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Searching for productivity

Like so many this time of year, I’ve found myself searching for a better way to keep track of my activities. The closest thing to an actual resolution I’ve made for the year is to keep up my blog (and finally for anyone sipping RSS, post all my back entries and unpublished drafts).
So to aid this daily chore, I feel the need to schedule some discipline, to delimit my news reading and force me to generate some lasting archive of what I find out in the world.
A daily schedule, or a habit, is something many people find comforting. Not me though, perhaps it’s a desire to spice things up, but I rarely cycle through tasks repeatedly. It’s time to cut down on that deviation from the mean.
I’ve used PalmOS and PIM software successfully for about 5 years. However, I find the configuration of the default tools are best for one-off’s, whether they be appointments or tasks. What I feel the need for now is a gentle guide to structure a day, reminding me to move along to the next task. My logic here is that I should be able to apply myself with true focus if I can provide my massively-multi-tasking side assurances that I will have variety.
I’ve evolving the requirements for this system while mulling over calendar and PIM offerings I’ve used, seen, and heard about.
Outlook: I’ve used MSOutlook in the past, but abandoned that because of the virus overhead. As you can see in my OS credo, using Windows is something I can do, but I have no love for Microsoft’s implementation of application software (MSExcel excepted).
Mozilla: I’ve used Mozilla’s mail client for over a year now, and found it satisfactory. There is a calendar application for Mozilla, but it is not fully featured. One reason to watch this project is that they implement under the ical standard.
iCal: iCal is the IETF standard, most well-integrated with Apple’s Macintosh platform that allows you to layer on calendars. This hyper-logical approach is sure to win, and this is one area that actually tempts me to buy Apple’s products. Being able to group events into discrete clusters, toggle into view, and delete with one click are powerful attributes.
Act: Back in the summer, I ran across a great deal for Act, the contact management software. I’ve always wanted to test the power of one of the big commercial contact management and sales force automation tools. It’s mostly gone unused, until today. I’ve set up Act to serve as my daily taskmaster, reminding me when to shift tasks, cajoling me to keep plugging at the current task for 22 more minutes. Act is not synchronized to my Clié, indeed I’d have to shell out another $70 for the privilege.
So after a bit of thought, experimentation, and research to see that what I need has not been created yet (at least for the platform and sw set I currently use), I’ve adopted the following: Act to manage daily tasks, PalmDesktop to manage appointments, and PalmCalendar synchronized with the PalmDesktop.
Here are other blips on the radar screen, none of which seem useful to me at this time:
PHPicalendar, a view-only app running on PHPnuke, Kronolith, running on Horde (they also say they have timetracking apps, but development doesn’t seem to be there).
This coverage gap has been oft commented upon - reading Infoworld columnist, Jon Udell’s comments on it saves me the typing.
This is an area ripe for a strong application, and the prices are fair too - Brown Bear Software supplies two of the more promising commercial entrants, an iCal server for Windows and Calcium, perl-based calendaring system. Both are priced at $95 for one calendar, and $395 for 10 calendars (and it seems this application is most useful with multiple calendars). This same company, Brown Bear Software, also has a synchronization module you can add on for an additional $100 for one copy. These license fees are not insignificant.
Will Chandler save us?
Oh, and iCalshare is cool and these scripts might be useful.