Time Ladders in Planning:Thank You, Ben Franklin

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This month, I'm pretty obsessed with Time Ladders.  I suppose the first one I saw was this one, created by Benjamin Franklin as he planned how he would spend his day.

You can find it here, in the free online version of his Autobiography, provided by Gutenberg.org (see pp. 68-69):

However, there are different ways to build a Time Ladder, and different uses for it.  I'm discovering that they really help me in planning out how much time a project should take, from research to final draft, among other things.  

For more examples, check out "time ladders" as a search in Pinterest or Instagram.  

5 Things to Help Make Paper Planners Fun and Productive

Last week, I talked about my path to “planner peace,” and the variety of paper planners and time management systems I have tried along the way.

One of the key reasons that I use paper planners is because I enjoy using them, for all sorts of reasons. There’s the feel of the ink flowing on the paper as I write; the control I have over the colors (I like color-coding); even the weight of the paper itself has a bearing on the experience of working with a paper planner.

Paper Planning Works Better for Me Than Online Productivity Systems

The bigger deal: having the siren song of creativity helps me stay on schedule. It’s more fun for me to use a bullet journal combined with a Happy Planner than it ever was for me to insert information into an online program.

I’m easily pleased, I suppose, but having those little squares in the Tracker that I fill in with different colors of ink every day when I’ve accomplished a task? That’s enough to make me do the task, and enough to make me stay current in my time management, too.

5 Fun Things That Keep Me Dedicated to My Planners and Time Management

Here are five things that help me with that creative spin on scheduling my days and weeks:

Pilot FriXion Erasable Gel Pens 

When a friend recommended these pens to me, I smiled politely and thought “no way.”

Why? They are erasable, and I’ve had lots of bad experiences with erasable ink. It didn’t work. Or it worked but to get rid of the ink, you were likely to tear the paper.

Not with these. I love the Pilot FriXion Gel Pens. They don’t write as deep or dark as other pens, that’s what you’re giving up by using them. But it’s well worth it in my book, because heck – they’re ERASABLE.  

Washi Tape 

I love using washi tape on my monthly and weekly calendars, as well as in my Bullet Journal. I divide the weekend from the weekdays; I block big project deadlines; you get the idea.

Heck, I’ve used Washi Tape in my Bible – I have put tape around the entire edge of the pages for the first page of Psalms, Proverbs, Genesis, Matthew, and Revelation because it’s a great index tool.

That red in the back of the book? I know it’s the first page of Revelation. The blue one? That’s Psalms.

Stickers 

There’s a mad, mad world out there for you if you like stickers for your planners. Etsy Shops have all sorts of inviting stickers, dedicated to specific planners and their sizes. Erin Condren? Go find your Erin Condren sized stickers there. Ditto for Filofax, Kikki K, all lots more.

Me, I’ve stuck with Amazon and Hobby Lobby so far. And I’m playing around with making some of my own using sticker paper that I can feed through my printer.

You can get Calendar Reminder Stickers (birthdays, etc.) if you like. Me, I like stickers that have “to do lists,” flags, and other references which allow me to write whatever I want on them. I’d rather have a blank sticker where I write “Bill’s Birthday” than have a sticker with Birthday already printed on it. That’s just me.  

Clear Plastic Ruler 

I need a ruler because I like my lines to be sharp. Having a clear plastic ruler lets me see where I’m going with my pen.

The shorter six inch ruler works better for me in my Bullet Journal, which is a Moleskine.

Markers and Gel Pens for Color 

As for markers, some people love Sharpies, but not me. Not for my Planners, it’s too easy for them to bleed through the paper or at least leave a heavy shadow. Instead, I like Bic highlighters that I can get at my local HEB grocery store. Nothing fancy.

When I want to highlight with color, they work just fine. And I also like to use Gel Pens to add color, too. I have one of those sets that they sell for adult coloring books, and it has come in very handy in my Bullet Journal (and in my Bible Art).

Choosing the Kind of Paper Planner for Managing Your Time: My Road to Planner Peace

Time Management Tools: I prefer the old school paper and pen approach.

Productivity and time management are popular topics these days – but most of the stuff that I read on the web has to do with software.  Calendars like those offered by Google; task lists and project management that can be coordinated between phones and laptops through online tools like Trello or Asana.

Sure, I use Google Calendar.  I like it.  However, when it comes to keeping track of my time, from my calendar for the week or month, to how I will be spending my day, I prefer to use pen and paper. 

