Organizing/tracking practices

[skategeek]

I'm wondering what other people here do to keep track of what they're supposed to be working on during practices.  I've now got over two dozen different things I'm trying to remember to do (sometimes variants on a theme, like backward stroking with the free foot held in front of the skating foot vs. stroking onto a BO edge with the free foot extended back).  Up until now I've been using a sheet on my master Excel file to list everything, and I'd check it on from my phone to see what I hadn't worked on yet.  But that's getting cumbersome.  I want something more like a to-do list that I can check off each day I skate.  I looked into several of the "habit builder" apps for the phone, but none of them quite did what I wanted.  Finally realized that the answer was sitting right under my nose already.  I use OmniFocus as my master task organizer for both home and work stuff.  No trouble at all to add in a Skating Practice project with recurring tasks (skills).  So I now have a list of practice skills, some with notes in the notes field to remind me of things I need to do (e.g. extend leg, check posture, etc.).  As I check each skill off it disappears (so it's easy to see what I have left to do), but I have it set to repeat after a day so it'll be there again the next time I skate. Since I'm (obviously) a list-making geek and live for checking off boxes or crossing items off my lists, I'm hoping this will motivate me to actually do some of the skills I know I need to work on but sometimes put off because they make me nervous.  Now I'm just annoyed that I won't skate again until Tuesday... I want to try out the new system.  (Yes, I'm a geek!)  So what do you do to organize your practice?

[lutefisk]

This may sound a bit old fashioned but I keep a small (3" x 5") notebook with a mechanical pencil (most ink pens don't seem to work well when cold) attached to the book in my pocket.  The notebook reflects items which my coach has commented upon in previous lessons.  After my warm up I whip out the little book and have a memory refresh at the boards.  I find that this low tech approach is both convenient (don't need to recharge the little book) and efficient.  I also never worry about the book in my fleece pocket if I fall on it the way I would if I had a smart phone or some other over priced gizmo along for the ride.  The notebook never needs a system update and once its "memory" if full a replacement is cheap--another feature which appeals to me.

[skategeek]

Luddite.     I've done the same for some things... during one postdoc position I had, the PI bought us all Palm Pilots and insisted we use them for field data collection.  Fine until one day I got back to the lab and forgot to sync it with the computer.  Battery died, and since the data was stored in volatile memory I lost several days worth of data.  Oops.  Back to pencil and paper.

[Ethereal Ice]

I am brand new to skating and I keep a written journal, a spiral notebook, old fashioned as well I guess. When I first started the journal I had goals set for each skate session, but I began to realize that it was not working for me. Because I have been skating mostly on morning public sessions, the rink conditions can vary tremendously, and crowded sessions or even just a few reckless skaters (usually kids) were affecting my ability to feel safe practicing certain things, and the goals made me feel kind of pressured to do it. I ended up switching to keeping a list of the elements that I want to work on and just reporting what I was actually able to do that day, and how things went, I also note the rink conditions (ice condition and how busy things are), and anything else of interest, like breaking in my new skates. I have some physical issues with my back, and I note if there is any increase in pain, during or after my skate. On both the days I do and do not skate, I record my stretching and strengthening off the ice.

I doubt I will continue to be this detailed forever, but being new, this journal had helped me really see my progress, and if I have a set back of any kind it is nice too be able to look over the past and see that overall I am still headed in a good direction. Probably one of the more fun things to note in my journal is when we go to other rinks. There are three other indoor rinks within a couple of hours of my house, and I love to make notes of how the skating was at those places too.

[dkd]

I have a 1/2 inch binder with test patterns and stuff I should work on. I usually don't use it now, since I'm not preparing for a test currently. However, I think it's smart to have a list of things that you need to do since people can be pretty forgetful (I'm guilty of this). I also track my hours of skating so I know when to get a sharpening.

[FigureSpins]

I've used a paper notebook in the past, but switched to the Paperless app.  It's not the right solution, so I'll check out OmniFocus - thanks!

[lutefisk]

For dance patterns I've stolen a page out of Bill S's book and have several of the dances that I'm working on printed out and laminated.  I punched a hole in the top of each card and clipped the cards to a lanyard which I wear around my neck.  I stuff the cards inside my fleece while skating and consult them as needed.

