i'm relegating my time management to a hipster pda
I am an expert at making things more complicated than they need to be.
Nowhere is this more evident than my efforts to be organized and maintain a to-do list. I can make the creation of a task management system into a week-long project. All to organize a handful of tasks that would have taken me a couple of hours to complete.
Sigh.
As I have mentioned before, in spite of being in my mid-fifties, I am unable to be trusted with social media. I simply do not have self-restraint. In a similar vein, any form of digital task list becomes a black hole of time loss as I obsess over making it into the "perfect system."
I'm an idiot like that.
So, lately I have reverted to using a hipster PDA. For you younger folks out there, a PDA was the acronym for a personal digital assistant. These were all the rage before Blackberries and iPhones broke onto the scene. In those days, having a Palm Pilot (a handheld digital calendar and task list) made you a big shot. Believe it or not.
The term "hipster pda (hPDA)" was coined by Merlin Mann and refers to a stack of note cards with an index clip -- used to make lists, take notes, etc. If you are interested in the history and purpose, you can read the original article about the hPDA, published in 2004, on the 43 Folders website. Near ancient history.
So, yes. That is how I'm handling my day to day activities. I carry around a small stack of index cards in my pocket--trying my best not to stress over the fact that they are getting bent, wrinkled, and the ink is smearing (I am a perfectionist in an unhealthy sense). I jot down my lists, highlight, cross things off, and try to spend as little time as possible thinking about "organization" and as much time as possible getting stuff done.
It seems to be working. For now.