< Continued from page 2
In addition to a strategy like Getting Things Done recommends, dads often want to find ways to use technology to become more effective at work and at home. Tools for personal productivity can range from cheap to expensive and from easy to intensive. Some of the major tools fathers tend to use include:
Blackberry. They are simply everywhere. In my world, it seems that everyone has and uses a Blackberry.
In some ways, they are the ultimate in convenience. Cell phone, email, MP3 player and Internet access right in your pocket or on your hip 24/7. I recognize that Blackberries are in some sense the ultimate productivity tool because of the convenience. On the flip side, I know lots of people who can no longer distinguish between work and personal and family time because of their Blackberries. So, if you want one, make sure that you are able to take it off and put it away when you shouldn't be connected.
Palm Treo or Centro. While the Blackberry seems to have taken over the personal digital assistant market, some of us more old fashioned guys still like Palm products. The original PDA supplier, Palm still has some great digital planning products. The Treo in various forms has been around for several years, and combines the Palm Planning tools with a smartphone. And the newest Palm, the Centro, is built for Web 2.0 social networking on the go. The availability of Palm software for every man's unique interests makes a Palm device a good option for busy dads.
Basecamp. Basecamp is an online project manager with amazing capabilities. If you have a job that requires managing projects or if you are a consultant, freelance designer or self-employed in almost any sector, Basecamp will take your project management to a new level. You can view project progress by client, date or project, you can share files with co-workers or clients, track deadlines, create newsletters, and have online discussions. As a dad, I just create projects for things around the house, events with the kids, a family trip plan and more, along with my work projects, and I seem to be able to keep all the commitments in balance.
I have a more detailed list of some of the most popular productivity tools, including these. You might want to check out other alternatives.
Family life seems to be getting more and more complex all the time. Too many places to be, chores to be done, and demands on our time and attention. Fortunately, there are many great tools available on the Web to help manage our family time and resources. From the most simple to the most robust, every family will find something here that will help them stay better organized and focused.
Google Calendar. Google Calendar has a very simple interface and easy-to-use tools. It offers month, week, day views, as well as the ability to share it with others and to give different levels of permissions for different people. A nice added feature is the ability to create several individual calendars (like one for each of the kids) and them merge them into one by importing public calendars or private calendars whose owners give you permission. Different colors can define different calendars, so if you give each family member's calendar a special color, you can tell at a glance who needs to be where. It also has a nice interface for cell phones and PDA's. Google Calendar is free and a part of your overall Google account.
Family Time Planner. The Family Time Planner is a very flexible and colorful tool for your family calendar. Once you have a subscription, you can have unlimited user ID's for family members and friends. And you can limit different user ID's to only some parts of the calendar. You can interconnect Family Time Planner calendars with other families as needed. Family Time Planner also syncs with Microsoft Outlook. It is a fee-based system ($16 for the first year and $12 per year thereafter) but there are no advertisements, which for many is a good trade-off.
Cozi Central. Talk about full-featured! Cozi offers both a web-based and downloadable calendar system. The calendar includes a different colored tab for each family member and has a very simple and straightforward interface for entering information. Cozi also has a built-in family messaging system and shopping and to-do lists that family members can add to or change. You can also host your family journal or blog on Cozi Central. It syncs with Microsoft Outlook and also has a cell phone interface for accessing it from your Blackberry or Treo. Cozi Central is free to subscribers.
To learn more about these and other online calendar options, check out my comprehensive list of these productivity tools.
Things to do differently this week:
In addition to a strategy like Getting Things Done recommends, dads often want to find ways to use technology to become more effective at work and at home. Tools for personal productivity can range from cheap to expensive and from easy to intensive. Some of the major tools fathers tend to use include:
Blackberry. They are simply everywhere. In my world, it seems that everyone has and uses a Blackberry.
In some ways, they are the ultimate in convenience. Cell phone, email, MP3 player and Internet access right in your pocket or on your hip 24/7. I recognize that Blackberries are in some sense the ultimate productivity tool because of the convenience. On the flip side, I know lots of people who can no longer distinguish between work and personal and family time because of their Blackberries. So, if you want one, make sure that you are able to take it off and put it away when you shouldn't be connected.
Palm Treo or Centro. While the Blackberry seems to have taken over the personal digital assistant market, some of us more old fashioned guys still like Palm products. The original PDA supplier, Palm still has some great digital planning products. The Treo in various forms has been around for several years, and combines the Palm Planning tools with a smartphone. And the newest Palm, the Centro, is built for Web 2.0 social networking on the go. The availability of Palm software for every man's unique interests makes a Palm device a good option for busy dads.
Basecamp. Basecamp is an online project manager with amazing capabilities. If you have a job that requires managing projects or if you are a consultant, freelance designer or self-employed in almost any sector, Basecamp will take your project management to a new level. You can view project progress by client, date or project, you can share files with co-workers or clients, track deadlines, create newsletters, and have online discussions. As a dad, I just create projects for things around the house, events with the kids, a family trip plan and more, along with my work projects, and I seem to be able to keep all the commitments in balance.
I have a more detailed list of some of the most popular productivity tools, including these. You might want to check out other alternatives.
Online Calendars for Families
Family life seems to be getting more and more complex all the time. Too many places to be, chores to be done, and demands on our time and attention. Fortunately, there are many great tools available on the Web to help manage our family time and resources. From the most simple to the most robust, every family will find something here that will help them stay better organized and focused.
Google Calendar. Google Calendar has a very simple interface and easy-to-use tools. It offers month, week, day views, as well as the ability to share it with others and to give different levels of permissions for different people. A nice added feature is the ability to create several individual calendars (like one for each of the kids) and them merge them into one by importing public calendars or private calendars whose owners give you permission. Different colors can define different calendars, so if you give each family member's calendar a special color, you can tell at a glance who needs to be where. It also has a nice interface for cell phones and PDA's. Google Calendar is free and a part of your overall Google account.
Family Time Planner. The Family Time Planner is a very flexible and colorful tool for your family calendar. Once you have a subscription, you can have unlimited user ID's for family members and friends. And you can limit different user ID's to only some parts of the calendar. You can interconnect Family Time Planner calendars with other families as needed. Family Time Planner also syncs with Microsoft Outlook. It is a fee-based system ($16 for the first year and $12 per year thereafter) but there are no advertisements, which for many is a good trade-off.
Cozi Central. Talk about full-featured! Cozi offers both a web-based and downloadable calendar system. The calendar includes a different colored tab for each family member and has a very simple and straightforward interface for entering information. Cozi also has a built-in family messaging system and shopping and to-do lists that family members can add to or change. You can also host your family journal or blog on Cozi Central. It syncs with Microsoft Outlook and also has a cell phone interface for accessing it from your Blackberry or Treo. Cozi Central is free to subscribers.
To learn more about these and other online calendar options, check out my comprehensive list of these productivity tools.
Things to do differently this week:
- Think about your biggest rocks and what little rocks are getting in the way. What has to come out of your jar to make the big rocks fit?
- Research Getting Things Done online and then find a way to apply part of all of the GTD system in your life
- Check out productivity tools, or think of ways to better use your existing tool
- Explore with your family the idea of finding more coordinated ways to schedule time for family activities