That’s right.   I use a physical planner made of paper, and I don’t use a time management system that appears on a screen. 
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Why I Like Paper Planners Instead of Online Time Management Tools

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Why a paper planner?  I enjoy them.   It’s fun to use a paper planner.  Fine!  Okay.  I love pens.  

Pens!!!  Blue ink, black ink, green, red, or purple: always a fine point, preferably an extra fine.  I like to write as much or more as I like to type. 

Plus I like buying pens.  Using planners is another reason to feed my pen habit.   

Some people like shoes, I like pens. 

However, I do think that working with a paper planner works better for me.  It makes me stop and think in more detail about how I will be spending my time – it’s too easy for me to type in an entry here or there and keep going without much thought.

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Writing the events into the paper planner’s calendar makes them more of a commitment, somehow.  

Deciding how I am going to delegate my 10 hour work day between three rush projects is less stressful for me when I’m using pen and paper. 

Maybe I’m strange in this; maybe not.  I just know what works best for me, and it’s not keeping track of time on a computer screen. 
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Different Kinds of Paper Planners and Finding Planner Peace

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Not that dedicating myself to paper planners for my time management has been the end of the road in decision-making here.  Nope.

Why?  For me, once I got to the stage of deciding I would be using a paper planner, then I had to decide which kind of paper planner I wanted, and which system I preferred.

There’s a phrase to describe this process:  it’s the search for “planner peace.” 

And I’ve learned that if you do find your planner peace, don’t get comfortable – as time goes on and your life evolves, that peace may evaporate and you’ll be back on the hunt again. 

Not to say this doesn’t have its perks. For one thing, you may have more excuses (ahem, reasons) to buy fun things like stickers … and pens!!!
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6 Kinds of Paper Planners - My Reviews

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There are all sorts of paper planners out there.  Here are six that I’ve personally tested and liked, for various reasons.
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Franklin Covey Planner

I used a Franklin Planner for many, many years.  The most that I ever did was change the size.  I’ve had them all: Classic, Pocket, Compact, and Monarch.  The key thing about using a Franklin Planner is the system it provides:  you are working with a planning system set up to sync with Stephen Covey’s book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.  

You can use these paper planners without reading the book or going to the Franklin Covey classes, sure, but these planners work best if you understand them as tools for this approach to time management.

What I like best about these planners:  the time sheet feature, where you can keep track of your day as it progresses.  Reminds me of my years as a Baby Lawyer, writing down my time on my time sheet each afternoon before I left the office. 

DayRunner Planner

The Day Runner Planners are designed to compete with Franklin Covey.  They cost less.  Similar additions are available for purchase, too: things like contact Information lists; lined paper pads; pocket dividers; etc.

You can get them at your local office supply store, which is really convenient.  (And it’s so near their pen aisle.)

BlueSky Planner

When I first veered away from Franklin Covey-esque Planners, and I admit to feeling a bit rebellious in doing so, I bought a Blue Sky Planner at Border’s Book Store.  Since Border’s is long gone, that should give you a hint on how long ago this happened, right?

Mine was pink.  It was pretty. 

How did it work for me?  Well, it was a change. Here, there’s a spiral ring binder system holding your planner’s inner workings together.  No ring binder like the Franklin Planner, which I did come to miss.  I like adding things into my planner – it’s not the same to clip or tape something into a spiral bound planner as it is to punch holes and insert it into the rings.  I like that.   

However, I did enjoy the ease of use here.  Less muss and fuss.  I didn’t have to ask myself if I was “SharpeningMy Saw” (a key component of the Franklin system). 

However, it didn’t offer me a daily time sheet and I missed it.  Plus, I started making my own To Do Lists on separate paper (or index cards), which I clipped into the Blue Sky Planner.  That got bulky and hard to control.

So, my search continued.

Tools for Wisdom Planner

My next step in my search for planner peace was a Tools4Wisdom Planner.

I bought this one off of Amazon after searching online about planners for a bit.  It seemed to combine what I liked about the Franklin, which is the ability to keep track of my time during the day, with the more informal and light approach to time management.

It had pretty graphics with inspirational quotes, for instance.  

And while it was another spiral binder, I was willing to get it a try.

I don’t think it lasted the year.  

Happy Planner

After the Tools for Wisdom fiasco, I tried using online time management tools for a bit.  It didn’t feel right for me.  I wanted to go back to paper, but not to Franklin Covey – though I was leaning toward returning to them when I discovered the Happy Planner.

