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January 11, 2006
desk calendar
I generally use iCal on my Mac to keep track of stuff at lab. You have the calendar where you put the appointments, then there's a sidebar to-do list. You can give the to-dos due dates, and then check them off when done. This has worked pretty well, but I've never been totally satisfied with it. For one thing, my to-do lists are not 1D, but instead are a set of to-dos over several days that all together make an experiment or task. I haven't been able to find a program that'll do this, so I'm back to good old analog.
For design inspiration, Fred Flare was selling these neat 8 days a week desk calendars by Bob's Your Uncle. I like the design and the extra column for Someday. But, in addition to being sold out, it's still an appointment calendar. I'm happy with iCal for my appointments; it's the to-dos I need.
Sooo, I made my own. Here's v1. I printed out enough of them to last a month, when I figure I'll redesign it based on how I'm actually using it. It's on 11x17 paper, which only fits in the black+white printer, so I colored in the headings with my new set of Sharpie highlighters. If I decide after a month that I'm going to stick with it, I'll find a bigger color printer somewhere or go to a copy shop. The stack is taped at the bottom edge with some of my pretty paper lab tape. Then I can flip through to next week if I need to. This does have the disadvantage of requiring that I tape it down again every week after I remove the top sheet. v2 will definitely have a better desk-securing system.
Here's v1.1 for anybody who might want to print/modify one for themselves: [Word file].
Posted under Paper Crafts at January 11, 2006 12:01 AM
Comments
I'm glad to see its not just me who has that problem with iCal. Brilliant as it is I still feel I need to have the old paper and pen approach. I am just using an ordinary calendar at the minute. BUt good on you for taking the effort to do your own!
Posted by: Maxine at January 11, 2006 04:22 AM
That's a nice solution, thanks for sharing it! I keep multiple lists of to dos all over the desktop of my ibook using the stickies program and have found that works pretty well for me.
Posted by: Laural at January 11, 2006 08:42 AM
You might check out www.43folders.com for a hefty review of various Mac to-do-tracking software. You'll have to browse around to do it though. I believe the author likes OmniOutliner very much (can't speak for it myself, I use Linux/XP right now, and I keep track of project task lists in a big Excel doc). But I do use a landscape week-at-a-glance page just like yours, for keeping track of what actually got worked on and when. And I write on it with a pen. :)
You'll come across references to David Allen's Getting Things Done system, and with good reason -- it works really well for keeping track of all of the actions that make up a project, including ones that have to be done in different contexts. The idea, as you're already aware, is not to replace the calendar; it's to manage all of the tasks and sub-tasks that aren't tied to a specific time and date.
If you check these out, please let us know what you think, what you try, and what works for you. It's a very experimental community and we are always learning from each other. :)
Posted by: korinthe at January 11, 2006 09:16 AM
Oh i really like this! at the moment i write all my to dos in my note book, but then i have to keep re-writing the ones that aren't done. your system looks really good.
i think i'm going to have a have a play around and sort out something similar for myself.
thanks for the inspiration. :)
Posted by: oscarcat at January 11, 2006 10:47 AM
This is cool, thanks. I can write really small, so maybe I could fit it on legal paper, and use the color printer.
Posted by: rose at January 11, 2006 12:33 PM
Excellent idea! :)
Posted by: Marie at January 11, 2006 04:28 PM
I think it's great because it has lots of space for lots of to do's, plus you can see the whole week at once! Super!
Suggestion:
How about making it into a "note pad" with
padding compound?
Posted by: claudia at January 11, 2006 10:19 PM
Craft Tip: Use Rubber Cement along the top edge to secure the pages together. Then each week you just have to tear the top page off and all the others stay bonded together.
Hope that helps!
www.craftandbake.tv
Posted by: Craftandbake.TV at January 13, 2006 10:54 AM
SO STRANGE! Just last night, as I was falling asleep, I was envisioning a calander thingy, that I could just make super long lists with, a weekly thingy that I could use for the trillion and one tasks I think of each day....
then, I saw your blog this morning!
YAY! :)
Posted by: JennyAnn at January 13, 2006 11:11 AM
Where can you get that tape?
Posted by: Tracy at January 17, 2006 09:23 PM