Moving to an Electronic Time Management System

This article is far from all-inclusive, but it's a place to start. I welcome any questions you might have.

Moving to an Electronic Time Management System

The beauty of a planning notebook such as Day Runner, Day Planner, Filofax, etc., is its ability to contain everything in one spot. You don't have to worry about syncing it with anything; never have to worry if something on your work computer made it to your home computer and to you smart phone, or your iPad. Nope, it's all there in black and white—or red, green, blue, and orange—in your notebook that you keep with you always.

But we're in the age of electronics now, and many of us spend almost all of our time with our eyes on the computer monitor and our hands on the keyboard and mouse. And what precious moments aren't on those are spent focusing on our Blackberries, iPhones, iPods, Droids, and other electronic "smart" devices.

Add to that the importance and integration of email into our lives and electronic means to time management leap ahead in the race to finding solutions that work for us. Let's face it, about 80 to 90 percent of our information comes to us via email, be they tasks, appointments, contact information, or other miscellany.

In the old paper method we had only three main tools in out tool box--task list, calendar, and journal. Now, thanks to computers, we have at least two more: email and contact management.

Ironically, the problem with electronic devices and solutions is that they haven't really caught up to the simplicity and versatility of the good 'ole manual paper and pen system! The various systems don't always talk to one another, and if you finally get them to do so, you are stuck with that one system and God forbid you have to switch to another device or application.

My Story

First I want to say that I do not endorse any one time management product, either manual or electronic. I was weaned on the Franklin Planner time management system and I do admit a definite soft spot in my heart for it. It was so long ago that Covey's name wasn't yet attached to the product line and in those days I had my day planner virtually hermetically sealed to my body--where I went, it went. Everything was there and I loved it!

At my last full time job I started out with my wonderful little Franklin Planner book... I even designed and printed my own template pages—major time management geek! During the course of my time there the company went to MS Outlook and its task management, calendar and journal features fit perfectly with my day planner. Why, it even let me print out pages in the correct format to put in my notebook. Later I purchased Franklin Planner's electronic system which wrapped around Outlook quite beautifully. It also seamlessly synched with my Blackberry. So there it all was: my task list, my calendar, my journal, my contacts... all of it was right at my finger tips.

Until I was laid off, that is. Then I lost all the conveniences.

Sure, I still had my Blackberry and the information was there, but I no longer had it on all my computers. I began to look for web-based solutions and I decided on the Google suite of applications to manage most of the things. At least the calendar and contacts synced well with my Blackberry. But Google tasks didn't; there was no journal application linked between the two, and things looked pretty grim for a while.

I'm sure there are other products out there that work great--in fact, might even work better, but my primary consideration was cost. By that I mean I wanted a free solution, and Google provided that. (When you've been laid off, those things are important to you!) My secondary considerations were ease of access and simplicity of use.

By comparison with its other applications, Google Tasks seemed woefully inadequate for what I needed in a task management system--and in reading all the related blogs and forums, Google didn't seem all that interested in fixing it. To make matters worse, the tasks in the email application didn't sync up with the tasks in the calendar application! Major dilemma.

I hear that there are some great apps for the iPhone and iPad, but I guess I'm officially a luddite as I have neither of those, and I wasn’t interested in shelling out the cash to move to those platforms either.

Having decided on the Google apps as my overall management system, which could at least manage my emails, calendar, and contacts, I set out to find solutions to the other two biggies: task management and journaling. I'm going to be honest with you and admit that I haven't found the perfect solution yet--I continue to keep looking--but I have found some solutions that are working for me.

I also needed something that incorporated these three basic tools, as well as the two newer tools, within something I could convince myself was a one-stop-shopping solution. Additionally, It had to be accessible from as many of my devices as possible. I knew this was a tall order and that I'd have to prioritize these needs and I might have to be flexible.

This is how I adjusted to an electronic solution and it may or may not work for you. Later I'll outline things you should look for when determining a solution that works best for you.

