I don’t know if anyone has done research on this, but it would be interesting to know how many types of calendars, date books, and “day runners” the average adult has purchased in the quest for the perfect time management tool. I’m convinced that one doesn’t have to have ADD to feel stymied in this quest. The reason is that the perfect time management tool does not exist. They all have strengths and weaknesses, just like the people who use them. So rather than assuming there is something wrong with you (hey, I know my readers!), consider the possibility that the problem is with the limitations of the tool rather than with yourself.
But even after giving up on finding the perfect tool, the person with ADD can still lapse into despair because there are far too many choices! To get that all-too-familiar sense of “overwhelm” down a bit, let’s see if we can reduce the number of choices.
The first choice is actually fairly straightforward, even though it may not appear so initially. It’s a bit like the grocery store - do you want paper or “plastic”? - a paper calendar or an electronic one? Here are a few questions to guide you in making that fundamental decision:
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Is electronic BACK UP critical?
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Does it need to be SMALL?
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Do you have LOTS of DATA to track (phone numbers; appointments, to do’s)?
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Do others need ACCESS to your schedule?
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Do you LIKE electronic gadgets?
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Do you do better when you have ALARMS and TIMERS?
If you answered “yes” to at least 4 of those questions, you will want to consider seriously some sort of electronically based calendar. You are then left with two basic choices: an electronic hand-held device (e.g., PDA) or a computer/website-based calendar. The deciding factors here:
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Cost (PDA’s can be expensive)
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Portability: printout versus a PDA. For those who need lots of information with them (e.g., phone numbers), a printout may not be practical.
If you answered “no” to most of the six questions above, then a paper-based system may work quite well for you. You then only need to ask:
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Does it need to be portable? If yes, can I get what I want or need in a size I am willing to carry around?
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Do I tend to lose things? If yes, am I willing to photocopy the pages fairly regularly so the data aren’t lost? If I’m not willing to do that, and I do tend to lose things, maybe I should consider an electronic-based calendar.
There’s much more that can be said on this one! Let me know what other information you need to help you decide. But remember:
WHATEVER SYSTEM YOU CHOOSE, DO NOT USE MORE THAN ONE CALENDAR!!
