1. Keri Pommerening: As a principal I try to make sure I spend an equal amount of time in classrooms by scheduling 3 office days alternating with 2 classroom days. On classroom days I don’t even go in the office until the school day is over. By planning ahead, I can fill my tickle file with my office days & leave it empty on class days. 

2. Judith Ann Kirk: What keeps my day sane and sensibly scheduled is MSOutlook, which is always open and easily accessible. I couldn’t function without it because of the integrative process between email Inboxes, Contacts, Calendar, Flags, Reminders, Task List, Journal, and Notes, as well as all of the Microsoft Office programs.  

3. Molly Baker: I often post (set as “free”, not “busy” with 1-hour reminder setting) tasks in my Outlook calendar at key junctures so that I plan ahead appropriately. I often do this way ahead for upcoming important tasks. This prompts Outlook to send me popup reminders, which I can respond to with “Dismiss” or reset the time for later in the day or soon. I like this better than using the Outlook task area. For example, I may need to start planning all of my Fall professional development events/calendar for the TLC in late June and it is now March, so I post about June 15 a task reminder in my Outlook calendar something like “Start Employee Learning flyer now due to Marketing by July 15.”  This prompts me to get it on my to-do list that week. 

4. Cheryl L. Hecht:  I schedule my unplug times first and work around them. This is so much more pleasurable than in the past when I scheduled unplug time around my work time. Unplugged times are spent with my family, when I need to let my brain rest, exercise, or do house/yard work. I have to train my brain to let go of work type ideas that are continuing to float around because I want to be focused on the activities I am sharing with my family. 

5. Cyndy Ruszkowski: I think the most helpful thing I do is keep a “to do” pile/list on my desk just to the left of my computer. Any time someone requests something of me in person, on the phone, or by email, I IMMEDIATELY jot it down or copy it to go on the pile. If even a couple minutes passes, the request may be gone from my overloaded brain or lost in email forever. Each day I work through this pile as far as I can get, prioritizing it as needed. With so much always going on it’s easy to forget the details.
   

These five tips will help you make smart, sensible, and SANE choices about scheduling your work day.  Try just one of these to get started.  Then, to keep moving forward on your goals for more peaceful productivity – which include sane and sensible scheduling of your work day – join others (worldwide) who receive Meggin’s weekly emails (and see what is available for download at no cost at the following websites):

**Top Ten Productivity Tips (http://www.TopTenProductivityTips.com)

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(c) 2009 by Meggin McIntosh, Ph.D., “The Ph.D. of Productivity”(tm). Through her company, Emphasis on Excellence, Inc., Meggin McIntosh changes what people know, feel, dream, and do. Sound interesting? It is!

If you have any specific suggestions for resources related to keeping, managing, and using To Do lists, several people have also asked me for ideas in this area. Since this is one I struggle with, I haven’t been much help. Anything you can pass along would be great!

Anyway, here are some tips and resources (not in any particular order): 

1. Everyone must use some type of to-do list, either paper or electronic.
2. It needs to be updated daily rather than some GIANT to-do list which overwhelms us and makes it impossible to focus on what needs to be done now.
3. Paper: Either have a daily to-do list in your planner (like the Franklin planner, Day-Timer, Day-Runner or other type or carry around a notebook that is designated as your ‘list of things to do.’ Personally, I use the to-do list in my Franklin planner. I can have it available anytime, anywhere (on a plane, in bright sunlight, etc.) so it works for me.
4. Electronic: Oh, my…lots of options

• Apparently Gmail now offers a to-do list. I haven’t used it but notice it’s now there.
• Outlook offers a to-do list (as do most of the other standard email programs)
• http://www.tadalist.com/ which seems pretty nifty and now that I have an iPhone, I’m sort of tempted to give this a try.
• Gina Trapani’s website, www.LifeHacker.com has a bunch of articles that are useful, too.

People need to have a to-do list that they compile each day, based on what else is going on. And, they need to refer to it constantly to make sure they are staying on track rather than veering off into the urgent but not important activities. It’s part of why I like the paper because it’s staring at me all day. Although, with digital, you can set alarms, too.

And if people also want to know about a ‘not-to-do list,’ then they can click to get info on the not-to-do list.  

Hope these ideas help some…Feel free to send them along…