Organizer
As of July 2004, I am using a combination of a
PalmOne Treo handheld organizer, purchased through
Verizon Wireless,
and Microsoft Outlook running on a notebook computer, as my organizing system.
The Treo serves as my cell phone with integrated address book, and acts as the handheld/immediate-view part of my organizing system.
Microsoft Outlook, running on a notebook computer, serves as the less-portable/more-powerful part of my organizing system,
allowing me to see day-at-a-time and week-at-a-time views with good resolution. I use Outlook "Tasks" to organize long-term goals.
One additional accessory for the Treo completes the system: The
PDANet software
that allows the Treo to function as a wireless modem for
my Notebook computer, so that I can access the Internet via my cell-phone service provider (Verizon), wherever there is cell-phone coverage.
This function of the Treo allows me to overcome the biggest weakness of the Treo, which is its small screen -- too small to see a week-at-a-time view
of my calendar, and too small to really browse the web -- and adds something I have wanted for a long time, which is wireless Web access without depending on
local Wi-Fi hotspots.
Additional benefits of the Treo:
- With an additional Memory Card , a stereo headset , and Pocket Tunes Software , the Treo also functions as an MP3 player. It doesn't have the memory capacity of an iPod, but I haven't maxed out out my 256M card yet, and I see that 512M is now available, so I don't mind. This is the reason I haven't bought an iPod -- it looks like my converged cellphone will do the job.
- The Treo also contains a 640x480 pixel camera, but I haven't used that function very much yet.
The combination of Treo and Outlook combines very well with an idea from my friend and colleague
Stephen Malinowski, who said:
"I don't spend time worrying about what needs doing; if I think of something that needs doing, then, right then, I:
It is a simple idea, but incredibly powerful, when combined with Outlook's ability to schedule recurrent appointments, and automatic reminders from a handheld organizer.
With this combination of new tools and practices, I have been doing a much better job of home/automobile/health maintenance, remembering other people's birthdays, and other tasks that are important but repeat only rarely.
Below is the day-planner/organizer I used from 1990-2004: It has the following key features:
- Week-at-a-glance calendar / appointment log.
- Weekly to-do list, separated by activity.
- Long-term goals, separated by activity.
- Address book.
- Blank log for short-term notes, contact info, etc. No more yellow stickies to lose!
- Standard 6"x3.5" form factor.
The key innovation is the long-term goals that appear on a separate fold-out flap, so that the long-term goals can stay constant (no recopying) as the weeks go by. I have found this to be extremely important; it helps me a lot to have a reminder of my goals in front of me every time I check my appointments.
Most organizing systems are really just a way for other people to book your time. This organizer makes it easy to direct your life in the direction you want it to go, while still being simple and very compact. I've tried just about every organizer (Franklin, Quo Vadis, Covey, Palm Pilot, etc.) but never found a way to keep the long-term focus in front of me the way this one does.
May 16, 2003: I have provided a Word/Excel/Mail-Merge template of the organizer that I use.