For many, a Happy Planner is a less expensive alternative to an Erin Condren planner.  I get that.  

However, I was none too sure about using one of these whimsical planners, where a new world of stickers and washi tape (what, washi tape?!! Oh my!!! Fun stuff!!!) was open to me.

I suppose you could put some washi tape on a Franklin Covey planner, and I did try it.  It felt bad.  It just seemed wrong somehow.

But washi tape on a Happy Planner?  Zowie!  That was fun.  Stickers on a Happy Planner?  Ditto.

I bought a Happy Planner with a coupon at Hobby Lobby for around ten bucks.  That's simple living, folks ... and I was happy right off the bat, when I compared that price tag to a comparable Erin Condren! (Not that they aren't nice, of course.)

I'm so grateful for that Happy Planner.  I learned that having this planner freed me somehow, allowed me to be creative in building my monthly plan, or weekly plan.  

This was fun, and it brought me back to that planner more and more often just because it was a pleasure to work with all this creative stuff.  I used it more.  I got more done.  That's key.  

Now, Happy Planners don’t have a time sheet function.  That’s a problem.  However, they do come in a format that breaks each day into “morning,” “afternoon,” and “evening,” which I like.  So it has time blocks, but not the actual hours. 

There are horizontal spreads and vertical spreads (I prefer the vertical).  And they do have a nifty ring-binder like method of holding the pages together.  See those gold gizmos on the side in the image?  Martha Stewart likes these gizmos, she sells a planner version with its disc-binding at Staple's, I believe.  

As for the Happy Planners, they do make me happy.  I still use one today, but they aren’t the ones that I think are bringing me planner peace.  At least, not by themselves.  

For that, I’m able to pick up just about any paper notebook because I’ve discovered Bullet Journaling.

Bullet Journaling with a Moleskine

Today, I have a blue Moleskine notebook that I call my “Blue Brain” and here I track my goals, my projects, the meals I eat, well … just about everything.  I use all sort of pens here, and I get to try out my cursive handwriting as well as doodles, too. 

I have a second basic notebook, leather and a Moleskine-wannabe, that I use specifically for my daily stuff.  Each day, day by day, is recorded in here. 

My month at a glance remains in my Happy Planner.  Ditto my Week at a Glance.

But the guts of my day gets recorded using the bullet journaling method.  This includes diary entries as need be. 

Keeping track of all my personal stuff that I will need over time goes in the Blue Brain. 

This is working for me … for now.  

Have I achieved planner peace?  Maybe I have.  I think so.

ROKU Streaming TV: How Great Can It Can Be? Pretty Darn Fabulous

This month marks the third year that I’ve lived happily and well without a cable TV connection. I’ve opted for a ROKU streaming device.

Cost me around $50 for a cute little box that connects to my television and a spiffy little remote control. Works off my WiFi.

My internet bill is fifty bucks each month. That’s right: $50.00. It was three times that amount when I stopped using cable television (actually, a bit higher); Lord only knows what I’d be paying now.

And for what? Lots of junk like reality TV shows that I would never watch, along with all those strange channels that I skipped. Not to mention the commercials.

(Now, I do pay a bit each month for subscription services, but my total is under $15.00.  Add that to the cable bill (which also includes my WiFi access for my computers, etc.) and the whopping total is around $75.00/month.)

Commercials: Less is More with Streaming TV

Ye Gads, how I DON’T miss all those commercials. In fact, it becomes very, very clear how many commercials some of these channels stick into their programming when you aren’t used to watching cable television.

You’re at a friend’s house, watching their cable channel, and you realize that there’s an average of 10 minutes of commercials for every commercial break. Viewers don’t realize how many advertisements get shoved into their programming until they get the option of watching a television show that has limited interruption.

Try counting your commercials within the program breaks. For some channels, it’s almost like the chosen entertainment is a break between advertising spots.

Some channels on ROKU have NO commercials. Netflix, Amazon Video: there are no commercials here. Others do contain advertising, but it’s not the same as cable TV. For example, Hulu (I have Hulu Plus) or Cracker both have commercials inserted into their programs, but it’s just one or two quick ones; a couple of minutes and you’re back to your show.

Frankly, I think this is the better way to sell stuff. I remember the Capital One Venture card commercials as well as the GEICO insurance ad much clearer from watching this week’s TV shows on Hulu Plus than I ever remember noticing any advertising on a cable network offering.

