Time's A Wastin

Time's A Wastin'

By Laura B. Williams

"Time is the most valuable thing that a man could spend."

Theophrastus- around 285 B.C.

It is believed that Theophrastus said that sometime in the 3rd Century B.C.. In today's world time is just as valuable, if not more so. We have had all at one time or another made at least one of the following comments

• "I never have enough time."

• "Sorry, kids, we don't have time for that."

• " The time got away from me."

• "I don't have time for myself anymore."

• "Where did the time go?"

I bet at least one of these has crossed your mind. In our fast-paced lives we wake earlier, stay up later, relax less and work harder. All around us the world is changing. When was the last time you had time for a leisurely chat on the phone with a friend and a cup of coffee, instead of racing through traffic with a cell phone stuck to your ear? Can you remember the last good book you read? Who has the time for that? Well, you can.

As you run through your day you carry with you lists, planners, notes and any tool that you can find that may help you keep your family and your work organized. Sometimes it's overwhelming trying to keep all all our balls in the air.

So, in my spare time (ha ha), I have put together a list of some organizers and tools that are available online and are FREE to everyone! Yes, I said free and I meant it. Not all of these are meant for everyone but I'm pretty sure that you can find at least one that can help you become more organized. So take some of your precious time and check these out.

Family Organizers

Cozi Central- http://www.cozi.com/

You'll love the look and feel of this organizer. The calendar has a crisp clean layout and it is easy to keep track of all your family's appointments as each member has their own color assigned to them. You can manage and share lists for groceries, chores and more. One of my favorite features is that you can email or text a message through the program to an individual family member or to everyone in the family. You can also access your organizer while you are away from home by going online or with your cell phone! It also syncs with Microsoft Outlook.

ClearCheckbook- http://www.clearcheckbook.com/

This is a totally free online check register. One of the great things about it is that you never have to give them sensitive information like checking or savings account numbers or credit card numbers. It allows you to set spending limits, receive bill paying reminders and you can even update your account using your cell phone. ClearCheckbook can also import from your existing banking records.

Home Inventory- http://www.knowyourstuff.com/

This is one of those things that you usually don't need until it's too late. This can be invaluable information to have on hand in the case or fire, theft or a disaster. You can add inventory items room by room, including pictures and receipts.

Movie Organizer.com- http://www.movieorganizer.com/

This is a fantastic tool for keeping all your DVD's and VCR tapes organized. Not only is the database easy to use but when you add a movie to your collection you will be able to search MOODb (Movie Organizer Online Database) for information and images which can then be downloaded and automatically filled in for you. You can upload your personal database to a URL that is made available to you. It can also be used to print labels.

MyBookLib Organizer 1.08 http://mybooklib-organizer.softartstudio.qarchive.org/

I love this one! With this organizer you can create a database that is easy to work with and full of information. There are 25 fields including title, author, coauthor, publisher, ISBN# and more. You can also add images such as a picture of the cover to the item. There are many more features. Great for bibliophiles everywhere.

MediaMonkey Standard- http://www.mediamonkey.com/

Whether your library of audio files and play lists is small or contains 1000's this will help you keep it organized. It keeps track of music on your hard drive, CD's and network. It includes a CD burner and so many awesome features I can't list all of them. Syncs with iPods. MP3 phones and other portable devices.

Pica Jet Photo Organizer- http://www.picajet.com/

You can manage 1000's of digital photos with this freeware. Its loaded with features including some editing features.

Recipe Center- http://www.recipecentersoftware.com/

Recipe management software that will store recipes, pictures and create shopping lists. You can print recipes and share by email.

Organizing at Work

Total Organizer- http://www.konradp.com/products/organizer/

This is a Personal Information Manager (PIM) that uses a tree-like structure to organize your appointments, tasks, notes, contacts and To Do lists in an easy to manage manner.

EverNote- http://www.evernote.com/

Another of my favorites, this program makes it easy to organize all your notes, web clips, graphics, email, handwriting and more. It has a powerful smart search, you can even search by the date. You can drop and drag files, create To Do lists and you are also able to encrypt notes to keep them private! It is invaluable to me!

Hot Mug- http://www.hotmug.net/

Here's a friendly tool that allows you to create and manage projects. You can stay informed on daily activities and also allow others into your projects (with some limited rights). Basic accounts are free.

There are many websites and books that can help you manage your time and increase your productivity. But almost everyone makes no bones about the fact that first you have to get organized and stay organized! I am hoping that I have provided one or two useful tools that can help free up some of your time and helped to make your busy and demanding life a better place to be.

"Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time; for that the stuff life is made of".

Benjamin Franklin 1706-1790