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I personally use a combination of Covey’s techniques, FLYLady, and David Allen’s Getting Things Done and have seen amazing results. While I still don’t have the perfect “system” of implementation (and likely never will!), I can say with a high degree of confidence that just about anyone can read one or more of those books and glean something useful.

Get Rid of the Paper!

Paper is right at the top of most people’s list of modern problems. It was supposed to get better with the myth of the “paperless” office several years ago, but even with more and more technology designed to make our lives easier, we’re still drowning in junk mail, and we’re all still too “print happy” at times, printing out long articles to read later or file, instead of leaving content in a digital form. And don’t get me started on junk mail, which seems to multiply exponentially when I go out to the mail box each day. There are still some strategies though that can help you to cut down on paper by filing things electronically and making sure they’re always ready for quick retrieval.

Technology Clutter

This is a bigger problem for me than for most folks—I am the PocketGoddess, after all! Not only do I run this site, I also have a regular Road Wired piece in Computer Power User, I maintain four of the PalmSource Software Guides, and I own/moderate several online discussion groups. That means that I have to stay constantly up to date on a variety of mobile devices and accessories, from PDAs to digital camera, music players, and portable gaming consoles. Even if you’re a casual consumer, chances are if you’re reading this article you probably have a similar problem on a smaller scale.

One of the best things you can do is to constantly clean out your technology clutter—that drawer or shelf full of old devices, instruction manuals, and parts/accessories that belong to devices that no longer work or have been replaced with newer technology. Don’t fall for the “I might need that someday” idea, because you probably won’t—that next new gadget won’t work with the old accessories, and even if it does, you’ll likely want new stuff to go with it anyway. If the device is still usable, sell it on eBay, give it to a friend or family member, or donate it to the appropriate organization. I hold regular online “garage sales” where I pass along great savings to my readers; the proceeds benefit the site and pay the hosting bills, development costs, etc. so that I can continue doing what I truly love, and share my knowledge and experience with others. (If you’d like the next sale list, use the Contact link on the left to send me a note; I’ll be having another one of my famous sales within the next week.)

One of my biggest pet peeves is all of the cradles, chargers, and sync cables that go along with mobile technology products. There were times that I couldn’t find a free port or plug if my life depended on it, but I was finally liberated from that nightmare by one of the greatest inventions of the modern age, at least IMHO: the VersaCharger from Boxwave. I’ve reviewed a couple of other power accessories in the past, most notably the JAVOedge Mobile Power Kit and the iGo Everywhere Power 3500. They’re both excellent products that power a variety of mobile devices, but they both have several different parts that tend to add to technoclutter instead of banishing it from your life.

The Boxwave Versacharger is the model of simplicity, consisting solely of one unit that you can plug into either a wall outlet or a car cigarette lighter that charges virtually any mobile device, from PDAs to iPods, cell phones to portable gaming consoles like the Sony PSP, Nintendo DS, and GBA Micro. All you need is the appropriate USB cable and you’re ready to charge—plug it into the VersaCharger, and a handy status light glows green when the unit has power, and red when charging a mobile device. You don’t have to buy anything extra unless you want a retractable cable for your iPod or PDA, or if you need a USB cable for a gaming device. (An excellent choice for gamers is the new 3-in-1 USB cable for the Sony PSP, Nintendo DS/SP, and GBA Micro for $10, get it here.) The VersaCharger is a bargain at $24.95, and frequent travelers will be glad to know than an airplane charging accessory option is also available bundled with the VersaCharger for $33.95; you can get either one in the Boxwave online store.

Media Overload

Books, Movies, Music, and Games—I love them all, and I have large collections of each. I thoroughly enjoy them and don’t begrudge them any space in my home, but how do I keep track of everything? It can be a real problem sometimes, so I’m very thankful for two packages that are designed to help me inventory everything effortlessly so I can spend more time watching movies or reading books than I do trying to find them. Until now I had used the ShadowPlan outliner for Palm OS as a simple database of sorts for my collections, and it works surprisingly well for that task, albeit on a manual basis. Both packages have their own strengths and weaknesses, but the bottom line is that either one will work with a barcode scanner to catalog all of your media products almost effortlessly.

Readerware is the first one I tried, and is easily the most powerful of the two packages. It has a relatively steep learning curve, but a helpful tutorial and an enthusiastically helpful support department ensure that you won’t be lost for long. Readerware has an amazingly wonderful auto-catalog feature that lets you scan in a series of bar codes or UPCs, scan online databases as diverse as Amazon and Barnes & Noble, the Library of Congress, and a variety of foreign resources to help you find a match for every title, even items that are long out of print. Every detail is filled in automatically, from author, publisher, and price to plot summaries and current value. Special fields in each application are tailor-made for the specific type of media each one tracks, from directors and stars on DVDs and track listings on music CDs to whether or not a book is signed or a CD has been listened to or a movie viewed. I love the drag and drop support that allows me to add interesting books I might want to purchase someday to my Readerware shopping cart, as well as the unique “fish eye” view that gives you a rather interesting look at your collection as a whole. A Palm OS version which includes the handheld application is available; all versions have a special export format compatible with the Notes feature on the Apple iPod music player.

Readerware tracks your books, while Readerware AW handles music CDs and Readerware VW tracks all of your VHS and DVD movies. My only complaint is that there is not currently a version of Readerware specifically designed for video games, but I’ve done a pretty good job of fooling Readware VW (the DVD tracker) into managing my games as well. Auto-catalog works just fine with game UPCs, I just have to tweak the format and location fields to specify the system for each game. Single product licenses are $40 ($50 for the Palm OS version) or you can get a money-saving bundle of all three products for $75 ($85 for the Palm OS version). For a limited time, order a bundle and get a free CueCat barcode scanner to make data entry as fast as possible. You can get more information or a trial download at the Readerware web site.

The various programs from Collectorz are more user-friendly than Readerware, and are perhaps better suited to someone who wants to get started immediately without “wasting” time learning a more powerful program. I appreciate some of the extras such as the ability to show front and back covers of books and the ability to search online databases by name as well as barcode. Even better, unknown bar codes/UPCs are automatically stored in a separate list so if your item isn’t found online, you’ll at least know which ones you need to research manually. Packages are available to track your music, movies, books, comics, games, MP3s, and photos, separately or in money-saving bundles. If you have a Palm OS or Windows Mobile handheld, you can also use the software in conjunction with ListPro from Ilium Soft so you’ll always have access to your collection listing. Learn more at the Collectorz web site.

Conclusion

While this article can by no means ensure perfect success, I hope it does encourage you to seek a little technical help, when necessary, to help you keep those New Year’s resolutions. The right system, accessory, or program can make things easier, but be very careful of the tendency to tinker too much instead of following the Nike philosophy of Just Do It. Make things too complicated, and that fancy new handheld can make you less productive and more stressed because you’re worried about the system instead of the results. So far this year I’m doing well, and I hope that next year I can finally make a new New Year’s resolution, like finally learning how to cook, because I’ll finally be organized and clutter free.

PS If your favorite resolution is to lose weight and start exercising, I can recommend the Palm OS and Pocket PC solutions from Calorie King.