GTD
Things to notes
in Evernote!
[Updated] Finally! Linking Things or Anything to Evernote
Thank you to David Torné for pointing me towards this holy grail moment: it is now possible to link Things (or probably any other productivity application) directly to notes in Evernote, desktop and iPhone.
In Evernote, right click over a note in the list view. Click Copy Note Link.
Open the Things Quick Entry window or go to Things and start a new task. Paste the link into the Notes area.
That’s it!
Naturally you can link just about any program to notes. Curious as to how this will work online… I suspect notes could probably have a unique URL already, which would likely make this pretty easy for programs like Toodledo, possibly Outlook.
At least now we can bring two amazing productivity tools together for the first time.
Update
Though it worked initially, later in the day copying the links only pasted text. To make sure they work, sometimes you have to paste the link into a note then copy the link you just pasted. Weird, but it works.
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0Hanami Design
Experiments for Week 28
New experiments for Week 28 (2011):
- Evernote: Stacks for Areas
Interested in creating a Stack in Evernote where each notebook is assigned to a GTD type Area of Focus/Responsibility. I’d then move all my Reference notes to an area they relate to. - Working in more pushups and crunches into my day
I often sneak in a few pushups during work, but now I’d like to ramp that up and add crunches. - Add options for inline measurement unit switcher jQuery plugin
The next evolutionary step for my budding jQuery plugin is to give it some options people can change. Which ones, I’m not yet sure about. - Enhancing iTunes smart playlist like form
Experiment duplicating a form in iTunes with CSS3 and jQuery. - Stealth usability feedback gathering
Need to find ways to get useful feedback without seeming like I’m asking. (UX)
Experiments I’m carrying over from Week 27:
- Print my lists: next actions and projects
See if I do more when tasks are on paper, not on screen - Sharper button edges
Need buttons with sharper edges. - Start my day with a coffee + meditation + brainstorming session
Head clearing, task capturing, mental fitness routine.
Have a great week, everybody!
Related Posts:
0Evernote as a Copy-and-Paste Power Tool
Type the same things over and over? Try saving those things in Evernote to copy-and-paste later.
Among the things I keep in my copy-and-paste notebook:
- Special characters like ©, », or €
- Lorem ipsum
- Form emails
- Email subject starters ([FYI], [Action Needed], etc)
- Blog formatting snippets
- Directory locations (for Terminal)
- Web addresses of my band’s MP3s
- MySQL commands that are too long to remember
- HTML snippets
- Bonus: Old code I might need to reference later
Do you use Evernote for storing things you often copy-and-paste? Share your ideas in the comments!
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1Completely Empty Your Project List – Right Now!
Feeling overwhelmed by your project list? Then stick the whole damn thing in a bin right now!
I’m not saying literally throw them out, but instead put all your “active” projects into your Someday/Maybe list. Then after a careful scan, pick only two or three that you can work on today.
Optimism pushes our active project list beyond a manageable level till it’s a garage that needs a spring cleaning.
“Just two or three? That’s insane!”
Maybe, but try it. Let go of your fear and accept that no matter how many “active” projects you have, time will only let you get to a few. Why clutter your vision by keeping everything open?
Report to yourself.
Every morning at my job, we review what we accomplished the day before and what we’re working on today. It’s here that I noticed how insanely long my active project list was becoming. Despite how many projects we had going, each of us needed to focus on what could actually be done today. So my project list in Things for Mac/iPhone now looks like my morning report.
As long as I’ve captured everything and have securely saved them under Someday, I’ll not lose track. (note: regular reviewing of this list is necessary)
Batch processing does not equal finishing.
With enough careful planning, you can create some pretty hefty next action lists that batch processing can whittle down. However all that time and energy could be spent finishing something. Remember that next action lists aren’t an end to themselves and they can get out of hand like anything else.
Limit your active project list to three for today. Tomorrow another three.
Granted you might be working on two or three for your job, two or three for personal life – but the idea is to keep the list focused on today. Tomorrow you can pick something else out of the pile.
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0Three Easy Ways to Reduce Stress and Increase Productivity at Computer Jobs
Spend most of your workday on a computer? Me, too, and it can get stressful. However the following simple changes have made a world of difference in my day-to-day:
#1 Turn off the clock
Seriously. Hide the time on your operating systems desktop toolbar. You can live without it. Instead add reminders for important time critical tasks to your computer’s calendar – that’s what it’s there for and if you use it right, you won’t miss a thing. You are probably checking the clock too much and causing yourself a lot of unnecessary stress. You might not be in a pressure cooker after all.
Still want a clock you can refer to occasionally? Use your cellphone, but make sure it goes into sleep mode or you’ll just trade one clock for another.
