Dr. Frank Buck

“Next Steps” E-Book

Get Organized! The 5 Keys to Organization &

Time Management

ttending an event is one thing. Implementing what you heard is another. We enjoy events which motivate us and provide good ideas. The feeling of euphoria, however, can evaporate the moment we step back into the demands of our busy lives.

Real change begins after the event. It happens when we decide what we are going to do about what we heard. It happens when we  chart  “next steps”  which  transform  good  ideas  from  the  realm  of  “what  could  be”  into  practices  which  make  us  more  productive  every day for years to come.

This  “next  steps”  e-book is designed with those thoughts in mind. It is not a substitute for attending the seminar. Instead, it is a tool to  help  when  you  get  home  and  ask  yourself,  “Where  do  I  start?”

In fact, you have already started. You have downloaded and opened this e-book and are viewing it on-screen right now. Why not take the next step—advance to the next page, and let’s  get  connected.

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Social media provides an effective means of follow-up, a necessary ingredient  for  professional  development  “to  stick.”  Here  are  several ways you can make sure the latest information comes straight to you: Visit my website to get an overall picture of ways I make life

easier for other people. While you are at my website, read some posts from the blog to

get a flavor of what you will find. You are able to search a decade of content. If you have questions about it, I have probably written about it.

While you are at the blog, you can subscribe, so that future posts come straight to your email.

Subscribe to my newsletter. A new issue will be delivered to your email every month.

“Like”  my  Facebook  page. Follow me on Twitter. Follow me on Pinterest. Copyright © 2014 by Frank Buck Consulting, Inc.. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means—except for brief quotations in published reviews—without the prior written permission of the author.

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Handle the Paper

Select a place for your tickler files. A hanging file drawer in the desk is best.

Secure 43 hanging file folders. Label the files:

1,  2,  3…31 January,  February…December

Begin moving papers into the tickler file which are currently on your desk or other surfaces but will not be needed until a future  time.  Ask,  “When  do  I  need  to  see  this  paper  again?”  File  it so that you do.

Establish  an  “In,”  “Out”  and  “Pending.”     Pick  a  filing  cabinet  drawer  for  your  “Temporary  Trash  Can.” Label a set of handing folders A-Z for your Temporary Trash Can. Examine your reference filling system. Re-label files as needed. Move seldom-used material to an off-site location.

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Trap  Everything  in  One  Place  With  Your  “Signature  Tool” Choose a signature tool. Everything goes in

that one place: Calendar, Contacts, Tasks, Notes, Email.

Toodledo is an outstanding free, web-based task manager. A Toodledo app is available for iOS and Android.

Google Calendar, Google Contacts, Evernote, and Gmail round out a great free, web-based productivity suite.

Look at your to-do list: Have  you  identified  the  “Fab  5”?   Have  you  “batched”  tasks  so  that  similar  items  can  be  

handled together? Is each item worded clearly?

Ask,  “When  do  I  need  to  see  this  item  again?”  Schedule  it  so  that you do.

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Task  List  Tips  for  Digital  “Signature  Tool”

Be sure your software has these elements: “Due  date”  field  and  ability  to  sort  by  due  date Repeating tasks Note section for each task for additional info Search feature Communicates with your email Syncs across all devices Voice input

Start the day by scrolling down to what is due today. Change the due date to move items higher or lower on the list. Identify  the  “Fab  5”  and  assign  due  dates  in  the  past  to  

shoot them to the top of the list. Change due dates to batch items that go well together.

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Using Toodledo as a To-Do List

Create an account at Toodledo.com. Click Settings. Click the edit link and set each

of the following: Time zone/Regional Settings—Set for your area. Keyboard Shortcuts—Select to enable them. Display Preferences—Select Top is fixed and

tasks scroll and Grid (One line with columns). Fields/Functions Used—Choose Start Date, Due Date, Due

Time, Repeat, and Star. Row Style—Select Title is styled with due date. You can

choose either Completed tasks are crossed out or Completed tasks are dimmed.

