| What? | | | | personally find it easier to keep up with my daily |
| Buying an electronic gadget, such as a personal digital | | | | appointments with a simple, paper-based calendar and |
| assistant (PDA), and thinking you are going to be more | | | | a pencil. |
| organized and productive the next day is like buying a | | | | Once again, the process of getting organized begins |
| piano and thinking you are going to be able to play the | | | | with converting good decisions into good habits. It has |
| piano the next day. When a disorganized person buys | | | | been my observation that many people who struggle |
| a PDA, the most likely outcome is frustration. Their | | | | with staying organized ignore this "obvious" issue. They |
| days are already packed with enough things to do, and | | | | continue looking for the "silver bullet" in the form of a |
| now they have another complex device to learn how | | | | physical tool or gadget that will solve their problems, |
| to use and maintain. | | | | and ignore the fact that they must eventually change |
| Here's a general rule...if you are not organized before | | | | their thinking patterns and habits if they want to have |
| you get a PDA or any other physical tool to help you | | | | any hope of getting organized. |
| get organized, you will not suddenly become organized | | | | Now What? |
| after you get the tool. | | | | Identify the organizing habits you must develop before |
| So What? | | | | you select the other tools you will use to keep your life |
| The true test of the value of an electronic gadget or | | | | on track. If you have already spent a lot of money on |
| piece of software is...is it easier to use than a pencil? | | | | various gadgets that failed to keep their promises, put |
| PDAs are great for storing massive amounts of data | | | | them aside until you develop good organizing habits. |
| when you are on the move. If I am out of town and I | | | | Maybe they will work for you later, maybe they won't. |
| need my daughter's Social Security number, a friend's | | | | Keep an open mind for now. |
| phone number or the address of a friend in the city I | | | | Never assume the most recent invention is the best |
| am visiting, my PDA is very handy. However, the core | | | | invention (or solution). |
| of every good organizing system is a calendar. I | | | | |