Maybe it’s because the same commercial tends to reappear during the course of the Hulu or Cracker show. Watch old Seinfeld offerings on Cracker, and you’re going to see the same product being touted time and again as you go through the episodes. (Gotta love Soup Nazi, right?) Maybe having less commercials is a better way to advertise….

 What I Get To Watch on ROKU Streaming TV

People with cable television assume that I’m losing so much stuff by opting out of paying for cable. It’s been a long while now, and I’m confident that I’m not feeling the loss.

If there is a show that isn’t on Roku that I really, really want to see, I can usually see it for free on my computer. Like the Big Bang Theory, for instance. CBS isn’t on ROKU (yet).

I don’t watch shows on the computer very often, however. I’ve just got so much to choose from with ROKU. Plus,  Hulu Plus offers lots of current TV shows the day after they air.

If you’re a Revenge fan (ABC), no problemo. If you love Law & Order SUV (NBC), ditto. Amazon has FX's Justified (I love Justified) and lots of other cable shows for $1.99/episode so you can pick and choose other cable series as they are being shown for the current season.

I just watch them the next day.  I don't care that I'm not first in line here.  I watched Longmire on A&E the day after it aired for free every season, until A&E was shockingly stupid and axed the series.

Another benefit to ROKU streaming TV is the shows that I’ve discovered: shows that I would never have watched without it. Scott & Bailey; Call the Midwife; Poirot; Miranda; IQ — lots of great British shows that I’ve binge-watched because streaming TV introduced me to them. Great stuff.

Then there are all the free, great movies and the classic TV shows for you to watch as well. From lots of different channels, both free and subscription (Crackle is free, for example).

When I Get To Watch TV Shows and Movies 

 Best of all, I chose when I watch this stuff. If I want to watch Criminal Minds every night at 8, I can. If I want to watch all the episodes of Magnum PI over the course of a weekend, I can. If I’m cooking and in the middle of an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond, I just stop the show and return to it later.

Sure, I may miss some stuff. Live local news? Gotta go to the computer to see the local stuff (I usually just read the news the next day on the web). Live sports? Never watch it. The latest reality TV? If I never have the chance to see another episode of the Kardashians, or any of those Housewife shows, I haven’t lost a thing.

Why I Watch Streaming TV Instead of Cable 

 I watch television to be entertained; sometimes to be educated (I love to learn from chefs who cook on TV). Using the ROKU device has returned control back to me; I decide when I want to be entertained and for how long and by what program.

The way that streaming television works, it stops after the show is over (though Hulu can segue directly into the next episode of a series, etc.). You have to decide after 22 minutes or 44 minutes or 1 hour and 15 minutes if you are going to keep staring at a screen or if you’re going to do something else with your time.

You become more aware of the time that you’re spending on televised entertainment. It may mean you watch less TV and do something else. Which is good, too.

Streaming TV via Roku? I highly recommend it.

Daylight Saving Time Begins on March 14, 2010

Daylight Saving Time always sneaks up on me.  It always seems like the minute that I've adjusted to the new time, I'm moving the clock backward or forward. 

Maybe it's a family thing:  I remember visiting my mother's Great Uncle Billy (my grandmother's uncle, he was an old guy) when I was very little. On this one visit, which must have been shortly before Easter that Spring, Uncle Billy had made a Major Life Decision which was twisting my mom and her cousins into knots. 

The Origin of Billy Time

Uncle Billy just decided he'd had enough, he was retired and he wasn't going to change the clocks anymore.  He'd just go by "Billy Time" in his house.  He didn't care that Gunsmoke would be an hour off.  (He loved him some Marshall Matt Dillon, this was thought to be a powerful argument advanced by my mother.)

The more they argued, the more he chuckled.  I still remember that chuckle with a smile -- coming from a jaw with white and grey stubble covering it, because Uncle Billy didn't always shave in the morning.  I remember that he became quite fond of "Billy Time," the phrase became part of the family vernacular (and not always in a good way) and to this day I always remember that we fall back to Billy Time and spring forward from it.

So, here we are leaving Billy Time tomorrow night - only to return sometime next November.

By the way, there's a neat article over at About.Com written by Matt Rosenberg that gives all sorts of background on DST.

