ATPM 13.02 - Next Actions: A Survey of the GTD App Landscape The 2001 publication of David Allen’s Getting Things Done stirred a revolution of organized, productive work environments for thousands. Allen’s system, affectionately known as “GTD” to those in the know, provides a framework for managing tasks, projects, goals, and, indeed, much of one’s life. As the GTD system spread in usage and popularity, dozens of tools and writings arose as a part of the GTD sub-culture. Blogs such as 43Folders and LifeHacker devote a significant amount of attention to implementing the GTD system. Allen’s own company Web site is a haven for GTD users, complete with a members-only resource center (which you can join for a mere $40 per month). The bottom line for GTD is fairly straightforward. Software Proliferation Since 2005, a burgeoning market of software with the ostensible purpose of assisting with the GTD process has hit the Mac, and the computer world in general. For now, I would like to start off by giving a “comprehensive” introduction of GTD tools. Park
All The Productivity Tips You Need In 9 Infographics Ever notice how some people come across as having their act together? They are able to get their work done on time, every time. They have the time and energy for 100 different things. Yet, they always seem non-frazzled, non-overwhelmed, and non-frantic. Do you console yourself with the thought that these are a special breed of people with a special DNA sequence? Sadly, that is far from the truth. 1. One of the most frantic and chaotic times in most people’s day is the morning. 2.Your mouth as the gateway to productivity Believe it or not, what you put in your mouth can affect your productivity. 3. Eating healthy is not enough. 4. A good night’s sleep is key to not only our well-being but to our productivity as well. 5. Clutter and disorganized workspaces are time suckers and cause frustration, leading to decreased productivity. 6. Research has proven that multi-tasking causes a 40% drop in productivity levels. 7. 8. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy! 9. And here’s a BONUS one.
Twenty Rules of Thumb for Creativity Twenty Rules of Thumb for Creativity 1. The best way to get great ideas is to get lots of ideas and throw the bad ones away. 2. Create ideas that are fifteen minutes ahead of their time...not light-years ahead. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. If you have some other rules of thumb for creativity, Send them to me e-mail Return to Tools Page here. Thunderbird gets GTD'd... « searching4arcadia A few things came together for me this past weekend, and I thought I’d share a bit. First, was MerlinMann’s discussion of the usefulness (or lack thereof) of e-mail folders. I agree completely with Merlin on this one- and I feel a hint of a running thread here- focus on The Work and not on Organization. After all it is “Getting Things Done” not “Organizing Things Nicely”. Second was a post regarding subject line editing I saw a while back on lifehacker.com that stuck in my grey-matter. Third, and finally, was my frustration with effective e-mail “getting things done”. What I’m about to show you can be done on most platforms I believe, and it’s super silly simple, I think. One of the ways I was able to get my “Inbox to Zero” was to implement an action folder. I remembered reading a long time ago on lifehacker.com about editing subject headers to allow for organizing messages. My first foray into images on here… here’s an example of what I mean: Like this: Like Loading... Permalink
Coaching Tools 101: The Urgent Important Matrix - What is it and How To Use it! Well, Former US President Eisenhower used this so-called “Eisenhower Principle” to organize his tasks. He is quoted as saying, “What is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important.” It was Dr Stephen Covey (of “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” fame) who took these concepts mainstream, calling it The Urgent Important Matrix in his famous book . Quadrant 1 – Crises or “Important AND Urgent” Tasks What: Tasks that fall into this quadrant include deadlines, urgent meetings, pressing problems, crises and fire-fighting. How we feel: When we spend a lot of time in this quadrant we become stressed and burned out. Action: Minimise the time spent in this quadrant by prioritizing, planning and delegating ie. spending more time in Quadrant 2. Coaching Tip: If your client is in a line management or service based role, they will spend more time in this quadrant than a project manager. Quadrant 2 – Goals and Planning or “Important and Non-Urgent” Tasks
Tackle Any Issue With a List of 100 The List of 100 is a powerful technique you can use to generate ideas, clarify your thoughts, uncover hidden problems or get solutions to any specific questions you’re interested in. The technique is very simple in principle: state your issue or question in the top of a blank sheet of paper and come up with a list of one hundred answers or solutions about it. “100 Ways to Generate Income”, “100 Ways to be More Creative” or “100 Ways to Improve my Relationships” are some examples. “One hundred entries? Isn’t that way too many?” Bear with me: it’s exactly this exaggeration that makes the technique powerful. When starting your list you may believe that there’s no way to get it done. Unlike the related Idea Quota tool — whose primary goal is to acquire the habit of coming up with ideas — the goal of a List of 100 is to take your mind by surprise. Ground Rules There are only two simple principles to keep in mind when making Lists of 100: 1. 2. The Dynamics of Making Lists of 100 1. 2. 3.
