Kelly Forrister, one of the coaches at the David Allen Company, recently offered a list of criteria to use when choosing your GTD app.
With such a great list from one of the experts, we thought we’d take a few minutes and show you how we’ve implemented those features in Enleiten for you.
Key features to look for:
Sorting lists by context - many programs have a “category” feature that will easily support this.
Ability to assign a due date - not forcing it on all of them, but allowing it for those that need it.
Portable for on the go access - can be synched to a handheld or printed.
Easily accessible - less than 60 seconds to get something in/out.
More attractive to you than repelling - you’ve got to like the system your entrusting your brain to.
Doesn’t force priority codes - if you know GTD, you know that forcing priority codes is old news and rarely accurate anyway.
Place to capture additional notes - attached to an item to capture relevant info related to the item.
Ability to search and sort in various ways.
Robust enough to handle all of your stuff.
So, how do we do it (as well a sneak preview of what’s to come)?
In an interview between Merlin Mann and David Allen, I heard the great phrase “Procrastination isn’t about not doing, it’s about not doing and feeling crappy about it”. None of us want that ambient guilt bearing down on us during our time off, so here’s 10 great ways to figure out why you’re procrastinating and finish what you have to do.
The excuse: It’ll take so long!. Maybe, or does that objection stem from not really knowing how long it will take? Set a timer for 15 minutes and see how far you can get. You can use a kitchen timer, the alarm on our cell phone, or grab a computer based timer, like a widget with an audible alarm. Most of them time, I can finish before the timer goes off just by forcing my self to get started.
The excuse: I’ll mess it up. So what? Do a quick scenario run down in your head. Even if you don’t do it perfectly, will the outcome really be a problem? You’re nervous about calling a potentially big client - but if it doesn’t work out you’re not any worse off than you were. So what if you aren’t good at painting or knitting? Do it, enjoy it, and practice until you’re great. Your color choices or dropped stitches won’t cause anyone any harm.
The excuse: I don’t know enough. Not being an expert doesn’t mean your efforts aren’t worthwhile. Tufte may be the expert on displaying information, but he’s not going to be putting together anyone’s quarterly sales reports. Acknowledge that lots of the work, in every company, everyday, is being done by non-experts - and the results are pretty impressive. And unless you’re contemplating neurosurgery, you can use your current skills, a few questions to colleagues, and some research to be good enough.
The excuse: It’s not worth it (pt. 1). You’ve already committed. But maybe you can renegotiate the task. Will an outline do instead of a draft? Can you offer to take on something else for the person you committed to this task for instead? Can you delegate it to someone else, so your responsibility then lies in making sure it happens? Delegating isn’t necessarily a cop-out. If you ask the right person, this can be a great learning experience for them, a chance to cross train on a related team, or a way they can demonstrate they’re ready to take on more responsibility.
The excuse: It’s not worth it (pt. 2). So maybe you can’t renegotiate. For whatever reason, you have to do it. As long as this project is weighing on you, it’s draining your energy and attention. Try reframing your reason to reflect this. Getting the task or project done is no longer about finishing it for its own sake. Now it’s about taking a weight off your shoulders to free your mind up to relax and enjoy other things without guilt.
The excuse: It’s not worth it (pt. 3). You’ve probably been through parts 1 and 2 before. A great way to avoid procrastinating on similar projects again is to look at why those “not worth it” projects in the past repelled you. If you’re a freelancer, did you charge less than you feel you’re worth? Promise not to make that mistake again. Did you make a commitment before understanding the effort and the time involved? Resolve to get more clarification in the future.
The excuse: I just can’t get into this. Sometimes it’s just hard to get into the right frame of mind to make progress. Are there easier related tasks you can start with? Try cranking through a few of those to get yourself in a productive and successful state of mind. If they’re part of the same project, they can also grab your attention and help you load the right ideas in your mind, so when you go back to neglected task you’re already thinking about it.
The problem: Distractions. When you’re avoiding a task, working in a space that offers shinier, more entertaining alternatives is going to strain your willpower. Schedule a block of time devoted to nothing else. Close your email if you can. Turn your phone to silent or have your assistant hold your calls. If you’ve got the flexibility, consider changing locations. Go to a library or coffee shop and bring just the materials you need with you. It’s amazing how much more interesting your task becomes when you don’t have anything else to do.
The problem: Your to-do list. Make sure your to-do lists are set up to help you work. If you procrastinate often, maybe you need shorter lists of things you’re actually going to do that day to keep you on track. If so, move more to your “someday” list. Maybe you need to view your attention as a resource, and group tasks by how much energy and focus you have. Maybe your tasks are too vague, and little time to process them into steps or add additional supporting detail to the steps will make them seem more manageable. Take the time to examine your set-up periodically and see if how well it really reflects the way you work when you’re at your best.
The problem: Lack of urgency. If you’ll honor it, set yourself a deadline. If you’re not sure that’ll do it, give yourself a source of external accountability. Tell a colleague or a friend you’ll see at a meeting the next day you’re going to finish your task or project before you see them. Ask them to check in with you about how it went.
The Toolbox series from EmmeBi seems like a gorgeous set of cabinets for setting up reference files. Numbered drawers aren’t quite the GTD-approved alphabetical system, but I can imagine they would provide wonderful storage by active project or some other system.
In contrast to the streamlined, often minimalist systems I’ve seen elsewhere, these are just exuberant lists. While I’m probably not going to make a trip to Target to grab some cartoon kitty sticky notes anytime soon, I find these inspiring. The mash-up of mundane tasks, favorite artwork, personal drawings, and inspirational guidelines for living makes these trusted systems fun to use and look at. And really serves as a great example of how to incorporate different horizons of focus into your thoughts while getting tasks done.
