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[kamiakin]

Electronic calendar, synced with your phone. Whenever I agree to do anything I immediately put it on my Google Calendar, either via my desktop or phone.

Every morning at 5 I get an email from Google with the day's agenda. A half hour before each meeting my phone chimes and an SMS message pops up to remind me again.

I missed appointments all the time before I began this practice, but now I never miss a meeting.

[msparticularity]

Like many of you, I am totally reliant upon my planner. I am also really low-tech in that area--I have a spiral-bound calendar that I carry with me everywhere. I put everything in it. I also tell everyone around me, including colleagues and students, that if they haven't seen me put something in my calendar, it may or may not exist; just mentioning stuff to me in the hallway is not a guarantee that I will remember it. Similarly, when people grab me in the hallway to tell me something or to ask for a meeting, I am very careful to always, always say, "Yes, I'll be happy to do that, but--I don't have my planner with me. Can you email me, please?"

Sometimes, it's not a bad thing for everyone to think of you as scatter-brained. :)

[gratefulgrits]

Ever worked outside of academia?  I couldn't find a FT teaching job--even teaching low-level classes--so I eventually started working in a full time adminstrative/management position for a Land Grant University.   Let me tell you, I hated this job.  It was a million times harder than teaching and I was a million times more accountable.  Mess something up?  I had ten people on the phone giving me hell.  Forget something?  Everyone knows.  Unlike teaching, where there is some autonomy/privacy, my business and mess-ups were broadcast.  I eventually learned to put everything in a calander, and to NEVER put off unpleasant tasks, to put out fires when they occured and not hide my head in the sand hoping I'd land another job before I'd have to deal with it. 

I just got word--today--that I've been hired for a FT non-tt teaching job teaching non-glamorous freshman classes.  I CAN'T WAIT!  Working outside of academia has made me realize what a wonderful job teaching is, and how the problems that arise in teaching are NOTHING LIKE the problems that I've dealt with for two years.  Maybe a foray into the "real world" will give you a reality check?  It did me. 

[kedves]

Ever worked outside of academia?  I couldn't find a FT teaching job--even teaching low-level classes--so I eventually started working in a full time adminstrative/management position for a Land Grant University.   Let me tell you, I hated this job.  It was a million times harder than teaching and I was a million times more accountable.
...

I spent a decade in a career like this before grad school--first at a public R1, then a branch campus of same, then a museum, then a private R1.  These jobs were more abundant, easier, more collegial, more pleasant, and better-paid my academic jobs.

It's all about the fate one fears most.  I prefer anxiety and financial distress to boredom.

[king_ghidorah]

Like Ms.Particularity, I love my dayplanner, low-tech notebook.  Just make sure you write stuff down as soon as it comes up.  Make sure you get enough sleep.

Keep the faith.  KG

[daisyaday]

As for the "how" part in "how not to screw up", I love my GroupWise Calendar. I check it at the end of each day for my itinerary tomorrow so that I'll know what my first duty of the next day is and I have it open all day every day to keep me on track.

Daisy

[crowie]

Remember this is a profession and as such; there are standards.  Do not worry about apologizing - worry about listening to that inner voice saying you are not doing what you are capable of.  

CTG

This is a good point.  Even if you can't get motivated by a sense of obligation to your peers, colleagues, etc. maybe you can think of being professional and organized as a sign of respect to yourself and your own capabilities that only you need to even be aware of (the fact that others benefit from you following through on your promises and turning up to things can be more of a bonus!).

[tenured_cat]

Like many of you, I am totally reliant upon my planner. I am also really low-tech in that area--I have a spiral-bound calendar that I carry with me everywhere. I put everything in it. I also tell everyone around me, including colleagues and students, that if they haven't seen me put something in my calendar, it may or may not exist; just mentioning stuff to me in the hallway is not a guarantee that I will remember it. Similarly, when people grab me in the hallway to tell me something or to ask for a meeting, I am very careful to always, always say, "Yes, I'll be happy to do that, but--I don't have my planner with me. Can you email me, please?"

Sometimes, it's not a bad thing for everyone to think of you as scatter-brained. :)

Same here. I can honestly tell people that if it's not in my calendar, it won't happen. And even if it's in, that's no guarantee. I've used Entourage for many years and have just moved to Google (to have just one calendar and e-mail on each computer and in preparation for a T-mobile google phone once my current contract is in its 22nd month) and Entourage does a great job with alarms (if you just click "snooze" it'll come back in five minutes, but you can set all sorts of time periods). I haven't quite figured out how to have the same options with the google calendar; it tends to e-mail and pop-up just once. Writing everything in my always present paper planner reinforces things.

For meetings, have the meeting chair e-mail a reminder a few hours before (I can claim middle-aged senility to request this) or collaborate with a buddy.

It's easy to be fully invested in a job you love. If you hate your job, you should hate it passionately enough to insist on wrestling it to the ground, being much too perfect for it, and make it feel bad for losing out to you.