Quality organizational tools or techniques - share one you use

[Darrell KSR]

I have a ton of these, mainly because I struggle with organization. My friends and colleagues say I am a very organized person. Little do they know I do everything I do *so that* I can work with it a little.

I will share one and sprinkle in a bunch over time if this thread takes off.

Here's one that is pretty darn simple.

It's a Pendaflex Desk Free Hanging Organizer.

https://store.schoolspecialty.com/OA_HTML/ibcGetAttachment.jsp?cItemId=161533&encrypt=.jpg

The beauty of this is, you can hang it anywhere. I have a room partition at home that I use to divide my workspace and have two of these hanging on it. It can accomodate, depending on how thick the files are, maybe up to 50 files (usually less), as each has six folders, and 3 or more small files can go in each section. Right now I have about 25 files in the two hanging on the partition.

Those are my "hot" files that I'm currently working with.

Here's the beauty of this.

Let's say that you're working on a project and you're using this color-coded hanging file system to work with. And then you have to go to somebody else's office to work on it. Easy--you just accordion it up, drop the hook in the middle, and it buckles like a satchel. Very portable, very easy to use.

http://thumbs2.ebaystatic.com/m/mUAWoAw8Db-8Mn8aS0ys0gA/96.jpg

I have two of them, and going to buy 1-4 more of them. The link is the least expensive place I have found them; I have seen them for about $35 at other places, and regularly over $20-25. It's a cheap product in terms of build--just a bunch of plastic. But ingenious in its design.

[Darrell KSR]

I left out the link, but it was about $16. Material isn't worth 50¢, but it works beautifully.

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[Darrell KSR]

My next organizational tool is a new one, but really just an update from something I have been using for awhile manually.

It is Pomodoro Pro, an app for my phone. Cost $1.99.

The Pomodoro technique is something I have used for a few months. Most people don't need techniques like this, but it really helps me. The basic thrust is you focus on one task for a predetermined period of time - a "pom" - and then a short break of 5 minutes. The standard pom is 25 minutes. Every 4th pom you get a longer break, like 15 minutes.

You do not check email, you don't answer the phone, you don't get coffee or go to the bathroom during your pom. There are no partial poms, you either complete it or you don't get one. Your breaks allow you to get coffee, check email, and in my case, check KSR and post.
You make your daily to do list and designate how many poms the tasks will take.

The experts claim the best use is with a mechanical timer and pencil and paper to write down the tasks and mark them off, but I find that not always practical, so this simple app has a mock mechanical timer, a mock handwritten task list you log in, allows you to strike a line through it when completed, and keeps statistics on how many poms you have completed total, daily, monthly, etc.

I have internal goals for myself on how many I want to complete, and the stats feature is nice.

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[PedroDaGr8]

Iphone and Android App: Any.DO

[Darrell KSR]

Pedro, have you used Evernote, and if so, have you used it with any.do, or is any.do a replacement for it?

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[KSRBEvans]

Many years ago I used the old Franklin Planner system. I've tried various things since then and went back to the Franklin Planner system a couple of years ago. It's pencil-and-paper, but it works better for me than any digital apps I've found for calendar and to-do-lists.

I got Wunderlist (http://www.6wunderkinder.com/wunderlist) a year or so ago and just started playing around with it a couple of months ago. I like its ability so far but I'm sure I'm using just a fraction of its capability.

I hear people rave about Evernote but I don't know much about it. I probably just need to download it and play around with it.

[Darrell KSR]

Brian, I use Evernote, but I only use it sporadically--which is almost worse than not using it at all. I like to play around with a few of these things, and then settle on one, and have not decided yet.

I have set up Evernote with "Notebooks" and have a separate notebook for every area of mine. For my business, which you know, it has different types--I have Tax, Probate, Estate Planning, and other areas (including Personal). The neat thing is that it syncs with the computer, it has "reminders" you can tap and it will email you with that day's reminders, and has the ability to accept photo/scanned documents, scribbled notes, voice/audio recordings, etc. in it.

I wasn't going to mention it because I have used it about 20%--which is to say, I understand it somewhat, but have not fully embraced it. I am hoping that Pedro has used it, and can compare/contrast it with any.do so I can see whether that's one I should try.

[PedroDaGr8]

It is just a nice simple to-do list organizer. Nothing nearly as in-depth as Evernote. Speaking of which, I have never used. It's just not something that i have a use for at this point. For me all I need was a simple reminder list which allows me to quickly organize, integrates into missed calls so I can set reminders to call them, etc.

[Darrell KSR]

Thanks, Pedro. I need organizational tools to help make my life simpler. I'm still on the border on whether Evernote does that for me or not.

Here is my next organizational tool I want to mention.



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I don't like the gold embossed stuff around it, but it is a plain, small, hardback blank notebook or diary, with heavy pages.

I write my Pomodoros on it (to do list), stuff I need to remember, a running list of projects, by type and separate page, and miscellaneous stuff. Keep it with me most of the time. I actually buy these when Office Depot or Office Max puts them in a clearance bin, and it lasts a good while.

Low tech, to be sure, but sort of my version of Bryan's Day Planners.

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[Edward100]

I have a wife that does all of mine. I go by the motto, "Don't ask...Don't tell" and it has worked for almost 50 years.

[Darrell KSR]

I have a wife that does all of mine. I go by the motto, "Don't ask...Don't tell" and it has worked for almost 50 years.

I have used that one, too. Works pretty well.

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[blueboss]

I have a wife that does all of mine. I go by the motto, "Don't ask...Don't tell" and it has worked for almost 50 years.

Ditto! Plus shes a speedometer too

[Darrell KSR]

Next one is one I really enjoy. It is another app, Simple mind map.

It really is a better tablet app than phone, but the 5" screen of the S4 has me using it regularly on the phone.

Mind mapping is quick and easy. Allows creativity to flow, and I use it a little like a to do list, with multiple categories. Moving them around is so easy, this must be the easiest app to use. If you have never used it, picture an outlining tool, but done graphically with cartoon "bubbles."

I have the free version only, but may upgrade to the pay version for $5 to allow emailing, printing of hard copy, etc. There are probably free ones that permit that, too, as I think there are a good number of these out there.

Here's a little of what it looks like.



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[Darrell KSR]

Here is a little of how it might look.



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[Darrell KSR]

Smaller size here, but can see a little more.

Also, it supports screen rotation, but I'm not great at capturing screenshots in landscape view.



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