tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432615092204334311.post854075920008128581..comments2023-08-10T06:57:45.911-04:00Comments on Questioning my Intelligence: Getting on ScheduleSusan Raihalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03018860599601419989noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432615092204334311.post-46308743636803202092011-03-31T10:50:15.275-04:002011-03-31T10:50:15.275-04:00I use a large month-at-a-glance calendar next to t...I use a large month-at-a-glance calendar next to the phone in the kitchen. Have for thirty years. It worked for raising four children (limit: 2 activities each), a husband who traveled about 2 wks per month, appointments and volunteer activities. EVERYTHING went on it, including baby "firsts." I've saved them all and they are a great reference tool. Now that DH is retired, it still works, but I've had to add a purse-sized duplicate for scheduling doctors apppointments while at his office, because I can't keep it in my head as well as I used to do. At the beginning of the year, I write in all birthdays, anniversaries, etc. plus recurring meetings and classes, and use colored stickers to remind us to pay quarterly taxes. I add appointments, theater tickets, promises to baybsit grandkids and travel plans, as they come up. I think the main advantage is having all the old calendars when I need to look back, especially for medical history. The other advantage is that DH and I work from the same calendar. It's old school, but so are we!Kaynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432615092204334311.post-46596486237372279302011-03-30T08:05:20.280-04:002011-03-30T08:05:20.280-04:00Glad to hear it, so quit worrying about it, you...Glad to hear it, so quit worrying about it, you're wonderful just as you are. You are entering a new phase of your life, you are not and don't need to be the well organised person you once were, you just don't know it yet. Best wishes. SueSuehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08818137365328935538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432615092204334311.post-2746970755890255372011-03-30T07:35:33.089-04:002011-03-30T07:35:33.089-04:00Many thanks to everyone who's shared their syt...Many thanks to everyone who's shared their sytstems, thoughts and feelings on organizers! Lots of cool stuff to think about!<br /><br />Sue, you're preachin' to the choir. Amen! The organizer I have now is the very basic type, just a place to write things down so I don't forget. I am an advocate for avoiding the rat race all-together. Our kids don't do twenty activities at once (in fact, at the moment, they have NO organized activities other than Jack's speech therapy, which isn't optional). <br /><br />Being who I am, however, it's very upsetting to me to forget an obligation. I simply don't have that many obligations and feel it's ridiculous that I occasionally drop the ball. My finishing Stephen Ministry training really motivated me to get organized (seriously, it didn't take long!) because I will definitely have important obligations when I have a care receiver.Susan Raihalahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03018860599601419989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432615092204334311.post-13471969477545723112011-03-30T07:18:17.816-04:002011-03-30T07:18:17.816-04:00your story is like mine and I struggle to stay org...your story is like mine and I struggle to stay organised - there are cracks in the system.<br /><br />I <b>print-out 2 months (current and next) and post on the fridge</b>. It pre-contains known things like birthdays, anniversaries and regular after-school activities like dance, swimming and Scouts. I've trained the family to add their stuff in like excursions, party invitations, etc. Low tech but it works and we've been doing these for years. I file these away as mementos and memory-joggers. We tried Google Calendar but it's blocked in my daughter's school laptop and she's the one with lots of events so we gave that up.<br /><br />This year, we've implemented a <b>Celebration Book</b>. It's just a small notebook where we all write in good things or things worth celebrating. Even things like cooking a delicious meal everyone liked makes it there. <br /><br />I'm an intermittent scrapbooker and my memory is not good enough to hold everything I want to remember. These 2 'systems' shares the load. I've given up (very early on) chronological scrapbooking. I scrap what inspires when inspired which unfortunately is not as often as I should to accomplish my scrapping goals.<br /><br />Finally, one system that really helped me get organised when I worked full time last year is to have a Dinner Menu Plan for the week. It helped with shopping and I didn't have to agonise on what to cook every night. Even better, the kids (I have 2) stopped pestering me as they could just read. <br /><br />Good luck on your new planner.<br /><br />cheers,<br />Malyn<br />thinkinkcreative (at) gmail.comThinkInk Creativehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10268200133582288177noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432615092204334311.post-1703423441158155232011-03-30T06:57:52.026-04:002011-03-30T06:57:52.026-04:00Being organised is overrated. The perfect organis...Being organised is overrated. The perfect organiser is a myth. The menopausal process is the perfect opportunity to slow down, reorganise your priorities and re-evaluate your life; you’ll never get a better chance. With a pared down schedule you may only need the simplest of organisers, to ensure you get to important appointments on time. No one ever died because they couldn’t change a library book. It’s frustrating when you start to forget things, but getting stressed out about it only makes things worse. You are not a machine, don’t let society fool you into thinking that you must do as much as you can, as quickly as you can. Take time to enjoy the process of life, you don’t have to justify yourself, stop worrying about being organised, be spontaneous, if you get a reputation for being a bit forgetful or a bit dippy, then people won’t expect so much from you and you’ll have more time to do things that really make you happy. It’s good to help others, but it must be in your time, on your terms to get the best out of you, otherwise it becomes a duty and doesn’t work for either party. No one on their death beds ever wishes that they worked harder or for longer. It’s not a matter of being selfish, it’s more a matter of quality, being discerning when doling out your time is far better than having to rush about and not give enough time to each person/project, and that includes yourself.Suehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08818137365328935538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432615092204334311.post-73747108220950087732011-03-29T12:30:45.784-04:002011-03-29T12:30:45.784-04:00I went to a meeting a few months ago and all the u...I went to a meeting a few months ago and all the under 30 group pulled out their phones to check their calenders when we started talking about what dates would work. The older folks, those over forty pulled out dayrunners. I do have to say those of us with old fashion dayrunners were able to see at a glance which dates we had open without having to flick through several screen. The down side was we old folks could not email our calendar with everyone else in the room.