Today’s prize goes to Michelle, for taking the initiative to develop her own planner when she was unable to find one that met her needs. Michelle wins her choice of one of the following prizes:

Achieve Planner software
Get Focused course
Effective Time Management course
Psychology of Procrastination course
Magic of Habit course

Congratulations, Michelle! I hope that whichever prize you choose will be helpful to you in launching your product. Be sure to let me know when you do!

Many people say they cant live without their mum, and for me, i have to say that i cant live without my PDA phone!

This brilliant device is a mobile phone,Personal Information Manager, GPS, camera, calendar, task list, clock, Broadband modem, email and internet browser rolled into one nifty device!

Because i have this everywhere i go, i can check and respond to emails in between apointments or whenever i have 5-10 minutes spare.

It also logs and records my calls, so that i dont have to ask people to repeat an email or postal address or even phone number.

I can check my calendar on the go, and instantly enter new appointments or update existing ones.

As all my contacts are stored in this pocketable device, i can return calls or take calls when im out of the office, basically anywhere there is reception.

And if i’m on a trip away from home or the office for a few days i can connect it with my laptop for more intensive work that requires a full size keyboard or even remotely log into my desktop PC to access files when i am abroad.

As its also a GPS, i can select a contact from my address book and the GPS will take me there! How cool it that! I dont even have to type in the address! Talk about time management!

This is the ideal day to day time management and productivity tool that works for me!

But like Rodger says, productivity extends past day to day management, and should be orchestrated at the weekly level for much better results.

For this i use Outlook but this is primarily good for emails,appointments and tasks. However Achieve Planner does go where Outlook cant, and that is the planning and grading of projects and tasks that help you reach your goals whilst improving your time management and productivity to the next level!

I have tried Mindmaps, and numerous other applications, so i feel that i have a good reference point to base this from.

Since mobile phones are getting smarter and smarter, and you never leave home without it, it can prove to be an ideal ‘out of the office companion’ to keep you on track and moving forward!

I’d like to share some of my favorite additional resources to wrap up this week, too, starting with a new book that can help you make real changes in your habits and routines: “Switch,” by Chip & Dan Heath (http://bit.ly/cW15I1). These guys also wrote the now-classic “Made to Stick,” about communication and persuasion; both books are terrific guides and catalysts for action.

Next, there are some amazing new software tools out there, and Jared mentions one above. Another project mgmt. suite — aimed primarily at creative professions — is called “Action Method,” from Behance (http://www.behance.com/Products/Action_Method). It’s flexible, mobile, and great for collaborations. Basecamp is a similar product with an enthusiastic following (http://basecamphq.com/).

But even if you’re using sticky notes and a legal pad (one of my favorite methods), the real key, as Rodger points out, is to get the logistical details out of your head and into a planner of some kind — ANY kind. It’s amazing how well this small step can free your mind to *do* the productive work, rather than juggling schedules and worrying about missed deadlines or forgotten details.

Thanks again, Rodger and Janet, and thanks to all the commenters for an interesting week — I’ve enjoyed it!

Kudos to Michelle for working toward a product launch.

In starting an online business and having to learn so much to accomplish that, I found that my greatest tool for saving time and thus being more productive was to utilize others. In other words to out source. Right now, I out source the technical stuff to my son. Can I hear it for free help?

At the risk of sounding like I’m “brown-nosing,” Virtual assistants are on my radar. Even my son realizes his limitations. So there is fast coming the day when he and I will be outside of our capabilities. Carrie Wilkerson has said, “Do what you do best and outsource the rest.” Even in an office setting, there may be people who can better do some of the things that you are trying to do, and thus wasting company time and money.

Thanks to all of you who have contributed to this series. How fun and enlightening it has been. Thanks to Rodger for sharing this content with us.

And thanks to you Janet for sharing your stage.

My ideal planner for me is seperate from a calendar – my calendar is used just for appointments -

My planner allows me to get through my days with what needs to be done at that time

Sometimes people get overwhelmed with their planners because they feel like they have to record too much information!

A planner should have a purpose – a way to simplify your tasks and not actually become another task on your list.

Many people get their planners home and they realize they do not know how to make it work for them.

I use a website called ToDoist (http://todoist.com) for recording, prioritizing and organizing things I need to do. It’s an online service, so I can get to it wherever I have an internet connection. I also use Google Calendar for appointments and events.

For organizing projects and bigger tasks I use a spreadsheet, but I’d be interested in hearing other suggestions.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!