Cardfile Discussion from PWYC

Lynchpin of any organizing effort. Discuss your weekly plan.
Indiana

Re: Cardfile Discussion from PWYC

Postby Indiana » Thu Jul 10, 2008 10:18 pm

helia wrote:

Thanks for more input on the card system everybody! I was going to start listing names but then realized I'd need to list everybody! LOL! I think I might give the card system a try. Not sure if this is a good or bad week to do that with all I have going on. . .The groupings on cards sounds interesting; this system sounds more flexible than I originally thought. Do you still get the same satisfaction with cards as you can when crossing something off a list? I guess you just move the cards to the next day/week/etc. spot.

SO, here's another way I feel confident with a weekly list in a notebook and I'm not sure how it would transfer to a card system. I guess it's related to the extras in a week. When i have a lot going on, I tend to worry about forgetting a task that might be small but important. With my list, I just run over and put it down on the weekly page when I remember. I look at my weekly list every day to make my daily lists. . .What do you do when you remember something important that needs to be done this week? Do you quickly make a new card and then file it under a certain day? Also, I write down info. in my notebook, like if someone gives me new contact info or directions to somewhere, i write it in my notebook. If the contact is a permanent one, I transfer it to address book/email addresses later. What do you do with the card system?

Random thoughts: Also, it sounded like kathryn laid out her cards each day so she could see them all at once, at least the daily ones. Cards might be easier to carry around with me than the large notebook I sometimes do. LOL! Sometimes, I'll list errands on a post it, though. . .

Indiana

Re: Cardfile Discussion from PWYC

Postby Indiana » Thu Jul 10, 2008 10:19 pm

Twins' Mom wrote:

Helia, was also going to say that I use my laptop, Outlook, and SplashShopper, an application for my Palm which has a desktop component. The Palm goes with me everywhere so I have my calendar and lists and I sync it with Outlook both at home and at work, and add tasks on the fly either on the work desktop, home laptop or the Palm (less frequently). For tasks that are multi-item routines, i.e. A.m. Routine, I have that list set up in SplashShopper to check off, either on the Palm or home laptop. The Splashshopper list functions as a grocery list also, when I use it correctly.

Indiana

Re: Cardfile Discussion from PWYC

Postby Indiana » Thu Jul 10, 2008 10:21 pm

Kathryn wrote:

Helia I did lay out the cards (hence I needed a counter for them!) and it was very satisfactory to flip a card into the done pile and file each evening. More and more counter space meant more and more accomplished.

I never thought of writing up the cards so they contained about 30 minutes of work the way Mystery did. I think that is a brilliant addition to the card system.

I also did the original SHE so it was one task per card. And since I set this up when dd was 6 months old, I had each task broken into its base components. Therefore wash hair was one card, style hair was another. Because there was no guarantee there'd be enough time to do both each day and I wanted at least 1/2 credit (and a chance to flip a card) if I got one of the two done!

Indiana

Re: Cardfile Discussion from PWYC

Postby Indiana » Thu Jul 10, 2008 10:22 pm

LurkyLou wrote:

It's been interesting reading how each person keeps themselves on track. I missed the original discussion this weekend cause we were out in the 93* heat working on putting in a fence. I have a half-size notebook and a normal size. The half-size keeps the weekly and zone work schedules along with master grocery list, etc. More of a quick reference while the normal size one is more complete with phone numbers and all the things CEO recommends to have in a household notebook. I just didn't like having the bulk for the household book out when all I needed was a reminder of what I should be doing.

Indiana

Re: Cardfile Discussion from PWYC

Postby Indiana » Thu Jul 10, 2008 10:23 pm

lucylee wrote:

Lots of thoughts re: cards… I’ve enjoyed sooo much reading everybody’s posts. I’m going to put my system, such as it is, in a separate post. Thanks for bringing this up, helia. I want to re-read the Happiness File, too! I found it on Amazon and bought it a few years ago.

Indiana

Re: Cardfile Discussion from PWYC

Postby Indiana » Thu Jul 10, 2008 10:24 pm

lucylee wrote:

Helia –- and anyone else vaguely interested, LOL --
my thoughts on cards/list – b/c I am VERY much like you – want to see it ALL on one page! And I do enjoy crossing off things on the list. My solution – although it is not perfect – is this:

I have the card box, but mostly use it for things that are NOT on daily routine or zones.
For example, this week I have cards on different days that tell me to
-- water plants
-- get allergy shot (and)
-- run virus scan, etc. on computer.
If I were being extra-conscientious, I’d put one in for 4th of July party @ dfriend’s.
I especially like the cards that remind me to make (& keep) appointments for yearly checkup & dental cleaning, haircuts, when to color my hair, etc.