<br /> Yes, I still like using and carrying a paper dayrunner. I guess taking pen to paper really dates you but it still feel more natural to me.Lisahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07737346295677293753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432615092204334311.post-44867111000554398632011-03-29T09:37:45.161-04:002011-03-29T09:37:45.161-04:00A dear friend got me a leather compact Daytimer ab...A dear friend got me a leather compact Daytimer about 15+ years ago and I've faithfully bought the inserts every year since then. That organizer is with me everywhere I go - I am amazed at how different the entries are as my family has arrived and grown - used to be only work entries, meetings scheduled, flight arrangements, then it morphed to my SAHM things - doctor appointments, story time at the library, etc. Now there are school functions, work days (I'm back to work part-time) and other flotsam and jetsam of family life. Those planners have helped me to track the travels/travails of our journey better than any electronic device ever could!! That's the same part of me that would never trade an actual book over a Nook - I need to feel the heft of the pages and the experience that you can only get from actually holding a tome in your hands!! Don't get me wrong - I love technology - I'd have never been exposed to you and so many other talented women without it but it certainly isn't the solution to everything!Michellemhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02812499413831211360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432615092204334311.post-22418797017402102052011-03-28T21:25:23.054-04:002011-03-28T21:25:23.054-04:00Paper all the way for me. I have the Weekly Minde...Paper all the way for me. I have the Weekly Minder and everything I need to do goes on it. If I don't write it down I forget. There are some things that do not get done and they have to be moved to the following week. It has to fit in my purse - it has to go with me everywhere I go - never know when I have to write something down.June K.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432615092204334311.post-51584320311459322682011-03-28T21:00:40.861-04:002011-03-28T21:00:40.861-04:00Google Calendar - it's free. You can get email...Google Calendar - it's free. You can get email alerts a few minutes or a day before the scheduled "event". It works for me though I tend to check email often thruout the day.cheryl l.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432615092204334311.post-12532026206788553452011-03-28T19:08:52.113-04:002011-03-28T19:08:52.113-04:00I use a "DayMinder" much like your month...I use a "DayMinder" much like your monthly planner only mine has a week at a glance with a "column" for each day. I've gotten to the age that if I don't write something down, forget it. I've used these for many years. Started with them when I still worked and had lots of scheduling. Works for me so don't plan to give it up.Wandanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432615092204334311.post-36591886499292818842011-03-28T18:01:09.527-04:002011-03-28T18:01:09.527-04:00Vital to me is a diary - I feel utterly lost witho...Vital to me is a diary - I feel utterly lost without it. Usually 1 or 2 days to a page so that extra notes can be filled in. On our kitchen cupboard is a weekly planner page, near the phone, so I can see easily who has what on that week (but really so my husband can't say that he didn't know he was doing the morning run to school).Cassandrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01692056925159395126noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432615092204334311.post-12341704926573218922011-03-28T17:13:28.863-04:002011-03-28T17:13:28.863-04:00I use paper. I print each month on a single page ...I use paper. I print each month on a single page and keep them in a manila folder on my desk, sort of like a desk pad, only inside the folder so it is protected. I don't carry it with me all the time, only if I am going to a meeting. But I don't have kids, with all their attendant sports practices and doctor appointments, so my life is fairly simple compared to many people's. Every Sunday night, I get it fixed in my head what our schedule for the week is like. When each month ends, I take that page out of my desktop folder and put it in a file in my desk. I have been using this system since 1990 and have my stack of calendar pages since then. I like this system because there is no extraneous paper.Sharonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09105395433668629380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432615092204334311.post-78545159526111419442011-03-28T12:48:59.077-04:002011-03-28T12:48:59.077-04:00Organized and on schedule?!? Hahahahahahahahahahah...Organized and on schedule?!? Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!<br /><br />Thanks for the laugh, I needed it. :)Nicole P.https://www.blogger.com/profile/17274337562772658082noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432615092204334311.post-73224532001155064522011-03-28T10:51:42.649-04:002011-03-28T10:51:42.649-04:00I used to use that exact month-at-a-glance planner...I used to use that exact month-at-a-glance planner. But it was really hard to carry around with me and I have a very tiny purse (the better to keep other people's crap from being carried by me!!). Then I got a MacBook for Christmas and now use iCal. It syncs thru MobileMe with my iphone and now when I add something in one device it automatically gets put on the other one. AND (and!!!) I can set alarms to remind me to pick up my child from play practice or when it's time to get my oil changed. <br /><br />P.S. I'm totally convinced that the placenta is actually made up of maternal brain tissue so when it's delivered at the end POOF there goes half of your brain....the half containing the ability to remember things and do simple math!Katyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16962431576798591650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432615092204334311.post-30885938462913177432011-03-28T10:30:14.430-04:002011-03-28T10:30:14.430-04:00Well, believe it or not, I use the Palm. I can col...Well, believe it or not, I use the Palm. I can color code (red for boys schedule, green for work, pink for my personal stuff....yellow for oldest...blue for youngest....yadda, yadda yadda) and at a glance, at the month see what color is taking up the day. Then I can check each individual day to see if I can fit something else in the schedule. <br />But once DH started coaching and oldest added middle school varisity games, DH and I needed to be on the same page. We tried the google calendar (which would update to our smart phones when data was entered).<br /><br />Guess what? I HATE Google calendar! It is beyond my comprehension that there is not a way to color code events for the day. In order so see what my week looks like, I have to click on each and every individual day to see what is scheduled. HATE IT. Quit updating. <br /><br />I still imput into my palm. And have discovered that I now have to text DH multiple times in the day to see if our schedules are coordinating.<br /><br />Google....are you listening?!!Starlahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02075522354027547485noreply@blogger.com