The Future is Cloudy

That is for sure... how "cloudy" is still an open question...

That is "cloudy" as "in the cloud" for the future of Information Technology. It's only a matter of time and economics. When it's cheaper to outsource your IT needs to hosted "in the cloud" solutions, individuals, business and government will "follow the money". Things like security, control of your data, privacy, etc will be secondary considerations.

In Nicholas Carr's The Big Switch: Rewiring the World, from Edison to Google, much of this is explained and is compared to the early days of electricity. There is a striking resemblance to the history of power, generation, and use and the path that Information Technology has taken over the years. It's a good read even if not totally perfect in regard to the future.

We've watched computing technology go from huge rooms with staffs of hundreds, to mini computers small businesses could afford with dumb terminals, to islands of smart but standalone PC's, and through to client/server configurations that mixed in the best of both local power and server power. Now applications are running on machines anywhere in the world and available from any connection, once again requiring very little end machine power.

The switch will not be overnight but little by little, app by app, solution by solution. Today, using web based email such as GMail is the easiest and most effective way of handling the most common "app" of the Internet. In the not too distant past, you had a desktop program that you had to configure to use whatever mail server was provided by your company or Internet Service Provider. Now you can use Gmail or other webmail solutions from any machine, anywhere in the world without an app. You can brand it under your own domain and few will every know the difference.

I used to scrounge around for an old version of Word so I could have a word processor on my home computer, one that I used maybe 5-10% of it's power for the actual writing I do. Today, Google Docs provides an efficient, effective word processor along with a spreadsheet program, presentation options and even form capture abilities... without any cost as an individual user.

Even in personal productivity using the Getting Things Done paradigm I wouldn't even consider an application that ties me to a single computer or hand held device. Not when I have options such as GTDAgenda or TaskWriter available to me. Available again from any computer or the trusty iPhone that is always in my pocket... and much easier to manage than a physical binder or notebook.

As cloud computing does take over, local IT staff need to be re-thinking our jobs and what added value we already have, and what other added value we can provide to insure the future of local IT support. Will all IT Departments be gone in the next few years from corporate or government America? Not likely but they WILL be redefining their role in the enterprise.

The days of managing the endless technical nuances of servers and desktop operating systems, keeping systems patched and secure, and making sure everyone has the latest version of their word processing and email program is quickly coming to and end. Soon local IT staff may be more concerned about keeping their Internet connection solid and making sure the local wires are in good shape... or not with the expansion of wireless solutions.

How long will it be until super thin clients running on expendable hardware that connect wireless to a cloud company's freely provided router that is remotely supported and managed without anyone being local? No long I would image... Not long. Actually it's already here in one form or another.

Hello, I'm a recovering Systems Administrator and looking for a job... might not be too long for that.

Twitter and Productivity?

Is Twitter Productivity an oxymoron? There are several posts in the blog world about Twitter and it's drain on productivity. I am seeing a different take on it myself - but of course, like any tool, it's all based on how you use it. Sure, Twitter can be a productivity drain - if you sit there and constantly monitor your friends and @reply all the time and turn Twitter into "Chatter" instead.

However, I've seen a different slant with it myself. Although my following is quite minimal, I've found I can use Twitter to put a little unseen pressure on myself that whatever I tweet I should actually be doing. One can use that to your advantage if done correctly. Instead of tweeting "I am eating breakfast at Tiffanys", I can tweet "Working the @Computer list" and I have set some pressure on myself that I need to either do or keep doing that post. In fact if I will tweet what I SHOULD be doing at the moment, I have a tendency to go ahead and actually follow up on that.

I have used that in reference to my weekly reviews before - I tweet "Working on Weekly Review" and feel at that point I better be doing that. Of course it's not like some follower is going to come to my house and make sure I'm actually doing that but if you play it right it's a helpful TwitterCoach for me.

Silly solution? Likely, but if you have any principles in regard to "what you say vs what you do" it can be a simple but effective tool to help Get Things Done in your world. Of course you are making a huge assumption that your followers are actually reading what you tweet - but some things are left better unknown than known.