#2. Hide the unread email count and notifications
You probably don’t need to be reminded constantly that emails are coming in. That’s just part of your day. Very few actually need immediate attention (despite what the sender might think) and if you’re already in the habit of checking regularly, why let your inbox nag you?
Don’t stop there. Hide the unread email account (like the red badges on a Mac), it’s just as much of a distraction. Stick to what you’re working on and read emails only when you can focus on them.
Anyone who really needs immediate attention could call you or just walk over to your desk (if they’re in the same office). Many of these same people would be fine once conditioned to schedule email reply times (if you chose to do that) given a bit of notice and time.
#3. Dump the second monitor
You have one set of eyes. You can only focus on one thing at a time (if you still believe you can “multitask”, you’re lying to yourself). So why give yourself a reason to switch your attention on and off all day? One screen equals one focus and you can switch using ALT + TAB if you really need to. Your neck and eyes will appreciate the change.
Also that “fact” about a second monitor making you more productive? Looks like a monitor company made have been behind that.
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0systems have
in common.
The Hidden Secret in All Productivity Systems
You’re trying to do too much.
That’s it.
That’s what’s so appealing about Zen to Done and the Four Hour Work Week. That’s what Getting Things Done helps you manage and what Covey helps you try and rise above. You’ve got too much going on but you can do something about it.
Ever fallen in love with minimalism? Yeah, that’s a sign. 100 Things Challenge? Me, too. Seems so fresh, so new – but it’s not, not really. Pareto’s 80/20 principle? Most important tasks? Eat that frog? Delegate? Yes, indeed, but you’ve heard this all before, right?
Life management is easy when life is simple, so simplify. That’s what these and other systems are trying to tell and sometimes sell you, but they do offer plenty of great ideas.
Keep it simple stupid and stop trying to do so much, that’s the big secret. The rest is routine.
Related Posts:
0Email Inboxes Make Poor Task Lists
One of the biggest organizational mistakes I see even the most experienced business people make is treating their email inboxes like a task lists. Why is this bad? Because email subject lines don’t equal tasks.
Processing emails works better (see Inbox Zero). You touch each one, break them up into tasks, archive those you need to keep, and toss the rest. When your inbox is empty, you know there is nothing you haven’t moved forward on.
And marking emails for “follow up”? Still requires you to think about what each email really means every time you look at it. Doesn’t dealing with email a single time make more sense?
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1not "rather-do"lists
Avoid Cherry Picking: Limit Your Today List to Tasks that are “Due Today”
This idea comes from a discussion on the Getting Things Done® – Network of GTD® Enthusiasts group on LinkedIn. Avoid making your today list a collection of what you want to do by limiting it to what is truly due today. Calling this your “Due Today” list helps tremendously (thanks Terry!) and you can still give other tasks proper attention when working through your context lists.
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0waiting for?
Mine Your Sent Box and Recent Calls for “Waiting For” Lists
Two great resources for assembling a GTD “waiting for” list are your mail app’s sent box and the recent calls list on your smartphone. These shouldn’t necessarily be your only sources (as mentioned on GTD Times), but give them a quick scan whenever you’re reviewing and you’ll likely find something you may have missed capturing.
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0of how I GTD
My Complete GTD System for March 2011: Things, Evernote, BusyCal, iPhone, and More!
Originally I wanted to write about how I use Things for Mac with Evernote for Getting Things Done. Those were simpler times, possibly better times. Then I realized that since I don’t really use those alone, it might be more useful to see the complete system, from soup to nuts. So as of March 2011, here is what I use to stay organized in all its lengthy glory:
Sections of this Article
topComponents of the System
Things
Things is a task management app for Mac, iPhone, and iPad by Cultured Code. Elegant and deceptively powerful, this app has proven to be a great tool again and again. Though Things does not have cloud syncing (yet), syncing with the iPhone and regular backups makes it versatile enough.
Evernote
Evernote is a platform independent note taking app that was my replacement for Microsoft OneNote when I first switched to Mac (I believe OneNote is available for Mac now and has a cloud syncing option). It’s hard not to praise Evernote for it’s reliability and versatility and I use the premium version daily on my computer and iPhone.
BusyCal + Google Calendar (gCal)
BusyMac promotes BusyCal by saying “Think of it as iCal Pro” and that sums it up for me. Besides being generally more pleasurable to use than iCal, it also syncs well with Google Calendar (my online calendar backup). With a little research, you may also discover some clever ways that BusyCal and Things for Mac can work together.
Though I’ve experimented with other email applications (Thunderbird, Entourage), Mail does the job just fine. Simple, clean, and free, I’ve never needed much else. This is my work-only email program.
gMail
All my personal contacts and emails are managed through Google Mail. With a few tweaks, I’ve also been able to sync other email accounts on Yahoo and Hotmail (now that is really going back). I’ve found it works best to keep personal and work correspondence separate.
