Make lists. I'm a list-maker. It helps me stay organized, which is the only way I know to balance [1] a personal life (career, husband) with kids' athletics.
Use a calendar planner. My calendar has an 8 1/2 x 11" page for every three days, and they are FILLED! I list the phone calls I have to make each day, the stops in the car, the correspondence, the writing I have to get done.
Plan your trips to save driving time and distance. When my kids were growing up, their activities and times were at the top of each date on the calendar, and car pool [2] arrangements were next to each activity. The trick is not only to list what you are doing throughout the day, but to put them in an order that allows you to drive the shortest distance and save time. Sometimes I put phone calls I need to make right at the top.
Keep a separate grocery list. The only thing I don't put in the calendar is my grocery list. I have a separate sheet for that. I guess you can tell I don't bother with a Blackberry - it would take me way too long to enter the items and I couldn't read three days all at once. But the same organizational tips I used can be adapted for Blackberry, iPhone, or other smart phone users.
Know where your calendar is at all times. Of course, it's pretty essential that you know where you put your lists, or this exercise is futile! I keep the calendar next to my purse (or in it) and the grocery list in a pouch on the side of my purse.
It's easier for me to have a starting point for the day from lists than to begin from a blank slate, just as writing from journals is easier for me than from a blank slate. I know that when I leave the computer after writing for a number of hours (or a job), I will spend the least time necessary getting things done.
Links:
[1] https://www.momsteam.com/node/1350
[2] https://www.momsteam.com/node/713
[3] https://www.momsteam.com/node/2780
[4] http://www.amazon.com/Minor-League-Mom-Mothers-Journey/dp/1891724177/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1251312157&sr=1-1
[5] https://www.momsteam.com/successful-parenting/car-pools-tips-and-tricks
[6] https://www.momsteam.com/successful-parenting/balancing-sports-and-family-13-tips-for-parents
[7] https://www.momsteam.com/tips-planning-sports-moms