Comments on: Freelancer’s Survival Guide: Schedules And How To Keep Them

By: Sam Lee

Sam Lee — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 02:45:10 +0000

Thanks, Kris and DaveH! I think I’ll get a paper calendar and write everything down in it and chain it to myself, and back it up with online or phone calendars when I can.

By: Dave H

Dave H — Mon, 31 May 2010 00:10:39 +0000

Sam Lee: I used a Franklin (now Franklin Covey) Planner for a number of years. It came closer to getting me to do things on time than any other method since I moved out of my parents’ house. It helps a lot to follow their method for recording, prioritizing, and reviewing things you’ve written down. (My original starter set came with an audio training tape – very helpful.) It takes a while to build the habit of writing things down and then reviewing each day’s tasks, but it does work if you keep up with it. Day-timer is a popular brand of planner & calendar as well. I’ve never used it but my father did.

Whatever method you use – paper, software, or dry-erase markers on your refrigerator door, you need to develop the discipline to write things down and refer back to them. Once you do have that, the product you use doesn’t matter quite so much.

Something to consider for your situation: a software or online calendar and your phone. At the start of every day review your tasks and enter the day’s appointments as reminders into your phone. Keep a notebook or use the notepad function of your phone (even the voice memo feature if you have it) to make notes of new tasks and appointments through the day, then at the end of the day enter them into your software calendar. I use Google Calendar because it’s accessible anyplace you can get an internet connection. But even a paper master calendar will work; just make sure everything get written onto it.

By: Kris

Kris — Sat, 29 May 2010 23:58:37 +0000

I use my hardcopy calendar–a desktop version bound in leather, no less–for everything. Then I use iCal on my Mac. I’ve used it for years. It has a calendar function and a to-do function with reminders. I also use an office reminder system on my laptop, so I have alarms going off on all systems when something is due. And now I can add a reminder in my e-mail program, so I do that as well. Hope that helps.

By: Sam Lee

Sam Lee — Sat, 29 May 2010 21:43:03 +0000

Thanks for this post, Kris. It’s easy for me to get sucked into massive to-do lists instead of taking the time to set aside certain repeated tasks to do on a scheduled basis so they’re out of one’s working memory, so to speak, and letting habit work for me.

Do you have any specific programs or calendars you like in particular? The problem with computer-only ones are that I’m not always at my computer, and my phone calendar is so time-consuming to sync (no, I don’t have an iphone, lol) with my computer and analog calendars that I usually fall back on a hodgepodge of analog and phone reminders, so I’d love to find an easy to use, easy to update, easy to sync, available anytime/anywhere scheduler.

By: Kris

Kris — Fri, 28 May 2010 20:45:51 +0000

I’m glad it helps, Ryan. I think it’s pretty normal to reassess our work methods, trying to find what works now as opposed to what worked last week. Just so long as you keep doing the work. Somehow.