Being a bit compulsive, a bit obsessive, and certainly with disorder it’s tough to compare myself to Gear Patroller Patrick Tuttle. His tenacity to be on time, with the right goods and gear in hand is inspiring, if not a bit frustrating (he consistently makes, and I’m willing to bet enjoys just a little bit, you look underprepared). But where he is prepared I am able to backwards plan.

What is this “backwards planning”? Well, for me it’s not making sure I have an umbrella when it rains, but rather having an umbrella in nearly every destination I will be going (car, office, apartment, every subway car in New York). It’s not making sure to put a couple sleeves of golf balls ready to go for a round, but rather having a baker’s dozen sleeves stuffed in every orifice of my bag. Damn the weight… I also backwards planned needing to get some additional exercise.

It’s all about a plan and though the Pottery Barn Daily System may not do your actual planning, it will make planning a lot easier, especially in our Gear Patrol reader’s households that manage multiple lives. A family.

Think of the Pottery Barn Daily System as a sort of home-office assistant, of the modern variety. It features all the traditional components you rely on like scheduling whiteboards, corkboards, and tons of pockets and shelves, but also a few modern niceties.

You can outfit the Daily System however much your organized compulsions desire, it’s modular and component driven ($895, as shown in white). Pottery Barn calls the modern components “Smart Technology”, we’d prefer to call it “Um, Yeah… I Have Gadgets Technology”. The components range from an HDTV component that houses a 15″ HDTV to a digital frame with corkboard & cubby component that holds up-to 128 MB worth of images, songs or movies and accept external memory cards. A Magnetic Whiteboard Calendar, Weekly (Meal) Planner, Letter Bin, Office Organizer, 2 Corkboard, Recharge Station/Whiteboard with six outlets, iPod speaker station with two speakers & whiteboard, Spice or Jar Rack for smaller items, are also available. The entire Daily System is available in black or white.

Cost: $895

Pottery Barn Daily System Gallery