I love my hipster PDA but I also use single, loose-leaf index cards. They track to-do lists, give me projects (one project per card) and keep contact information when I need it.

I archive these in a index card sized shoebox for later reference.

If you want more information, you can read about my methodologies in the following article series:
What works for me
What works for me: digital edition

/innowen

Hi Jackie,

My suggestion is that you keep whatever system you decide to use as simple as possible.

In the past a lot of my frustration has been with complex systems that I had set up or bought. They didn't fit the way I think and operate. And I had some bad planning habits that made me overly obsessive ('anal') about recording absolutely everything.

I agree with Innowen, cards are a good way to organise your information, and a good way for you to discover your organisational style. Also, you can be 'anal' with the detail on a card but not excessively so as the card's size limits planning excesses.

I've found that getting down to basics (to use a cliche) has helped me work out what I really want to track and how I want to keep my records.

A keen planner can choose to sort, itemise and categorise their jobs in lots of ways, for example: task, due date, project, goal the project or task relates to, where the task will be done, machiery to be used, location of the machinery. other ideas you've had about the project, who you're doing the task for, why you're doing it, ...the colour shirt you'll be wearing when doing the work (tee hee), etc.

But sorting items a dozen different ways just makes them more overwhelming. So, I suggest you choose three main categories (eg which of your jobs the work is for, the task, and due date) and use those as a start. Then add only the information you absolutely must have to complete the task.

Hopefully that will make it a bit less overwhelming and help you to work out 'what it is that you need' rather than 'what it would be nice to have but you don't actually need to record'.