[ChristyRN]

I don't so much keep a list of what I need to work on as much as a list of what I practiced each session. It stays in my skate bag. I have another one that I take with me when I have lessons. It has my current test patterns (silver) so I can look at them and make notes in lesson. It also has pages for my FS test program (bronze) with the current program steps. It's been known to change, either because I can't wrap my head around something (that drunken sailor outside mohawk) or because I bargain to change something (omitting the bunny hop that I *always* trip over for a waltz-toe that I actually do).

[skategeek]

I've used a paper notebook in the past, but switched to the Paperless app.  It's not the right solution, so I'll check out OmniFocus - thanks!

It's Mac and iOS only, so far as I know, but if you're a Mac user it's fantastic.  Lots of flexibility, and cloud storage so it syncs to the laptop and phone.

[littlerain]

I love omnifocus for life stuff haha but I've used listastic for skating before. I like that it is simpler than omnifocus? (In layout and how it looks?) I haven't figured out a system that works perfectly yet either but then again I also haven't skated much since last summer! (Ugh!)

[riley876]

I just bought a whiteboard for my practice space.



As you can see, I've only been focusing on the big picture details so far.   

I bought it, so I can take notes when I'm getting lessons and so I can work out "choreography" (such that I do) whilst skating.

[Nate]

I found I needed more than lists.  I need something that was like a notebook, but more flexible and richer than pen and paper - which always starts off great, but becomes a royal PITA when you have to refer back to earlier things once you've started to amass a decent amount of information in there.  Plus, they can be so easily ruined in so many ways...

I use a Microsoft Office - namely OneNote, Outlook, and Excel.

OneNote can Link Notes to Appointments i.e. "Private Lesson - <Coach's Name>" on your Calendar...  Or Tasks i.e. a Recurring "Pay Rink Fees" with a Note where you keep track of your Ice Time/Usage in an embedded Excel Spreadsheet.  So, it's quite flexible.

I track jumps in Excel as well (Clean, UR, Falls, Pops, and Air Times).  The Sheets are embedded into OneNote for each jump that I'm working on.

It supports Lists - I have every exercise and drill my coaches give me in there, the goal  being to do 5 random ones when I get on the ice as a warm-up. 

And, of course, it supports tagging.

The thing I really like about it is that it supports media embeds.  I keep a video library for reference and to document progress.  I'm a visual learner, so this was a big deal for me.  If I have a lesson on i.e. "Double Toe" and have an issue with that jump; I'll have a Page for in that section (Jumps/Toe Loop/Double Toe Loop) with the Video Embedded for Reference and Key Images, telestrated, embedded with Descriptions/Corrections/Coach's Tips beside them.  That way, I can whip out my phone or tablet, click the video to play it and view the text as well as the images.  I can link that Note to another Note for the overall lesson (Lessons/<Coach's Name>), so it's easily referenced (without having to duplicate any content across pages).  The note for the overall lesson is linked to the calendar appointment for that lesson("Private Lesson <Coach's Name>" on that specific date), so I can easily find it both from within OneNote (via Tags, Titles, or Full Text Search) and from within Outlook via my Calendar or Task List.

It works very well for me, but this workflow is not going to work if you only use Apple Devices.  Windows is needed cause the OneNote and Outlook for Mac apps aren't even close to parity with the Windows versions.

I suppose Evernote could get you 3/5th of the way there, in combination with Office for Mac or iWorks.  I'm guessing, since I've never used it beyond "look and see."

It sounds like a lot, but after initial setup - which involves mostly just putting things in your calendar and setting up the Section/Folder hierarchy in OneNote and on External HDD (for video) - it's all pretty seamless.  When you have to go back and refer to stuff, though...  It's amazing.

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EDIT:  To address OmniFocus.

It's a great app.  It's very focused, though.  I'm not sure you could use it as a notebook for documenting practices, though I'm sure it can be used as a List and Reminders app for things you want to do in practices.

I think the price is quite high.  I own Things for iOS and OS X, which is much cheaper.  The Pro upgrade for OmniFocus (which has the "Focus" view, and I don't think I could use it without that as it's otherwise too busy) costs a huge premium on top of (and compared to) the base price tag. Of the App/Service.

And it only runs on Apple Devices.  I need to at least view things from other device types/OSes.