https://padlet.com/explorersoftheunknown/najxdt689smn Made with a lightning strike of genius en-us 2018-11-07 03:31:47 UTC 2019-08-01 16:46:57 UTC hello@padlet.com explorersoftheunknown https://padlet.com/explorersoftheunknown/najxdt689smn/wish/301319666 One of my setbacks is how do I get myself organized. Currently I use a Moleskine notebook to keep track of my tasks. I find that if I write down my tasks- I just might be able to use the notebook to guide my organizational process. Throughout my life I have been known to forget things and not be able to keep track of my events. 
I have experimented with numerous methods such as voice recorders, PDA systems such as the Palm Devices and Apple I-pods. All these devices were great. They had all the bells and whistles and seriously are good devices. They work well and are great at keeping track of my events. You can set alarms, reminders, to do lists, can examine calendars and set up appointments. 

Even though the PDA's are great and can do so much. My problem with the PDA's was finding the events quickly and their lack of scope. When you use PDA's, you have to scroll through certain screens just to see the events you need to decipher. It is hard to get the big picture because the screens are small. To me it seemed slower at retrieving my events. Another problem with the PDA's -all of them need a power source to keep its batteries charged. Of course, if you keep your device long enough, you also have to contend with the fact that updates need to be kept up to maintain the device. My faith was put into a PDA company called Palm. Unfortunately the company went under and the device I enjoyed too went out the window. 

Apple then came by and my organization went to its I-Pod. The device too offered all the bells and whistles. It had a better internet interface so you could link your calendars to the internet such as Google and I-Calendar. However, it also had the limiting factors as the Palm PDA. Again you have to rely on a power source to keep it charged, and the small screen to see your events. The stylus went away that Palm offered for its devices and Apple offered a touch screen for its keyboard. Of course, the keyboard could not accommodate my fat fingers. This in turn offered a new obstacle rekeying my entered words because my fat fingers would hit the wrong keys.

Even though the PDA's were great tools to keep me organized, I needed a tool that did not require updates, power sources to keep it charged, and an ability to quickly retrieve events without the possibility of it being lost because you did not hit the save button. Can you imagine that as you try to organize your life, your device can be unreliable due to power loss, operator error such as forgetting to hit the save button or not paying attention to where you put your document?

So in comes David Allen. When I received my award for being selected a Golden Apple Teacher Fellow, the Golden Apple Fellowship set up a workshop-Getting Things Done by David Allen. I did not know that this workshop would provide me the tools to better organize myself. 

One of the big revelations the GTD workshop showed me was the idea of "Capturing your thoughts." The idea is to write down all your thoughts on paper. Clear your mind of all the things that are in your mind that requires attention. This includes things from the past, current events as well as future events. By doing this, you free up your mind so it can process new events with ease. This process is known as the "decluttering of your brain." The more your brain is declutterd, the more likely it can focus on important events to process.

Retrieval of information and back processing is far more easier to do than using a PDA devices. You can easily flip through your pages in your notebook. It is easier to book mark pages and archive your information.  Another great feature-all your information in your notebook can't be hacked. A down fall of the notebook is you have to safeguard your notebook with your life. For if you lose your notebook, you lose ALL of it.The notebook has no back-up plan that the PDA's have. The PDA's can interlink with the internet, your smart phone, and your computer.

I think it is necessary to have the notebook be the primary capturing device with electronic devices serving as a supplimental tool. By having both tools working in tandem, it provides a larger blanket of protection. Do not use both tools equally- otherwise you are being overly redundant and reducing your productivity. Keep the notebook for 85% of your organization of life and use the electronic devices 15% of the time. Your electronic device can be used for such things as reminder tools i.e.the alarms to keep you on track, being able to spot check your calendar events and communicate with the higher beings i.e. your office, principal or your wife to follow-up on your organizational process. Yuor smart device can also hep in capturing documents by scanning them or being saved to the hard drive for retrieval later.

Finally, whatever system you rely on-decide on a day to revisit your system. it is important to set some time during the week to revisit, reflect, and regroup your organizational plan. That is the most important part to personal organization. Otherwise you are just data inputing and focusing on just generating to do lists. Data outputing or processing your organizational system and following-up on what needs to be done is what truly makes you organized.


]]> 2018-11-07 03:38:33 UTC https://padlet.com/explorersoftheunknown/najxdt689smn/wish/301319666 explorersoftheunknown https://padlet.com/explorersoftheunknown/najxdt689smn/wish/372966121 2019-08-01 16:41:08 UTC https://padlet.com/explorersoftheunknown/najxdt689smn/wish/372966121