Apr 16 2008

Organization and Planning with Gmail

Categories: Gmail, Organization and Planning, Software —

I don’t think that Google’s email application, Gmail needs any introduction. The extremely simple, well thought out online email inbox is the new fad, people are throwing out Outlook and Thunderbird and switching to the fully online alternative.

If you want to do the same, there are great tips and tricks you can use to organize yourself with Gmail, you can even use it for planning and keeping track, not just emails. My best advice, if you are not yet familiar with the application is to go ahead and dabble a bit, get used to it, and understand how it works, so you can create some tips and tricks of your own. Until then, here are two things I use, but you can bet you will see many more tips like this here!

Using Gmail for note taking

Have you ever sent an email to yourself by mistake, or deliberately from another PC? Well why not use this trick to create and store memos and notes? You can create a label in Gmail called “notes” for example, and if you have something to write down, just jot it in a new email and send it to yourself. You can also create a filter to put these emails into that category automatically, bypassing the inbox as well. I wrote a guide for something similar on Hack Your Day, take a look. There I describe sending yourself Google Reader stories, but this case is basically the same, so the filters and other stuff work just as well.

Remember that you can use subject fields very well when sending yourself emails. You can create templates based on the type of notes you create. You can create subject lines like “Note - Subject matter” or “Idea - Subject matter”, or even “To do - Subject Matter”. This makes it very simple to search your notes, and also makes them better organized.

Use Gmail for planning

You can use the same “send yourself an email” technique to plan events and projects. Create an email with a note (or you can use an email sent by someone else) and reply to it (to yourself). Using the reply, you can update the project or event with new details, finished items and so on. I think it’s easier to group ideas for projects and follow-ups for that than tasks, but to-do lists can be done too.

This is also a cool way to collaborate, since you can always send these replies to someone else as well, who can in turn reply as well. Since Gmail bunches emails in conversations, this will give you a convenient overview of your emails and the status of your project or plan.

Apr 14 2008

31 day deluxe bill organizer

Categories: Desktop Accessories, Desktop Organizers, Organization and Planning —

31 day bill organizerHow many of us just keep bills and other important letters in a stack on our desk? I would guess quite a few and for us, here comes the 31 day deluxe bill organizer. This stylish oak desktop stand has 31 slots to store your bills in, great for keeping track of when to pay them. It also has a small drawer in the bottom where you can keep a pen or two, some paper, paper clips and whatnot.

Alternative Organization and Planning

This accessory could have an awesome use, doubling as a scheduling tool. You can use large index cards to write down appointments, things to do and other stuff for the month, and just drop it in the correct slot. You can use it as 31 day planner, if you’re on the 6th for example, the first five slots should be empty, awaiting tasks for the first five days of next month. You can store specialized index cards you create in the bottom, or keep a monthly goal list there as a means of reference. In short, this can be used really well for month to month organization and planning, as well as bill payment tracking.