Time. It’s tough to manage and we all want more of it. Today’s guest blogger shares how he uses tech and paper to grab hold of every hour, minute, and second.
Hello, my name is Doug Ramsay. I’d like to share with you a few of the methods I use to keep myself organized while trying to obtain (if you will) as much as I can of this thing elusive thing we know of as “time.”
I’m a pretty busy guy. Being a husband, father of two kids, a musician in and outside church, studio owner, recording engineer, artist, and working a full-time job as a software systems engineer doesn’t seem to ever leave much of the 24 hours we ALL are allotted each day. Currently, I am working on four different CD projects, a remix project, and two other recording projects that are just getting started. That said, the only way I can successful function is to schedule my day…EVERY day.
What I find best helps me is to utilize a simple daily to-do list, which I maintain by using a combination of software and paper. I’m the tactile type, meaning I prefer to write my to-do list on paper first. I carry around a mid-size, leather, seven-hole planner that I basically keep lined note paper in, and I jot down all that I strive to accomplish daily. I usually categorize my list by financial activities, music projects, general errands, appointments, and phone calls.
As far as software goes, what works great for me is the combination of my Blackberry, the Blackberry app Google Sync, and my Google Calendar online. I can enter tasks and appointments directly onto my calendar via my computer or onto my Blackberry’s calendar if I’m on the go. By using Google Sync on my Blackberry, I can keep both calendars in sync, making it easy to keep track of all the appointments and task deadlines I seem to constantly have.
The Google Calendar/Blackberry Google Sync combination is great because an alarmed reminder can be set to alert my Blackberry (which is essentially another appendage of mine ). I can also sync my iCal calendar on my Mac with Google calendar and have access to my appointments and tasks on my Mac. Since I keep a number of different calendars for various music projects, this works very well.
After my daily list is done, I determine how long each would generally take, then decide which part of the day would be best to execute them.
In summary, I’d say my top 3 tips for staying organized are:
1) Daily to-do list
2) Smartphone calendar/online calendar syncing utilizing alert reminders
3) Always allotting time to execute the tasks
Pareto’s Principle basically says focus on the 20 percent that matters. Of the things you do during your day, only 20 percent really matter. Those 20 percent produce 80 percent of your results. Identify and focus on those things. If something in the schedule has to slip, if something isn’t going to get done, make sure it’s not part of that 20 percent. If I can accomplish this, I’m a happy camper! Thanks for YOUR time!
About the Author
Doug Ramsay – Husband and father of two kids with a full-time job as software systems engineer, musician, studio owner, producer, recording engineer, and artist. Doug hosts a weekly podcast entitled “The Sunday Soundtrack.” The podcast is geared towards giving an alternative listening experience to the standard Sunday afternoon commercial smooth jazz formatted programs.
Connect with Doug: Web | MySpace | Twitter | 301.458.0499
Manage your tasks with Google (googleblog.blogspot.com)
DayChaser Is a Refreshingly No-Frills Calendar [Downloads] (lifehacker.com)
In the madness of everyday life in our house, I tend to overlook household organizing. A few spots in particular seem to collect old mail, receipts, pamphlets—just about anything. In a moment of clarity, I recently reclaimed an area in my kitchen— ironically the central hub for household management (cooking, planning, scheduling, bill paying, etc.)—that had become one such clutter “hot spot”. The mound of clutter was growing by the day as it became a catch-all for any miscellaneous items. Pulling cookbooks became a game of Jenga – one false move and the entire pile came crashing down.
I cleared away some piles, created a separate space for some books, sorted and created a binder for recipes I had torn from magazines and newspapers, tossed unnecessary papers, and I now have an uncluttered space of my own. It really took less time and energy than I thought, and with a simple cork board I now can make a grocery list, find a gift card, and remember an invitation. Hopefully, this will inspire me to organize the rest of my house.
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Get Inspired
- Printable Household Planner Keeps Your Home Running Smoothly [Printables] (lifehacker.com)
- Five Housekeeping New Years Resolutions to Make (blisstree.com)
There are a couple items that my clients are usually reluctant to donate. These include worn underwear (totally understand) and towels/sheets. Fortunately, I have a solution for at least one of these issues (my clients typically pitch the underoos anyway). If you’re ready to let go of towels, sheets, and blankets, there are lots of animal shelters that will take them to use in animal cages. Visit the ASPCA website to make a donation or visit Pets911.com for a local shelter near you.
“Compulsive Hoarding is a mental disorder marked by an obsessive need to acquire and keep things, even if the items are worthless, hazardous, or unsanitary. More than 3 million people are compulsive hoarders. These are two of their stories.”