25 Firefox Extensions to Make You More Productive Firefox is my weapon of choice when it comes to browsing the web. It’s fast, free, and gives the user the best feature ever: Choice. The beauty of the Firefox extension is that it allows you to add a specific feature or function, fully customizing your browsing experience. For someone wanting to make the most of their online time, this is a huge opportunity. Autocopy – The name pretty much says it all. Photo by *keng Tagged as: firefox, firefox-extensions, Productivity
FIVE STEPS Soundcloud1Learn more about this providerWIDGET::local::assignmentsUsed by audio-platform SoundCloud to implement, measure and improve their embedded content/service on the website - The collection of data also includes visitors’ interaction with embedded content/service. This can be used for statistics or marketing purposes. Expiry: PersistentType: HTMLYouTube32Learn more about this provider#-#PendingExpiry: SessionType: HTMLiU5q-! Where to find inspiration to be inspired I know I left it here somewhere. Excuse me, has anyone seen my award-winning idea? Know the feeling? Sometimes no matter how hard we try, coming up with ideas is the hardest job on earth. Find Inspiration is tricky and will never show its elusive face if you simply sit and wait for it to show up. Be inspired... Source: link In bed You’ll like this one. Source: link Online The brilliant TED Talks videos cover a huge range of discussion topics fronted by credible and fascinating speakers. Source: link In nature Get out of the office and go somewhere. Source: link In play To be creative you need to be feeling playful. Source: link In a bar Now we’re not suggesting you go out and get blind drunk. Source: link On a train People are brilliant. Source: link On paper Grab a pen and notebook and start to write. Source: link On the horizon Get up super early or go to bed very late, your call. Source: link In the car Go for a long drive, make it late at night if you can. Source: link In the bathroom Source: link
How to Declutter an Entire Room in One Go | Zen Habits Post written by Leo Babauta. Follow me on Twitter. My family is moving to another house this coming weekend, and to prepare for the move, we’re going through the entire house and getting rid of stuff we don’t need. The new house has much less storage, which I’ve decided is a blessing: it means we have to cut things down to the essentials. Moving day, btw, is a wonderful time to declutter. So here’s the method we’re using to declutter each room, one room at a time: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Working like this, we were able to do each room in a couple hours. It feels amazing when you’re done. Now sit back and enjoy the simplicity. More decluttering tips if you don’t want to do an entire room at once: Elsewhere: —Read more about simplifying in my book, The Power of Less.
6 Time Management Systems If your time management systems consist of energy drinks or several cups of coffee per day, then it is time for a change. A good system captures all your actions, gives you a greater sense of control, and enables you to actively manage your workflow and your life. As a time management coach I have seen a number of different time management systems, some better than others. Here I talk about the best systems on the market, who it would suit, and their strengths and weaknesses. Getting Things Done (GTD) This very well known time management system came from the book Getting Things Done - The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, (David Allen, 2001). In a nutshell this system is about getting things out of your head and into one place, and then religiously reviewing your system. GTD is great for people who are overwhelmed the daily tide of tasks that they need to do. GTD is tool agnostic, not requiring a special set of add-ins or planners. Franklin Covey Time Management System The Now Habit