Overorganising, To Many Tools
Nicholas Brawn
noticed a definite improvement in my workflow and productivity. I have
however noticed some organisation-creep.
Since reading GTD, I've tried a variety of methods of integrating it
into my workflow from notebooks, index cards, Backpack (online
checklists) and MindManager (mind mapping/visualisation tool). This
morning, while performing my weekly review, I caught myself doing the
following:
- First I reviewed all the items on my backpack "projects - work" list.
- Then I compared them to my MindManager "ongoing tasks" mind map and
created a master list of my work-related projects.
- Then I began work on my next-actions list.
- I finally updated both my backpack "projects - work" page and my
MindMapper "ongoing tasks" file.
- Finally updated my backpack "@work actions" page.
At the end of all that, I looked back and thought... stop being silly.
I used MindManager because it's a great way to visualise at one stage
all the items that are being worked on. But it I found it become a
little cluttered over time, and lacked the simplicity of lists.
With regards to Backpack, my frustration is that there's no easy way
to map actions back to projects, and there's also no way to see when a
project first appeared, and when it was finally closed.
Overall, I recognise that I'm overorganising myself, and losing time
that could be better spent actually closing some items. I found it
scary that I'd let it get that far!
Anyway, thought I'd share my horror story and was wondering if anyone
had taken their GTD-implementation a little over the top as well?
diederich
down in fiddling instead of actually getting things done. I tried Next
Action, tasktoy, my Palm software, etc. etc. and have never fully
implemented the system because I kept switching software. Each were
good for certain things, but none were perfect.
So I made a momentous decision yesterday to scrap all of my electronic
toys and focus on paper. I grabbed a moleskine for project
list/planning and someday/maybe stuff and will continue to use the HPDA
as my calendar and NA list.
It's so tempting to just play with all the cool toys.
BW
Larry Underhill
> I've been on the GTD approach for the last month or so, and I've
> noticed a definite improvement in my workflow and productivity. I have
> however noticed some organisation-creep
inbox". We all know that you can't have just one inbox for everything,
but you can strive to reduce the number to the least amount necessary.
Using too many tools to implement GTD can have the same effect. All of
us "ooh, pretty! shiny gadget!" people need to calm down a bit... So I
personally limit my toolset (vim, cheap notebook/pen, and a good
email/calendar app)
In addition to cutting back on the number of tools that I use, I have
also cut back on the GTD implementation a bit as well. (gasp!). Right
now, I have determined that I am getting the most productivity boost by
employing the concepts of (a) project lists -> next actions (b) calendar
as hard landscape (c) weekly review. My current toolset reflects this.
I don't really have a serious "agendas" list, my "someday/maybe" list is
waaaaaay too lightly populated for what zips around in my head, my
"waiting on" list is not used as often as it could be, and I don't
really have a good organization for contextual things like "oh, I'm at
the hardware store and I need to pick up some goat rope to help get a
handle on that project at work."
Net result? I don't have a mind like water, but I do have a set of tools
and habits that help me get a Lot More Done[tm] than I did previously. I
figure that once I have a truly ingrained set of "core" GTD-like habits
I can fine tune the system to be more inclusive of the whole GTD Kool-
Aid Kit[tm].
I think that Quality is an iterative process and I suspect that The
David did not have some type of Athena-esque epiphany and write all this
stuff down in one shot. He probably found a core set of things that
worked and then tweaked his system to include supporting
techniques/habits over TIME.
Anybody else have a partial GTD implementation? What parts of GTD do you
find most valuable? Got Mind Like Water?
Love, Luck, and Lollipops,
--Larry
Remember. I often have no idea what I am talking about.
Chris Lott
moleskine) and email only at this point and probably will continue to
be until some tool is released that handled task management properly,
runs on Windows, and can be run from a portable flash drive. All I
want is something with which I can list projects and action lists and
have the single next undone action from each displayed automatically
in a list. Check one done and the next, if there is one, pops into
place. It isn't rocket science, but it doesn't seem to exist...
c
dbcoyer
LikeSoy
" ... have the single next undone action from each displayed
automatically
in a list. Check one done and the next, if there is one, pops into
place ... "
Was the one thing I loved about LifeBalance when I tried it. It'd be
great if something like nextaction had this capability.
- Mike
Joe
can't do it with this, you won't go any faster with Outlook,
LifeBalance, ChuckEChucklesWebAPPOrganizerPROPlus, or whatever.
Honestly, even the HPDA templates everyone is printing out are a bit
too much. Just use blank, white, 3x5" cards, and a good clip or case.
