Use of a personal organizer: yes or no?

dhammacitta

Is it a good idea to meticulously plan out your days? I have a personal organizer and although it helps me not forget important stuff, I find it to be constrictive and a bit suffocating. I ache to see what a day without any planning or stuff to do would look like. Any comments?

Namada

From my experience its very good to write down important things in a personal organizer or todo list, then you feel more free because its written down and you can come back to it and see what you need to do. The brain is not made for holding on to all the information, and you will feel better and in control of the situation after you have written it down, where you can analyze it, and most important its out off your head and on the paper.

If you get a huge list of things to get done, you can categorize your things and make things smaller, like today i hope i can do this 3 things (and not watch the 50 and fall down from your chair, cause its overwhelming).

karasti

If you find it constricting, then perhaps you need to free yourself from that. For some people it is required-my son is one of them-but that is how he chooses to live and he loves it. He just needs a way to keep track of it.
Having kids, we have to plan out chunks of our days, it's just how it is. But we don't plan out everything by any means. Not planning everything means we are open to opportunities to present that we would be closed to otherwise. So maybe you can use that as a motivation to plan/organize less. Today we had nothing planned. My mom called so I met her in town to go to a craft show and then we went on a long walk. Now I'm sitting her watching a football game. Having down time is just as important as having things to do. But for me, the down time is vital and if I don't get it I become really irritated and moody. So I make sure I get it. Some people need less of it to recharge. What you truly need is ok either way. But when one way or the other feels like too much, it's time to make a change.

vinlyn

I think it depends on the person.

When I was working, I really needed it, juggling all sorts of meetings and responsibilities. When I retired I no longer needed anything more than a basic calendar.

I used to laugh at late-teen to 20-something guys in Bangkok on the Skytrain constantly fiddling with their Blackberries...and I could tell they had some basic department store sales clerk job that certainly didn't require the expense of a Blackberry. But we can get so wrapped up in technology.

Which reminds me of another story -- a 12 year old whom I assigned after-school detention and he had to "consult" his Blackberry. Jeesh!

Zero

dhammacitta said:

Is it a good idea to meticulously plan out your days?

Depends on the context.
For example, in my professional life, I have a constant barrage of tasks which demand a meticulous and organised response - people rely on me and I have willingly taken on the responsibility so in order to meet that I must be organised - there is no other option but to plan the day.
My personal time is limited so I am able to utilise it to its maximum potential if I am organised.
One of the side effects of technology is that the world moves at a much more rapid pace.
Much depends on lifestyle and responsibilities I guess.

ysmael

having my blackberry around helps me rmember things. specially in my case, when i do event coverages as a photographer and whenever i have other photoshoots to do.

Dandelion

I.m.o. diaries work best when there are certain days in your diary that are EMPTY! And turn your phone off on those days too! It's just as important to schedule empty days: sleep, do something spontaneous, do nothing, just don't be beholden to a list every day of the week.