Default View—Choose Main. New Task Defaults—Select Today for both Start Date and

Due Date. Priority will not matter since we will not be using priorities. The defaults for Star and Alarm will be Off. Leave Due Time and Alarm set at No.

Subtasks—The free version does not allow subtasks. I do not use them in my system anyway.

Hotlist Settings—Ignore this option. 7

Using Toodledo as a To-Do List

Hide Future Tasks—Choose 6 months. Show List Counts—Leave unchecked. Delete Completed Tasks—Choose After 6

Months. On the Tools menu, click More. In the Email

Access box, click Configure. Check the Enable e-mail importing box. Highlight and copy the email address beside Send Tasks To. Go to your Contacts and create a new contact  called  something  like  “Toodledo  Tasks.”  Paste  this  email  address in the email field. The importance is that any email sent to that address will appear on your to-do list.

Click on the Tasks tab. Start entering some tasks. Every task will get a due date.

Are you able to see the entire width of Toodledo? If you are having to scroll left to right in order to see the icons for the notes, adjust the zoom setting on your browser.

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Using Toodledo as a To-Do List

Sort your tasks by due date. To do so, find the Sort command on the toolbar and click on the icon just to the right of it. Select Normal and Due Date. Your tasks will stay sorted in this manner until you change it.

Click the Show command just to the left of Sort. Uncheck Recently Completed Tasks. When you refresh the screen, completed tasks will disappear. Checking Future Tasks is a good idea. That way, they will appear when you conduct a search.

On the Tools menu, go to 3rd Party Tools and choose an app to download to your mobile devices. I recommend the official Toodledo app available in the Google Play Store or iTunes Store.

Download the mobile app, log into your Toodledo account from it, and watch your tasks sync.

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Using Toodledo as a To-Do List

Be sure your digital to-do list syncs between your computer and your mobile devices.

What tasks do you do every week, every month, or every year at the same time? Schedule them to repeat.

Start the day by scrolling down to what is due today. Change the due date to put tasks in the order you want to do them. Important: When you refresh the screen, items sort to their new positions and completed tasks disappear. Click the Tasks tab to refresh the screen.

View these instructional videos: Toodledo Intro Tutorial Part 1 Toodledo Intro Tutorial Part 2 The  video  recommends  sorting  by  “Importance.”  

I recommend, however, sorting by due date. You can access a six-part blog series related to using

Toodledo. The first post in the series is located here.

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Get the Toodledo Bookmarklet Go to Toodledo.com On  the  Tools  menu,  Click  “Browser  Plugins.” Drag the Toodledo Bookmarklet to the

bookmark toolbar of your browser.

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To sync Toodledo with your mobile devices, you will need to select one of those mobile devices. On the Toodledo website,  click  the  “Tools”  tab  and  select  “3rd Party  Tools.”  Click  on  any platform to see suggested software for each one. I recommend the official Toodledo app, available in the Google Play Store or iTunes Store.

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Put  Repeating  Tasks  on  “Autopilot”

Decide how you will structure your repeating tasks. Will you use index cards dropped in the tickler file, a list composed and saved on the computer, or repeating tasks on a digital tool?

Schedule a block of time to think through the projects you handle each year. List all of the tasks associated with each one. Review the list several times to see if additional tasks come to mind.

Do more of the right things by eliminating other things: Identify the things you can delegate. Identify the things you can stop doing.

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Manage the Incoming Flood

Secure a paper journal if you want a paper system for documentation. If you use a Day-Timer or Franking Planner, the right-hand page is your journal.

If you will be using a paper journal, schedule updating your journal’s  “Table  of  Contents”  as  a  monthly  repeating  task.

For a digital documentation system, use Evernote Create  a  notebook  called  “Journal.” Create an account at TaskClone.com. If  you  use  Outlook,  begin  using  “drag  and  drop”  to  move  

emails to the Calendar and Tasks. If you use Toodledo, forward task-related information from your

email to Toodledo with your special Toodledo email address. If you use Outlook, drag and drop emails containing reference

information to your Outlook Notes. If you use Evernote, move reference information there. Create  a  “Just  in  Case”  folder  in  your  email  system.  Drag  mail  to  

it which is being saved for documentation purposes. In Gmail, archiving an email serves the same purpose.