Actually, there's a nice 3x5" card case that Moleskine makes too. I
draw my calendar by hand, one week per card. I draw everything free
hand.
I'm a computer programmer. I've spent the last five years searching for
a system to organize and plan my work. It's paper. Paper doesn't use
batteries. Paper can be thrown down the stairs. Paper feels nice. Paper
can come with you anywhere. The only things the computer can do better
than paper is 1) search and 2) publish. If you're next action and
projects lists are too long to search without a computer, you're doing
GTD wrong. I don't see why anyone would need to publish lists.
I find that most "next actions" are acts of communication. Therefore, I
consider my email INBOX an inbox, and have folders. In this sense,
because the computer publishes email faster than the post office
publishes 3x5" cards, yeah, the computer wins. Email wins. I use the
crap out of email. Who doesn't? Email is like the car you drive to work
every day. When it breaks, everything stops. Email is critical.
Software brainstorming tools? Maybe. Paper and pen is so much more
limitless than any drawing/whiteboarding/mindmapping/brainstorming
software out there. Really.
Overorganizing? Try paper and pen. The pen is a wonderful valve. You
can only put out so much with it. It connects you to the present
moment.
I was once made to swear that I would never to do anything by hand that
a computer could do better. I still hold to that oath, and I use paper
to implement my GTD-style system. I'm not joking. It happens when you
program for 18 hours out of every day for a few years in a row.
Summary: Paper and pen will solve your overorganizing problems.
diederich
"Summary: Paper and pen will solve your overorganizing problems."
After two days I would totally and completely agree. I may end up going
back to an electronic system of some sort, but it's helped even just
the past two days to forgo any electronic toys and do a moleskine,
HPDA, etc. setup. It's been two days on a paper system and I've already
gotten more done.
It may not work for everyone I guess, but I know for me the best part
is it's helping me see EXACTLY what I need to implement GTD, so if I do
go for an electronic solution later I'll be less inclined to just play
around and instead will know pretty quickly if a toy will work for me
based on what I need.
Even if it ends up being a temporary implementation, I totally agree
that going completely lo-tech, notepad, index cards and a pen forces
you to actually just make NA lists and focus on your projects rather
than on the gadgets and such.
Chris Lott
>
> Quoting Joe,
>
> "Summary: Paper and pen will solve your overorganizing problems."
carry are a year-long calendar and a card with commonly needed phone
numbers (can't write small enough to fit all those in).
So, my complete kit is:
HPDA, moleskine, a couple of pens, good (IMAP) email, and a thumb
drive full of documents...
c
Joe
that's critical too. Much nicer than lugging around a laptop. In many
cases, an OGG/MP3 player can double as a "thumbdrive".
I'm actually at a strange in-between phase where I have this tiny Sony
C1 laptop and an iAudio U2 OGG/MP3 player and voice recorder. Remember,
I've been trying to do the planner/organizer thing on the computer for
years. I'm about to shed the laptop, and store all my computer files on
the iAudio. I'll have to move a debian live CD into my kit, but that's
smaller than the laptop...
IMAP? Maybe. I couldn't really be without it, but I could see someone
less snobbish about open standards than myself making serious regular
use of Gmail. A good automated spam filtering system is critical one
way or the other. As for email folders, I just have Sent, and a bunch
of "Reference" folders into which I archive messages. I haven't yet
found a system to track whether a message is "waiting-for" a reply or
not. I suppose I could just delete or archive messages from Sent. It's
never been a source of anxiety for me, not being able to check up on
unreplied-to emails I've sent, and I've used email almost daily since
1987.
two.o...@gmail.com
method (different software, different amounts of integration etc..). So
far, I have to agree with dbcoyer on www.mylifeorganized.net. It's the
best thing I've found so far.
I have seen some of the allure of the paper/pen method, and I use this
for brainstorming, especially when I need to break a cycle sitting at
the computer. There is something about staring at a blank page.. But I
absolutely detest looking at my own handwriting, so trying to read a
list of actions that I wrote would probably have the opposite of its
intended effect. Now maybe if I could hire an elf with good handwriting
to follow me around..
For me, one of my major hurdles has been idealism. I've thrown away
software because I felt it wouldn't do every last thing. For a while,
I didn't want an app that would not hold tasks, projects, contact,
calendar and reference all in one. Now, I use Outlook for calendar and
contacts, fusemail & thunderbird for email, and MLO for tasks, and
reference is a mix between folders on the network at work and real
folders in a filing cabinet. Sure its more programs to deal with, but
each one does its job very well and causes no hassles or headaches. I
am, for the first time in probably 7 months of trying this, truly
seeing the benefits of a GTD-like approach. I'm not using GTD quite as
its taught, because I haven't found everything to my liking. But using
it as a basic structure, I'm actually getting things accomplished at
work with more regularity. Now if I can beat the procrastination
monster, I'll be set..