My Solutions

All In One Solution

For me, accessibility means I need to not only have access to it from all my electronic devices (desktops, laptops and the ever-present Blackberry), but it has to have some semblance of my old day planner's "all in one" solution. With my day planner I had everything at my fingertips. I could see my to-do list next to my day's appointments, all of which flanked my journal. I haven't found the online system that does that for me while tying into email and contacts and syncing with my other computers and my Blackberry.

Most browsers, however, now let you have multiple windows open at the same time in the form of tabs. I settled on Google's Chrome as my browser (well, if I was doing everything else Google, then it made sense that using their browser would afford the best interoperability) but you could just as well use Foxfire, Safari, or IE. I set it to open the following tabs each time I started up: email, calendar, contacts.

So that just left the business of syncing with the other devices. Since it was all web-based, all my other computers worked fine (I even set Google Chrome to sync my account on all my computers so when I launch it, it's the same on all of them.) And Google does a pretty good job of integrating the email and contacts with those on my Blackberry.

I'll address integrating email as a time management tool later, so that brings us to the calendar.

Calendar

Not much to say on this one. Calendar systems are what calendar systems are... you put in an appointment and it tracks them. The Google calendar syncs across all my devices and sets reminders for me so I couldn't be happier. One advantage of having one that integrates into your contact management system is that you can invite people to appointments that you want to share.

One disadvantage of the Google calendars was there didn't seem to be an easy way to label appointments or color code them like I had in Outlook. For example, all my job-related appointments I wanted to stand out in one color, all my classes in another, choir in yet a different one, etc. My solution was pretty easy... Google lets you set up different calendars and assign a color to each. These all show up on my main view and synch across to my various devises—problem solved.

Task Management

Task management, however, didn't go so easily. As I mentioned, the task management built into Google was... well... pretty awful. I experimented around and tried "Remember The Milk" and "GQueues" and finally settled on "GQueues" as I felt it worked the best for me. (Both were really good... it was just the little things that won me over.) Now a new tab was added to my browser launch.

Both integrated into Google, and both had an internal email address so I could easily email tasks to myself or forward an email or appointment to myself as a task and have it show up in the task system. But neither one had a Blackberry app. That was pretty disappointing as now I didn't have my task list with me. Sure, I could go the website for each, but the browser on the Blackberry is slow and the screen tiny (right, right... I shoulda splurged for the iPad; I know.) But since I'm pretty much in front of my computer all day long that was something I was willing to forego. I keep up with GQueues discussion forums and it appears they are working on this.

The downside of GQueues was that it does cost me $25 per year. I know I said I was looking for something free, but this was important enough to me that I felt I should splurge. Some other bonuses, GQueues let's me nest tasks so I can maintain my daily prioritization scheme, as well as create project plans with subordinate tasks. It has a flexible "queue" system that lets me rethink and redesign things on the fly to help me stay focused.

Journaling

In the day planner days, journaling was where you kept all the extemporaneous data that you collected during the day. Periodically you would review the journal and properly file away all pertinent information--your basic data storage and retrieval system, with the journal acting as a sort of temporary storage facility.

Journaling in the computer environment makes it easy to store the data in the right place sooner so there's less need for the intermediate storage. It's actually easier to just put contact information in your contact management system than it is to store it someplace else temporarily. Same holds true for project information, long-term goals, future appointments, etc.

Each system--email, tasks, calendar, contacts--provides its own internal method of storing their related data for later retrieval using folders, labels and tags. But there still remain those notes and ideas that don't really have a permanent home yet. How best to deal with those?

Since the other elements do provide their own data storage and retrieval, my priority for this option dropped considerable. I was willing to use a separate option on my Blackberry and another one on the computers. On the Blackberry, I use its internal notepad; that seems to work OK—there aren't so many that I lose track of them.

On the computer, though, I've been exploring a couple of options. I haven't settled on any one application yet, but I'm currently looking at Google's Notebook, and a personal blog. Both let me add labels to my entries so I can quickly retrieve information, and both are readily accessible from any computer I might be using.

