The Hipster PDA 2.0

This is another important post (seems like they all are at the moment), because this describes the key tool that bridges the gap between having an idea of what you're supposed to be doing and really having your shit together.

Some of you may be familiar with the original Hipster PDA. Essentially, it's a stack of 3x5 index cards held together with a small binder clip. Despite the name, it's a pretty useful tool, to the point that a bunch of people have adopted it and begun making a whole bunch of modifications ranging from the practical to the useless. It's a fast, easy way to take notes and organize them into any order you want.

(At this point, if you're not interested in design and the process of coming up with the modified version, just skip to "Making the Hipster 2.0")

However, I found that the original stack of 3x5 cue cards had some design problems I was unhappy about. Card stock was a good idea, as it holds up to abuse. The binder clip was also a good idea, as it's secure, relatively indestructible compared to other paper fasteners, doesn't require a hole, lays flat in your pocket, and is easy to remove and replace. Despite this, there were a few things that prevented me from being too enthusiastic about the idea:

• It's huge. 3x5 cards will fit in my pocket, but I also have my wallet in there, and I ride a bike to work/campus. That's just asking to make the cards all bendy-wendy and damaged at the edges.
• The lines go the wrong way. Personal preference on this one, but I just don't like having lines that are wider than my paper is long. I also have a tendency to write concise items, so it wastes a lot of space to write all the way to the end of a card. I also don't like putting two ideas on the same line.
• No metadata. It's just a collection of cards without any indication of what each card will be about before you read it. People have developed organization schemes for the Hipster, which I have adopted and slightly modified.
  
• Index cards are always the wrong size. Again, personal preference, but I find that fifteen square inches is exactly the wrong size. I always need to write less or more than can fit on a standard cue card.

With all that in mind, I went to the office supply store, and when browsing the cue cards (trying to find unruled coloured ones, which weren't available), I realized how to fix the size and orientation problems fairly easily. I'd just buy 4x6 cards and cut them in half. That way, I'd have a pocket-sized stack of 4x3 index cards with lines that go the "right" way. I'd also have the option of keeping a few folded cards for those times that I just have to write down 24 square inches of information.

So, I picked up a rainbow pack of large cue cards, and later that day, got to work.

Making the Hipster 2.0

Things you'll need:

• Multicoloured 4x6 cue cards
• A small binder clip
• A box cutter (or x-acto knife, or paper cutter, or whatever you have lying around. Scissors are a last resort, as they tend to bend your cards.)
• A ruler/straight edge
• A nice pen (You don't technically need this, but you'll use it a lot. Get a good one.)

Now, to construct your Hipster 2.0:

1. Either fold a card in half or use your ruler to measure the middle point and make a line.
2. Lay your straight edge along that line, and use your box cutter to start slicing the cards in half. Hold the ruler firmly, but don't cut yourself or anything.
3. Pile the newly cut cards on top of each other
4. Secure with binder clip
5. Done!

Congratulations, you are now the proud owner of a tasteful arrangement of office supplies. But how to use it?

Organizing the Hipster
The basic setup is to use a colour-coded system to separate and sort your cards. I keep four main sections:

1. Today's tasks. This is a list of short tasks (i.e. no more than say, a half hour each, and as short as you want. Use your discretion here) that you want to get done today. They should all be specific actions. For example "Start fixing up black bicycle" is bad, "Overhaul rear hub of black bicycle" is good.
2. Blank cards. No problems here. They go right behind today's tasks with no divider.
3. Cards to be processed. This includes anything you write that isn't a task for today. This is where I keep a list of larger tasks, or things I hope to accomplish in the future. Therefore, it can include large tasks, such as "Fix up black bike" or "Clean out all the shelves," as well as small but non-urgent tasks such as "Buy shoes" or "Install new case fan." I advise treating all assignments you get as a list of small tasks to be accomplished individually.
   
4. Permanent cards. Here I keep things that I want to hold on to for a long period of time. I keep a list of phone numbers and addresses, a list of articles that I need to write (I'm also a writer), and calendars for the next three months. I also like to keep a divider card at the very back to protect the cards in this section from wear and tear.
   

Tips for Use

• Use your list of larger tasks as a starting point each day for your list of today's tasks. The idea is to break those large tasks into smaller, physically clear, concrete tasks that you can do in a day. This will cause you to finish those larger tasks incrementally.
• Sometimes it's hard to remember all the little parts that make up a larger task. I like to mark these tasks with an arrow, which means that there's another card associated with that task in the "to be processed" section. Those cards are lists of smaller, actionable tasks that comprise the larger task.
  
• Once a card in "to be processed" has run its useful course (i.e. you have entered the information somewhere else or completed whatever it was telling you to do), remove it from the pack and recycle it. Check this section every day or two to make sure there's no cards that are sitting idle and not being processed properly.
• I like to keep a few folded cards in the pack in case I need to write down a lot. This is good for things like grocery lists.
• Calendars aren't necessary, but if you want them, there's monthly index-card-sized calendars available here. Make sure you set up your printer for printing on card stock at 4x6 size. These calendars are great for keeping track of meetings and appointments.
• During the school year, it may be desirable to have a section dedicated to assignments. These cards, as with all other larger tasks, should have the task broken down into small, actionable items.