Every Monday night at 10 pm ET Hoarders on A&E begins with those three sentences. Now in their second season, the program continues to show the very intimate details of the lives of the people they profile.
It’s still sometimes difficult to for me to watch, yet I find it very intriguing. It’s a compelling program that sheds some light on the struggles of being a hoarder. What I love about it, besides seeing some of my organizing colleagues on camera, is the fact that they provide therapists to help the hoarders through the decluttering process. The therapists appear to be very understanding, kind, and respectful…no matter how unsanitary the situation may be.
Last Monday’s episode focused a bedbug infestation that forced a family with young children to sleep in a tent in their backyard…with temperatures in the 30′s…for 6 weeks. The condition of the home made it next to impossible to get it exterminated. As the temperatures dropped, they only had a few days to clear out their home so that it could be treated. The other hoarder profiled collected 50,000 cans of beer – and that was only one of his collections. He also amassed large quantities of matches, mini liquor bottles, bobble heads, vases, etc. His home was so cluttered that he had to hold on to whatever he could find so that he wouldn’t fall down.
Horrible? Disgusting? Weird? Nasty? While you might think that it’s all those things, it’s important to note that hoarding is a disorder, not a choice. The things that you and I think of as trash usually are not the viewed in the same way by a hoarder.
Here’s what “Dr. Dickey,” the beer can collector, had to say about himself:
My house is messy. I don’t think it’s filthy, but it certainly is messy. I like to consider myself a collector, not a hoarder – but so does every other hoarder.
Even with that realization, it was extremely difficult for him to let of go of his things because they were reminders of his journey through life and all the pit stops he made along the way. It seemed that getting rid of them, in his mind, would be like erasing his history.
So, are you wondering when collecting becomes hoarding? Check out this recent OTR article by chronic disorganization expert, Ariane Benefit -Top 10 Signs that You are “Hoarding,” Not Just “Collecting.” In it, she makes clear distinctions between the two.
If you watch Hoarders, I’d love to hear what you think about it. The next episode airs tonight, and yes, I’ll be watching.
**Note: Hoarding is a disorder, not a choice. If you struggle with hoarding or know someone who does, visit the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization (NSGCD) to get more information. Here are some additional resources: Children of Hoarders and Hartford Hospital Anxiety Disorders Center.
Get More Information
- Super Savers: Helping ‘Hoarders’ (online.wsj.com)
- Shopaholics Are Not Hoarders in Disguise (dallisonlee.com)
- Inside ‘Hoarders’ (timesunion.com)
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When the holiday festivities are over, you may find that your that home or office needs a little TLC. Take the advice of these pro organizers to reclaim your space. Originally published in September 2009, we hope you find their #1 tips to be helpful as the year comes to a close or motivating as a new year begins. Happy and safe holidays to you.
ProfOrganizer Get it out of your head and onto paper (or the computer) so you can think ABOUT something (contextually) rather than just OF it.
OrganizeAtlanta If you don’t need it, use it, or love it, why are you keeping it? Probably ok to let go.
CHorganize Sort incoming paper (home or office) into action or reference, at the least!
clutterdiet Use a dab of Museum Putty under drawer dividers to keep them from sliding around in drawers
PutItAway My top organizing tip is keep a calendar and write commitments down. Less likely to miss deadlines, commitments, social occasions, etc.
metrozing My favorite tip is the “pump and dump the trash on your dash and junk in your trunk” each time you fill up at the gas station.
afreshspace Planning is key: After making your to-do list the night before, plan route of travel, place things in car, prep AM routine.
orgconnect Incorporate labels anywhere and everywhere. They reinforce where things belong and encourage others (& yourself) to maintain the system.
johntrosko Make daily habit list of 3-5 things; make your bed, wash yesterday’s dishes, clear clutter, etc. Get the basics out of the way.
bkajino Break it down: If you’re overwhelmed with organizing your office, start with one thing: what is bothering you most. Start with your desktop, one drawer, a briefcase or one notebook. Once that is done, move onto the next small project. Do one or two a week and your office will be a different place in no time! [Brandie was super smart - she sent me her tip via e-mail instead using the 140 character limit on Twitter!]
Holiday Storage Solutions
Today’s guest post comes courtesy of Michael Tash, a customer relations VP by day and a musician by night. He shares a few tools he uses to stay organized.