The blog might just win out because I have several blogs that I write for and so I'm constantly in the Blogger system. Additionally, Google has apparently pulled support from Notebook so I'm not sure how long it will be around. Now if Google and Blackberry would just put their heads together and come up with an blog app for the Blackberry, I'd be happy!

One key thing I've learned in all this is to use consistent labels (or folders or tags... whatever your system has) across all the applications. If I have a folder or label in my email for a work project, then I need to have the same label in my task management, journal, and calendar systems.

Contact Management

Electronic systems are at once more sophisticated and more spread out. The inclusion of computers requires, at least, an integrated contact management system Any email system worth its salt has this built in—it saves its users from having to go searching for an email address every time they want to send something.

Google fortunately integrates this quite seamlessly across all its applications—at least as far as I can tell. Another advantage is that Google seems to "remember" the odd email address that it's come across so you don't have to go searching for it. On the downside, this means you have to periodically go into Google Contacts and look for duplicates and combine them, but fortunately there is a built in tool for this that works quite nicely.

eMail

Email is the only tool I haven't really discussed as a separate item here--it is quite integrated into the other elements and I've mentioned above. But there were some key factors for me that Google solved. It had to: work, sync with my blackberry, allow storage (Google uses labels which I prefer over folders since an email can have multiple labels, but only one folder), and integrate with as many of my other systems as possible.

Gmail did this. I'm sure there are other systems that do it too—this is just where I landed.

Wrapping Up

Well, that's how I became electronic in my time management practices. You don't have to do it the same way I did--I think it's important for you to find what works for you. While there are disadvantages to not having a single, unified system, there is the benefit of being able to craft a system, or series of systems, that works specifically for you.

Part of me wants to go back to my good 'ole Franklin Planner... but gosh darn it, my Blackberry is just so small and convenient--it even clips to my belt so my arms and hands are free. Plus I'm in front of my computer all day long anyway, so having a notebook open in front of me just seems... well... archaic.

So if you're wondering how to move from a paper system to an electronic one, here are some things to consider:

• First, decide on which tools you must have and then prioritize them. There are a variety of tools out there now: task management, calendars, email, journals, contact, CRM's, blogs, notepads, Dropbox, Google Docs, collaborative writing... the list goes on and on. Determine what your "must have" list is and the criteria for each part.
• Look for tools that integrate into your most important electronic devices--those that you use the most, such as desktop and laptop computers, smart phones, and tablets.
• Look for tools that integrate with each other--at least with your highest priority ones. If there aren't direct hooks between them, are there simple ways to make them talk to each other (like forwarding emails to you task manager for quick entry?)
• Rather than looking for a central journal option, create a strong data storage and retrieval methodology that spans across all your applications.
• And finally, don't be afraid to experiment. I continue to explore and tweak things. I don't think the "perfect" system actually exists—partly because my needs change over time. This is the beauty of this type of moduler soluttion; it can grow and adapt as I change.

Procrastination vs. Inspiration

I grew up thinking I was just a procrastinator. When a project was first announced I had a jumble of great ideas, then "pffft"... nothing until just before it was due. During that time all those ideas percolated in my brain and ideas formed, connections were made, thesis/antithesis/synthesis became clearer; and then at the last minute, in a flood of inspiration, it would all tumble out.

And because I didn't spend an hour a day on it, keep copious index cards, and have a proper outline at the ready, I was constantly berated as a procrastinator - a veritable four-letter word when you're in school.

Now, when I look back on it and analyze my behavior and thinking patterns, and I compare them with how I work today, I realize that in truth I wasn't actually procrastinating.

Some people are great at organizing their thoughts well in advance, and managing their thinking processes-their creative processes-on paper. Others, like me, do this in their heads. For me, I have to let the ideas sit and simmer for a while so that the various themes and threads can begin to come together into what I feel will be a good finished product. That's when the "inspiration" hits and I begin to produce.

