Pick your tasks one at a time, and apply the eight-minute rule. Most of the things that need doing around the house can be done in under ten minutes. That’s a really short period of time. If you have your snooze button set to ten minute intervals, you’ll appreciate just how little time that is.

via How To Get A Grip.

One thing fans of the GTD ethic like is a to-do list manager that doesn’t get in the way of the good work habits you’re trying to create. Nexty, an open-source webapp created with GTD principles in mind, fits that bill.

I have yet to try this, if you have drop a note in the comments.

via Lifehacker.

I have recently been toying with using analog solutions for capture, for speed and creativity purposes. I thought it would be worth the time to put down in writing my thought process on choosing between the different capture methods.

Digital

I am talking about using an iPhone with OmniFocus for these assumptions.

Pros

• It is always there, my phone is my digital capture system and it is always within arms reach of me.

• Less stuff. Using a digital system means that I do not have to carry anything extra, which is a nice bonus.

Cons

• Slow to open. This is not the fastest program to open, and this can make it an inconvenient tool.

• Database can be corrupted, leading to lost information.

• Requires power. Batteries can and will die.

• Text entry only, no freeform entry possible.

Analog

I am strictly talking about using a small non-hardcover moleskin notebook for these assumptions.

Pros

• Even lighter and more portable that my iPhone.

• Freeform entry possible, I can doodle and sketch.

• Less distracting than using a digital solution.

• Really fast, open the page and write.

• No batteries to worry about.

Cons

• Requires that you carry a pen, which can be hard to do.

• No syncing, you must manually input the data into your tracking system.

• More stuff, you need to carry the notebook and pen with your phone.

• Can easily be lost, or forgotten. Because it is not your phone that you are used to making sure you have, it is easy to forget the moleskin.

Conclusion

As you can see there are definite pluses and minuses to each method. I have been experimenting with using my moleskin notebooks more over the past week, and have found some really good uses for it. Personally for general ubiquitous capture the iPhone is it for me.

However, I will turn to the moleskin notebook every time I need to be creative. I have found that while OmniFocus on my iPhone does a great job at capture tasks, it does not do a good job at capturing inspiration. For that I need my notepad, where I can doodle, and expand upon ideas when inspiration strikes.

Get Back to Work

I think it is crucial we take time to think about why we are surfing the web, and reading productivity blogs. We need to be more aware of the time being spent, reading about how to save time.

What does it matter if you spend all day reading about how to get your work done faster, if you never complete your work?

The point of a job is getting the job done, not spending forty hours a week trying to get it done.

For me that provides a good rule of thumb for when I need to stop goofing off. When my work is not getting done, I need to stop goofing off and work.

I have only given the app a quick shakedown, and probably will not use it for any extended period of time. This is not to say that it is a bad GTD application by any means. There are a lot neat features that it has, which warrants a quick pros and cons list.

Pros

<ul><li>The visual styling is very close to Things, which is modern and well design.</li>   <li>An automatic Today list.</li>
<li> Assign tasks to people. </li>
<li> Schedule future tasks. </li></ul>

Cons

<ul><li> No keyboard shortcuts. </li>
<li> No way to add tasks other than email, or on the site. </li>
<li> No iPhone app. </li></ul>

Conclusion

My quick conclusion is that this is a very useful tool, lacking in key features (keyboard shortcuts) to make it an everyday tool for me. I should also note a couple of things:

<ol><li>The developer was not aware I was going to write this review.</li>
<li>The lack of keyboard shortcuts meant that I did not use it full time, at any point during this review.</li></ol>

Get more information at Getitdoneapp.com.

Taskpaper is absolutely great, and if programs like OmniFocus and Things are just to overwhelming for you, then Taskpaper will be perfect. I would describe it as one step up from using Text / OmniOutliner files for to-dos. It is not as feature rich as OmniFocus, but it still has a lot of great features.

Pros:

• Fast / lightweight on your system
• Organized, yet flexible
• Well designed
• Quick Entry Pane
• Tags
• Focus on tags

Cons:

• No iPhone app, yet
• No repeating, or scheduled tasks

Who is it for:

If you like the simplicity of text files, and a sheet of paper for your to-dos, but want just a little bit more power, then Taskpaper is it.

I had not thought about the Someday / Maybe list in this context before, however it makes perfect sense. Very good article on using delusions to your advantage.

via How Delusions Boost Productivity.

Because slowing down, even for a few minutes here and there and even in the middle of a race, enables you to run faster and with better form. And, as a side benefit reported by Run-Walkers, it’s a lot more fun.

There is a lot to slowing down, in order to get more done. That is why people always tell others to stop and take a breath, or to stop and think before they act.

via Link.