Hey Everyone,
Back in school, a teacher quoted this version of a Chinese proverb, "The palest ink is better than the best memory." In other words, he believed that the best way to remember things was to to write them down. This was long before anyone ever even thought of personal phones, so apps and electronic calendars were not an option.
Even as they became available, I've always opted to write things down with a real pen and paper. Shoot, I'm getting old enough to where it may as well have been a stone tablet and chisel! I try to keep all my scribbled notes in my "command center" (a free leftover cardboard tray I got at Costco,) and every week, I sort through what's been done and what needs to be moved to next week's agenda.
I also keep a paper calendar on which I keep birthdays (to some people's dismay!)
and other various events, reminders, and appointments.
I've TRIED keeping notes on apps or my phone's calendar, but the first thing I do every morning when I go for my coffee is check my "command center" anyway. I often forget to look at the calendar on my phone, so I only us that as a backup of the most important things.
Years of habit have just trained me to write things down, and I haven't been able to get used to any other way. I also use different colored pens on my calendar -- red circles are for birthdays; turquoise blue is for errands; green is for bills, etc. So at one glance, I know the type of event that's coming up soon. I would find it a pain to type all of this into my phone.
I think I'm also a very kinetic learner, so the motions of writing the different letters and the association with the words helps embellish them in my brain just a little bit more. And if it's a one-shot reminder for the week ("chop veggies",) I can tear up the note and throw it away, leaving my main calendar free from extra visual clutter (fewer things for me to sort through as I look at it.) This might be my own version of OCD, but if I just cross something out, I'll still go back to reread it just to make sure I didn't miss something. But if I use just one note for a frequent, regular event and tear it up when I'm done, it really is "out of sight, out of mind."
However, I'm always looking for ways to streamline my system.
What works for you?
* How do YOU keep track of appointments, bills, meetings, etc.? Do you use paper, a bullet journal, personal organizer, your phone, etc.?
* How well do these methods work for you? How do you "cross off your list" as you go?
* Do you use any kind of color or coding system (different colors, notes, post-it papers, etc.) to help you remember different kinds of events?
* What are YOUR best tips for keeping track of everything you have going in YOUR busy life?
Back in school, a teacher quoted this version of a Chinese proverb, "The palest ink is better than the best memory." In other words, he believed that the best way to remember things was to to write them down. This was long before anyone ever even thought of personal phones, so apps and electronic calendars were not an option.
Even as they became available, I've always opted to write things down with a real pen and paper. Shoot, I'm getting old enough to where it may as well have been a stone tablet and chisel! I try to keep all my scribbled notes in my "command center" (a free leftover cardboard tray I got at Costco,) and every week, I sort through what's been done and what needs to be moved to next week's agenda.
I also keep a paper calendar on which I keep birthdays (to some people's dismay!)
and other various events, reminders, and appointments. I've TRIED keeping notes on apps or my phone's calendar, but the first thing I do every morning when I go for my coffee is check my "command center" anyway. I often forget to look at the calendar on my phone, so I only us that as a backup of the most important things.
Years of habit have just trained me to write things down, and I haven't been able to get used to any other way. I also use different colored pens on my calendar -- red circles are for birthdays; turquoise blue is for errands; green is for bills, etc. So at one glance, I know the type of event that's coming up soon. I would find it a pain to type all of this into my phone.
I think I'm also a very kinetic learner, so the motions of writing the different letters and the association with the words helps embellish them in my brain just a little bit more. And if it's a one-shot reminder for the week ("chop veggies",) I can tear up the note and throw it away, leaving my main calendar free from extra visual clutter (fewer things for me to sort through as I look at it.) This might be my own version of OCD, but if I just cross something out, I'll still go back to reread it just to make sure I didn't miss something. But if I use just one note for a frequent, regular event and tear it up when I'm done, it really is "out of sight, out of mind."
However, I'm always looking for ways to streamline my system.
What works for you?
* How do YOU keep track of appointments, bills, meetings, etc.? Do you use paper, a bullet journal, personal organizer, your phone, etc.?
* How well do these methods work for you? How do you "cross off your list" as you go?
* Do you use any kind of color or coding system (different colors, notes, post-it papers, etc.) to help you remember different kinds of events?
* What are YOUR best tips for keeping track of everything you have going in YOUR busy life?
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