Now, don't get me wrong... with certain things, like cleaning the bathroom, doing the laundry, or paying the bills, I can procrastinate with the best of them. But I've learned that procrastination is related to things I don't want to do! For things I want to do, it isn't procrastination, it's my thinking and creative process.

In time management it's important to know that all the rules, keys, tips, and tricks we create are really just guidelines to help us keep focused and not lose track of things. It is important to honor the way you innately do things and let your system adapt to your natural processes, not the other way around. (I guess you could say I'm a "form-follows-function" kinda guy.)

Once you identify your natural way of doing things—your native creativity patterns—then you can use your time management skills in ways to enhance them. And for those things that you truly are procrastinating over, your time management practice can provide a way to keep those under control.

Reducing Paper Clutter

I just ran across this great article in LifeHacker.org and had to share it. It deals with paper clutter and the author provides a great method for controlling it, with out being overly OCD about it. Here's the link: http://bit.ly/kxC30n

Adding a quick, daily scan of the paper that came in during the day is a great way to keep the stack of paper manageable until your weekly review time. That daily review should be quick and "unfiltered" as you briefly scan items and place into "keep" and "toss" piles. (I bet your "toss" pile ends up the larger of the two!)

In Session 2 of my Time Management seminars we talk about the weekly review process. This article provides a great addition to that review session.

Some additional organizational thoughts for the weekly review process that I might add to this writer's process are:

• Add action items to the proper to-do list or calendar date; then toss that piece of paper.
• Informational items such as phone numbers, addresses and such, add to the proper storage media right then and there; then toss that piece of paper.
• Paper that you need to keep handy, such as bills and forms, can be stacked in an inbox to be addressed that week. Add an action item to your to-do list on the day you intend to do it. If there's anything you didn't address by the next review session, you can reschedule into the next week. Another option, if you have space and are so inclined, is to have file folders for each week day and place the items in their appropriate day. But if you don't truly have room for this, don't do it - it will just add clutter.

Three Easy Steps to Success

Here are my three easy rules for success:

1. If you want to succeed, show up.
2. If you want to succeed and be noticed, show up on time.
3. If you want to succeed and blow the competition out of the water, show up on time and take notes.

It's that easy.

Creating a Sacred Workspace

Create Sacred Space? Really? Where I'm working, where I spread out my papers, answer the phone and set up my computer is really a sacred space?

Well, yes. At least it should be; especially in terms of "sacred" meaning something that is set apart.

If you're someone that works in an office building with other co-workers--your basic, typical office environment, this is pretty much established for you, though it may seem anything but sacred. But if you're like me and work from home then your office space is not so clearly deliniated; and if your home office is in a small apartment--like mine-- then the office also serves as dining room, living room, gaming center, media center, etc. What happens to me is that I get horribly distracted. This has four basic results:

1. I start focusing on other, less important things, or
2. I start multi-multi-tasking and my energy is so dispersed that I get nothing done, or
3. I pulled into something mind-numbing and unproductive like surfing the web or playing a game and the next thing I know the day has gone, or
4. I get so frustrated that I just walk away watch TV or something.

Clearly, those are not productive!

So what can you do about it? Well, if you're lucky enough to have some mobility in your office equipment (laptop, cell phone, iPad, etc) then go someplace else! Change the scenary for a while. Maybe find another room. If the weather is nice, go sit on your front porch or go to the park (and if those places happen to have wifi, all the better!) Head to the library and work there for a bit.

If you're not that mobile, (for example, while I have mobile equipment, the majority of my resources on on the desktop computer at home and that limits my ability to work away from the desk) then you have to find some ways to "sanctify" the space you have in order to refocus.

Since I'm physically limited in where I can go, I have found a few simple and oddly ritualistic things that help. Now, don't be afraid of ritual! We are, actually, ritual beings. Rituals are a symbolic language that speaks to us on very deep, subconscious levels and can communicate things to our psyche that all the trainings and readings and seminars just won't ever reach.