Eric has been putting together some slick new ways to organize and review your tasks. When it’s ready, you’ll have the ability to sort lists of tasks by due date, project, context, etc., all on the fly, and to drag and drop multiple tasks at once to assign them. Oh, and did we mention that the pages will load faster, too?
I’m loving Maggie Mason’s dream list, and I think it’s an inspiration for all of us list-lovers. And, well, I think my someday/maybe list could use a little more of it.
She’s got big dreams and small dreams:
“Grow vegetables
Try escargot
Help someone get into or through college
Live in another country for a year”
I’ve got a few of these in my lists, but looking through her 100 things inspires me to add some more. I’m working on a few of mine, like raising my first reasonably good quality koi (hopefully somewhat competently…) and finding actually taking the plunge to start a company with friends. And a few are in my list waiting for me to take action, like working my way through the rest of the French Laundry cookbook and learning a new language.
And I think my life will be enriched if I incorporate more of those into my more mundane to-do lists, to remind myself of how many possibilities there are in the world - and that if I break those goals down into small steps, none of them are impossible.
While being utterly trounced by the delightfully named “Strike Your Fancy” bowling team last night, I mentioned Tuesday’s article on uses for your phone camera to my fellow bowlers. And really the resulting story was too entertaining not to share.
Apparently, having once gotten disoriented at a new job downtown trying to navigate the maze-like Skyway system, someone had started using their cameraphone to take photos at each intersection while they learned their way around. On your way back from lunch, just follow the photos in reverse order and you’ve got a trail of portable breadcrumbs.
Sure, my phone camera (and lack of skill using it) isn’t going to get me any great photography awards. But it’s portability and ability to capture things quickly make it a great productivity tool. Here are 6 easy tips for taking advantage of your phone’s capabilities:
Now where did I park? In a big lot or ramp, pull out your camera when you get out of the car and snap a quick shot of the nearest parking sign.
What was that wine again? If you’re enjoying a new wine, beer, or even bottled water at a restaurant, snap a quick photo of the label. Next time you’re out shopping, you can show the nearest clerk exactly what you’re looking for.
I think I remember you… If you’re meeting someone for the first time, and have the nerve, ask to take their picture. When you get home, add it as their user icon to your CRM tool of choice. You’ll be reminded of them every time you call, email, or set up a meeting.
I have got to have that bag! See someone with great style? Ask where s/he found the coveted accessory and if you can take a photo of their purse, glasses, hat, shoes, whatever. When you get home you can look it up online and compare to your photo, or visit the store and ask for something similar.
What did we decide again? Instead of lingering in a conference room and transcribing your whiteboard, grab a quick picture of the content. If there isn’t much, you can work from the photo or transcribe the text later. If there’s a lot of content in multiple pictures, you can delegate that work to your assistant, local or virtual.
Is that a good choice? We’ve all done it. You’re at the store and see a mixer that looks pretty good, but don’t know if it’s a really a good deal for the price. Or you’re wandering through a garden and see some flowers you think would look great in your yard, but aren’t sure what they are or what kind of conditions they need to thrive. Grab a quick shot with your camera phone, email it to yourself, and when you get home you’ve got a reminder to do a little research or a photo you can forward to an expert for advice.
The classic Franklin-Covey Planner system, as practiced by Stephen Covey, is one of the most popular organizational systems today. If you’re one of its many fans, here are some ideas for how you can best take advantage of Enleiten’s features to help you use the system you know and love.
Always assign Due Dates
Since your Next actions screen displays every task due that day (and, should such a situation arise, everything overdue), you can make sure you can stay on top of each day’s responsibilities by setting a due date on each item as you process it in your Inbox. Additionally, your Datebook will show you all the tasks you have coming up in the next several days.
Use projects and contexts to set priority
Enleiten is designed to encourage a variety of flexible approaches to prioritizing. By dragging and dropping tasks within a project, you can rearrange them to reflect their priority. To use the Franklin planning method in all its rigor, you can combine the project-based approach with contextual tagging: simply create contexts of “A,” “B,” and “C,” and set the priority level on each task using these contexts. You can now review all your Priority-A tasks (in any project or due date) in a single spot.
Do you use the Franklin-Covey system with Enleiten? Share your tips and tricks in the comments! Do you want to get started with Enleiten? Sign up for a free account!
Apparently also now available as a book, The Last Lecture, Randy Pausch talks about the importance of time and how to make more of it for the things that really matter. I really like his emphasis of the idea that productivity isn’t about just getting more done, it’s about efficiently taking care of the things you really need to do so you have time to get to the things you want to do.
Towards the end there are some nice practical tips, for example how to renegotiate your deadlines while keeping your promises and how to establish what is important enough to warrant an interruption.
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Posted by Doreen Hartzell
Sure, my phone camera (and lack of skill using it) isn’t going to get me any great photography awards. But it’s portability and ability to capture things quickly make it a great productivity tool. Here are 6 easy tips for taking advantage of your phone’s capabilities:
What did we decide again? Instead of lingering in a conference room and transcribing your whiteboard, grab a quick picture of the content. If there isn’t much, you can work from the photo or transcribe the text later. If there’s a lot of content in multiple pictures, you can delegate that work to your assistant, local or virtual.
is one of the most popular organizational systems today. If you’re one of its many fans, here are some ideas for how you can best take advantage of 
, Randy Pausch talks about the importance of time and how to make more of it for the things that really matter. I really like his emphasis of the idea that productivity isn’t about just getting more done, it’s about efficiently taking care of the things you really need to do so you have time to get to the things you want to do.