Good luck!
peter
For me, there is yet another, very important point:
3) typing into computer is faster than writing on paper (for me).
This was also the main reason the paper solution didn't work for me. I
think it comes down to personal habits and preferences - you can't say
that one tool is superior to another tool for everyone.
Nick
in my organisational system. I'm now using them to keep track of
whatever item I'm working on or have been asked to do and had to put on
hold temporarily. Cards with each task and related notes are spread out
in front of my keyboard, and when I've completed the item I have the
satisfaction of tossing them into the bin. :-)
MindManager is out... too much hassle for day-to-day tasks. It's good
for a big picture overview if you've got a lot on your plate... but you
really only need the project->next action. It was a warning sign when I
spent more time on my tools than on my work.
So at this stage I'm back to using checklists on Backpack, and my index
cards in front of me. Things slowly seem to be getting back into
control.
michell...@gmail.com
starting to feel bad about my system, since I'm a bit of a tool geek -
pretty, shiny, buttons, ooooh. But then two.olives mentioned the
procrastination monster, so I didn't feel quite so inadequate ;)
The procrastination monster and I are bestest buddies right now. That
and the "overorganizing" beast. I consider myself a GTD newbie and
have been experimenting for the past month or so, just trying to figure
out what kind of system is going to work for me. I did the OneNote
thing and scrapped it. Moved to EverNotte for my research notes and
backup/support material. Bit the bullet and installed Outlook for the
tasks/calendar (need to sync to palm). I'm still using GMail since I
think it kicks the pants off any other email system I've ever tried. I
would have created a HPDA, but the supply cabinet didn't have any index
cards, so that impulse passed. I did however, buy a Moleskine (not
quite impulse shopping, I wasn't going to actually order one, but when
it was sitting there in the bookstore, pretty as can be...). And I
have to say, actually writing out notes (research thoughts, not simple
next actions) is lovely - they're right there in front of you, instead
of lost in the digital world.
I've been putting a lot of effort (procrastination?) into tweaking my
system, to the point where I actually created a blog to showcase my
tips. But everyone needs a hobby, I figure.
All this rambling to say that yes, you can get caught up in tweaking
your system instead of getting any work done. But I think this is more
of a procrastination problem and not a flaw in the GTD concept. You
just need to find something that works for *you*.
Joe
a good thing. I also write in pen, so there's no frequent erasing, like
there is on a computer keyboard. I tend to think ahead by whole
sentences when I'm writing with the pen on paper, even when I'm just
writing notes, next actions or drawing pictures. This is a good thing.
It connects you to what's going on in a deep, unique way. It prevents
distraction. It builds up your ability to pay attention.
Most people I know who say they have bad handwriting are only writing
too fast. Try writing a little more slowly and consciously. It feels
nice!
I type around 75 wpm. I've used everything from a big text file to
Evolution to arcane emacs modes as organizing and planning systems.
I've spent long hours trying to build a wearable computer that was
always on. I've carried around and written programs for 3 different
models of PDA. Paper is the way!
dangol...@gmail.com
capturing ideas is that paper doesn't clean up nice. If you start
listing next actions, you'll soon fill up several index cards with
them. Then, as you start crossing them out, you find yourself with 4
half-crossed out cards. If you want to see what you have to do next,
you need to shuffle through a bunch of no-longer-so-pretty cards, which
are probably mixed in with the random project, and waiting for card.
I've also tried Palm to-do lists, but the idea of mixing so many
disparate things into one list and using categories to sort it out is
also unappealing.
So I'm a little stuck with how to GTD at the moment. Does anyone just
use an Excel spreadsheet with one list per tab, and just rename the
spreadsheet every week? I'm thinking that might work.
Michael Langford
periodically go through and condense these cards (I almost always do
it at the review, but sometimes sooner).
That is a great time to do NA Busting as Merlin has talked about.
The messiness of crossed off cards also helps me get over my slightly
anal "It must look neat " bug. Then again, that same bug is what helps
me do the review (as I know the cards will be neat when I'm done).
--Michael
Don't lose your compulsions, use them against themselves.
