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Ideas, insights and inspiration for busy people on the go Friday, September 9, 2005 |
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Editor’s Scribbles
Have you ever tried getting online and finding your connection dead? Well, that’s what happened to me earlier this week. I checked the PC, modem, connections, everything...
Okay then there was only one thing left to do. Call the service provider. A guy with a sleepy voice answered. Was I calling too early? Never mind that I woke those guys at the call center at 9 a.m. They’re supposed to be a 24-hour service!
But to be told they’d cut off my internet connection because my payment was overdue! Now this had to be the ultimate shocker! Me, the person who prides herself on being always up to speed with her bills? WHAT?? I yelled and was almost inspired to keep yelling until ...!
Hang on a sec, what was that scrunged-up bit of paper that’s been loitering in my bag! Aargh! Could it be? Nah, no way! Did I forget? Nah... oops, yep, I did!
Moral of this story: If you don’t want to be caught offline, keep a to-do list. I gave up on them a long time ago. They don’t work for me. I’d write one out but I never look at it - what’s the point?
So now I keep my to-do lists in my head and hope they don’t lose themselves in the 1000 other things that go through in my busy day. Experts say this is a no-no and they’re right. I just need to convince myself (LOL).
Maybe you’ll have better luck with what they now call a GTD or Getting Things Done list.
Kit Editor/Publisher Website: http://MinuteChaser.Go-GetGlobal.com Email: chaser@go-getglobal.com
Modern Living Getting Things Done: A Guide to Next-Action Lists by Dan Fletcher Getting Things Done (GTD), is a productivity methodology designed by David Allen. GTD increases your productivity by getting things out of your mind, and into a reliable system that you can trust. This frees your mind to work on the task at hand, instead of trying to remember a myriad of things at once. You will find yourself more relaxed, and more productive at the same time. In particular, one easy-to-use part of GTD (which I describe later), only takes 2 minutes to learn, but can increase your efficiency by phonemenal levels. There are many parts to GTD. One important component is next-action lists, which replace to-do lists in other methodologies. David Allen realised that in today's dynamic society, todo lists, daily plans, etc, often do not work. If everything and everyone around you is going 100% to plan they can work, but how often does everything go according to plan? A meeting runs longer than expected, the report you need isn't ready yet, or the computer network goes down for an hour, and your whole day can go out of whack. David Allen's solution to this was next action lists. Rather than plan out the day based on projects, you list the next-action items for tasks you have to do. You record these next-actions into separate lists based on context. This is best shown with an example... Suppose you had the following todo list:
The first step in GTD is to change the list to be based on the next physical action for each project:
By listing the next specific physical action, it becomes much easier to proceed on the projects. You might procrastinate on "Prepare for the department meeting", but "Print out the financial report for the department meeting", seems like a much easier thing for you to tackle, and therefore, you are MUCH more likely to get it done. Just this one idea alone will increase your productivity dramatically! It seems simple, but it is actually quite profound, because it focuses your mind on ACTION. The next step in Getting Things Done, is to move these next-action's into separate lists based on context: @Phone (Things I can do when I am at a phone):
@Computer:
@Home:
Why have separate lists? The main benefit is that it lets you look at the tasks that are only suitable to where you are at the moment. If you are at work, you aren't distracted by the tasks that are on the @Home list, and if you are at home, you aren't distracted by the work tasks. The actual GTD contexts that you use are up to you. The standard ones that David Allen recommends are generally based on location (like the ones above), but you can use whatever works best for you. Another benefit of separating out the lists into contexts is that it becomes easy to change what you are working on quickly if something goes wrong. Suppose your in the middle of some research online, and the computer network goes down. Whilst other people might decide it's time for a coffee break, you can just look at you phone list, and start tackling some of the @Phone tasks instead. Breaking your todo lists into next-action lists based on context may seem like a lot more work than a standard todo list, but it isn't really. It only takes a little bit longer to plan, but the increase in productivity more than compensates for this. Next-Actions lists are a small part of the Getting Things Done methodology. They are useful on their own, but their power is multiplied when used with the rest of David Allen's system. GTD is incredibly effective, and I highly encourage you to try it out for yourself, by reading David Allen's book ("Getting Things Done: The Art Of Stress Free Productivity"), or by trying out some GTD software. ----- About the author: Dan Fletcher is a developer at dogMelon. They make Note Studio, an easy-to-use tool, being used for GTD on Palms, PC's, and Macs.
