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Daily Review

February 25, 2009 Ubertech 4 comments

Recently I’ve developed the habit of doing a brief daily review just before I go to bed. When I say brief I mean brief, taking only five or ten minutes max to write in my Moleskine Daily Planner a overview of my day…what worked and didn’t work…what I should focus on tomorrow.

This simple daily act is really helping me to stay focused (on my alleged goals) and it also makes my weekly review a lot easier.

Your thoughts…

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Pen And Paper GTD Tools…

July 22, 2008 Ubertech 5 comments

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Chris over at The Weekly Review shares on how he does his weekly review the old school way, with pen and paper.

While I still use and believe in most of the concepts of GTD, I think Bill has an elegant solution here. Especially with the way he uses his notebook to set up his daily tasks (be sure to check out this example on Flickr). Here was something I could incorporate into my workflow. Bill uses a master list, in the back of his notebook. Mine is simply kept in Things. But I could see how his idea of including personal and work related tasks on the same page, as well as a timeline when things break down, could really work for me.

read the rest here

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Categories: gtd, moleskine, pen and paper

The Perfect Geek Pen?

May 16, 2008 Ubertech 2 comments

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photo by lost in scotland

I’ve been using the Pilot G2 pen almost exclusively for the last couple of years but today on a whim I picked up a package of Uni-Ball 207 pens. Before purchasing them I checked out the packaging to make sure it had certified archival quality ink,  because we all know that millions of people will be reading my Moleskine noodlings hundreds of years from now.

So I bring them home for a test drive and wow! This pen writes LOT smoother than the G2 and It fits perfectly in my big beefy man hands! I love this pen!

Here are some other folks waxing poetic about the mighty Uni-Ball 207 pen…

 

I am a true pen geek. I spend more time testing, researching, shopping for, and writing about pens than I do actually using them. For a long time I was a fan of the Pilot G2 gel ink pen but recently, after much testing, I have thrown aside the G2 in favor of the Uniball 207, a pen with ink that meets all of the criteria of Mike Shea Certified Archival Quality ink.

It is important to note that the acid free nature of an ink is not nearly as important as the paper. When writing anything of any importance, one should always write it on acid-free pH neutral paper. While ink will change and possibly degrade over time if highly acidic, the paper will crisp and yellow within ten to fifty years if it is highly acidic. One can see these results in old newspapers or paperback novels.

(via moleskinerie)

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photo by sergis

The pen is stylish and somewhat professional looking. (It’s a little more on the cute/edgy side.) The barrel is clear and slightly tinted to a dark shade, but you can still clear see the ink level. The clip seems well made (totally speculative as I don’t clip pens on anything.) The retractable “button” is quite interesting in design. It’s a color-tinted clear plastic covering a solid colored stick. Why did they design it that way? It’s not especially pleasing visually, yet it uses more material than a single piece of plastic. Don’t know, it’s not bad, just seems odd.

(via pen quest)

 

I’ve been using this for a week or so for general purpose writing, and I’m pretty impressed. It starts up nicely, leaves a smooth, dark trail of ink behind on the paper as it writes, and it a reasonably attractive pen to boot. While this is a little thicker than I really prefer, it’s not too bad. I’ve also seen these in staples more often than I’ve seen the Signo RT Gel pens.

(via cheap pen review)

 

This is the best most archival quality pen available for under $2. The 207 has all of the advantages of the Pilot G2 described below but with an ink that is able to withstand nearly every attempt to wash away the ink. Like the G2, the 207 is available in .5 mm and .7 mm. It is also readily available in grocery stores, drug stores, and large stationary stores. Like the G2, the 207 refill fits many high-end roller ball pens such as the Waterman Expert rollerball.

The Uniball Signo 207 is my most highly recommended pen for everyday writing.

(via mike shea)

 

 

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Categories: moleskine, pen and paper

How To Tackle A New Assignment

April 15, 2008 Ubertech Leave a comment

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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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Categories: gtd, mindmapping, moleskine