First, unclutter what's right in front of you. For me, that is NOT easy... just ask Jordan. I am a clutter person; I believe God made flat surfaces to stack stuff on. I have no delusions that I will change this behavior (sorry, Jordan) but to help me focus I can grab the loose papers and various wires, books and light bulbs that are sitting within a 45 degree viewing area in front of me and I can move them someplace else. Outta sight, outta mind!

Second, the stuff that you can't move, or might need handy, neaten up. Restack them; line them up. Put all the pens in the holder and put it in a neat place; line things up in right angles (you don't have to be OCD, but it helps!) and move them outward towards the edges of that 45 degree area in front of you, trying your best to keep the area right in front of you clear, with the exception of your keyboard or perhaps a pad of paper that you're using.

Third, find something that will engage your senses to "sanctify" the space. When I sit down, I now light a little stick of incense that I have off to the side. This signals my brain, through my sense of smell, that what is happening now is special and deserves my attention. Don't have, or don't like, incense? No problem. Use an icon, statue, crystal, rock, or piece of potter--anything that visually establishes that the space is now set apart and special.

Using cues from your senses--touch, smell, sight, even taste (coffee does it for me!)--you can communicate to yourself that the space you are using is now set aside for something special, and that special thing is work. When you're done, get up, move the "sacred object" and put it away and let the space return to it's other uses.

Depression, Anxiety and Time Management

For everyone, depression and anxiety are part of the natural ebb and flow of our emotional make up. Everyone feels depressed at some point in their life. It is a natural part of the grieving process; a response to some significant loss.

We also experience anxiety at the prospect of some impending "doom" (whether it be a test we're not prepared for or that meeting with the boss that was called unexpectedly.) Anxiety is our "early warning system" that primes our defenses and readies our fight-or-flight reflexes.

For the majority of people these emotional responses are usually relatively short lived and have a minimal impact on our ability to function. But for many these emotions can darken the world into an ever spiraling vortex that is debilitating and paralyzing. Some take medications to level the playing field and minimize the damage; others hunker down and wait it out; still others seek out various coping mechanisms - some good, some not so good - to help weather the storm.

Regardless of where you fit in this spectrum, it is important to know that depression and anxiety will have an ill effect on our daily routines in time management. Our emotions play a vital part in both our desire and ability to be focused, proactive, and consistent. When we are depressed or anxious our tendency is to avoid the things that we feel are fueling those emotions, whether or not they actually are. All those things on our to-do list look like big red buttons hot-wired directly into our depression and anxiety and the last thing we want to do is face them and deal with them. They don't just loom large on our horizon, they are gigantic! They are the monsters hiding in our closets; they are the stuff of our nightmares - literally.

The result? We avoid doing our time management. It's amazing all the things that can creep up to crowd out even the possibility of sitting down to do it. I, myself, am partial to the "crawl back in bed and pull the covers over my head" response. And what do we do when we avoid doing the work? We beat ourselves up and tell ourselves how really bad we are. And that leads into more spiraling downwards, more anxiety, more depression... and more avoidance... and... and... and...

I know from experience that the reality of those to-do items is never as dire as we feel. On more than one occasion, I've bitten the bullet and faced my fears head on and discovered that it really wasn't so bad after all. It didn't dissipate the depression or solve the anxiety, but I was able to at least stop beating myself up for a little while. But for those who suffer from extremer bouts of depression and anxiety, it is often the rare occasion that they can muster up the ability to forge ahead and get down to work.

I will tell you right now that we are all victims to our emotions. Even those who only suffer mild, or "normal," depression and anxiety are victims of these emotional quagmires -- they just may not be as long lasting or as debilitating. But even if you suffer from chronic depression or have an anxiety disorder, either taking or not taking medication, your reactions to them are perfectly normal.

These emotional mine fields derail us, regardless of the severity of them. They throw us off the track of our daily planning and review, as well as our ability to monitor our activities throughout the day. While our instinct, as well as our fears, keep us focused on our being derailed, that is really not the right place to focus—especially during the time of derailment.