MindNode
MindNode is a straightforward, no frills mind mapping application for Mac. I often use MindNode for planning and working through difficult problems. Mind maps worth keeping are exported to PDF and imported into Evernote.
iPhone
Though it’s bordering on unbearably slow with the newest iOS, I’m currently using an iPhone 3G. My home page is arranged strategically with Things and Evernote in the top left followed by my calendar. Bottom row is only for communications.
Mac
Nothing particularly special about this aging Powerbook (obviously not an actual photo), but it’s still fairly fast and gets the job done.
Notepad
For the most part, my notepad setup is what remained after I abandoned my paper/digital hybrid system of a few months back. Basically everything is the same, minus the note pad with context dividers. See Going Hybrid: GTD Digital + Paper.
Sketchbook
I began using sketchbooks a few months ago for on-the-go next actions, storyboards, mind mapping, and meeting notes. Often I branch out from an initial next action in Things to little pieces so work seems less daunting.
Yoropen
I discovered the Yoropen a year ago while in Japan and I love it. It’s comfortable and fun, though refills I’ve had to order from abroad because I’ve been unable to find them or even the pen here in the States. Worth it, in my opinion. I use the Yoropen for all my writing.
Colored pencils
What fun would mind mapping on paper be without colored pencils? I don’t yet have a favorite brand, but I do use them on a weekly basis and you can usually find them in my backpack wherever I go.
topNext Actions and Inboxes
Things
All next actions find their way to Things, though they aren’t necessarily created there (see below). When on the Mac, I typically use Quick Entry to connect tasks with emails and other items; when on the go, I create Next Actions in the mobile app inbox. All next action titles must begin with a verb with the exception of Reminders, a special type of repeating task which begins with “Reminder:”. Repeating tasks do not have to be within a project.
MindNode
I use mind maps for so much these days: brainstorming, problem solving, planning, meeting notes, and more. Each ultimately leads me to something to do, so naturally mind maps have become a big next action generator.
Sketchbook/Notepad
This is where my Yoropen, colored pencils, and paper meet – usually for mind maps and meeting notes. Often, too, my sketchbook and notepad are used for for quick task breakdowns whenever one as written seems too daunting. I save a lot of time by marking next actions, ideas, questions, and other details as I go. Next actions are marked with an arrow, ideas with an exclamation point, questions with a question mark. Items relating to people are marked with their initials followed by a colon (A: for Agenda). I process all my notes daily whenever possible.
topSomeday/Maybe and Other Lists
Evernote
I’ve got all kinds of lists, too many to name here, and those that fall outside of to-dos are managed in Evernote. My lists include daily/weekly/monthly checklists; shortcuts for blog and emails, things I regularly type (for copying and pasting), filler text for designs, etc; idea for nearly anything; things I’ve borrowed or lent; work holidays; words to learn; and so much more. Someday/Maybe projects? I put those in Reference.
Things
Things has a Focus dedicated to Someday (therefore also Maybe) which I use quite frequently. Anything that isn’t truly active at the moment will go here – projects and tasks. I’ve found that if I’m strict and only keep those projects with immediate needs active, I stay better focused on what’s really important now. As a result, I am thorough by having greater incentive to check the Someday/Maybe lists.
topContexts and Tags
Grouping tasks into context lists makes batch processing a breeze and the fewer lists the better. Stay true to the location and environment. Don’t let the limitlessness of tags lead your to over organize with too many contexts.
Things for Mac
Tags in Things are used primarily for contexts and I keep the list as short as possible at all times. My contexts are in alphabetical order and must begin with @. As mentioned elsewhere in this post, I do have some additional tags for sorting people related tasks (See Agendas, Waiting For, Follow, Delegate). I try to tag things as I go.
Things for iPhone
The small screen of a mobile phone is an excellent test for whether you have too many contexts or not. If I can’t find a context within half a swipe, I have too many. With my teammate workaround (again see Agendas, Waiting For, Follow, Delegate), my list includes tags that extend the list beyond a comfort size, but that’s unfortunately a necessary evil (or will Cultured Code save me soon?).
Evernote
I use tags in Evernote for the hierarchy of my Areas of Responsibility and that’s about it. Everything I save falls into an Area, directly relating to some higher goal (see Horizons), and is tagged accordingly. Search has replaced my need for anything more – provided, of course, that I have given my notes a title or content that is easily found with search. I do, however, break the rules a bit if it helps to sort (such as with Songs), but they still must have a place in the chain.
topAgendas, Waiting For, Follow, and Delegate
Remembering who we need to speak to, follow-up with, and are waiting for is an important part of Getting Things Done. Since I’ve become conditioned to look regularly through these lists, I miss few opportunities to coordinate with coworkers, family, friends, and so forth.
