Virtual Assistant Forum: Day Planners - Virtual Assistant Forum

I love the thought of having a planner. I hate the thought of actually using one.

All of my personnel issues aside, what do you find to be the most effective for you and your business?

Is anybody using the Franklin Covey Plans Plus for Outlook?

I was using Outlook but found that I work better having something written out next to me. As a matter of fact, we had a little discussion about this at FoVA this year.

I purchased a calendar book from my local store. It has each day on a page (i.e., Monday on the left, Tuesday on the right, etc). I don't use the times for anything...just the lines.

I write down everything that I need to do for Monday. Then next to the task, I write down if it's something I do on a daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly basis. When I'm done with the task, I cross it off and look to see when the next time it's due. If it's weekly, I then enter it when it's supposed to be done the next time. If there are certain projects that I'm just waiting to hear back from the client, I keep adding it daily until I hear back and the project is finished.

So:

Monday, 7/6
Task #1 (daily)
Task #2 (M-W-F)
Task #3 (biwkly)

Tuesday, 7/7
Task #1 (daily)

Wednesday, 7/8
Task #2 (M-W-F)

Monday, 7/20
Task #3 (biwkly)

You get the idea. I just like to have everything in front of me. This works for me, but may not for you. I'm sure others will share what they do to stay organized, but hope this helps.

I'm the one Patty had the discussion with about this. I was experiencing problems with my Outlook (I know Candy!) and have since had to abandon it (heavy sigh).

Patty's advice helped me tremendously. I guess I am the person that needs to SEE it in writing right next to me. It's way too easy to click "snooze" on that reminder pane - just like an alarm clock . And if you experience a problem with Outlook, like I did, you can easily lose everything - believe me - it's not pretty.

Just my

I used to use Yahoo Calendar, but recently switched to Google Calendar. They both have their good and bad points. I'm definitely an electronic user. For tasks I use Backpackit.com. It works for me Ultimately, whatever you use, as long as you use it and it works well for you, it's all good.

I like the way this is organized - I'm always looking at Post-It notes for the things due in the future. I think I'm going to try it your way and see how it goes. If it works, my office will be less colorful, but more organized!! LOL

LindaQ

I'd have to say I use multiple items for this. At my "out of the house" job, I use Outlook. It keeps me updated through the day as to what my priorities are. In my VA business, I use an excel workbook with tabs for "today", "this week" and "ongoing" with due dates listed as needed. I also just added a "as time allows" sheet. I use an external back up for my files regularly so I don't lose anything and just pull it up as soon as I sit at my computer. The third thing I use is my cell phone. Every appointment, social or networking event gets entered there with the appropriate reminder alarm set and I check it daily to see what's coming up as well.

Hope this helps. Different minds work different ways so you just need to find the one, or ones, that are suited to the way you think and work. Good luck.

I have been trying a suggestion from FOVA by Tracey D... a notebook. I seem to be a visual person as well and my to dos, I need written in front of me so at one quick glance I can see what I need.

As a suggestion from accountability partner I added a section at the bottom to add in the new stuff I get 'assigned' today. So I don't miss that either. As they get finished I cross them off and they are numbered for importance. And start a new one each day.

Now... I also use outlook for appts and reminder items dated in the future...seminars, client calls etc. It's just my to-do stuff I need to see it ALL.

I think the best method is the type that suits your personality, but also one that works so you don't miss anything! It will probably be different for everyone!

After more than one Outlook crash, I've become the queen of redundancy. Here's my "planner" system ...

Everything -- appointments and tasks -- goes into Outlook. I have a LOT of recurring tasks and Outlook just handles those the best of everything I've found.

My tasks are synced from Outlook to ToodleDo. ToodleDo is a web-based task management system that syncs to my iPhone. So all my tasks are (a) redundant in ToodleDo in case Outlook crashes again, and ( available on my iPhone for when I'm out and about.

My appointments are also synced to my iPhone so that I have my complete calendar available out and about.

Can you tell I've been a little scarred from the whole Outlook-crashing episodes?!?

I'm visual and tactical for these types of things. A spiral bound calendar and a 2'x3' wall-mounted mark-n-wipe board meet my needs. The mark-n-wipe board works well for mindmapping, too.

Finding it rather interesting that a lot of us use the 'visual' method.

Those of you who have suffered the "Outlook Crash", do you back up your .pst file(s)?

I have been using a Palm Pilot for many years but lately I am finding that I don't want to carry it around... so it sits in my drawer... I write on paper when I am out... enter it into the computer... then sync my Palm to the computer for a backup. I know a lot of people that are going back to the Franklin Covey Day Planner. There is something to be said about regular ole paper and pencil. There is a book that you might enjoy reading... http://todoodlist.com/

Kim

I'm a ludite... Not due to panicky IT problems but simply because I enjoy the physical act of ticking something off my list!

Google Calendar/Smartsheet is used to remind me of tasks but I have my To Do Schedule Day Planner...

Basically this is a page per day schedule broken up into 1/2 hour slots between 9am-6pm - in my own one there are weekly/daily tasks already allotted a block of time so I can see what is possible in terms of whether I need to outsource more or move a block of work or change to a realistic deadline.

I usually colour code the entries (e.g. typing work is pink, finance stuff is blue) and total up how long I have spent on each at the end of the day and at the end of the week. Boy, was that an eye opener!!!

For some bizarre reason the attachment says it doesn't want to attach - feel free to email me if you would like a copy!

C.

I've actually been revising how I record appointments and tasks in my business. I've used Basecamp, ClientSpot and a few others but I've gone back to paper and pen.

So my current system is:
All appointments go into Outlook/Entourage (I'm a Mac User with a Mac/Windoze network) and I send invites to my husband if it is family related or if I need to make sure he is at home when I have a networking event. This then syncs automatically to my crackberry.

Tasks are written on a sheet I have designed with due date and the team member is has been allocated to. I then put this task list into my binder (bright pink of course ) with a tab divider for each client. I also enter the due date for the task into my Outlook and my planner. I mainly use my planner to record the daily tasks I need to do for each client. In my planner I have a month to a page so I can do my big picture planning here too. I then tick off the task and move the task list sheet, when completed, to the relevant client binder so when a client asks 'when or has that task been done?' I have a paper trail to check with.

I'd like to be electronic so I really need to dive in and play with Outlook or something else a bit more. Only requirement is that it all syncs up with my crackberry if it's to be truely electronic.

After having worked so many years in a law firm I was used to having one of those calendars that goes from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. in 15 minute increments, but I didn't buy one for 2009, so I've made up my own and just print the sheets about 6 weeks at a time and keep them in a 3-ring binder. That way I can write all over them and have a good record of my time. I also add notebook paper behind each of the calendar sheets so I can take quick notes if I'm on the phone.

For my clients they have a 1" 3-ring binder with a legal pad in the front pocket so when I'm talking to one of the on the phone, I just grab the binder and take notes and everything's right there. When I use up all the sheets in the legal pad - it goes into a Banker's Box where I have hanging file folders with their names on them for filing papers and stuff.

Outlook crashed on me taking my appointments, my backed up files and most of my contacts so I started using Google Calendar which I sync with Plaxo. It works GREAT! I give my clients permission to view my calendar so they can see when I'm busy or tied up.

Clients get set up in either Client Spot or OfficeZilla and we have about an hour training on them so they know how to use it, what to do, etc. I still have a diehard that emails me everything, so I just take his emails, transfer them to OfficeZilla and bill him for the time. He doesn't care.

It seems we all find our different ways of working and utilizing what works best for us.