I am interested in what tools professionals use to schedule and manage their time at work, aside from all of the smart phones and PDAs on the market. I am not one that has been disciplined enough to use a traditional (paper) planner, like those made by Franklin Covey, etc. Am I overlooking any helpful time management tools that would improve my focus on and prioritization of activities throughout my day?

Answer:

I never remember things. I constantly forget details. If I write something down in my planner, I forget to open and read it :) I do not rely on my memory. And I hate smartphones.

I use Google Calendar. It's very simple. You just type in events and set up email and sms notifications. 10 minutes (or what you set up) before the event start you receive sms and email and you know what to do. It's very convenient. When you are at your desk, yous see the emails. When you on the move, you have your mobile phone with you and read the sms and do not worry to carry your laptop or organizer.

The only secret is to read immediately all your incoming messages.

As soon as you get used to it, you can move on to advanced features like shared calendars and events, appointments, etc.