Things
I break the rules of Things a bit here by using the “teammates” People list as buckets for @agendas (things I need to initiate a conversation about), @delegated (tasks others are meant to do that I need to be informed about), @follow (something to watch), and @waiting for (tasks others are doing whose incompletion is preventing me from moving forward with something). This is done by creating fake people in my address book and creating teammates based on those. I’ve also created a tag called “People” (no @ sign) with sub-tags of actual people names. This allows me to still associate tasks with specific people and to get around a lack of teammates on the iPhone.
Evernote
I keep all current meeting notes and agenda-specific lists in a notebook in Evernote called “Agendas”. Typically the meeting notes are for those that will happen, while expired meeting notes – if there is reason to keep them – go in Reference. People related notes may appear in notes here if those people can or should be contacted within a particular happening-now situation.
topTicklers
Evernote
My ticklers are primarily managed in Evernote. I have 13 notes: 12 for months and one for things not related to any date but I want to remember.
BusyCal and gCal
To remind myself of what’s most important today, I use the all-day area of my calendars. I also use recurring items as reminders for many things, including habit breaking (a reliable way to nag oneself).
topCalendars
BusyCal and gCal
Without calendar based alerts, I would undoubtedly get much less done, so that’s my number one use for getting things done with calendars. Many of my calendar applications I’ve written about elsewhere in this post, so I’ll not repeat myself, but one thing yet mentioned is that I block out and schedule time for projects, especially creative tasks. Helps avoid distraction when I have dedicated time to something particular.
topProjects
Things for Mac
Projects, placed in their appropriate Areas of Responsibility, are managed in Things. If a project can’t fit into an Area, I don’t do it (which helps ensure that everything I do is inline with a higher purpose). Each project title must begin with a verb and the list must be in alphabetical order (for easy scanning). Note options in Things are pretty weak so I don’t typically use them.
Evernote (Mac)
I use Evernote to keep track of materials related to projects, help generate next actions, and for flexibility of note space. Projects must match those in Things in title and Area of Responsibility. I try only to create project notes where needed so there is less to maintain. See Example project note
topAreas of Responsibility
These are the “hats you wear” and I take this quite literally. My areas are named after the roles I play in life and who I aspire to be so that every pass through my list is reminder of self and purpose. Anyone should be able to tell who I am with a quick scan.
Things for Mac
The order of placement in Things, from highest level to lowest, is Area > Project > Tasks. Projects must fall into an Areas of Responsibility or they don’t make sense for me to do. Tasks, however, don’t necessarily fall into a project, so they sometimes (though not often) go straight into an Area. I name my Areas starting with one my three super groups (Career, Personal, Work) and followed by something more specific.
Things for iPhone
The Area at the top of my list is technically a rule breaker: “**shopping”. I created this it’s easier to find things I need to buy when I’m running errands. Using the asterisks keeps this Area at the top (less scrolling when mobile).
Evernote
Everything I put into Evernote needs to fall into an Area of Responsibility. I use a tag hierarchy to keep them ordered.
BusyCal and gCal
The three super groups of my Areas are reflected in my calendars. This assures that my goals/purposes are reflected in how I organize my time. Most of my items are scheduled recurring tasks, so they have a calendar of their own so I can turn them off when I need to scan my schedule. I keep track of holidays, too.
topHorizons of Focus
Evernote
Everything related to my Horizons of Focus is kept in Evernote. I’ve dedicated one note to each horizon and have additional notes for things I want to do in my life (places to visit, things to try or learn). My horizons are all reflected in my Areas of Responsibility which guide my project choices and therefore keep my day to day activities in line with long term objectives. My Horizons of Focus outline what I want out of life and how and when I will achieve my goals, objectives, vision, and purpose.
topComments and Questions
Hopefully this breakdown of my GTD system will help you and I welcome your feedback. What do you think about this system? Have better ideas? How do you use Things? Evernote? Calendars?
Leave a comment and thanks!
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4increased productivity.
GTD for Designers: Stage 1 (Collecting)
Distraction is the natural enemy of creativity. Left unchecked, distraction can paralyze and destroy any chance for inspiration. Clearing mental fog is the first step towards Getting Things Done.
Start by writing down everything that’s on your mind. Everything. Don’t organize. Purge. Flush out the clogged drains of creativity and get some persective. In the GTD world, this is called the mind dump.
The first mind dump is the worst mind dump because there’s more… well… to dump. Might take a while, but afterwards weekly reviews and daily collecting will help the mental warehouse from getting overstocked.
Keep some recording device, such as a notepad, with you at all times and whenever an unfinished task or idea strikes you, put it down for later processing. Get into the habit of collecting and out of the habit of expecting you’ll remember it – extend that unreliable brain of yours. Even if you are gifted enough to “remember everything”, why waste that space and energy when you could be focusing more on the task at hand? A clear mind makes for a clear goal.
