I write down everything I want to remember. That way, instead of spending a lot of time trying to remember what it is I wrote down,

I spend the time looking for the paper I wrote it down on.
(Beryl Pfizer)


I changed back to the palm pilot today. I've been using a Franklin Covey day planner. Even though I had the compact one, which is big enough to write on but small enough to carry in my pocketbook, I was still tired of carrying it around. Okay, I just wanted more room in the pocketbook for my knitting bag. So the Palm Pilot is back.

Neither system is quite "right," which is probably why every couple of months I bounce between the two. (Oh yeah, three, since I also like the Daytimer's spiral pages, and have invested in that system a couple of times.) I also read just about everything I can find on GTD, but it hasn't helped me. I think I spend more time making lists than actually doing anything about the listed items.

If I really admit the truth, the calendar and to do lists are just my security blanket. I know what I have to do and when I have to do it. And most of the time, I do what I have to without ever referring to my calendar book/palm pilot. But carrying around a written record just makes life seem as if it's under control. If I'm bored, I can look at my list and see that there's a lot I could be doing. If there's too much going on, I can look at my appointments and see the "free time" that makes up the rest of the day. And if things are too quiet, I can look at the addresses listed and know that there are a lot of friends I could call if I wanted to.