GTD Power Links 07/08/08

• So dude, what exactly is your plan? I have met very few people who have a plan for their lives. Most are passive spectators, watching their lives unfold a day at a time. They may plan their careers, the building of a new home, or even a vacation. But it never occurs to them to plan their life. As a result, many end up discouraged and disillusioned, wondering where they went wrong. (via from where i sit)
• How to tell if you have to much free time…

  You’re likely a productivity hobbyist if:

  • You frequently do things like re-purpose shoeholders to organize your gadgets.
  • You have a t-shirt that says "David Allen has a posse."
  • You modify your GTD system on a weekly basis.
  • You’ve ever emptied your geek bag, taken a picture, and then shared the picture with friends.
• A place for your stuff…Every system out there, particularly those that are dependent on a specific format and/or planner, advocate putting everything in one place. Some systems insist that the only place to put things is in their product; GTD advocates a more realistic approach: minimizing how many places you put stuff. (via simple productivity blog)
• Adding Mindmapping to your weekly review…The problem that I was having with the GTD and Covey systems is that they make it difficult to discern major and minor roles. They’re just too linear for me. My solution was to create a mind map with ALL of the roles and commitments I have in my life right now. Because some are more complex than others, I used the branching and nesting abilities of the mind map to show the relative importance of the roles. (via never the same river twice)
• GTD heretic flapping his gums? The GTD vertical map (or horizon of focus) has always stood out like a sore thumb. It’s a neat idea and can certainly offer a lot of value to people, but in a book that focuses so much on the here-and-now, it just feels tagged on with too little detail on it. I decided it was about time it was really addressed but as I thought about it and tried to really implement it, something occurred to me. It actually kinda sucks. (via organize it)
• Maybe your filthy desk  isn’t such a bad thing…A Financial Times Deutschland article asks the following question: “If a cluttered desk is the sign of a cluttered mind, what does an empty desk say about the quality of your ideas?” I guess the assumption is an empty desk equals an empty mind. I think an empty mind can help you focus on what the task at hand is, while a cluttered mind makes it a bit more difficult to concentrate. (via unclutterer)

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from tag productivity

• Jott.com – Mobile Note Taking and Hands-Free Messaging
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• My Really Simple GTD System on Flickr – Photo Sharing!
• Web Worker Daily » Archive Work-Life (Off) Balance «
• Unclutterer » Archive » Pitfalls of creativity clutter
• Vox Pop: Patterns for email as work conversation? | 43 Folders
• del.icio.us/tag/productivity

(more..)

 

Technorati Tags: productivity,gtd,mindmapping,clutter

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Online Mind Mapping

 

Desktop mind mapping heavyweight Mindjet have moved their junk online…..

Mindjet, the most successful vendor of mind mapping software (their Windows and Mac versions have both shown strong growth over the last few years, despite professional-level price tags) has finally joined the online mind mapping market as well. Their new Mindjet Connect site offers an online collaboration home for users of their software, plus a new web version (produced in Flash) that allows you to create and share mind maps without owning the desktop version. (via web worker daily)

My current mind mapping tool of choice is a Moleskine and a G2 pen.

Related Posts

from tag mindmapping

• Open Source Mind Mapping Software Freemind Updated… « Geeks Guide To GTD
• Hack Your Day Productivity | 5 steps of mindmapping to determine your goals
• mind map | Anabubula.com *
• Mindmapping | Productivity 101
• Creating Passionate Users: Getting/Staying Organized: my Moleskine PDA
• brennenreece.com » GTD, Moleskine, and Mindmapping
• The mind-mapping.org Blog

(more..)

 

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How To Tackle A New Assignment

I’m in a  time of transition at the moment and getting ready to go into a new assignment, so this new book by Tim Watkins sounds interesting.

One of the better books that I have read is called The First 90 Days – Success Strategies for New Leaders by Harvard professor Michael Watkins.  The book is tailored to people who are  new to leadership roles.  This book is not only for new “people managers”, but many of the strategies discussed can be applied to just about anyone taking on a leadership role (e.g. Project Managers) or someone taking on a new role in their community (e.g. Cub Scout Den Leaders). (via stuff for getting things done)

One of the keys that I’ve found that helps create a smooth transition is preparation. That during the quite time before the big change read everything you can get your hands on that relates to the new assignment. Take some quality time and map out some goals. You know dream big…because I’d rather miss hitting the mark on a grandiose plan than be successful at reaching a mediocre one.

