Over the years, I've read many different books and articles and each and everyone highlights a key theme right at the very begining. Successful people are organized people.

First off, lets find out how organized you are. Do you spend any time planning out what you need to do for the day? For the week? For the month? Do you keep on top of projects and deadlines or do you burn the midnight oil getting things done? Do you extend this from work to home?

If you are the organized sort, what are your best practices that you live by and what tools you use to help keep you on top of the game? If your not, what do you feel are your biggest challenges or roadblocks you face when it comes to organizing your day to day activies?

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Final Fantasy

Well, to be honest - No I don't make detailed plans! Here's what I do to stay organized -

1. I write on a paper the things that I need to do, I have never been able to get used to PDAs or schedule managers.

2. I write next to them the date by which I want to accomplish those things and try to beat the deadline.

Having a detailed schedule has never worked for me, I have never been able to stick to them... However, that's just my style. I know a lot of people who work pretty efficiently by having detailed schedules!

That reminds a fact - Everyone has his or her own working style which they are comfortable with!

Over the last two months I've started writing nightly plans for the following day. Nothing formal or anything - just a line for each thing I need to do before a certain time. Here's what I have for tomorrow (well later today actually since it's 1am):

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To do before 6:30 pm:

1. Do revisions for CA// detailed in email.

2. Do product section sample and pop-up.

3. Notify Leo of revisions.

4. Grab brief from Steve.

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As you can see, nothing special and the goals are very specific. However, I find it very beneficial to have this list of things to do when I wake up. Before organizing my tasks I used to find it difficult to start on any of them. A list gives me some sort of structure to follow, and I normally manage to get everything planned done.

I also think that by writing up a plan before going to sleep gives the brain something to think about over-night.

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Egor Kouchnarev (Branding Consultant)

I'm big on digital solutions. I hate paper cluttering my desk or work area and I like the idea of being able to extrapolate information in any number of ways depending on what needs come up.

I am currently using Outlook to manage my work email, contacts and calendar, and I am begining to use tasks to keep track of some of my projects and info I feel I could later on. I have catagories set up by various milestones which I am using to catagorize what needs to be done and I am trying to find a way to associate incomming emails to those tasks so I dont have to spend half my day looking for and through emails.

As much as I try to keep things digital, I just haven't found a replacement for my notebook. A plain spiral notebook that I keep at my desk and take with me to meetings that I jot down random notes. I just haven't found an electronic solution that beats the simplicity of pen and paper and I'm not in the mood to try out some $1,000 tablet pc.

If your planning to stick to paper - check out the planners from ww.franklincovey.com. The are a bit pricey but nice. I would deffinitely be using one myself if I didnt want to keep an electronic copy of my calander and contacts.

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Final Fantasy

I don't do any planning at all, I haven't really got anything that important going on in my life at the moment to warrant any planning, however in the future that may change.

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Lurking Is For Wimps

So you have no long term goals or aspirations?

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Final Fantasy

I do have some rough goals but nothing set in stone.

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Come and visit my blog and site:
My Personal Blog
Lurking Is For Wimps

I'll second Franklin Covey systems. In addition to the planners, get yourself a copy of "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People." It truly has changed my life.

I'm still unorganized and bad about deadlines - but nothing like I was several years ago. I have a hard time adhering to the regimen of planning my schedule and being effective. When I do it, it makes a big difference.

I have both a Franklin Covey planning system (paper) and a computer/PDA solution. I use Act! contact management software to plan my activities, projects, track clients, potential clients, etc. I enter all my to-do's and they sync down to my Treo 600 that I carry with me everywhere.

I use the planner to take notes in meetings, jott down quick appointment details for further transfer into the computer, etc. I also use it to organize the paper that is inevitable - business cards, bills that come in, envelopes going to the mail, receipts to write in the ledger, etc. It's zippered so it holds loose papers well.

I try to get my planning done on Sunday night for the following week. Then I spend about an hour each morning (yeah, an hour) planning my day and checking & responding to correspondence (mostly email). From there I execute my plan as best fits my abilities.

I still haven't found a way to get past the interruptions though. Sometimes I plan my day so detailed as to allot a time for each to-do on my calendar. But then the phone rings and an emergency or two crops up, as well as a client or two that just wants to ask a question. All of a sudden my day is over and 90% of my to-do list is being moved to the next day.

Does anyone have a solution for this? LOL

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Brandon Eley
EleyTech - eBusiness Consulting Services
E-Commerce Resources | E-Commerce Web Hosting
Large Shoes for Men | My Blog and Personal Website

LOL, dont answer the phone!

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is a must have for just about anyone. On the same note, I like The Leadership Engine by Noel Tichy. It has a lot of good advice there and its actually an interesting read.

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Final Fantasy

I never answer the phone, I just let the machine pick it up, I got fed up of the silent calls from an autodialler. Anyway hopefully that will stop now that I'm signed up with TPS here.

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Come and visit my blog and site:
My Personal Blog
Lurking Is For Wimps