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	Organization In The Palm Of Your Hand

	by Laura Leist

Imagine having all of your information at your fingertips. How great would it be to be able to give someone a PHONE NUMBER without saying, "let me call you with that when I get back to my home / office." Wouldn't it be so much easier to always have your current SCHEDULE in front of you when you are out and about -- so you can set up an appointment immediately, without having to update a master calendar when you get back? Would you like to be able to read your EMAIL between appointments and respond to them if you have a break in your schedule?

A PORTABLE SOLUTION

You can do all of this and more with a HANDHELD personal digital assistant or PDA. Handhelds are becoming as common as cell phones; in fact some handhelds even have a phone built into them. But owning one of these handy devices and using it are two different things. If you already own a handheld, you may want to try a few of the simple organizational tips and tricks we will discuss later on. If you are simply thinking about a handheld, let's discuss some issues to consider before making your purchase.

CHOOSING A PDA

Before you purchase a handheld device, be aware that handhelds run on one of two OPERATING SYSTEMS -- Palm or Windows. Both synchronize with Outlook, but there are some programs that you can run on the Windows platform that you can't run on the Palm (check with your dealer for a current list of applicable software). From here, you will need to decide which FEATURES you need, and which features would be "nice to have." Prices range from $99 to $750 -- the more features you want,the higher the cost.

FEATURES AND FUNCTIONALITY

Here are a few features to consider… Do I want the handheld to double as a cell phone so I only have one device to carry around? Would it be helpful to have a digital camera on the handheld to take pictures? Would a built in music player or book reader be helpful for long trips? How about a voice recorder, so you could record notes as you think of them when you can't write them down? Think about how you will USE your handheld. If you will only be using it only for scheduling and retrieving addresses or phone numbers, you probably don't need to spend a small fortune on excessive features. One question most frequently asked before making the investment is "Do I need WIRELESS capabilities?" Some handhelds today come with Blue Tooth technology, allowing your device to connect to the Internet (provided you purchase a monthly service plan for about $40-$50 per month).

USE CATEGORIES

Create your own custom list of categories in Outlook and then transfer them to your handheld. Create a category for each type of PERSON in your database (friend, family member, service provider, colleague, client, etc.) - and for each type of ACTIVITY you might engage in (administrative, meetings, household, for kids, etc.). Using categories allows you to pull up a entire section of your database or group of tasks all at once, so you don't waste time scrolling through endless information trying to find people, appointments, or to-do's that logically go together.

CREATE CUSTOM FIELDS

Using the "design a form" feature in Outlook, you can add custom fields to your contact screen, enabling you to TRACK additional information about people in your life -- such as the organizations they belong to, the date a person became your client, the last time you spoke with them, etc. The beauty of this is that any fields added to your contact screen will automatically TRANSFER over to your handheld.

MAKE USE OF GRAPHICS

Use the "status" feature to indicate if an appointment or to-do is of high or low PRIORITY -- the text will be displayed differently, indicating activities to which you should pay particular attention. Use the "show time as" field on calendar items to select if you are "busy", "out of the office" or have a "tentative" appointment. This will COLOR each appointment -- "out of the office" appointments will be displayed with a purple designation. This makes it easy to look at your calendar at-a-glance and determine where there are openings in your schedule.

KEEP A TO DO LIST

Use the "task" component to track things you need to REMEMBER to do -- whether they are for you or someone else. Writing these things down frees up space in your memory and allows you to refer back as needed. For example, you may want to have a category called "upcoming projects" where you store to-do items for these tasks so you don't forget what needs to be done.

PUT IT IN WRITING

Use the "notes" section to jot down bits of INFORMATION that aren't necessarily part of a contact or a task item. For example, maybe you need to remember what type of toner you use for your printer -- this would be a great piece of information to store in a note. That way when you are shopping you will know exactly which cartridge to buy.

MAKING THE DECISION

There are so many great reasons to own a handheld -- they really can help to SIMPLIFY your personal and work life. Is a handheld right for you?

Laura Leist is an Organizational Consultant and President of Eliminate Chaos, LLC. She teaches individuals how to streamline their process and be more efficient in their work and personal lives -- and her products are available directly through www.OnlineOrganizing.com. She can be reached at 425.670.2551 or through her website at www.eliminatechaos.com.

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