 

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• Learn GTD in 10 Easy Steps – Video of Step 1 – Clear your head – Inbox : Getting Things Done Blog – Nozbe : An RSS Web Blog by Michael Sliwinski, founder of Nozbe
• My Really Simple GTD System on Flickr – Photo Sharing!
• 12 Ways to Upgrade Your Weekly Review – Lifehack.org
• The David Allen Company
• Developing my mission statement | blog to discovery

(more..)

 

Technorati Tags: productivity,leadership

Open Source Mind Mapping Software Freemind Updated…

You can read the full review here

                                 

Last year, I reviewed version 0.8.0 of FreeMind, the open source mind mapping software program that has made significant strides in recent years. In early September, the development team introduced a beta version of 0.9.0. While still somewhat buggy, it shows the direction this unique program is taking.

via mind mapping software weblog

GTD Power Links 03-26-07

How to guide for power napping…

Napping in general benefits heart functioning, hormonal maintenance, and cell repair, says Dr. Sara Mednick, a scientist at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies who is at the forefront of napping research. A power nap, says Mednick, simply maximizes these benefits by getting the sleeper into and out of rejuvenate sleep as fast as possible. No surprise that Lance Armstrong’s coach, Chris Carmichael, says that “naps were critical in his overall training plan.” In Manhattan, napping has become a lucrative business: MetroNaps in the Empire State Building provides darkened cot-like redoubts that attract Broadway actors between shows as well as investment bankers who otherwise would fall asleep at their desks. And in Iraq, U.S. Marine commanders have mandated a power nap before patrols.

via men’s journal

 

The first sign that you need to check into GTD rehab…

For those of us who like to write things down with pen on paper even when we’re at the computer, Galison Memo Mouse Pads save desk space and keep your important, scribbled lists in sight.

via lifehacker

 

Dude pimp my Google Calendar!

Google Calendar doesn’t get much love or attention these days. Some users are wondering if Google’s forgotten about it. Still, it’s a pretty cool web app, especially if you learn the ins and outs and use it collaboratively with colleagues, friends, or family.

If you’ve been using it since it was introduced last year, you may know how to do many of these things. Maybe you even have your own tips and tricks for making it really rock. If so, share them in the comments.

via web worker daily

 

GTD in Academia breaks down how to break the chains of procrastination

Procrastination is a one of the most odious behaviors simply because we watch ourselves do it. Like a bad dream, we watch ourselves piddle at something that is at best marginally useful even as something we know is useful (Covey’s Type II tasks) languishes. And the oddest thing is that we tend to procrastinate most about the things most important to us.

via gtd in academia

 

I’ve recently added some Lo Fi capture devices to my GTD setup (aka a pile of Moleskine Cahiers) and I most admit there is an soulful allure to paper systems…Brett your thoughts?

The bottom line is this: you need to be flexible. If you only know how to drive an automatic, you’re a liability to yourself and your stick-shift-driving friends. If you only know how to ‘do’ GTD using a computer or other digital medium, the same risks apply. Here are my 4 reasons why every GTD newcomer should do paper first:

via cranking widgets blog

 

The folks from ConceptDraw have released a new widget for Max OS X

Brainstorm Lite is a simple “widget” for Mac OS X that enables users to record ideas in timed brainstorming sessions. These ideas can then be exported to nearly any mind mapping software program using the OPML standard, or to TXT or RTF text-based formats for further development in your favorite text editor or word processing program.

via mind mapping software blog

 

Use you mobile phone as a GTD inbox?

I have a thing for hi-tech gadgets. Over the years I have owned and used many desktop computers, laptops, PDAs, mobile phones and so on. A few years ago I was still convinced that my whole life could be organized with a single digital device (e.g. PDA). Even before discovering GTD, I already decided this was not going to work and I made a substantial -not radical- change towards analog tools. You may remember them: pen, pencil, paper? I’m sure you remember that I have been using a hybrid GTD system ever since; it still has a digital heart (Excel) but everything else is analog (Moleskine pocket diary, PocketMods, pen, tickler, archive).

via getting things done

 

More web 2.0 mind mapping goodness with mindmeister!

