely anything I like.
We were offered new
cell phones to renew and the hottest thing out was a smart phone –
the Palm Centro and it was tiny – just over 4 by 2 inches. No wifi
– it did not exist (or at least did not commonly exist) then,
Internet was by cell phone service only, real buttons, no guessing
where the buttons were and mistyping everything (as smart phones no
longer have now) This was a major wow to me.
I refuse to give up
the Lotus Organizer and so husband finds ways to allow me to keep
using it. He has made virtual Windows XP machines in my Windows 7
desktop and my Windows 10 desktop (this one) so I can keep the
Organizer on the computers. (I told you, he loves solving my
problems as there is so little I want.) When I had to switch to
Blackberry, he found that old Blackberry software would work with
Organizer, mostly. The biggest problem – which I to solve myself –
was when the Blackberry no longer worked as a telephone or Internet.
I had to get - boo hoo, I was so upset – an Android phone. I
basically “keep 2 sets of books” now. Certain things are on both
the Android and the Centro, others are on one or the other. I use
the Centro in the house and take it on trips, and make notes in the
Android when I am out and copy them to the Organizer. Not ecstatic,
but it works for me.
So what do I do with
what I record in the Organizer?
I have more contact
info in the Organizer/Palm than I do in the Android - I won't need
my Congressman's info while out, so it is not in the Android.
I have my calendar
in both setups.
I have some memos in
the Palm/Organizer setup only such as list of where and when we have
gone through automatic payment tolls so I can check against the bill.
(Which is why I bring it on trips.)
Others are in both
the memos in the Palm/Organizer setup and the Android. Included here
are lists of embroidery/needlework books I have so I don't buy
duplicates, specifications of items we have that we might find items
to go with (sewing machine feet, post size for lathe and items needed
to make reenacting clothing. Since we tend to go to the same places
on trips, I also started a list of fast food and casual food
restaurants along the roads we commonly travel on. We know what food
they have and that we can find what we can eat, as well as that we
can afford them. Passwords in a code that I understand. In the
Android only I have my shopping list – for groceries as well as
items we are looking for from other sources.
I also keep tasks
(todos) both to be done and finished. This way if I do something I
have a record of having done it. (No, I don't record when I go to
the toilet or when I sleep.) I do keep track of phone
calls/emails/in very rare cases texts made/sent or received, letters
written, where we went – including for errands, chores around the
house, and so on. If I need to contact a business that has not
replied to me or done what it said it would do – I have a record of
when I contacted them, who I spoke to and what was discussed – also
of letters written. I have a record of when items were mailed out
and to who (we go the Post office to check for mail in our box there
and also send out any mail we have to go out).
I use codes when I
do this.
T: is a telephone
call, it will have who it was made to or received from quick what was
talked about, the time it was made/received, and if it was an
incoming call it will say “in” if I spoke to a computer “CP”,
and if it was a return call to someone who called me “RC”.
Details as needed - can be long or short – just “RC “or “chat”
is just conversation.
E: is email – I
use “AE” instead of “RC” for this and time is not recorded.
X: is something I
just added and it means text – used for those texts which are other
than from husband as our texts between us are basically “dinner is
ready”, “where are you in the store”, “starting home from
work” and similar. Other text messages – such as from my sister
about my mom I want a record of what was said.
I also use letter
for what the call, email, etc. is for – personal ones have no code,
“A” is something done for accounting, “C” is for crafts
business related, “U” is for our reenactment unit and so on for
about 6 or 7 different things.
To make sense of
this - T:A:Jones: appointment >3:30pm - means that I telephoned
at 3:30 my accounting client, Mrs. Jones and made an appointment to
go into her business to do her books. (The appointment is separately
recorded in the calendar at the day and time I need to be there.)
Now you might say
what the heck is the reason for all this? I can search for when I
did something to check on when it was or what was discussed. I used
the Organizer for this yesterday. I was about to pay a credit card
bill and I thought that I had called the company and had the “rewards
amount” applied to the bill so I could pay less by that amount, but
I had no notes of the call on the bill. I searched in the Organizer
and was reminded that I went to make the call the phone was not
working. I immediately called up and had the credit put to the
payment of the account. If I had just gone by memory I would have
underpaid the (full) balance due and would have been hit by finance
charges.
Another use is
sometimes I get a credit card statement and there is a charge on it
which I have no slip for. (Yes, happens to me too.) I can go back
and see if I was at that store or restaurant that day. If I was, I
have to presume the amount was okay, if not then I will contact the
credit card company for proof of the purchase. (If I have no slip
for, say, FG Asian buffet, and we ate dinner there – well, we owe
the money.
Husband and I are
getting older. We can end up in a “disagreement” about what and
when something was done “No, we went to your mother's house on the
4th so we did not do X that day and still have to do so.”
Look it up and we either did go there on the 4th or we
did what needed to be done.
I also put into the
tasks as repeating tasks, items I need to do daily, weekly, monthly,
quarterly, annually, etc. and add reminders of them. This blog is
two tasks a week – one is to write it on Tuesday nights and the
other is to post it on Wednesday nights. Okay, I don't think I have
ever actually written it on Tuesday – like Charlie Brown, I work
best under pressure. I do have reminders the same way to write the
newsletter for my embroidery chapter monthly, do the laundry, take
out the garbage, take out the recycling, rotating over the month –
clean the house, and so on, as well having the record of having done
so.
THOUGHT OF THE WEEK
-
It helps to stay
organized by keeping track in your cell phone of what you need to do
and your appointments. You can have all the contacts you need in it
also. And after you have done things you can keep a record of what
you have done even if it was not listed in it to do.
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