Next, I have a 4x6 photo album, courtesy of Harriet’s idea. I got really carried away and printed out my daily routines on the computer on yellow pastel printed cardstock
– morning/afternoon/bedtime,
-- basic weekly plan, (yellow) and
-- zones, (blue) – adapted from Indiana’s plan that gets us through the year w/11 “zones.”
This book is really pretty. Eventually, I intend to put my exercise routines in there on pink. * Unfortunately, :oops: pretty doesn’t necessarily mean this stuff gets done any more than it did when the list wasn’t pretty!
I am using a pencil to note when I actually DO something in the zones & how long it takes, and I am TRYING to pencil in the time my daily & weekly routine things take. I tend to forget to use the timer, or I get side-tracked and the time isn’t right. * sigh *

Finally, I still make a list. Today’s list has stuff like:
-- call dmom
– give her name of book author she asked about/invite her & ddad to dfriend’s 4th of July party/ask her how did ddad answer question @ reunion re: “What would you do differently if you could live your life over?”/Tell her not to send my funny email essay to friend till I send better copy.
-- put Christmas card list in computer
-- put master list for Christmas shopping in computer
-- scrapbooks
-- photo albums
-- scan dgrandparents’ photos
-- remember zone for this week
* doubling up on computer room & den/try out steam cleaner on carpets in these rooms.
There’s more stuff there, too. It is obviously a TODAY list and a MASTER list of stuff I don’t want to forget to do before the summer is over. And, as you can see, there is some overlap w/the notebook & the 4x6 album, as well as w/both & the card file.

I also use two calendars. There is a big one in the kitchen and the one I carry in my purse. I put everything for all of us on both of them, as well as birthdays for family & friends I send cards to. (I also have a monthly card w/birthdays.)
There’s too much duplication in my system, I guess, and it has one MAJOR flaw:
I don’t LOOK at any of it enough and when I do, I usually don’t actually DO what it says. :oops:
However, it does work pretty well for me when my energy is up and I’m motivated, and dh/ds don’t get in my way, and I can’t think of something more fun that I’d rather be doing. Too much of the time, I just piddle my time away (especially during the summer) by playing Tetris on ds’s Gameboy or just staring at the computer.

Sorry this is so long… too much information, I know. Y’all are probably used to my wordiness by now.

My 4x6 album is kinda like your smaller notebook, Lou. I’m like you, I can’t deal w/the large household notebook for everyday stuff.

Indiana

Re: Cardfile Discussion from PWYC

Postby Indiana » Thu Jul 10, 2008 10:25 pm

timid wrote:

Wanted to say I am so enjoying the card talk. I really am since I do not totally understand how to set it up. Ok I can see it but somehow needed more directions. It was like one of those booklets in 22 lanquages with diagrams....lost me in the beginning.

Indiana

Re: Cardfile Discussion from PWYC

Postby Indiana » Thu Jul 10, 2008 10:59 pm

LurkyLou wrote:

Timid: you might want to get CEO's book: Houseworks. It spells everything out very clearly. Or just go to the website--she gives the sampler pages for printing free.
I forgot to mention that I also do what Lucylee does: I make a list of things that are happening for that day on a sticky note. I take it with me in the car and I love crossing things off! :wink: And I forgot that I put appointment both on my calendar and on my Palm. I got in the habit of doing that when dkids were younger and had to know what day/time for wrestling, baseball, FCCLA parent stuff, PTA stuff, when dh will be gone (and where), not to mention my flexible work schedule....with ds away and dd not working right now, the calendar isn't as full as in earlier years, but some months have only one or two days with nothing written on it!

Indiana

Re: Cardfile Discussion from PWYC

Postby Indiana » Thu Jul 10, 2008 11:00 pm

Dove wrote:

Helia - re: 3x5's & planner -- I use 3x5's for routine housework & detail cleaning jobs. I use P & P's planner for everything else, & love the way their pages are set up. They each are broken into 3 sections :To Call, To Do, & To Go. I love that & have never seen anything similar made by other companies. So phone calls, appointments, non-routine errands & projects around the house are easy to schedule, even far in advance. (I keep 3 months worth of pages in it at a time.) I don't carry it around with me, it always stays home. Dh & I also use a calendar in the kitchen to keep track of appointments; mine are in blue, his in black. It's the one area where I double up because sometimes I fall off the system & don't use the planner consistently. When I do use it, life runs very smoothly & I don't have to worry if I'm remembering everything that I need to get done.

Indiana

Re: Cardfile Discussion from PWYC

Postby Indiana » Thu Jul 10, 2008 11:01 pm

lucylee wrote:

The planner I carry in my purse is about 4x6 as well, 6-ring looseleaf binder. It is too thick and makes my purse too heavy, but I don't have an electronic organizer, and don't really trust them, anyway. I am just old-fashioned, I guess, and I like pens and paper. This organizer has yearly calendar (2 page per month style) addresses & phone numbers, and a section for misc. items -- books I want to read, movies I want to rent, gift ideas, etc.
I LOVE the idea of planner pages set up w/To Call, To Do, To Go -- and sometimes, try to organize my own lists that way.


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