My typical day usually starts about 6:45am. Not the usual start time for a musician. In addition to playing the blues on a guitar, I am also the Vice President of Customer Relations for a technology company that sells and services computer equipment in restaurants nationwide and a contributing writer to a couple of business magazines and websites. On any given day I am marketing computer systems to local restaurant owners, calling on C-Level execs at the countries largest chain restaurants, booking gigs for the band, working with major musical instrument manufacturers on our endorsements, updating Twitter pages, updating Facebook pages, making travel arrangements, and whatever else comes across my desk.
Starting early helps but there are a few tools that I use to keep on track and stay focused. Everyone has a to-do list and I’m no different. It’s how I use it that may be a bit different. I use 3 things everyday – Outlook, Act and my daily goal sheet. I use Outlook for email, scheduling business meetings, calls and all of the band data. I’ll schedule chunks of time to make calls, write articles, complete RFPs, or whatever it is I need to do when I don’t want to be interrupted. Act is for the my work with the technology company. It’s great for keeping detailed history of every interaction with prospects and customers. My daily goal sheet is the one tool that keeps my organized and makes sure the important things get done.
Everything that I’d like to get done is on my to-do list. The daily goal sheet has the 3 or 4 things that if I get done would be the difference between a good day and an extremely productive day. The difference between the 2 lists looks something like this:
• To-do: Call John about scheduling a meeting to discuss how a point of sale system will make his restaurant more efficient.
• To-do: Create email marketing template for existing customers.
• Daily goal: Make 3 gig calls and book 1 of them.
• Daily goal: Arrange to write an article for a new publication.
As you can see, the to-do items are simply tasks where the daily goals are a bit more. I use these to keep focused on what is important and what will get me to the next level. Now, time to go play a gig.
Michael Tash is Vice President of Customer Relations at ESS. With over 20 years of restaurant experience, ESS 
helps you use your technology to be more efficient and more profitable. When not talking restaurant technology, Michael plays the blues in the award winning blues band, Bad Influence. Michael can be reached at Michael.tash [at] esspos [dot] com or jr [at] badinfluenceband [dot] com. You can also find him on Twitter: @esspos or @badisblues.
Do you know “busy?” Let me introduce you to him. When you check the dictionary, you’ll see Earl Mann’s name, rank, and serial number next to the word, “busy.”
Here are just a few of the titles he owns:
- Husband
- Father
- Serial Entrepreneur
- Speaker
- Consultant
- Leadership & “Possibilities” Coach
- (Soon-to-Be) Author
He says that though it might sound like a long list (actually, there’s more I could have added to it), he uses a specific technique that helps him to stay on top of it all. Check out our interview below to hear what he does to manage his time and feel free to share what works well for you.
Videographer: Connie Banford
*Are you in the public eye and lead a very busy life? We’d love to hear how you stay on top of things or if you struggle a bit. Leave a comment or click on the “Contact Us” tab (top menu) to tell us all about it.
Related Information
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- Image via CrunchBase
I’ve signed up for so many RSS feeds with my Google Reader that it’s impossible to read everything. Here’s the clutter I’ve accumulated over the last 12 months…
Topic # Subscriptions # Unread Articles
Food 7 134
Geeky 5 986
News 6 1000+
Science 6 509
Small Biz 7 220
Tech 6 1000+
Thinkers 8 565
Pro Organizers + Related 5 30
Blogging 2 62
There is NO WAY UNDER THE SUN that I’ll read them all. I really had good intentions – seriously, I thought I would read them all (when, exactly, I’m not sure). I also thought I was doing a good thing by getting rid of my e-mail subscriptions so my inbox wouldn’t be cluttered (let’s not talk about my inbox). Instead, I created a new inbox manage.
Ay ya yai. Another thing I have to add to my “To Do” list…but maybe not because I get my news in an entirely different way now – Twitter. I don’t even have to go looking for news. Twitter is news. Silly news. Politics. Entertainment. Science. Business. Food…well, hmmm…not so much…digressing (sorry)…
So, really my decision is whether or not to get rid of Google Reader. I’m not using it, so off it goes, right? …but it was nice to see all the sites I had (and still have) an interest in. Strangely, I’m feeling a bit sentimental here. What do you think, chuck it or keep it? WWYD?
- RSS Reader Market in Disarray, Continues to Decline (readwriteweb.com)
- Google Reader and Shared Items (jeffkamp.blogspot.com)
- RSS Readers Are Fine, But They Are Niche Products (regulargeek.com)
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“The laundry room is a busy place — the typical U.S. household washes nearly 400 loads of laundry per year — so it’s important to have a clean and organized space.” [Tips for Designing and Organizing a Laundry Room · THE ASSOCIATED PRESS via the New York Times · December 14, 2009]
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