MindMeister brings the concept of mind mapping to the web, using its facilities for real-time collaboration to allow truly global brainstorming sessions.

Users can create, manage and share mind maps online and access them anytime, from anywhere. In brainstorming mode, fellow MindMeisters from around the world (or just in different rooms) can simultaneously work on the same mind map – and see each other’s changes as they happen. Using integrated Skype calls, they can throw around new ideas and put them down on “paper” at the same time.

 

Okay another post with the word pimp in it…12 ways to pimp your office

I’m not going to claim that a fancy desk or a weird chair is going to magically improve your creativity and productivity – but I am damn sure, that all that sameness and eternal corporate grayness, does nothing good for your ability to come up with great new ideas.

Here are some ways to spruce up a workplace that may actually inject some color and fun into your work environment.

via chief happiness officer

 

 

Technorati tags: google calendar, power napping, moleskine cahier, brainstorm lite, mind mapping

 

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GTD Mighty Mega Power Links 03-13-07

Another new week to get some thangs done and Vaibhav starts us off with his suggestion that SyncMyCal is the king of calendar syncing type things…

SyncMyCal adds a toolbar to your Outlook which helps you perform one-click synchronization between your Outlook and Google calendars. You can choose which calendars you want to synchronize and if you want to perform one way or two way updates.

The open source community drops a less sucky Palm web-browser!

The open-source browser offers features not found in Palm’s stock Blazer browser, including a tabbed interface (currently limited to three tabs) and a built-in RSS reader. It supports five-way scrolling, HiRes+ screens, and optional masking of history, cache and cookies. Trust me when I say the tabbed browsing alone makes Universe 3 an appealing alternative to the long-neglected Blazer.

via lifehacker

Can a Index Card save your life?

Created by Jason Theodor of ThereIsNoBox.ca, to promote Routinizational-Imprinting™, a patent-pending, life-altering method to habitualize mundane everyday tasks and incrementally improve happiness and well-being over time.

via michael’s thoughts

Mr. Mann drops some Quicksilver knowledge on his latest show…

Learn how to access drop-down menus in every application via Quicksilver.

Well it’s time to download some stuff!

There are several thousand Web sites that will help keep you organized. However, if you prefer to use pen and paper, the Weekly Schedule Task Planner may be just what the doctor ordered. studentl.inc created a one-page paper sheet to help you organize your week.

via lifehack.org

Jay from Juggling Sheep has some good tips on getting all you required reading done.

I used to read 50-70 books a year (not book summaries. books). But then we bought a TV. And then we had kids. And then I started blogging. So now I’m down to about 20 books and 20-40 book summaries per year.

The whole trick to making Q2 work? Make the hard decision up front to replace something less important (American Idol?) or something urgent/not-important (interruptions, junkmail, too-frequent email, phone calls, some meetings, visitation with long-winded members) with something very important (in this case, reading).

via Juggling Sheep

Brainstorm Lite is coming! Anybody care?

As a result of the last couple of weeks work a new freeware product is almost born. It is very restrictive brainstorming application that forces you to follow some core brainstorming rules.

I used many Mind Mapping and brainstorming applications and all of them have one big disadvantage: they give too much freedom during brainstorming session. But brainstorming technique works the better the precisely you follow its rules. So, we implemented a few restrictions that often are hard to follow:

via conceptdraw lab blog

Are you 48 minutes away from actually doing something?

Is there magic in the number 48? Does this number hold any significance in your future success? Speaker Don Crowther suggests that there is. In his presentation at the NSA Summer Symposium, Don told the audience that 48 minutes is the magic number. Here’s how it works… Set a timer for 48 minutes. Close out all distractions and work continuously for 48 minutes. When the timer goes off, get up and stretch, get coffee, use the restroom etc, in the following 12 minutes. Repeat as necessary.

Is Twitter the great time waster from hell or a healthy way to develop your ADD?