GTD Power Links 04-10-08

April 10, 2008 Ubertech 1 comment
  • Pimp your desktop…If you keep important information like tasks and project notes in plain text files, you can pin that information to your desktop automatically. Free Windows application Samurize can embed text files data right on your desktop behind any program windows, giving you at-a-glance access without having to launch a text editor. (via lifehacker)
  • GTD desktop wallpaper anyone? (via stuff for getting stuff done)
  • What’s cooler a iPhone or a majestic Moleskine? When I gave up on ta-da list and abandoned my PDA, my Moleskine filled the gap. This post is proof that a simple, quality notebook can give you just as much of a buzz as owning the latest iPhone, Palm, Blackberry or other device. (via putting things off)
  • New episode of the Productivity Show…Doug Fisher is President of Mission Control, a productivity methodology for increasing productivity and reducing stress. Sounds like Getting Things Done? Well here’s a comparison from someone who has done both; GTD-er’s Perspective on Mission Control. Mission Control adds a layer of time based action into your calendar, so that the things/actions you are going to do are set in time. Mission Control also looks at how you are being with the things you think you “should” do. (via the podcast network)
  • I love blogger’s who have a gift for stating the obvious….Stop scribbling things down on sticky notes and start using a professional calendar. Whether it’s an electronic planner or a bound appointment book, you need to get organized. (via be an original)
  • Rob slobbers over Evernote 3 Beta…I’ve been using the new Evernote 3 Beta as my capture tool for the last few weeks and must say how impressed I have been with it. The main advantage with it is that I have access to my notes wherever I am because of its ability to synchronise seamlessly between my computer, the web and my windows mobile phone. (via 7breaths)
  • Web Worker Daily claims that the time tracking application Klok is effective and sexy! I’m typically not easily dazzled by eye candy but in this instance the Adobe Air platform is a perfect match for Klok. Each project item is color coded and it’s a snap to drag and drop items to the timesheet or to the built in timer to create your entries. Everything is easily moved and resized and you can drag anything to the trash or to the archives to keep things tidy. (via web worker daily)
  • Taking your work on the road…You have the ability and the technology to work wherever you want, and yet most of the time you’re sitting in your computer chair – probably rarely seeing the light of day. Sometimes, you might find yourself longing for a change in scenery. And why not? A new environment can boost your creativity, give you a fresh perspective, or it might just be the thing to get an old project moving again. (via web worker daily)
  • His Daveness has released his 2-day GTD seminar on a 10 CD set and it’s only 395 bucks!…I don’t typically use this forum for marketing messages about our products and services. But today I’m bending the rules a bit. I’m told that today is the day that we are officially releasing our new “GTD Live!” CD set. This should be pretty exciting news for anyone who always wanted to go to a David Allen seminar but hasn’t gotten the chance. (via michael dolan)
  • Microsoft making app’s for the iPhone? The iPhone is definitely turning into an enterprise heavyweight. Tom Gibbons, head of Microsoft’s Specialized Devices and Applications Group (which houses their Mac developers) confirmed to Fortune that Microsoft is looking at bringing native Office apps to the iPhone with the SDK: “To the extent that Mac Office customers have functionality that they need in that environment, we’re actually in the process of trying to understand that now.” And why wouldn’t they? (via gizmodo)

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A Return Back To Pen And Paper

March 20, 2008 Ubertech 2 comments

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photo by walker cleaveland

I must admit that even though I have a Windows Mobile Smart Phone (yeah right), I use it mostly as a MP3 player for when I’m taking walks or as a low quality camera. Yes I think I have signed up for and have used just about every productivity application known to mankind…but in the long run what I really use to get things done is my Moleskine Planner and a Moleskine Journal for Mindmaps and ubiquitous capture. Somebody actually gave me a free copy of a Mindmapping application, but its just easier for me to reach down into my bag, grab my journal and let it fly. Is there a growing movement amongst the information technologists back to pen and paper?

Can a web worker whose job is exclusively computer-based really be comfortable using paper to organise themselves? Yes! Just because you work in a restaurant, it doesn’t mean you have to eat there too. In the same way, a web worker doesn’t have to solve all their problems using the web. In fact, I think it’s a bad idea to try! (via putting things off)

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Custom Leather Moleskine Case

March 17, 2008 Ubertech Leave a comment

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GFeller makes leather Moleskine cases…for about 20 bucks I converted this Franklin planner case into a new home for my M.

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A second skin for your Large Moleskine®Notebook (5 x 8 ¼”) that itself will become an elegant heirloom. Priced at $39.95 it is an excellent value and will provide exceptional service. We used our regular English kip, a thin very tight-grained leather that is exceedingly durable. (Also available in Chocolate or Black calf finished cowhide or buffalo, depending upon availability.) This hand cut cover features extended inside cover flaps to completely eliminate the “Cover Bump” normally encountered with slip on covers. The rear inside flap has been slit to allow use of the elastic closure Moleskine® made famous. (via gfeller)

 

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Categories: moleskine, pen and paper