I don’t claim to be “super-productive” or anything, but I try to be. I’m organized, task-driven, and strategically wired. Unfortunately, I do get lazy and forgetful sometimes. Especially now, when we have a baby in the house that needs to be taken care of. I’m having to re-learn how to run my life. That’s why its best for me to have a few tools that keep me organized and on-task. But not every tool works for me. I’ve tried several different things to keep my life in order, but most of them have failed. Here’s some examples:

• PDA/Palm - I love gadgets, so I thought this would be the ticket. Calendars, to-dos, address book, even a finance app for me to keep my checkbook on. But it was tough to carry another wallet-sized gadget around in my pocket all the time. Plus, I was never really good about synchronizing it with my computer, so it was never accurate. I also never mastered the special writing code it required for input. I could do it, but I wasn’t ever as fast as I could write normally, so I always felt like I was slowing myself down. I’ve owned 3 Palms in my life, but I never got the hang of it.
• MS Outlook/Entourage - I’m on my computer all day, so I thought a good computer app like Outlook would serve all my needs. Email, calendar, to-dos, notes, lists—everything in one program. Too bad the program was a pain to use. It was complicated, poorly designed, and boring. It was also supposed to do a great job synchronizing with my Palms…..not so much. Not to mention that Outlook wasn’t compatible with all of my email accounts….very frustrating.
• Paper - The old-fashioned way was always simple, but I was never organized about it. I would always end up keeping notes and lists on scraps of paper laying around instead of specific notepads and binders. It never worked for me. Plus, why would I keep paper everywhere when I’ve got an efficient computer right in front of me?

So I got to the point to where I needed a great app that would meet these needs. I also became a Mac user last year, so anything Microsoft was of the devil. Macs have a simply wonderful calendar app (that syncs effortlessly with my iPod), beautiful address book, and an awesome email app, but nothing that really kept me organized as far as lists, priorities, work to-dos, etc.

Another issue was mobility. These days, I like to be mobile, but stay “connected”. My iPod can carry my calendar and address book, but I can’t write lists or notes on it.

Then I discovered the glory and simple beauty of Backpack. Backpack is so far the best web 2.0 product out there, along with Basecamp (which is a whole other post). Backpack allows you to essentially create your own web-based organizer. You get your own personal set of webpages you can access from anywhere. You can keep lists, notes, images, urls, even files from your computer. You can set reminders that notify you by email or even text message via cell phone. Heck, thanks to another developer, you can call a phone number from your cell and leave a voice message and it will post that audio message to any one of your Backpack pages. Just last month, they released a Calendar feature, which basically made this web app the perfect solution for me.

There are a few key features that make Backpack perfect:

• Web-based - Backpack requires no software. It’s all on the web, on your own personal url. You can access it and work on it from any internet connection, so you don’t feel the need to lug your laptop around in order to stay organized and connected.
• Mobile browser-compatible - You can even access your Backpack from your cell phone’s browser if you have data/web service. This means my cell doesn’t have to be some bulky “smartphone” in order for it to be my personal organizer.
• Private or public - you can set any page to be made public in case you want others to view some information on your Backpack. An example of this would be if I wanted a client of mine to see what kind of progress is being made on a project, or even be able to download images or files pertaining to that project so I don’t have to manually email it to them every time they need it.

The most valuable part about Backpack is the freedom it gives you to be organized about things you didn’t even know you could be organized about. This is hard to explain without giving examples, so I will do just that:

• My homepage is simply a catch-all for what’s going on in the Merritt house and what we need to do today/this week. Both Katy and I make lists and notes here for whatever purposes. I even keep some pics of Caelyn on this page, so it essentially has become our refrigerator door.
• I have a page for each of my Pixelight clients so I can stay on top of what I need to do for each client. I also keep designs and files on each of the pages, so if I need to find something easily and from anywhere, I can just download the designs/files directly from my Backpack.
• I have a page with new recipies we want to try for dinner.
• I have a page with sizes and prices for different kinds of tires for my Jeep, which I will be needing to get pretty soon.
• I have a page that we keep grocery lists on.
• I have a page that keeps track of all my subscriptions (web hosting, domains, Flickr, Backpack, Blinksale, etc.)

So, you can see how Backpack can be more than a personal planner. It’s a life organizer. The best part about it is that you can get it for free! The free account doesn’t include a calendar and only provides 5 pages, but its a great way to find out if you like it. And if you’re like me and can’t live without it, the basic plan is only $5/month!

Anyone who wished they had a little bit more order and focus in life should seriously give Backpack a try. It’s amazingly simple and easy to use, but it gives you the freedom to make it anything you want. Plan a trip, take notes for class, plan a wedding or any other event, the possibilites are unlimited. I think Backpack is by far the best personal organization tool out there, so take a couple of minutes to set up a free account!