The last blog discussed collecting "stuff" - ideas, honey-do's, don't-forget's, things-I-gotta-do's. I am getting pretty good at that. Between JOTT and GyroQ, I am collecting lot's of stuff. And I mean lot's of stuff.
The problem is that collecting lot's of stuff doesn't simplify life...it certainly doesn't get me more efficient. I am now learning the next step in GTD - I have to get organized. And I don't mean by that that I have to have a place for everything, and everything in it's place. In GTD-speak, that means I have to process the "stuff." I have to think about the stuff I have collected, and do something with it. And that can be anything from throwing a "stuff" thing away to filing it for future reference to assigning it as an "action" in a project to doing something about it the next two minutes. But, bottom line, I have to do something with all the stuff I have collected.
The recommended time for that is early Friday afternoon of each week...that gives you a little time to act on some of the "stuff" before the end of the day.
So, that is what I am going to do tomorrow afternoon...that is unless my 5 month old grandson is here, in which case, I will be more than happy to once again procrastinate. Well, maybe not. But the next time I write, I hope to be able to report some success. Let's see if that happens.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Jott It Down
If you are like me, you find your self on the road, or at least away from your computer frequently during the day. As I try to adopt GTD as a lifestyle thing, capturing those stray thoughts is tough. I have not learned the art of text messaging while I am driving (I understand that it is discouraged). And those funky note pad things that stick to your windshield are ridiculous...who can write on those while winding through traffic? Who can write on those anywhere?
Well, once again my faithful mentor, Eric Mack, came through. When I presented my dilemma to him, he suggest that I just "jott" my thoughts. Say what? Yeah, there is a new, FREE service at Jott.com. You sign up on the website for free, enter your email and phone number, and, after validating same through a quick 866 phone number and replying to an email, you are setup. Then, you add their 866 number to your speed dial, and jott away. When you call the number, they ask you who you want to jott to, you say "me" and after they confirm your choice, you talk away. If you are quiet for a couple of moments afterward, they assume you want to do another jott, and they ask you again.
Now what is really kewl, is that you can jott to other people. Just set up a list of contacts, either one at a time, or in groups. You can send "jotts" to your office, your kids, your spouse, even different accounts you set for yourself. Be sure to watch the video demos they have on the web site.
By the way, Eric and friends are busily putting the finishing touches on a template that will convert your Lotus Notes email file into a hotshot eProductivity workplace. So then, when you receive one of your jotts from yourself, you just assign it to an action and/or project, and you are ready to drive on!
Pretty slick...give it a try. And just Jott it down
Well, once again my faithful mentor, Eric Mack, came through. When I presented my dilemma to him, he suggest that I just "jott" my thoughts. Say what? Yeah, there is a new, FREE service at Jott.com. You sign up on the website for free, enter your email and phone number, and, after validating same through a quick 866 phone number and replying to an email, you are setup. Then, you add their 866 number to your speed dial, and jott away. When you call the number, they ask you who you want to jott to, you say "me" and after they confirm your choice, you talk away. If you are quiet for a couple of moments afterward, they assume you want to do another jott, and they ask you again.
Now what is really kewl, is that you can jott to other people. Just set up a list of contacts, either one at a time, or in groups. You can send "jotts" to your office, your kids, your spouse, even different accounts you set for yourself. Be sure to watch the video demos they have on the web site.
By the way, Eric and friends are busily putting the finishing touches on a template that will convert your Lotus Notes email file into a hotshot eProductivity workplace. So then, when you receive one of your jotts from yourself, you just assign it to an action and/or project, and you are ready to drive on!
Pretty slick...give it a try. And just Jott it down
Getting Started
For just a little more than a year, I have been self-employed [read: company bought out, and just about everyone was laid off.] It was a real struggle for awhile. I am a retired Army officer who has been developing Lotus Notes applications for the last 12 years. At the ripe old age of 63, I am competing for business with a lot of folks who have been doing this longer, and maybe a lot better. But I am doing alright.
Anyway, last November I met Eric Mack while doing some work for one of his clients. Over and above the work we did together on that project, Eric introduced me to a book titled Getting Things Done, by David Allen. I didn't realize it at the time, but that book would open the doors to an amazing new way of thinking about what I do on a daily basis.
Fast forward 10 months, and suddenly I find myself with several new projects, all of which are competing for my time and attention. Enter GTD - a process that purports to lead to "stress-free productivity." And thus the reason for this blog...as Eric mentors me and I learn to incorporate this system into my work, I intend to record my journey on the road to "stress-free productivity" - the wins and the losses; the ups and the downs. And hopefully you, my readers, might pick up something along the way that might help you, too.
Anyway, last November I met Eric Mack while doing some work for one of his clients. Over and above the work we did together on that project, Eric introduced me to a book titled Getting Things Done, by David Allen. I didn't realize it at the time, but that book would open the doors to an amazing new way of thinking about what I do on a daily basis.
Fast forward 10 months, and suddenly I find myself with several new projects, all of which are competing for my time and attention. Enter GTD - a process that purports to lead to "stress-free productivity." And thus the reason for this blog...as Eric mentors me and I learn to incorporate this system into my work, I intend to record my journey on the road to "stress-free productivity" - the wins and the losses; the ups and the downs. And hopefully you, my readers, might pick up something along the way that might help you, too.
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