What tools do you use to keep you on track?

I hand write a to do list every day that reflect my top priorities. I put the hardest one at the top and do that first. OK, thanks, Ed.

I also hand write a to do list everyday.

However just yesterday I remembered that I had purchased a Mind Map and completely forgot about it so I am in the process of putting it together and finally start using it.

I also started using Rescue Time to figure out where I waste my time online so I can be aware of it and stop being so wasteful with my time. It will be real interesting when I receive my first report after this week. YIKES!!

A notebook listing what I need to do everyday.

Cannot wait to get a white board.

I use mindmapping plus I keep my trusty pen
and paper with me...I do better when I write
things down.

Good old pen and paper. I do use a planner so that I keep the paper together.

I will plan my weekly activities based on goals I want to achieve every Sunday before the week starts. Then a list of daily planned tasks for each day of the week.

Vision board for long term goals.

I love google calendars synced with my mail program as well.

I'm totally low tech. I use pen & paper & Google calendar (sends reminders to my cell). If it is a running list, I use Excel to keep the list & print it every Sunday.

I use a free project management system which helps me forget of what I must do. I don't have to remember it anymore. The system does it for me. It frees the mind.

I am using it with this my staff and family. I am completely hooked.

It is liberating not to have to remember what to do and not to have to try and figure out what to do next when you have finished a task.

It is life changing.

My only regret is that the system I use does not have Gantt graphics.

I'm an inveterate list maker.

To do list on a daily basis. Then prioritise (UK spelling) as:
a) Must do b) Should do c) Nice to do

John

Same as John, structured to do lists. I also have a time management spreadsheet and form mind maps of the more complex aspects of my life/tasks/anything that interests me.

I am very interested to see that so many people use pen and paper. For me, I always hated having to recopy all my still open to-dos when I ran out of room on the sheet of paper I was using.

I wonder. Are so many people using pen and paper because that is what they did for years before good technological tools existed (and if it ain't broke then don't fix it) or is it simply more effective for them?

P.S. IWebGirl, what is the free system you use?

Hello dbatshaw,

Yes it is free and really cool.
ProjectPier.org

You can create projects and organize sub projects as task lists
add files, messages and milestones.

When you've finished a task, you just click on the square box next to it and it
disappears from your to do list.
Great feeling!

You can send yourself/partners/freelancers memos through milestonses.
It is great for outsourcing and all you need is a decent web host.

Once you start using it, you'll wonder how you have done without it.
Give it a try.

Take care,

The IWebGirl

I have a word document that contains a chart of things to do each day. I attempt to market my website in many different ways and having a chart helps me to keep track of what I should be doing and when.

I love mind mapping, and then prioritising.
I also take a notebook with me everywhere so that I can quickly jot down my 'aha' moments. This is a good one for staying on task and avoiding tangents.

If you jot down some keywords, you don't have to stress about trying to remember that great idea and you know you can come back to it later, and then you can just continue on focusing your full attention on the present and the task you're on.

One little tool that I've recently purchased and absolutely fallen in love with is my mp3 recorder pen. I bought a pen from e-bay for $20. It's an mp3 recorder embedded into a pen. You unscrew it and it's a USB flash drive.

This one's been really good for my article writing. I find that some of my best material comes naturally when I'm talking to people face to face in conversations, so I record conversations when I'm discussing topics about my business or book.

When I get home, I plug it into the USB and use a program called "Dragon Speaking Naturally" to transcribe the audio.

It saves me hours of writing and the quality of my content is a lot higher because when I'm speaking to people, I can register what parts of the conversations resonated with them, and which content didn't work.

For Goal Setting:

Mind Mapping is kool i recommend it.

For keeping track of money:

I found Peach Tree to be cumbersome.

I use Quick books everyday to keep track of everything
i spend, give a disk to my bookkeeper with receipts every
month put receipt on pdf which goes to my accountant at
the end of year.

This helps keep my deductions easy to prove and the irs
off my back.

You can download free pdf to printer program that integrates
with any printer online. Cnet should have it, I suggest converting
to pdf all documents and save on external hard drive.

For Time Management:

I use Google Documents it's free right on your Google tool bar
and I can get on it where ever i am. make notes and change
information. Even use from pda.

With Google Docs:

I write no more than 10 to do things down any time
between the hours of 7 Pm and 10 pm every night.

it's important to establish constancy and habit.

I cross off what i have done at the end of day
if i have only completed 9 things i add 1 and
start with 10 things for next day.

i mark them 1 to 10, 1 being the most important
10 being what is 10th. They all are important
in their own way. So I don't think in terms of less.

i give myself a time line to complete and write it out
next each item.

Such as:
# 7 - make power point video on new breast implant
procedure by Friday July 17.

# 8- monetize video on traffic geyser by Saturday July 18.

Having completed goals is good for the psyche.

Every time you accomplish you condition your mind
that you are an achiever a finisher.

It is important to put realistic time table on
list of items. small achievements prepares us
for larger achievements and goals.

We achieve because we believe we can, we believe
we can because we have shown that we are doers.

Doing is a key element towards long lasting success.

So the idea is to train our minds towards a
sequential flow of success

The inverse is every time you place a time table
on a goal and you do not meet it you start
unconsciously accepting that you are a procrastinator
and that you may or may not get a goal done.

The completion of the smallest of goals is
very important.

Thanks for letting share

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

yves
the mentor on demand

Surprised nobody has mentioned RememberTheMilk.com ... I use it and love it for it's simplicity and clean nature. However for larger projects I am looking into using Zoho Projects, but now that I know about ProjectPier I will have to look into that to compare

Just plain old notebook & pen which i find very very effective

I use a journal to keep track of all my daily activities and monitor my progress. I also have a vision board in my room (which I made back in college for a Sociology class) wherein I placed pictures and quotes on what I hope to achieve in a few years. Each time I wake up in the morning, I look at this plan and pray that I achieve it.

with me it is good old to do list,i also write daily feed backs ,review those feedbacks during the feedback and based on them i decide next week's objectives.
Right now i have nearly achieved my most cherished objectives ,no TV watching during week days and no needless,unproductive net surfing during work.

It has made my work a far more enjoyable experience and i am far more productive now.

ms word and a to do list

google calendar

the best haha..

My method is very, very, very simple....

Prioritize tasks based on ROI.
A priorities are based on things with a high payoff
B priorities are important but the business won't fail if they can be done later
C priorities are nice to do but life does not depend upon them

Then, I prioritize based on a number scale:
A1, A2, A3
B1, B2,
C1, C2, etc.

It's worked for many years...... I get all the high payoff tasks done first. They are the money makers. The B priorities are usually like emails and non money making tasks. The C priorities are usually the fun things that I like to do but my business won't fail if they don't get done right away.

I keep the lists going until everyhing eventually gets done.

Working on only one thing at a time is great advice for many of us. It's taken me years to learn this is the key to avoid burnout! Thanks for the reminder!

My two favs at the moment are omnigraffle and journler.

I have all the tools... mind mapping software; outlook; ms project; etc... but I always end up with a pen and a sheet of paper for my to-do list.

Old habits, I suppose.

So this is more on a Checklist thing I think. I have an excel file for all the things that I want to achieve and the short-term are separated from the long-term. I use excel so as it will be easy to filter the tasks.