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Manage the Incoming Flood

Master mobile assistant on your smartphone. (Google Now or Siri).

If using Siri, read examples of what you can say. If using Google Now, read examples of what you can say.  “Note  

to  self”  allows  you  to  speak  and  the  text  transcription  is  sent  to  your email. When presented with an option of where the “note  to  self”  should  go,  choose  Toodledo and  choose  “always”  so you only have to make that selection once.

For iPhone users, set your Toodledo mobile app to interface with the Reminders app. (What you enter into Reminders via Siri will flow through to Toodledo.)

Does your smartphone’s keyboard have a microphone icon? Practice creating a to-do by speaking.

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Use Voice Input to Add Tasks to Toodledo

If you are an Android user, read this post.

If you are an iPhone user, read this post.

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Experiment  with  the  microphone  key  on  your  mobile  device’s  keyboard.

Instead of keying an email, tap the microphone key and speak the message.

Instead of keying a to-do, tap the microphone key and speak it. Edit existing text by voice. Place the cursor where you want the

addition to go by tapping at the appropriate place on the screen. Instead of keying the addition, tap the microphone key and speak. Your additions will appear wherever the cursor is located.

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Manage the Incoming Flood

Typical functions you could practice with voice entry: Create  a  “note  to  self”  and  see  if  it  shows  up  in  

your email. Create an email to someone else. Place a phone call. Send a text. Update Facebook status. Update Twitter. Open applications on your phone.

Do more of the right things by eliminating other things: Identify the things you can delegate. Identify the things you can stop doing.

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Handle Multiple Projects

Schedule a block of time to simply brainstorm all of the projects or goals you have for now or the future.

If you organize with paper, create a page for each at the back of the planner.

Word them clearly and enter each in your signature tool.

Think through as many of the specific tasks as you can and trap them in your signature tool.

Pull together any supporting information which may be on scraps of paper. Enter the information in your signature tool or in a supporting file in your tickler files.

Specify a next step for every project or goal. Pick a date, and enter each in your signature tool.

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Ten Take-Aways

1. An educator's world is complex and becoming more so with each passing year. Staying on top of all of our responsibilities requires a system.

2. We do what is easy; therefore, our system must be easy. 3. “Planning  is  bringing  the  future  into  the  present  so  that  you  

can  do  something  about  it  now.”  Thank  you,  Alan  Lakein! 4. Make  the  decision,  “When  do  I  want  to  see  

this  again?”  and  put  it  in  your  system  so  that   you do. However, your system should allow you  to  answer  the  question,  “What  if  I  need   to  see  it  before  then?”

5. Tickler files keep your desk clean and ensure that papers resurface on the desired date.

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Ten Take-Aways (continued)

6. A digital signature tool allows that which arrives digitally to stay digital. It offers the advantages of portability, alarms, no re-writing, repeating appointments/tasks, searchable, shareable, room for details.

7. Education is a cyclic business. Getting good at identifying repeating tasks makes life easier.

8. Documentation is easier than you think. 9. You can be a master at follow-up. 10. Stress is feeling the whole world is caving in.

Organization is keeping all of the balls in the air by giving each one the right amount of attention at the right time.

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Comments from past workshops attendees “This  morning  when  I  returned  to  the  office  I  did  my  first  ever  drag  and  

drop to my calendar on Outlook - wahoo! The tickler file will come next week!”