Michael Langford --- 404-386-0495
It is very much better sometimes to have a panic feeling
beforehand, and then to be quite calm when things happen,
than to be extremely calm beforehand and to get into a panic
when things happen --Winston Churchill
BW Diederich
the NA when it's finished and refill with the next NA either for that
project or no. My NA card or cards stay neat and tidy, and are easily
updated. Since my project notes and such are in my moleskine which is
always with me it's really easy to add stuff to the card(s) under their
appropiate context list.
steve
done. This gets rid of the mess factor of lists being crossed through.
There is also the psychological satisfaction of tossing the card. Using
one task per card makes it very easy to flip through the deck and
reorganize on the fly or by context, date, etc. I use the preprinted
cards from nextactioncards.com, so these are small and thus having a
lot of cards is not a big deal and I don't have to burdened with the
thought of maximizing the use of a card since I don't have to expend
the effort to print new ones.
I like your pencil idea, however - I might use that with an eraser so I
don't have to rewrite the project/subproject when there is another next
action to do after one is completed within the same project/subproject.
I love this thread as it confirms my experience of chucking all the
tech tools and getting by (better than ever) with a deck of NAC cards,
a pen to write with, and a clip or rubber band to hold them together.
The procrastination factor came into play if I had to enter these items
into a Palm or onto a program.
Steve
Alejandria
could start using paper again. (Paperless for over a year and loving
it.) I currently use outlook for everything and that's working for me
pretty well.
I'm curious to know if the HPDA works very well for a lot of people
because its on paper or rather because it is one single system that
they can't mess with. With a computer, there's always this drive to
find "that ideal program that does x," so after a while, important
information has become scattered all over the place.
two.o...@gmail.com
any satisfaction from looking at my own writing. If I remember
correctly, one of the tenets of GTD is to fix it so you enjoy using it.
For me, looking at handwriting, even nice writing, just isn't pleasant.
But that's my own hangup. The lessson I'm seeing is that a system is
only as useful as its level of personalization. The more you
personalize it to YOUR life and YOUR wants/desire/quirks/hang-ups, the
more potential you'll realize. It'd difficult in the begining to get it
'right', which is why I think a number of us have had to go through the
motions more than once. I personally have found that this time around,
I have a very clear cut idea of certain pitfalls to avoid and certain
things I must do. As a result, this is the most useful method I've come
across yet.
BW Diederich
I mean, I like paper, and like writing down thoughts rather than typing
them, but I don't think that's the whole of it.
There's not a lot of room for procrastination with the HPDA I've found.
At least, it shoves the procrastination squarely onto me. I can't make
excuses about playing with my HPDA being 'organizing' or what have you
because it's just a stack of index cards so there's not much playing to
do. I have to face up to the fact that I'm avoiding my next actions.
There are tweaks and hacks for sure. Merlin's HPDA intro post has links
to templates, and I use Douglas Johnston's HPDA DIY Planner templates
to keep a weekly calendar with me at all times. But still, the tweaking
is inherently limited as, again, it's a stack of index cards.
For me it's that it's so simple to set up and so simple to make work
exactly the way you need it to to help you get things done.
The biggest frustration I had with trying to use the HPDA and
electronic stuff at the same time was the constant need to compare and
sync things that were by their very natures unsyncable. I got tired of
typing NA lists in various programs and then trying to either print
them out or write them again. Using a pencil with my index card and
erasing each NA as I complete it mimics my favorite feature of my Palm
to-do list, that when you checked something off it just disappeared
from view.
My .02
Chuck Rubin
random thought/task and be done with it in about 5 seconds
with a palm, I have to turn it on, find the program, find where to put
something, then input it
with a computer, I have to open the program, find where to put something,
then input it - but what about all the time I am not directly in front of
the computer?
likewise, at any place and time (since I always keep a pack of cards with
me - I use business card sized cards instead of index cards), I can review
and reorganize
Chuck
bse...@gmail.com
> reply or not.
A very easy way to do so is to set up a filter saying that any e-mail
received with the field "To: your...@gmail.com" - ie. any e-mail
addressed to you -, is to be starred.
So when it arrives in your inbox it's starred, meaning that it is
awaiting for an action to be taken (answer, forward, print, phone
somebody, book a restaurant or whatever). And when it's done, you just
unstar it!
I've been working this way since I began using Gmail and it's really
brilliant and GTD-compliant ;)
michell...@gmail.com
perfect reason for using a paper-based system. I stay pretty much
electronic, and can do the same thing with:
1) My palm (Tungsten E) came with Notepad, which is simply a way of
writing quick notes on the screen - I think of it as my Palm post-it
notes. When I have a random thought, and don't want to make it a task
or appointment, I just jot it down there.
