LifeTracker?

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Started 1 year ago by theslobblog
Latest reply from trillie
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theslobblog
Member

Has anyone here used the LifeTracker Module System by DayRunner? (http://www.ataglance.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/category3_10053_10004_63702_-1_Y_63701_10053_Y)

I was perusing the planner section the other day, and it looks perfect for me, but I'm very susceptible to impulse-buys and poorly-thought-out purchases. I was wondering if any of you have used this product and if you have any thoughts on it?

Here's the long story:

I can't get into a good system for organizing all of my to-dos, reminders, schedules, and lists.

Last year, I read a Julie Morgenstern book and got on a big organizing kick. I was using a two-page-per-day DayRunner planner and it was working really well for me. The planner was basically my life.

Then I stopped using it. Some reasons: 1) It was too big to carry around all the time, 2) I hated re-writing regular tasks, 3) I had some depression issues, 4) I started using GCal and Google Tasks.

Then I got BACK into an organization kick and decided to de-clutter the planner and its refill pages since I wasn't using it anymore. I can't rebuy the planner because I basically wasted that money (I think I spent somewhere around $100 on the planner, pages, shipping, etc.) and I'll hate myself if I spend it again.
Also, the planner is still WAY TOO BIG and I CAN'T carry that around. If I can't carry it around 100% of the time, it's not worth buying, because what I want is precisely something that I can have with me at all times.

GCal and Google Tasks are cool, but I still need to be able to WRITE THINGS DOWN. I do have a smart phone, but I'm having problems both with the software and hardware, and it makes it hard for me to edit things on-the-go. I hate not being able to have my lists in front of me when I'm not at my computer. Also...sometimes I just like the act of physically writing things down. Sometimes it's easier than toggling on a screen.

Anyway, I saw the LifeTracker in the store the other day and it looked like it would be a good compromise. I could use that for my lists and everyday to-dos; GCal for my daily schedule, LifeTracker calendar to remind myself of any important events.

Any thoughts on this?

Posted 1 year ago #
trillie
Member

Hi theslobblog,

I don't know LifeTracker, so no pearls of wisdom there. But I remember a few threads in this forum on managing personal information, to do lists and calendars, if you don't know them yet they are worth a read:
* What personal information manager do you use?
* Clutter of the mind; how to get organised?
* Paper planners!

The bottom line with perfect planners is: They have to fit in your life (if it's too big to carry around, it's not for you) and they have to make sense to you. It also helps when they're pretty and you like to use them. Also, sadly, you have to use them regularly for them to work ;o)

Posted 1 year ago #
JuliaJayne
Member

My mom is a master at keeping a paper calendar. I'm constantly inspired by how faithfully she enters appointments and engagements on her calendar. Her calendar is always out, and she refers to it several times a day. When she goes somewhere, she takes it with her. She prefers a monthly calendar because she like to see the whole month.

Wanting a place to put my mental clutter, I spent a long time in Target one day looking over the planners. I settled on the $7 version of the 365 Franklin Covey Weekly Planner. I prefer weekly planners because there is more space for random notes and to do lists. It fits in my purse, it's thin, lightweight, and has a durable cover. It fills my needs and I don't feel burdened with too many features that I would never use. Simple is important to me, and I don't use my planner as my household binder, too. I keep that separate.

I don't duplicate anything electronically because I can write something in my planner in seconds.

I'm glad you brought that up because the planner goes from July to July so I need to get one soon.

Posted 1 year ago #
theslobblog
Member

Thanks, Trillie! I had looked at those threads; I probably should have just asked this in one of those. Sorry for the thread clutter!

JuliaJayne, wow! Just out of curiosity, how big is your mom's calendar?

The Franklin Covey looks really cool...too big for me now as I'm a student and I'm usually carrying around a trillion books...but something I'll keep in mind if graduation ever comes. ;)

What's a household binder? (It sounds like it contains things I don't have to worry about yet but will in the near future.)

Posted 1 year ago #
JuliaJayne
Member

My mom's calendar is as thin as can be and opens to 8 1/2 x 11 or little bigger.

A household binder keeps those things that did not fit easily into my filing system:
All phone numbers and addresses of family, friends and businesses that we occasionally might call. I'm trying to eliminate the phone book, but I'm still in the process of training the husband.
Emergency numbers - it's suppose to anyway, but I need to finish this
Restaurant menus - Love having a place for these
Household projects and related info - such as master to do list, business cards, etc.
Christmas details, I was super organized one year, and had menus, recipes, supply list, gift ideas, directions to the tree farm in the binder. Very Martha. I haven't been that organized since.
A list of books I want to buy, read or read again. I recently added CDs and DVDs to this list as well.
and other bits of information moves in and out of the binder as life changes
I also keep the my version of the fly lady zones, so once or twice a year if I get an urge to super clean, I go through each zone. I was keeping this info on my computer, but the computer has a way of sucking up my best intentions.

Posted 1 year ago #
Claycat
Member

Wow, JuliaJayne, great idea about restaurant menus. I've got them up on my refrigerator with magnets. It works okay. When I figure out a place to keep my binder (I do have one.), I will definitely put the restaurant menus in there! The list of books, DVDs, and CDs is good, too!