Some collecting happens for you through the inboxes of your world (email, voicemail, texts, etc,) but collecting does not have to only be a do-as-you-go activity. Nudge and lure your creativity into focus with a few brain empowering methods and strategies:
Mind maps
This method helps me get my head straight about nearly anything. See: GTD and Mind Mapping.
Mood boards
Outside of presenting ideas to others, I often use mood boards for collecting ideas and analyzing competition. See Mood Boards.
Cornell note taking method
This sort-as-you-go technique has literally has saved me hours. See The Cornell Note Taking System (pdf).
Reduce inboxes
Inboxes are like voices. The fewer people speaking, the quieter the room. Leo Babauta touches on this in Simplifying David Allen’s Complicated GTD setup.
Use tools you like
Creativity begins with the little things, such as that pen you look forward to using.
Remember that a busy mind is not ready for inspiration. Drain the power of your mental frenzy by getting all that energy out into the open. Like all battles, you plan and perform better when you know what you’re up against.
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2responsibilities.
Starting Fresh with the 20,000 Foot Level (Areas of Responsibility)
After reading yet another great post on GTD Times, I’m inspired to take a fresh look at the 20,000 foot level of my Horizons of Focus. My goal (as I imagine it should be) is to clarify what I’m really accountable for in my life – what my roles are – especially as I look towards the future.
This level is organized around three super groups: Career, Personal, and Work. For a while I reduced my areas list to these three, but the labels were too broad. “Personal” isn’t a role, it’s an adjective. I wasn’t responsible for “Personal”. However these adjectives are nice for scanning and sorting so I’m keeping them (especially for tags in Evernote).
Anyone reading my list should get a clear sense of who I am in as few words as possible. Each area has to be a title, with the exception of “**shopping” which is a handy bucket that I like at the top of my list in Things for iPhone. “Personal > Athlete” and “Personal > Minimalist” are admittedly stretches, but they cover my meaning and I like how they look.
The title of an Area of Responsibility is a role and therefore clearly identifies what role my projects and tasks play in my life and towards my goals. If a project doesn’t quite fit in an area, I probably don’t need it.
So here is my new Areas of Responsibility list. What’s yours?
- **shopping
- Career > Designer
- Career > Musician
- Career > Writer
- Personal > Athlete
- Personal > Family Man
- Personal > Friend
- Personal > Husband
- Personal > Minimalist
- Personal > Pet Owner
- Work > App Designer (web)
- Work > Copy Writer
- Work > Creative Director
- Work > Localization Guru
- Work > Mobile App Designer
- Work > Newsletter Designer (email)
- Work > Technical Writer
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2Challenge
who's boss.
Highlights
- Small stresses make big ones seem worse
- Identify the little things that bug you
- Fix the small stuff!
100 Little Stresses Challenge
Inspired indirectly by the 100 Things Challenge and the realization that many little things compound to make the bigger problems of life seem much worse than they are, I’ve committed myself to the 100 Little Stresses Challenge.
The rules, thus far, are simple:
- Make a list. Write down 100 small, distinct things that bug you. You must be specific (“clutter” is too broad).
- Take action. Knowing is only half the battle. You must take steps to resolve the issues.
I’ve just started my list and here is a sample:
- Lack of space on my desk at home
- Lack of space on my desk at work
- Stain on my coffee maker
- Portafilter that leaks
- Time it takes to get backpack and rain gear ready to ride to work
- Speed of my iPhone
- Other/capacity issue on my iPhone
- Shoes not tied tight enough
- Noise canceling headphones falling off desk.
- Loose change in car
Number 8 was an easy fix, but the point is that I didn’t realize I was putting up with an annoyance I wasn’t completely conscious of. Being aware of the problem made solving it possible so, duh, I simply tied my shoe. Done. Day less stressful.
I already felt a sense in relief in just having done this much but there are 90 more things to list and actions to take. I’ll chime back in as things progress.
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2use Evernote?
Highlights
- Getting Things Done
- Never forgetting anything
- Creative uses for Evernote
Evernote Resource Roundup: GTD, gMail/gCal, Time Management, Projects, and More!
During my most recent getting-things-done freakout, I collected a few links that I found helpful or interesting for using Evernote. I’ve only now begun to read through the Tips and Stories section of Evernote’s blog, but there seem to be quite a few goodies so I recommend checking it out. Happy note taking!
