It's About Time

My clients are equally split between the number that use electronic calendars and those that use paper calendars. The electronic device allows you to have instant access to your schedule 5 years out or five years back without the weight of 5 books. They also allow you to flip things around with the touch of a role ball, touch screen or mouse. No need for those messy erasers and rewriting the re/re/rescheduled appointment in question.

For many people, no matter how easy the electronic device may seem, managing time does not work for them on a small device, small screen and fiddly tool. A month at a glance is easier on an 8 in X 11 in paper than a 1.5 in screen. Those with kinetic learning preferences may find the act of writing in appointments helps to secure the appointments existence into their mind - more so than typing an appointment once then hitting the recurrence function for the balance of the year's appointments.

I seem to be one of these people and I am in the process of trying out a paper calendar again. I'll keep you posted on how it goes. Meanwhile - what has been your experience?

Love that Car

Its winter - cold, wet and sometimes just plain grey. You, like many of us, may have limited your trips to the drive-thru car wash and vacuum station while the snow flies and Canadian wind howls. I know I have. You may also find yourself increasingly frustrated or discouraged with the debris in the car that doesn't get cleaned out when those freshen up stops at the service station get curtailed. Try these quick tips to help stay in control of the clutter until the next sunny, warm day.
1. Grab a garbage bag - check through the car and load up that bag. Most of the clutter in cars is associated with garbage that just didn't make it to the bin.
2. Give the kids their own garbage bag for their part of the car. Next time you fill up with gas, get them to toss it in the bin.
3. Put a box in the back for wandering gear - this can be as fancy as a "car gear box" available at many retailers or as simple as a cardboard box. Toss all the bits and pieces that have to stay with the car in there - cables, hitches, wrenches (for the hitches), ski box accessories and the like.
4. Clear the glove box - take out all the old napkins and receipts. The first goes in the garbage, the second to your tax file. Try replacing the napkins with hand wipes from the drug store - they come in a resealable package and are great for dealing with coffee spills and ketchup!
5. Wipe the dust off the dashboard with a dry napkin.
6. Check your windshield fluid.
That should hold you until the sun shines.