Time Management in My Pocket

It was about 20 years ago that I bought my first planner. Up until then, I'd been satisfied with whatever calendar was provided by my employer or given to me by my bank or the local card shop. I was thrilled to have a full page where I could write my appointments and daily tasks and I used it faithfully.

I've always been a fan of technology, so about 10 years ago, I decided to buy a pocket sized electronic organizer. I liked the fact that it was lighter and more compact than a paper planner, and it was fun to use, at first. I used it for a while, but I quickly lost interest when I discovered that the only way to make a simple change in meeting time was to delete the information and then retype it in the new time slot.

I went back to paper, eventually adopting the Day-Timer system. I loved its flexibility, allowing me to set up whatever sections I needed, and only those sections that I needed. I used it mainly for scheduling and to-do lists. I had all my contacts in my email address book, most of whom I'd have no need to contact while away from my office, so I only kept a few frequently used numbers with me.

Lately, my life has become much, much busier, and I no longer felt that the paper system was meeting my needs. After speaking with a few people, I decided to purchase the HP iPAQ H1940 Pocket PC. I chose the Pocket PC over the Palm Pilot because of the familiar Windows interface and because the letter recognition software seemed much more forgiving than that of the Palm system.

After bringing it home and charging the battery, I installed the software on my desktop PC, then connected the Pocket PC to my desktop's USB port and began the synchronization process. I was amazed at how quickly and easily all my scheduled appointments, tasks, and contact information were exported from Outlook to my Pocket PC. It also offers the ability to synchronize your Inbox, but this is not a feature I need right now.

The very first time I went out with my Pocket PC, I needed to check someone's contact information and was very pleased to have it at my fingertips!

The Pocket PC is proving itself to be a very valuable time management tool for me. Not only can I enter all my tasks, I can sort them by status, priority, subject, start date, or due date. It allows me to quickly zoom in on what I need to be focusing on at any given moment. I can also set it to display only tasks in a certain category when this is appropriate. I realize that I had the ability to do these things with Outlook, but since I am frequently away from my office, I didn't find Outlook to be a very useful tool for time management purposes.

I set up each project as a separate task, then use the Notes section to keep track of time spent on the project, information I've requested, and so on. With just a tap of the stylus, I can look at my calendar for the day, week, month or year, and it's just as easy to navigate to other dates.

The Pocket PC comes with both Word and Excel, so if there are certain files I need to keep with me, instead of copying them to a diskette or CD and hoping I can access a computer if necessary, I can copy the files right to my Pocket PC. I'm using Pocket Excel to keep track of my vehicle mileage. This way instead of entering the information from my Day-Timer to a spreadsheet on my computer, I can simply copy the information over as needed.

Also included is the iPAQ Image Viewer and Windows Media Player 9, making it just as convenient to carry graphic or sound files - what a great way to show clients pictures of work samples! The volume control and the sound quality were much better than I expected them to be!

It's even possible to connect to the Internet through a wireless network or by using Bluetooth Technology. The Pocket PC even comes with an Internet Explorer Browser and MSN Messenger!

I've only begun to discover the benefits of my new Pocket PC, but I'm already hooked.

Article Source: http://www.coacheslyceum.net

Janet Barclay, Organized Assistant, offers a variety of professional quality services to support entrepreneurs and other individuals who are overwhelmed by the demands and technology of the 21st century. For further information or to request a subscription to her monthly ezine, The Organized Assistant Resource, please visit her website at www.organizedassistant.com.

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