I learned that it's "Saving" not "Savings" - who knew?  I also learned that it all began back when we were fighting World War I, so factories had more sunshine time to churn stuff out - saved energy costs back then (guess the theory is that it still does).

Time Management Tip: Returning Calls, Emails, and Text Messages on Your Schedule, Not Theirs

I'm offering up one of my greatest time savers here, today, just for you, Dear Reader.  I only return messages left for me at 10 am, 2pm, and 4 pm.  My phone's ringer is turned off, and my cell phone sits in my purse.  I call it my "Dr Pepper Rule," because of the old 10-2-4 logo on the Dr. Pepper bottles.  Remember those?  (I still love me a Dr. Pepper, real not diet.  Yum.)

Right off the bat, if you choose to do this, too, get ready for some backlash.  There are those who will be annoyed, perhaps even offended, that you aren't picking up your phone every time it rings, or jumping right on their text message or e-mail in reply.  That's okay, because this isn't about them.  It's about you, and your schedule.

I do try and let everyone know that I do this.  New clients are informed in a standardized email that I send out as part of my introduction.  Loved ones grin and bear it, too - some still grumble, but they love me anyway. 

How does this help?  Why follow the Dr. Pepper 10-2-4 Rule?

It keeps you on schedule with what you've set out to do for that day.  As a writer, I've got to have blocks of time to focus on my work.  Writing is tricky, you want to be in this zone where things are flowing out of your mind so fast that the words aren't popping up fast enough on the screen -- and that zone if fragile.  It takes awhile to get there (a pal said I should research the "alpha state" of the brain, it's involved here, somehow), yet you can lose it in a second.  So, I need the lack of interruption to get my stuff done, to make a living.

However, the rule isn't just for writers.  It's for anyone who values their time.  When they created answering machines, they were intended to be time-savers.  Messages are meant to be left, and returned later. 

One of the most important things in leading a simple life, is keeping things simple.  Constantly reacting to your phone - voicemail, text, email - can have you bouncing through a day like the small white ball in a pinball machine.  That's not a joyful, peaceful, productive way to live. 

At the end of the day, ask yourself:  what have you accomplished that YOU set out to do?  How did you spend your currency of time?  Follow the 10-2-4 Rule, and you'll be pleased with your answers.

5 Baby Steps in Simplifying Your Life

There may be those who make sudden and drastic lifestyle changes, quiting jobs and selling houses, moving forward rapidly in their pursuit of a dream.  For most folk, simplifying life isn't that speedy or smooth.  It really is taking a step at a time, one day at a time. 

Here are five baby steps toward simple living:

1.  Cut the splurge buys.  Yes, this means eating breakfast at home and not buying fancy coffee.  No Starbucks except as a special treat. 

• Check out Fake Out Recipe No. 1: Bottled Starbucks Fraps.

2.  Organize your weekly errands. Make a list of your errands (bank, post office, etc.) and do them all at once, planning your route to maximize your time and minimize your fuel expense. 

• Check out Six Ways to Maximize Your Car's Gas Mileage.

3.  Investigate free events in your community.  These can be rewarding for members of the whole family, and lotsa fun.  Check out the local paper and the public library website.

• Check out Freebies: Finding Fun, Free Things to Do.

4. Respect your Sundays.  For Christians, Sunday means church and usually, a nice lunch afterwards.  For everyone, there is wisdom in taking this one day of the week as a day of rest.  The big family meal on Sunday is a wonderful thing, everyone gets a chance to catch up with the others.  Especially when everyone works together in cooking the food. 

• Check out Five Good, Cheap Recipe Collections.

5. Rethink fashion.  Scrutinize your wardrobe and ask yourself how much you really need designer togs and to the extent that you do, why?  Simplifying life means stepping aside from the Fast Track, the Rat Race, the Keeping Up with the Jones approach to things.  This doesn't mean sacrificing quality, it means taking your fashion sense to a whole new level. 

• Check out Designer Fashion at Very Low Prices.

Planning for 2009 : Free Calendars, Planners, List Makers, and More

Get ready to hit the ground running in 2009 with these free and very useful planning tools:

1. Grocery List Maker

You do have to join the CommonSenseCommunity here, but this is a nice tool to have. You can create your grocery list from any computer (think work and home) - adding an item here and there as you think of it - and then once it's done, have the complete grocery list emailed to you in time for the weekly store run.

2. Family Budget Planner

Microsoft Office has lots of free templates to choose from -- this Family Budget Planner is one that ranks 4.5 stars and has been downloaded over 2,000,000 times at the time of this posting. Looks like it's well received, right?