“One  of  the  most  informative  sessions  I  have  been  to  in  5  years.” “I  saw  your  presentation  at  the  ASCD  conference  in  New  Orleans  and  

was  blown  away.    Please  send  me  your  monthly  email  essays.” “Practical  down  to  earth  user-friendly  content.  Excellent!” “One  of  my  professional  goals  is  to  be  more  organized  and  to  manage  

time  more  effectively.  This  hit  the  target.” “Thank  you.  These  are  tools  I  can  and  will  use!  WHEW!” “Practical,  down-to-earth user-friendly  content.  Excellent!” “Where  have  you  been  all  my  life?    This  is  a  great  idea!  Thank  you  so  

very  much.” “FANTASTIC!  One  of  the  best  I’ve  been  to!  I  could  have  stayed  longer.” “Awesome  ideas  to  get  my  life  on  track.  Thank  you  so  much!” “You  changed  my  life!”

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Comments from past workshops attendees “Great  workshop.  Fabulously  well  informed  and  entertaining  presenter  

who shared his knowledge in a readily understandable format. Helpful handout. Thank you  well  worth  the  trip  from  Ottawa.”

“I  really  loved  the  presentation!!  Dr.  Buck  very  thorough  and  entertaining. Great, practical ideas and the Faculty Club was a great setting!  Well  done!!”

“I  loved  this  seminar!!  Very,  very  well  presented.  Clear,  logical,  Dr.  Buck  was enthusiastic and witty. Very practical information that I will put to use  immediately.”

“Great  presenter.  Was  very  informative,  practical  info  to  apply  right  away.“

“As  a  new  administrator,  I  found  this  workshop  to  be  extremely  helpful.  I  got affirmation on some of the things I was already doing and many great new ideas! Thank you. Would definitely recommend to others. Frank Buck provided many ideas that will make my job as an administrator  10  times  easier.“

“This  might  very  well  be  some  of  the  most  useful,  timely  and  necessary  professional  learning  I've  done  in  years.  Thank  you!”

“Excellent  presentation.  Dr.  Frank  Buck  is  friendly,  interesting,  and  knowledgeable.  Well  done!  This  seminar  was  amazing”

Bring me to your organization Would you like to bring me to your organization? Do you know of someone else who would profit from this experience? Let me know a little about your organization and the dates you have in mind. Click on the box below to get started.

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Additional resources: Get Organized! Time Management for School Leaders and Organization  Made  Easy!:  Tools  for  Today’s  Teachers are available from Routledge. Click on a cover to order.

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Biography Frank Buck has served as a teacher, principal and central office administrator during a career in education spanning almost 30 years. He realized early that getting organized and managing time well makes life easier. Dr. Buck adopted and perfected tools which have been with him throughout his career, and for over a decade has shared those ideas in workshops designed for those in education and the business world. His blend of content and humor has made him a favorite with audiences. Dr.  Buck’s  books,  Get Organized! Time Management for School Leaders and Organization  Made  Easy!:  Tools  for  Today’s  Teachers capture those ideas in an easy-to-read,  “nuts-and-bots”  approach  to  time  management  and  organization.  Whether  one’s  preference  is  to  organize  with  paper  or  with  a  digital  system,  his  approach  makes getting organized easy. Presentations at national conferences include the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, National Association of Elementary School Principals, National Middle School Association, and the National Staff Development Council. Dr. Buck has been named to Who's Who in American Education, Outstanding Young Men of America, and has numerous honors in the field of music education, including the National Band Association Citation of Excellence. As a principal, he was honored statewide  through  the  Alfa  “Teacher  of  the  Month”  program.  As  a  central  office  administrator,  he  is  a  recipient  of  the  “Chiquita  Marbury  Award  for  Technology  Innovation.”  As  a  speaker,  the  University  of  Montevallo  College  of  Education  named  him  an  “Outstanding  Alumnus”  for  his  work  in  professional  development.  Dr.  Buck’s  articles have appeared nationally in Principal magazine.

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Frank Buck Consulting, Inc.

531 Eagle Pointe Lane Pell City, AL 35128 (205) 338-0384

Now that you have finished this e-book, I would welcome your feedback. Take your pick from the following avenues: Leave a comment on the blog Write a message on my Facebook wall Tweet about your experience (@DrFrankBuck) Email me

Best wishes in your efforts to “Get Organized!” —Frank Buck

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“Organization  Made  Easy”