We’ve all been at the brain bandwidth breaking point for the last five years. Email is out of control. IM’ing sucks up half the day. And how can we not read our RSS feeds, post to our blogs, and check our stats? If my Cingular cell phone sends me a MySpace alert and I’m not there to get it, do I exist? But email, IMs, social networking, and blogs are nothing compared to the thing that may finally cause time as we know it to cease. I’m talking, of course, about Twitter.

via creating passionate users

del.icio.us tags: twitter, gtd, syncmycal, merlin show, merlin mann, brainstorm lite, outlook, google calendar

Technorati tags: twitter, gtd, syncmycal, merlin show, merlin mann, brainstorm lite, outlook, google calendar

GTD Power Links 03-08-07

Lifehacker has some tips for adding notes to your archived Gmail messages

Just open an e-mail, jot down a couple notes in the reply field, hit CMD-S (CTRL-S for Windows users), and click out to wherever you wish to go next. The e-mail doesn’t get delivered, and you now have reference material directly attached to the message.

via lifehacker

Need some help keeping your stationary fetish alive?

Keep your thoughts together. Put them in order. Rearrange. Organize. Bring them with you, wherever you go. Pick the size that’s right for you. Choose your favorite color. This isn’t your everyday notecard or flashcard. This is Ring Bound. This is for students, artists and business people. Myndology. Fresh. Smart. Good thinking.

The Cranking Widgets Blog has a semi-sweet review of the Tracks software

As some of you might have read in the recent interview I did at Black Belt Productivity (thanks guys!), I’ve moved from an all-paper GTD system to a hybrid setup. The primary difference is the employment of Tracks to track my projects, actions and a sort of basic, digital tickler. This wasn’t a whimsical decision, mind you.

Uuummm the Zen of GTD Flow…

Flow (like GTD) is about action. However, that action must be defined by a series of self-awareness tests to ensure that the actions are worthwhile. In essence, you must strive to make certain that the actions you engage in bring you enjoyment, which is defined as different from pleasure.

Please don’t touch my action area!

One frigid November day, the Behance Team tried a bit of an experiment. We designated two areas of our loft-space office as “Action Areas.” With blue painter’s tape, we isolated both a portion of a counter space and a corner of the floor as areas reserved for items that require action. The concept: When you walk by, everything you see requires action. If you have a minute, take action. Members of our team started placing letters or packages that need to be mailed in the Action Areas. When anyone brings in snacks, they place them in the Action Areas.

via lifehack.org

The Black Belts lays the smack down on GTD heretics!

Is GTD becoming so mainstream that David’s teachings are being watered down somewhat?
[Michael] I think that the blogosphere and Internet has definitely helped the spread of GTD into the mainstream. Without the Internet, I would not have taken up GTD to the extent that I have. The fact that GTD is really just “radical common sense” lends to the ease of entrance into using the system. I don’t feel that David Allen’s teachings are being ‘watered down’ as much as they are not being as adhered to as they probably should.

YET ANOTHER WEB BASED PODUCTIVITY TOOL!

What good is creating a task list if we can’t get things done? This is where Neptune steps in. Neptune is a web based tool that allows users to set reminders for tasks and events through an easy to use interface.

Mind Map your way into the future…

Starting a couple months ago I began researching how I could effectively be reminded about my goals on a daily basis, but not be overwhelmed by tons of information or underwhelmed by boring goals written on a piece of paper. My research has payed off. I’ve leveraged my interest in information visualization, organization, and mind maps to create a unique approach to goal setting, and I want to share this technique with you. The entire process of getting your goals into the mind map takes 4 steps:

GTD in the shower?

Record all your big shower-induced thoughts on our reuseable note tablet. Waterproof crayons (included) capture the flow of your creative ideas, to-do lists, and more for easy transport to and from the bathroom. Complete with crayon caddy and suction cup mounts.

Anti Latte lies from the BBC!

That morning latte or espresso may not be the pick-me-up people think it is, a study has revealed.

University of Bristol researchers say the caffeine eases withdrawal symptoms which build up overnight, but does not make people more alert than normal.

Technorati tags: gtd, lifehacks, gmail, tracks, neptune, mind mapping, starbucks

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