3. My Yahoo! Calendar and Life Planner

Along with millions of others, I've stuck with my Yahoo! online calendar over the years because it's served me well, and I really like the timers, alarms, and other things (sync, share) that come with this package (more than I've seen elsewhere). It's more than just a calendar -- other than defining goals for you, the Yahoo! Calendar really acts as more of a planner than just an online calendar.

For example, this calendar allows you to list Events and Tasks - and there's not a time frame here. Plus, it's online - reach it from anywhere, anytime and you don't lose it should your computer crash. Over time, it's built my life quite nicely: until I change things, Yahoo! will remind me about annual events (birthdays, anniversarys, etc.) as well as deadlines (two weeks till publisher's deadline, etc.) in perpetuity.

I can set goals in the Task Lists, then set little deadlines for myself to accomplish each step needed to reach that goal in the Events List. I'll start getting email reminders, etc. according to the schedule I've chosen ... I find this to be really helpful.

4. Fitness Tracker/Weight Loss Planner

FitDay is something that I've used for years. It's just got everything you'd need or want to track your physical needs, as well as your fitness goals and diet progress. The free online account gives you too much information to list here ... it's one of those examples of how great the Web can be.

5. Inspiration to Keep Going

Have a motivational quote delivered to your inbox each morning over at GoalSettingGuide. There's another one over at NightingaleConant, in case you want to pick between the two - or if you want to get two cheerleading emails each day.

Procrastination Is An Enemy to Simplifying Your Life

Simplifying your life means changing your lifestyle. Changing your methods of living life can be very difficult, even when you are proactively wanting to alter things.

When you are involuntarily simplifying because of a lost job or unexpected expenses, it gets even harder. It's easy to procrastinate. Especially when things seem overwhelming. When you're afraid, it's easy to be a deer in the headlights - thinking that if you do nothing, maybe it will all go away.

Procrastination is Your Enemy

Procrastination, however, is your enemy. Don't put off things that will ultimately benefit you and your family. Nothing good can come from it.

Hara Marano's Great Article

There's a great article by Hara Marano over at Psychology Today discussing the evils of procrastination, and I encourage you to jump right over there and read it. It contains such jewels as:

• Procrastination is a "profound problem of self-regulation." I never thought of procrastination this way before, and it makes good sense.
• Procrastination "is one response to an authoritarian parenting style ...," where controlling parents prevent the kids from "developing the ability to regulate themselves, from internalizing their own intentions and then learning to act on them." Without judging anyone's childhood, I like the idea that identifying your own intentions and learning to act on them is a kind of self-awareness and I especially appreciate the phrase "self-regulation." Regulation of one's self, instead of having advertising agencies regulating one's behavior by set society standards, is a key component to successfully simplifying your life.
• "Procrastinators "actively look for distractions, particularly ones that don't take a lot of commitment on their part." The example that was given was reading (or checking) e-mail, but I'm thinking video games and watching mindless television also count. Why do this? "They distract themselves as a way of regulating their emotions such as fear of failure."
• Procrastinators aren't all the same. There are the "thrill-seekers, who wait to the last minute for the euphoric rush;" the "avoiders, who may be avoiding fear of failure or even fear of success, but in either case are very concerned with what others think of them; they would rather have others think they lack effort than ability;" and "decisional procrastinators, who cannot make a decision ... [which]absolves procrastinators of responsibility for the outcome of events."

How to Change?

How to change? The Marano article suggests "highly structured cognitive behavioral therapy," whatever that is. Personally, I think that the power of prayer is of great use here, too. It's been my experience that faith can conquer procrastination:

• “If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done.” -- Ecclesiastes 11:4 (The Living Bible)
• "For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of self-control." -- 2 Timothy 1:7 (CET)

Daylight Savings Time is THIS Sunday

Yes, finally. Daylight Savings Time hits this Sunday. We move our clocks back one hour - remember "Spring Forward, Fall Back" from years past?

The history of Daylight Savings Time is pretty interesting. Did you know that during his stay in Paris, Benjamin Franklin suggested that the French could save money on candles by getting up earlier, and taking advantage of the morning sun?

Personal Post 7: Analog Clocks

Over the weekend, I put "desk-sized old-fashioned clock" on the list and thought this would be easy. I needed a clock face with the actual hour hand and minute hand, 12 and 3 and 6 and 9 (if not more) for my desk.

