How Do You Organize?

I am curious to hear some of your tips on keeping yourself organized.

I currently use an Excel spreadsheet that I put the projects in, but it is not very efficient. I have searched for softwares that will help me manage my ongoing projects, but the only one I found that looked user friendly had a outrageously high price tag attached to it.

I want to pick your business mind; will you share some tips with me?

 

papers and notes all over the desk. it has been proven the most productive people are not the most "organized". it is all about working naturally with the way your own brain works, so do whatever feels right to you and that way you aren't fighting something and wasting time on unimportant tasks.

 

Actually there are many type of project management tools that offered in expensive or cheaper price.
Last time i switch from expensive to the cheaper tools.
You can try this
http://www.instant-team.com/

 

I too would welcome tool suggestions. I have lists for daily, weekly etc... but am know there is room for improvement ;-)

 

To keep my time managed and organized I use iCal. For everything else, I'm very unorganized. I do occasionally make lists of things to do, but other than that, I just do whatever I feel needs to be done at the moment.

 

Lots of papers and a organized wife

 

Haha nice! I also rely on friends to keep me organized. Friends from class to remind me of test dates and what's on the test, friends in clubs to remind me of upcoming meetings, etc. etc.

 

You need to utilize all the tools you have. I use:

- MS Outlook Calendar, E-mail, Task List
- MS Excel for spreadsheets
- Synchronized Blackberry with my MS Outlook Task List and Calendar

Those tools help me run the several businesses and projects I oversee.

Good luck!

 

That's what friends are for

Looking at your avatar guess you use MS Outlook Calendar to appoint some beatings too

 

Aren't you a webmaster?
Use your own skills to build a useful tool.
It's what I have done so far and since more than a year I'm using it and I could not find anything better as I can improve the tool every time I need and also make some changes.

Just make it simple at the beginning.
And eventually you will be able to link projects, money, stats and so on...

Just my tip

 

I have a few methods of staying organized and getting things done efficiently.

Two whiteboards. One has a list of upcoming projects, usually with a day of the week attached, the other is used to plan and sketch out in detail whatever project I'm working on today.

Dual monitors and a laptop on the desk. One monitor to write code, one to watch email, IM, Twitter and RSS feeds via Google Reader. The laptop is normally SSH'd into my server to monitor anything I happen to be running.

Keeping communication on a separate monitor allows me to casually keep an eye on it and think about what I need to respond to without breaking my workflow.

When I'm out, I use my iPhone's notepad to jot down ideas I think of. Any PDA will have a notepad feature.

Because I'm in charge of what I work on, I have to create accountability to keep me from procrastination. I make sure somebody else knows about any important stuff I'm working on for a particular day so I have someone to answer to on my progress.

 

I use a moleskine notebook. Organized by a template i found somewhere online.

check out 43folders.com and search for moleskine on their page.

 

I don't, which makes me forget a million steps in things I gotta do.

Actually I have a great memory so I often can stay on track. I don't use excel or anything like that. However I got a freeware tool that is amazing for me. You may want to try it.

I don't remember where to get it but its called "mindful"
It allows you to log stuff and it will remind you about it to whatever date you want.

I works perfect for my wifes' Birthday, in particular.

 

Thanks for the all the tips!!!

I used to do the papers all over the desk, but then I would end up losing them, lol.

 

I'd love to see that proof.

I'm pretty good at keeping myself organised in my work for clients. For things for myself -- administration and financial recording included -- I'm afraid I fall quite short. That's why I pay someone else to do it for me.

 

I use online-based project collaboration software. It keeps me sane

For financial recording, I have someone to do it for me, but I also have an online-based accounting software so I can send invoices and see changes in the records anytime.

 

Have you tried BasecampHQ?
http://basecamphq.com/

 

In short, I don't, lol
I've started carrying a memo pad around with me everywhere and an argos/bookies pen so that if I think of anything I want to remember later I can just write it down instead of forgeting. Probably doesn't answer your question but it's a way I keep myself organised as other than that the only thing is on my local machine's WAMP installation I use a folder for each project (most of my projects are able to be put into a site).

It's better my stuff be in a mess because I know where it is, if it's cleaned up then I have to look for it and make another mess doing so. One of our lawyers has stacks of paper piled everywhere in his office, he can always remember exactly where something he needs is, once he moved one stack and found a mug he forgot about since he got it (wasn't something he ever needed so he never found it 'til then)

Personally I like just a bit of organisation but not too much, like pile of dirty clothes on the left and clean on the right. Just whatever your natural with should work best

 

I have a "things to do" folder on my desktop.

And I add new entries in the form of txt files everyday, then remove the ones I've already complete.
I also have one root folder on my desktop titled "web development" and then a ton of sub folders.

Works well.

 

Whenever I have something to do ( and this only applies to my online work ), I usually write down the tasks I have to complete in an agenda. I found this to be on easy way of keeping yourself organized. I also have a couple of sticky notes placed on my computers' monitor, as a daily reminder of the things that need to be done in the online world.