- GTD and Evernote [Examine Health]
- Getting Things Done (GTD) with Evernote and only one notebook [40 Tech]
- Get Things Done with Evernote [Mental Polyphonics]
- How to Never Forget Anything Again [Four Hour Work Week]
- How to use Evernote and GTD for setting and achieving goals and objectives [Monetize Your Life]
- My Simple GTD & Evernote Combo [Darren Crawford]
- How I use GTD with Evernote [unknown]
- Easily Add Evernote Gadget To Your Gmail And Google Calendar [Vikitech]
- gMail to Evernote Information Management Workflow [Rudd Hein]
- How Aviary.com uses Evernote for whiteboard sessions [Evernote]
- 7 ways a professional photographer uses Evernote [Evernote]
- How DJ Limelight uses Evernote [Evernote]
- Using Evernote for Fashion Design [Evernote]
- Dropbox, Evernote and Gmail Saved my Holidays [Fernando Gutierrez.]
- Save time by scanning directly to Evernote [Work & Play]
- The Zen of Results and Evernote [J. D. Meier's Blog]
- 14 Ways Evernote Helps Principles Manage Schools [Open Loops]
- Notebooks or Tags with Evernote? [Jeff Kirvin]
- How To Use Evernote: 21 Creative Uses [Christian Personal Finance]
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4Everywhere
keep your notes
backed up
and handy.
Highlights
- Notebook Stacks for note hierarchy
- Sorting projects by areas of focus
- Horizons of Focus in Evernote
My Evernote + GTD Setup
Many people these days use Evernote for some aspect of their Getting Things Done (GTD) system because of its versatility and availability. You simply can’t beat having your notes anywhere there’s an internet connection. I’ll spare you a lengthy diatribe about all the virtues of Evernote and get down to the nitty gritty
Evernote + GTD for me
I don’t use Evernote as an all-in-one GTD tool; I use it to manage everything other than my Next Actions lists. I’ve gone back to an analog setup for the daily stuff, at least for now.
Jump to: screenshots
Notebook Stacks (Beta on Mac)
I’m using a beta version of Evernote Mac which now has Stacks, a tool for grouping notebooks. This is a God-send and since I’ve started using it, I rely on nested tags less often. Only drawback so far is that on the iPhone, Stacks are not yet supported, but this is a minor issue.
Grouping and Order
My notebooks/Stacks fall into three general categories:
- Daily
- Projects
- Horizons of Focus
- Reference
As you may note, I use numbering and character tricks to keep things in a nice order.
My first level notebooks/stacks:
- !nbox. Anything incoming. I spell it with an exclamation point as the “i” so that the notebook stays at the top here and on the iPhone.
- Reviews. Daily, Weekly, and Monthly review and related trigger lists. Each are tagged as such but I also name each one so that I can easily scan them if I select the Reviews stack. In other words, Daily Review is spelled “D1. Daily Review” so that it is always the first and the first if I also select the Daily tag.
- Tickler. Things I need to be reminded of but aren’t actionable. I have three notebooks here: No Date, Days, and Weeks.
- Projects. Notebooks in this Stack are Active, Incubate (can’t act quite, yet), Waiting For, Delegate, and Someday/Maybe. Each note is a project here, tagged by Area of Focus. I also created subareas to make sorting and viewing easier. As you may spot in the initial screenshot, I use a particular template for my project notes that helps me outline my next actions, identifies the long-term goal the project is (hopefully) associated with, related notes/links, ideas, start/end date, and more. 10,000 foot level.
- Areas of Focus. Not much more than a list of my current Areas of Focus and a little used page. 20,000 foot level.
- Goals and Objectives. My short to mid-term goals. 30,000 foot level.
- Vision. What I want to accomplish, learn, etc. in my life. 40,000 foot level.
- Purpose. Who I’m supposed to be. I guess I’m not entirely sure, yet, since this notebook is currently empty. 50,000 foot level.
- Development. Project overflow, inbox for all my audio recordings, handy place for projects that need entire notebooks.
- Ideas. Every idea I record about nearly anything.
- Journal (work). So I don’t forget how much more than my lists I’ve actually done in a workday.
- Lists. Things I like, want, etc. This probably should become an entire post to itself.
- Reference. Notes I want to keep for future… uh… reference.
- Shortcuts/Support. Typically text I often copy-and-paste. Helps a lot for “lorem ipsum” situations when designing.
Tagging projects
No need to go into all the tags I use, but the most useful I’ve found for GTD are those for Areas of Focus when applied to my projects. My hierarchy is:
- Career
- Personal
- Work
Career, Personal, and Work are good “super buckets” for my areas, though dividing them further beneath these buckets helps me sort my project notes much faster.
Future Use
More could be done to make my use of Evernote for Getting Things Done more effective but thus far I’m extremely satisfied. I’ll be writing more about this in the future, but I hope you find this information useful in the meantime!
References
- GTD and Evernote [Examine Health]
- Getting Things Done (GTD) with Evernote and only one notebook [40 Tech]
- Get Things Done with Evernote [Mental Polyphonics]
- How to use Evernote and GTD for setting and achieving goals and objectives [Monetize Your Life]
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5can be more efficient
than all digital or
all paper.