Yes, I have the other kind: I can ignore them too easily. In my head, 11:41 just gets noted.

When I look at a clock face with hands pointing the way, I start realizing the passage of time - perhaps this is a sign of age. Whatever.

At any rate, you cannot believe how hard it was for me to find a small, simple analog clock. Lots and lots of digitals - for everyone in the family. A good variety of wall clocks with analog faces.

Finally, at Target, on a clearance shelf: a small analog clock - quartz - with roman numerals and no second hand or alarm. Ten bucks.

I took it and ran.

Daylight Saving Time Starts Sunday

Daylight Saving Time starts this Sunday, April 2, 2006, at 2:00 a.m.

Spring forward one hour, as the rhyme goes ....

Americans might want to note that this is the last April you'll be setting the clocks ahead: starting in 2007, DST starts in March - with the US joining the EU on their sun-saving schedule. The European Union starts saving sunshine on the last Sunday each March and stops on last Sunday each October. Unlike the United States, in Europe, all time zones change at the same moment.

Why do this? It saves energy, it's responsible for less car accidents, and people like it - polls show most folk like the extra daylight hours in the evening.

And, if you don't like it -- blame Benjamin Franklin. That's right: he advocated DST right along with electricity, glass harmonicas, cast iron stoves, libraries, lightning rods, and bifocals. Good Old Ben.

Here's the American schedule for the next three years:

Year/ Spring Forward/Fall Back
2006/ April 2/October 29
2007/ March 11/November 4
2008/ March 9/November 2

Note: Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Arizona do not participate in DST.

Source: timeanddate.com, webexhibits.com

Sightsee by Bus

Here in San Antonio, we have lots of beautiful things to see and appreciate, although truth be told -- it's rare for the locals to frequent the River Walk. Wrong of us. Where are you? How often do you go see things that the tourists are discovering?

VIA has a special $3.00 bus pass for its Sightseer Special. Buy this ticket at any one of several locations (Botantical Gardens, Museum of Art), and then take your time jumping on and off while touring the remaining sites -- La Villita, the Witte, the Zoo, etc.

Saves driving, saves time, and it's fun. You'll get your exercise in, too. Google your city -- see what your public transportation has in mind for you to do.

Five O'Clock and Six a Day

Member of the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Mary Kay Ash deserves respect even if you absolutely hate the color pink. From the book Time Tactics of Very Successful People by Eugene Griessman, these time tips from Mary Kay herself:

1. be a part of the five o'clock club - start your day early; and
2. every evening, make a list of "the 6 things I must do tomorrow," then, the next day: do them.

Why heed Mary Kay's advice? Well, for one thing - she began the Pink Company in a Dallas storefront at the age of 45 with $5000 in her pocket and her son to help her. Maybe the lady who made Pink Cadillacs famous (Aretha notwithstanding) isn't the model of a Simple Life - but she certainly knew how to manage her time. We can learn from that. (Personally, I think she's great.)

Big Rocks in the Pickle Jar

Stephen Covey calls it the "Big Rocks" story, Jeremy Wright calls it the "Pickle Jar Theory." Either way, here's the idea in a nutshell: Stop and think about your week. List those things that must be done, however distasteful. The trash must be taken out, the tax return must be filed. Those are your rocks. Schedule them first, and do them first. Maximizes your energy, and your time. And lessens your stress, to boot. For detail, go read the jumps.

Franklin Covey Goes To Target

Franklin Covey stores can be found in malls - or you can save time and trouble by visiting their online shop. For time management, FC sets itself about by incorporating the techniques made famous by Stephen Covey in his set of books. You know them: The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, The Eighth Habit, First Things First.

The site itself has some nice freebies: helping to create your own mission statement, for example. Once that's determined, you build upon it - establishing your roles in life, and your goals within them. Each day, what will you accomplish to move you toward accomplishing these goals?

It's an excellent system with many loyal followers, personally and professionally. However, in the Simple Way, you can forego the high cost of the FC stores and get yourself over to Target.

Through an alliance with FP, Target offers time management products that are cute, complete, offered in various sizes, and with all the bells and whistles you need to be an FC-er. Cost at Target: $20, comparable cost at FC: $100+.

Couldn't locate them online at target.com, looks like you have to visit the calendar/office supply section of the store to get the deal. And the Covey books to master your new purchase? Free, at the library, of course.