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Offpeak Hours Create Fall Family Memories by Rachel Lower Autumn is a spectacular time of year to create long-lasting family memories. Whether your family thrives on tradition or spontaneity, there are many seasonal activities you may enjoy together. Here are 8 fall-theme family activity ideas: Experience Full-on Fall Foliage Especially true for city dwellers, many of us miss out on the annual change of color out in the country. There is something eclectic about driving out of town just to see the gorgeous view. Nothing rivals one bright red sugar maple in the city like thousands of trees clustered in reds, oranges, yellows and browns. You could pack up everyone in the minivan to go out for one afternoon, perhaps stopping to hike and picnic, or spend a weekend camping in the wilderness. The wild Autumn landscape is worth making time for every year. Apples and Pumpkins Food and Fall go hand in hand. It is harvest time, and the perfect time to test your families harvesting skills. Small farms go great lengths to please customers at this time of year. Some keep it simple, letting you pick your product and making certain their cozy stores are aromatic and inviting. Some small farms go great lengths to please with special activities for children and entire families. Children will love picking their own apples, or a one of a kind pumpkin from the patch. Kids may also enjoy helping you make seasonal meals out of your crop, like apple pie and maple saltwater taffy. Autumn Crafts Just google "fall autumn crafts" and you'll get over 240,000 results. You can make your own scarecrows, corn husk dolls, leaf crafts, etc. Some of the possible creations can last for years as part of your homes Autumn decor. I recommend an autumn wreath, a Thanksgiving centerpiece, and fall garlands. Of course, don't store those carved pumpkins in the closet to display next year! Make Fall Chores Fun Children may volunteer to help rake leaves if given the freedom to jump in the piles. If they need a little more inspiration, you can make it preparation for a fun craft. For instance, leaves can be used to stuff a home made scarecrow. Something can be taught and a good deed shared if together you rake an elderly neighbors lawn. Community Festivities There are always harvest-themed festivals going on this time of year. Attending them is an easy way to instill a sense of community in your children. Both small towns and big cities have various fall-themed festivals. If you're a city dweller, but prefer a small town atmosphere, make it a day trip. Be sure to try the cider. Buy some real maple syrup! Bring wipes in case the pumpkin face painted on your youngest ones cheek is smeary! Seasonal Movies (& Books) Buy, rent or borrow an old favourite on DVD, and a few big tubs of popcorn. The Wizard of Oz comes to mind first, followed by the Little House on the Prairie TV series on DVD. Charlie Brown, Garfield, and other cartoon Thanksgiving shows are old favorites too. A variety of seasonal childrens books are a library trip away. Seasonal Sports Fall is rich in sporting events, from college football to hockey. Dad may want to initiate a game day event. The whole family could wear warm hoodies, mother and daughter cuddled under a fleece blanket with the team logo, with everyone sharing junk food from the concessions stand. Giving Back Poverty exists everywhere. Visit your Daily Bread (or equivalent) web site for ideas to get involved and make a difference. The whole family may get involved and possibly make alleviating poverty a life-long shared mission. Don't let Autumn pass your family by without enjoying what it has to offer. ----- About the author: Rachel Lower is a freelancer writer and web designer. In 2001 she established a web site for Christian moms at http://www.christian-mommies.com. Visit her at http://www.rachellauer.com.
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IN THIS ISSUE Editor’s Scribbles Modern Living Getting Things Done: A Guide to Next-Action Lists Ad Board Offpeak Hours Create Fall Family Memories Water Cooler Earn a FREE classified - easy!
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