Hybrid GTD System
This is an on-going experiment to improve my offline/online GTD management system.
Going Hybrid: GTD Digital + Paper (2)
My experiment with a hybrid system for Getting Things Done continues. I’m keeping all my daily stuff (next actions, lists, etc) in a custom paper organizer and nearly everything else in Evernote. Things are going really well.
I’ve made a few modifications since my original post, including putting my daily and project lists together on a ring. I hunt less for them and can easily reorder them if necessary. Because only one can be visible at a time, I’m distracted less, basically being forced to see just one list at a time.
My project lists are grouped into three super areas: Work, Career, and Personal. Technically I have many more areas of focus/responsibility, but these super groups help keep down the number of index cards I need to keep with me. My daily lists include my daily review, grooming checklist, work start, work end, ticklers, and journal.
Another new idea is to extend sections of the notebook that are full (such as @computer) with clipped on index cards. Found some portrait style at Staples (which is helpful) and now I can continue using notebooks that I might have previously tossed when one or two contexts ran out of room.
What I’m loving most about having a paper organizer for daily stuff is the speed. I’m not bothered by software lag or screen size. I’m not limited monitor size. Because everything else (areas, project notes, goals, lists, ideas, etc) are all in Evernote, I can never really lose anything. The Evernote side of things is still undergoing its own development, as you’ll probably notice by the blank “Purpose” folder, but I’m making good progress and should have more to say soon.
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2Outlook for GTD?
a comment!
OneNote + Outlook
This series was originally written in 2008. I'm on a Mac at the moment which has neither Outlook nor OneNote, so answering questions and updating might be difficult.
GTD using Outlook and OneNote (6)
This is the 6th installment of the PiS series on GTD using Microsoft Outlook and OneNote. This time we’ll take a look at using OneNote templates to manage our projects and next actions.
My initial inspiration for using OneNote templates in my GTD system was from Manage This. I was blown away by the idea of having all my actions, notes, and references for a project in view all at once, though some of what Manage This included I felt was too much for me.
My template has five areas: Client/Project Title, Next Actions, Reference Material, Notes, and Target Tuning. I’ve made this template the default for all my project-related sections. Whenever I’ve completed a project, I drag the page to the Archives section.
Download my OneNote template for GTD here. [Updated] Sorry, still trying to locate this file.
Client/ Project Title
The purpose of this area should be fairly obvious. Between the brackets I put the name of the “client” this project is for (if it’s personal, I use “Personal”) and to the right of the brackets I create a verb-based project title, such as “Design new website”.
Next Actions
This is a cornerstone of GTD. Here I list all the actions in order to complete the project. One tremendous advantage of keeping my next actions in full view is that I can instantly see how much I’ve done as well as how much I’ve yet to do. OneNote also provides Expand/Collapse options for lists that get too long.
Reference Material (Emails, Links, Etc)
Since I typically work with two monitors, I often drag emails directly from Outlook to my reference material table. This way I don’t need to sort through old emails when I need to look up something specific to the project. Other related items, such as hyperlinks, can be easily pasted here, as well as links to local files.
Notes
I suppose the purpose of this is pretty obvious, too.
Target Tuning: Ideas & Conclusions
Sometimes when a project is completed, I can see what I could have done differently and better, and this is where I save those ideas. I sort through these during my weekly review.
Anybody can create a template for OneNote; those folks at Microsoft have made the process pretty easy. Start a new page and lay things out as you’d like them. Click Format > Templates and then click “Save current page as a template” at the very bottom of the Template pane and give it a name. If you’d like your new template to be the default template for the section you’re in, find your template in the drop down list (under “Choose default template”) in the Template pane.
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0Outlook for GTD?
a comment!
OneNote + Outlook
This series was originally written in 2008. I'm on a Mac at the moment which has neither Outlook nor OneNote, so answering questions and updating might be difficult.
GTD using Outlook and OneNote (5)
This is the fifth installment of my series on GTD with Outlook/OneNote. In this round we’ll take a look at how I’ve configured my OneNote notebooks, sections, and pages.
To begin with, I can’t say enough good things about OneNote. This is one of the most solid, flexible, useful, and simply awesome applications I’ve ever used. Took me a little bit to get used to not having to click CNTL+S (everything is saved automatically), but that was a small price to pay for something so powerful.
Currently I have five notebooks, four of which apply to GTD: Today (which is both my Inbox and my Tickler files notebook), Projects, Lists, and Reference. The fifth is for a book I’m writing that I’ve separated so as not to overburden my regular daily projects list.
Today
This notebook begins with a section called Inbox which is configured to be my default area for things I send from Outlook. The other sections are numbered 1-31 or named after months or years.
