Couple of ideas. For collection: Do you carry a cell phone? If so, you could set up a voice-to-email account for collecting little things throughout the day. This is what I do; I'm bad at carrying paper, too. I use k7.net, but there are others.

For the weekly review reminder, what are you using for your calendar? Could you just pencil it in there? Or make a recurring email or SMS reminder using Backpackit.com or similar?

Best of luck,
Matthew

I don't always carry a 'phone but do use it to stick things in when I do.

I did try putting the review on the calendar but then didn't always check that!

A small issue of self-discipline needs addressing methinks :rolleyes:

Have you tried the pocketmod?

http://www.pocketmod.com/

If you work from a stable home base (i.e., a trusted system at home, either computer or paper), then you might consider the very lightweight and customizable pocketmod (a small folded paper booklet with eight pages). You could set it up to contain a few action lists and a few pages for collection.

While you're at home, you can copy your most pressing next actions to the list pages. And during the day, you can jot down new "stuff" in the collection pages. At the end of the day, you can process the new stuff and update your home system.

If your needs aren't too intense, it's probably the most portable solution out there.

Wow - that looks incredible - thank you.

It might just help a *lot* as my 'trusted system' does have a tendency to remain on my desk @ home so the methodology you suggested sounds great.

more thoughts.

after having done a 'weekly review' this evening, i think i've identified one of my problems [apart from self-discipline...].

it's the index cards, i'm just not getting on with them, something about them being fiddly & separate [even if clipped together they'd be prone to coming adrift when shuffling them about, i'm a bit clumsy]. just not elegant enough for my dexterity, i think i need something 'all-in-one' that wouldn't need quite so much fiddling, something i can just 'grab & go'

i'm ok with the diary & there's *some* space in the back that could be utilised for lists.

however - i did spot a small moleskine planner in waterstones the other day [handily running from july '06] but didn't check it out properly as they were all shrink-wrapped - anyone know if they've got blank sheets that could be used for lists ?

it's bigger than my diary [slightly] but the pocket thing appeals as an 'inbox' during the day. i'm still trying to avoid electronic tools if possible.

i'll probably mod my diary initially as i don't have masses of stuff on lists.

ever onwards :)

further update [hang on, this isn't meant to be a *blog* is it ?!].

diary has now been modded [w/custom index tabs] & index cards dispensed of after all info transferred. and i've pencilled in 'weekly review' every monday for the rest of the year.

immediately, it physically feels better to me. one thing to pick up, everything in there, nothing to drop, lose, scatter or generally flummox about with. it feels *useable*.

next thing, maybe invest in some decent pens. my handwriting is fair to middling but suffers badly when i'm battling against cheap biros. fine ink/gel pens aren't bad but my writing is also very small, which means they often blur into illegibility. fountain pen ? haven't used one for over 20 years so i'm not sure about that! might help.

I LOVE pocketmods for collection.
They're cheap and disposable, which for me is their #1 advantage.

- I can have multiple ones around so I never leave it at home. There's no way that I would buy 5 moleskine notebooks just to have one always at hand.

- I know that I'll throw it away when it's full (typically 5-7 days) so I don't worry about how nicely I'm writing. This allows me to get down ideas, even while I'm walking. I wouldn't want to "mess up" a nice notebook the way I scribble on pocketmods.

- This ephemeral aspect also emphasizes to me that it's only a "collection" device. Everything still has to processed into a more permanent form, or it will be lost. If I had a nice notebook that was nicely ordered and nicely written, I might find myself less likely to process the items because "Well, everything's so nice already; do I really need to do something more with it?"

Ack, my other half has been looking for one of those 18 monthers, which Waterstones was that in?

Waterstones, Preston [UK] - on the counter downstairs [?6.95 iirc]

For me personally...The simplicity of having almost everything contained in one unit is priceless. That is why I tend to do the PDA thing rather than LoTech.

LoTech is good for those who are disciplined enough to manage it. However, I will be the first to admit that I am undiscplined. For those of us that are this way, the geek value is very important, because we can use a toy (if you will to manage all our "stuff"). If I can get excited about my tools, I am more likely to stick with the program.

This is a big reason why Tracks, and the PDA work for me.