Are you a time management junkie? - time management techniques on the World Wide Web

Information Outlook, Jan, 1999 by Denise Watkins

"Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is? Does Anybody Really Care About Time?"(*) For myself and for many others, I suspect the answer to that question posed by the group Chicago is a resounding YES! Some of us - you know who you are - could be considered Time Management Aficionados (sounds better than Time Management Junkies, doesn't it) or the "ultra organized." How do you know if you're a time management junkie? If you were being interrogated and someone asked where were you on the first of July, five years ago and you can check your files and tell them exactly where you were - you're a Time Management Junkie.

For many others, the start of a new year provides an opportunity to change or improve our habits. With this in mind, I'm going to introduce you to some of my favorite web resources for time management tools. (This is not intended to endorse any particular product or service.)

I use a combination of paper and electronic resources and am not a loyalist to any particular company. I use whatever type of page design best suits my needs. For those of you who use paper-based systems, you'll be happy to note that the major players all have web sites - Day-Timer, Day Runner, Filofax, and Franklin Covey. Lesser known paper-based calendaring/time management companies include The Crazy Lady and TMI/Time Manager. For the sake of comparison, the chart on the next page shows the features provided by each company.

Now, all you electronic organizer folks are perhaps saying - what about me? Well, I'm not going to leave you out (remember I told you I use a combination of both). If you use Casio (http://www.casio.com), Sharp (http//www.sharp-usa.com), or Palm Pilot (http://www.palm.com) products, you're in luck. These manufacturers have web sites where you can check out the newest models, order accessories, participate in user forums and share tips.

Even better, the web sites for some models allow you to download files directly from the Net. With just a mouse dick you can download travel information, holidays, useful statistics, sports schedules, etc, directly into your organizer. Now your new organizer can be transformed into a personalized information tool brimming with useful and pertinent information. My organizer contains files directly taken from the web, including the area codes for major U.S. cities; 800 numbers for hotels, airlines, and car rentals; frequently misspelled words; a tipping guide; the schedule for the Philadelphia Eagles football team; an HTML cheat sheet guide, and for when I need a quick chuckle, a list of the top fifty oxymorons.

You can also create and upload your own files to share with users. Some organizers come complete with the necessary hardware and software that enables you to back up your files on your PC and print a hard copy, using software such as Day-Timer or Franklin Covey.

Don't want to carry an organizer with you? For those of you who just want a simple calendar for your home or office, I suggest visiting the Calendar Mall on the web at http://www.calendarmall99.com. They carry a variety of popular character wall, desk, and page a day calendars.

Are you free spirited? Do you want to have access to your schedule, but be unencumbered by carrying an organizer or datebook with you? Try Yahoo Calendar (http://calendar.yahoo.com). This application allows you to input your schedule and access it from with a web browser from anywhere.

So if your resolution for 1999 is to "get your act together and take it on the road" (or anyplace else you choose) these sites should get you started. And stop worrying about time! Now, don't you feel better?

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* '"Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" By Robert Lamm. Lammanations Music, Aurelius Music, 1973.

Denise Watkins is an information analyst at SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals, Research/Development, Collegeville, PA. She can be reached via e-mail at Denise M Watkins@sbphrd.com. For more information on On the Net or to contribute to the column, please contact Sharyn Ladner (sladner@miami.edu).