Projects
I practically live in this notebook. There are five sections: Projects, Target Tuning (that’s a PiS thing, not GTD), Someday Maybe, Waiting for [on hold], and Archives.
Each page in these sections is a project. I label each page with name of the project group first, such as: [Client] Title of Project”. We’ll cover more about these later in the section about OneNote templates.
Lists
Here I keep all kinds of lists that I regularly reference. These include my daily and weekly GTD checklists, blog ideas, current Chain Link Fitness exercises, etc.m
Reference
I’ve experimented quite a bit here and finally settled on alphabetically ordered sections – not section groups. For quite a while I was putting things in section groups under A, B, C, etc, but this was requiring more work than I was willing to regularly give.
Often I will name sections according to project groups, but also according to subject, especially if the reference is personal interest.
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0Outlook for GTD?
a comment!
OneNote + Outlook
This series was originally written in 2008. I'm on a Mac at the moment which has neither Outlook nor OneNote, so answering questions and updating might be difficult.
GTD using Outlook and OneNote (3)
Being aware of your tasks is a vital part of being organized and productive. Outlook 2007 provides many ways to sort and filter tasks including the ability to create customized views. I’ve created a few customized views that make identifying what’s important and in what context much easier. Customized views for Tasks appears in the left side list of sorting options that come with Outlook 2007 by default.
To begin with, I typically only use Outlook task views to help me see what tasks are overdue, due today, and due tomorrow. Occasionally I’ll look at what tasks have been completed, but since I don’t create a task without assigning a date, I expect that anything other than the immediate isn’t worth taking time for.
The customized view I use most is called By Priority (Today) and its purpose should be fairly obvious. Having this view visible along with my customized To-Do Bar really puts my tasks into perspective.
To create a By Priority (Today) view:
- Click the Task panel (left).
- Click Tasks in the My Tasks shortcut group (left).
- Select View > Current View > Define Views from the main menu.
- Select Active Tasks from the list.
- Click Copy.
- Enter “By Priority (Today)”.
- Click OK.
- Select “By Priority (Today)”.
- Click Modify.
- Click Group By…
- If Automatically group according to arrangement is checked, uncheck it.
- Select Priority from the Group Items by list.
- Click Automatically group according to arrangement.
- Click OK.
- Click Filter…
- Click the Advance tab.
- Select the Field list.
- Select Frequently Used Fields.
- Click Date Completed.
- Select “does not exist” from the Condition list.
- Click Add to list.
- Select the Field list.
- Select Frequently Used Fields.
- Click Due Date.
- Select “on or before today” from the Condition list.
- Click Add to list.
- Click OK.
- Click OK to close the Customize Current View window.
By following these basic steps, you can create all kinds of customized tasks views. Good luck!
Related Posts:
0Outlook for GTD?
a comment!
OneNote + Outlook
This series was originally written in 2008. I'm on a Mac at the moment which has neither Outlook nor OneNote, so answering questions and updating might be difficult.
GTD using Outlook and OneNote (2)
For those familiar with both GTD and Outlook 2007, the idea of using categories as contexts is fairly obvious and strong – I’m not sure how I would operate now without them. In combination with the To-Do bar and customized task views, these become even more useful.
Personally I love the To-Do Bar in Outlook 2007. Having a task list handy near my email inbox has been a God send. I’ve experimented quite a bit with how best to use it and I’ve settled on a customized view that groups by category, sorts by priority, and only shows overdue and today’s tasks.
Before we can customize this view, we should first create our categories:
- Click the Categories button
on the toolbar. - When the Color Categories window appears, click New.
- Enter a name for a category. Typically I name categories beginning with the @ symbol, or two @ symbols if I want that category to appear closer to the beginning of the list. An exclamation point is also a useful character.
- Choose a color, and if you like, a shortcut key combination.
- Click OK.
- Repeat this process for all the categories you intend to use.
Customizing the To-Do Bar view in Outlook 2007 is actually very easy.
- Right click over the To-Do Bar area.
- Click Customize Current View.
- Click Group By…
- If Automatically group according to arrangement is checked, uncheck it.
- Select Categories from the Group Items by list.
- Click Automatically group according to arrangement.
- Click OK.
- Click Sort…
- In the Sort Items By list, select Priority.
- In the first Then by list, select Subject.
- Click OK.
- Click Filter…
- Click the Advance tab.
- Select the Field list.
- Select Frequently Used Fields.
- Click Date Completed.
- Select “does not exist” from the Condition list.
- Click Add to list.
- Select the Field list.
- Select Frequently Used Fields.
- Click Due Date.
- Select “on or before today” from the Condition list.
- Click Add to list.
- Click OK.
- Click OK to close the Customize Current View window.
Now the To-Do Bar is ready!