Planning to Plan
I attended a company-sponsored all-day Franklin-Covey seminar today. The discussions about prioritizing and time management were useful, but it was pitiously quaint how F-C wants to marginalize the PDA user. Of course, they have to make money selling you planners, refills, planner accessories, and more training on how to use them. I still use a paper planner occasionally when I have to scratch something down in a hurry, but my Palm is quickly becoming the hub of my scheduled existence, especially since I have a new peecee on my desk that allows full Outlook/Palm synchy-goodness. I can’t see the next generation using paper planners at all, especially as the need to synch and interact with others’ schedules becomes easier and more important. The only real nod to technology was an Outlook “add-on” that mimics some of the features in the paper planner. The software, unlike the planner, wasn’t free, and it does’t work with a Mac.
The best thing I learned at the seminar: Turn your email notification noise OFF. I’m always getting sidetracked when I’m in the middle of a project and I hear Outlook barking about a new message. Checking your email at certain points during the day makes total sense. Then you’ll get those stupid phone calls asking, “Did you read the email I sent you?” Turn the ringer off, too, I guess.
Tags: General