2) One of the tools that will never ever leave my computer is something
called Stickies (http://www.zhornsoftware.co.uk/), which are just
sticky notes for the desktop. Click the button, type some stuff -
random thought captured, to be dealt with later. Of course, you can do
other fancy things, like give it a title, change its font/colour, etc.
I have also used the 3M Post-It version (software) but I find I like
stickies better - the look is nicer and I like being able to roll them
up and just see their titles.
As an aside, I've discovered that Stickies make a great computer
tickler file. Create a sticky, put it to sleep until some time, and
then it wakes up on a particular date/time to remind you of what you
didn't want to forget. I use them for some things, instead of
cluttering up my calendar with tasks like "download podcasts" and the
like.
DouglasJohnston
my main organisational problems lay this time last year. I was
paperless, completely digital for many years, and an IT professional
for a decade or more. It was part of my lifestyle. I couldn't think
about using paper for much (besides artwork), and whenever the thought
entered my head, I'm sure a bemused look appeared briefly upon my face.
Nowadays, I do most organisational tasks on paper --that should come as
no surprise here-- but still use my Palm and Gmail for certain tasks
ill-suited to paper, like setting an alarm, carrying encrypted
documents, playing MP3s, handling email, or juggling hundreds of
contacts (though my most important ones remain in my planner).
Now, I'm not advocating paper for everyone... that's patently
ridiculous, and it's absurd to think that this medium would offer
everybody a perfect cure for their productivity ailments. However, I
would recommend mentally blocking out your current system for a few
hours, and evaluating what tools are absolutely necessary to get things
done. It's a matter of returning to the beginner's mind. (See my recent
post on the subject for how I did it.) By stripping away all the shiny
and alluring toys, even if only for a few short moments, you can better
see tasks and processes as they really are. Mostly quite simple, in
fact. Why complicate matters and create a complex and multi-step system
to handle it? That was my problem at least, somewhat compounded by my
love of technology and the thought of creating something that would
boost not only my own productivity, but that of others.
One thing I didn't mention in my article is the need to resist the
sirens' call of technology if your system is already meeting your
needs. I see interesting new gear like GTDTiddlyWiki, AirSet and so
forth, and I start feeling the urge to follow. But my current Day
Runner/ D*I*Y Planner system is working perfectly, so I restrict my
experimentation to only a few minutes (Ulysses tied to the mast, as it
were) and file it away under a reference list. I mop the sweat of my
brow, and congratulate myself in overcoming yet another temptation. I
tell you, it's not easy.... ;-)
Whatever your case, I'd suggest trying to see your situation with new
eyes and a clear mind, and reduce your system to its bare minimum. Wipe
out all the toys, trinkets, guilt, baggage, assumptions, and
mind-clutter, and start figuring out your system with a blank slate.
Once you take care of the essentials in an effective way, you can
always build up, incrementally and in small but calculated steps, from
there.
I wish you all my best.
dj
--
a million monkeys typing : http://www.douglasjohnston.net
Jeff Shell
bad at correspondence, so that might have something to do with it. But
in my capacity now, email is something I use so rarely. If anything
comes up in my email inboxes, it's sure to be spam. I actually get more
use out of GMail these days, but that's because I moved many of my
mailing lists (low priority) to there.
For places where communication is critical with others that I work
with, I've been using Basecamp from 37Signals. I tend to use it more
than the other guys that I work with, particularly in writing out
messages, but we're all starting to use it and enjoy it now. It helps
with the "mind like water" thing, at least for work projects. It's far
from a perfect GTD tool, but I'm not obsessive over my next-actions
list being formatted and organized in the perfect GTD way. And I still
use paper and other personal mechanisms for managing personal actions.
Basecamp is nice for work communications since it's still as easy as
email, and emails get pushed out to people who need to see them, but
they're also stored and managed contextually on the server with their
project. It's also nice for journalling/"blogging" progress.
I think I need to go through an email inbox cleaning this weekend and
start working harder at using email for proper correspondence again.
But even with spam filters, so much crap gets through and whenever the
"new mail!" sound rings I just grumble at the interruption for
something so worthless. I've already set the "check for new mail"
interval higher than it used to be, and may have to set it to be every
half hour or more.
ProfDD
"new mail!" sound rings I just grumble at the interruption for
something so worthless.
Easy cure: turn off the email-notification sound.
Frank Meeuwsen
Lurking for some time and appreciating all the bright conversations
here. I wanted to chip in this thread to let you know I wrote a small
article on my blog inspired by this thread. It's too much to copy it
all here. So you can check it out at
http://www.punkey.com/pivot/entry.php?id=6935
Have a great day
Frank Meeuwsen
http://www.whatsthenextaction.com