Instead the better focus is on what we need to do to get us back on track. The first thing may be to do absolutely nothing. During the throws of the depression or anxiety it may be impossible to do anything we might consider “productive”. Usually that just makes us feel worse, so let me give you permission to just do absolutely nothing. You have enough to worry about, so why add this to your plate? As the saying goes, “this too shall pass.” So you can wait this out and pick back up when the storm is over.

The next thing to do is to be gentle with yourself. Don’t beat yourself up or put yourself down. Be forgiving. Also, don’t try to analyze the situation right now. Once you’re back on track and some time has gone by, then it will be time to review and see what happened and what got you back on track.

And finally, realize that the things you are worrying about probably aren’t as big as you think. All those action items on your to-do list will take far less time than your fears are telling you; the severity level of them is probably much lower than you think; they will still be there—without much damage done—when things settle down.

Once the depression or anxiety has subsided, gently return to your practice. At first it will feel overwhelming, so take it smaller bites. Start fresh – don’t grab your now stale to-do list and try to pick up where you left off. Grab a fresh sheet of paper, a new page in your planner, whatever you’re using and start anew. Then, focus on the prioritization aspect. Don’t worry about the doing of the tasks, just the prioritizing of them. This is when limiting your “A’s” to just 3 is really important. You will want to make up for lost time – that’s natural. Fight this urge and force yourself to limit you “A” priorities to only 3. Focus on these for now and leave the rest.

Next, look for those things that can be scheduled forward, or better yet, completely cancelled. Getting them off your plate now will free you up considerably.

After a few weeks, when things have returned to something you consider normal, and you sit down to do your weekly review, look back over the events and analyze it. But don’t look for what went wrong. Instead, look at the things that got you back on track. Focus on the positive actions you took. These are the tools you will want to file away in your “tool box” for later retrieval.

The most important thing to remember is to not beat yourself up—realize that you are human and that what you’re going through is 100% natural. You’re not alone and you’re not the first person to have this problem. Focus on self care and then work on gently (and this is really the key word) returning to the practice.

An Alternative to Calendar Bankruptcy

I couldn't have said it better myself! Thanks to Erin for this insight.

Four steps to uncluttering your schedule

1. Lose your calendar.
2. Recall very little from your lost calendar.
3. Have people in your life who are laid back and won’t send you reminders about your upcoming engagements with them.
4. Don’t call anyone to see if you have upcoming engagements planned.

Obviously, these four suggestions are a joke. You should always keep a copy of your calendar — a daily backup for a digital calendar and a regular scan/copy of a print calendar — so a situation like this would be avoided.

However, I think we can all recall a time in our lives when we wished we could lose our calendars. We feel so overwhelmed by our obligations that we long for a way to be set free of obligations without any guilt.

Instead of chucking your calendar out the window, the next time you feel overwhelmed by your schedule try these steps to alleviate some stress:

1. Say “no” to as many future offers as possible until you feel things are becoming manageable again. You’ll need to say “yes” to things that keep you out of jail and from being fired, but most everything else can temporarily be put on hold. You’re also free to change your mind, just remember there is much less stress involved with changing your “no” to a “yes” than having to back out of something you’ve already committed to.
2. Review your schedule and see if there is anything you can gracefully back out of without much guilt or repercussions. Then, cancel the obligation. At this point, it’s probably best not to reschedule.
3. Review your schedule and see if there are any appointments that can be moved to a better time. An early morning appointment might be more manageable as a lunch meeting.
4. Identify the obligation on your schedule that is causing you the most dread, and make a plan to eliminate or reduce the stress surrounding it in the future. Knowing that something you dislike will be minimized in the near future often makes it easier to address in the present.

None of these steps will completely eliminate stress, but hopefully they will help to reduce it to a manageable level. Once you feel that things are back under control, you can start to say “yes” to non-essential obligations again, if that is what you wish to do.

Like this site? Buy Erin Rooney Doland's Unclutter Your Life in One Week from Amazon.com today.

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