Posted 1 year ago #
JuliaJayne
Member

Everything is in page protectors as well, I already had them, so all the menus are in one page protector. Simple.

Posted 1 year ago #
theslobblog
Member

JuliaJayne:
Wow! That sounds super-organized! ALL of that fits in one binder? I'm impressed! :)

Claycat:
I don't know whether this is wasteful, but I actually have an entire binder just for my take-out menus. My family orders out a lot and we used to keep all of the menus in one folder. It was so messy and hard to find things--plus, we kept getting duplicates/collecting menus from places where we don't regularly order since we couldn't see what was in the depths of that folder.

I finally put each menu into its own page protector, organized them by "type of food," alphabetized, etc. Maybe it's clutter itself, but it's one thing my family has NOT been able to deorgnize/reclutter since I did it about a year ago, so it's a win for us.

Posted 1 year ago #
JuliaJayne
Member

The binder isn't full at all. I keep my menus in one pocket because we only have less than ten.

Posted 1 year ago #
irishbell
Member

I have used just one main paper calendar over the years for our family. (I keep a duplicate in the bedroom in case I need to add an event or refer to it) It's your basic, white lined At a Glance type. Simple and easy to read. I'm a stay at home Mom with 5 kids. I use a different color ink/colored pencil on my calendar for each kid over the years. At one point all 5 kids were in different schools, it was a huge organizational help for me. You could also use it for yourself-different colors for work versus personal events. Next to the calendar is a horizontal file folder holder. You can hang this on a wall or put it on a counter. Each kid has their own folder-same color as their ink, various other folders for miscellaneous, and one larger binder with several pockets for household/doctor/insurance/car-etc. things. A valet type organizer sits in front of this that holds pens/pencils, notepads, current bills, invitations, etc. I also have one small magnet strip that holds things I need to see and keep out until they are taken care of. I'd think you could add another layer to it for work related things. This is all I've ever needed to organize the kids and the house, it takes up less than 2 square feet of space. I keep a small monthly calendar in my purse to refer while I'm out. I don't know if I could (or would want to) adapt to a new planner, this has worked so well for me. Old dog, new trick, you know...

Posted 1 year ago #
trillie
Member

@theslobblog: "Sorry for the thread clutter!" No, no, no :o) I'm sorry I made you think this way. I think every question is worth asking and making a new thread for, so that's really very alright! :o) I just often think this forum is so great and the answers and advice given on many forum threads are so fantastic that people need to read them all (and I wouldn't want to paraphrase or copy and paste), hence the links :o)

@JuliaJayne and @irishbell, you both sound very organized, and I'm green with envy ;o) When I grow up, I'll be able to do that, too (I'm working on it!) :o) JuliaJayne, did you set up your "master binder" because of FlyLady's control journal idea? I love that concept, to have everything in one place, it clears up so much anxiety.

Posted 1 year ago #
JuliaJayne
Member

Trillie, my master binder was inspired by FlyLady's control journal, but mine is not as complicated. If you decide to make a binder, start off simply. There are a lot of binders out there filled to the gills and are so heavy that they go unused. :)

Posted 1 year ago #
trillie
Member

@JuliaJayne, I did finally declutter and organize all my important paper stuff last week -- I now have two binders. One is strictly apartment-related (energy, gas, landline and rent contract and information), the other one contains EVERYTHING else and it's sorted so that the stuff I most frequently access is in the front (such as online banking info), and the "archive" part is the back (such as birth certificate). I would still like to create an emergency list (doctor phone numbers, allergies), a paper address book backup, list of online accounts and so on so that this binder will eventually be The Big Brain Backup ;o) If one binder is too small for that, I'll split it into "archive" and "access frequently", like Erin suggested in Unclutter Your Life in One Week. (Motivation for all this? I've spent too much time looking through paper piles, my heart sinking, for one important thing that I'd end up finding -- often too late -- in the kitchen or another absurd place.)

Posted 1 year ago #
JuliaJayne
Member

Trillie, you sound very organized. I'd love to keep all essential papers in binders, but I still lean towards keeping too many things. I'm better than I used to be, thought.

Posted 1 year ago #
irishbell
Member

trillie,about not finding an important paper until it's too late, I think we can all sympathize with that. I'm also sure I'm not the only one who's had to go to the garage and dig thru the trash can to find that one important paper/receipt/bill that got mixed in with the trash... (more than once)

Posted 1 year ago #
trillie
Member

@JuliaJayne, well, it is now organized, but it'll be even greater if I can keep this up ;o)

@irishbell: *deep heartfelt sigh* Yup, yup.

@theslobblog: Back to business ;o) Any solution possibilities in sight yet? I just re-read your original post and thought, maybe a smartphone app that synchronizes with GCal and Google Tasks, if you love to use those, would be a practical thing to consider. Are there any out there?

Posted 1 year ago #
paulawylma
Member

Cheap person alert! :-) Don't buy a paper planner until after you have checked out http://www.diyplanner.com/ at this site you can print out your own planner in a variety of sizes. Instructions and a help forum on on the site. They have templates for just about everything and the basic kit comes with sheets for both GTD and Franklin Covey systems.

Posted 1 year ago #
trillie
Member

What a great resource, paulawylma!

Posted 1 year ago #

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