Keep on Tweeting...
-Stephen
Image by ChrisMetcalf

First "Goal" of 2009 Accomplished

Feels good to accomplish my first "Goal" of 2009 - figuratively and quite literally. My son and I finished up the install of his new basketball goal that was one of his Christmas gifts. The weather had been way to cold to get the pole up and my energy had been way too low to make it all happen.

The weather warmed up and my energy... well, actually I still felt the same but this needed to get done. It really wasn't too exciting to a 13 year old to look at a Christmas gift laying in pieces on the ground and in the box so we started the process.

One of my major goals for 2009 is to spend more time with my son. More time playing basketball, more time riding motorcycles, more time playing guitar, more time doing projects together. I can't out play him at basketball, and likely won't be able to keep up with him on the motorcycles, and dang sure can't play guitar like he does but maybe I can teach him something by working on projects like this. I figure I better enjoy knowing more than he does while I can since he is growing up way too fast for me to keep up. I'm hoping I will know more about computers and cars for at least another year or two so I better take advantage of it.

Looking through my "Goals 2009" list I find it interesting that only a few items are actual Getting 'Things" Done like getting the 69 Mustang running, replacing the roof on our house and getting better organized by continuing the pursuit of GTD. The rest of the list includes doing things with family "often"; like basketball, motorcycles, guitar, drag races, and date nights and enjoying the planned trip to Hawaii this summer. This year I simply sat down and looked back at what was missing from previous years and used that as the direction to take for 2009. Maybe it's just part of 'getting old' since Oh-Nine is Five-Oh for me.

Life is moving very fast and with another mile-stone dropping by this year personally things seem to be speeding up even more. I figure it's time to make sure that this fast forward time is paused every so often to stop and enjoy the moments that matter most. I'll keep looking up and shooting high in aiming for my goals and 'The Goal' that we just put up.

Resolution 2009 - Set Goals

Yeah, that sounds rather odd I guess - a New Year resolution to Set Goals - but that is what I need to do more of. This continues to be a challenge for me; set the goal, work towards the goal, achieve the goal - makes perfect sense but never seems to have perfect execution.

It's not like I have never thought about goal setting. I remember a very good chapter of Carl May's A Strategy for Winning on goal settings. Carl's approach from back then is very similar to today with the points of;

1. Set Specific Goals
2. Put Your Goals in Writing
3. Develop a Plan and Determine a Deadline
4. Develop a Sincere Desire
5. Don't Take Your Eyes Off Your Goals
6. Concentrate on the Task at Hand
7. Don't Set Your Goals Too Low - Or Too High

You can see most of those points in today's productivity processes like Getting Things Done were addressed back then; Set goals, write them down, develop the plan, and word towards them with next actions.

It's not that I don't have goals, I have many... maybe too many - they just are not documented and worked towards. Just off the top of my head I have goals of getting my 69 Mustang running, finish up my laptop robot, build a big shop, build a Street Rod from all the parts I've collected, redesign my Home Automation system, and on, and on, and on.

Of course one can set all the goals you want and not get there if you don't work towards them. I guess the saying of "The DO is up to YOU" - but more on that later in a future post.

So in 2009 it's time to set, write, target and work towards my goals... may the force of goal setting be with me.

GTDAgenda - Goals, Projects, Next Actions and More

Since I have recently been looking around for a replacement for my original web implementation of David Allen's Getting Things Done, or GTD, I took up the invite to review and try another online web based 'cloud' solution. An online solution is still the best method of implementing GTD for me, since a web solution allows access to my GTD system from anywhere I have a net connection. With web enabled phones, Windows mobile and iPhones and near ubiquitous connectivity, there are no drawbacks like having to be at a particular computer to "Get Things Done".

One online solution that has gained attention from many over the past several months is GTDAgenda.com. Recently I was provided an opportunity to review the site.

GTDAgenda offers all the standard GTD amenities including Projects, Next Actions, and Contexts which are required to utilize GTD to any extent. However, GTDAgenda takes this one more step and adds some additional features that can be quite useful. Of special interest to me is the Goal Tracking option. Goal setting and tracking is one area of GTD that I have been very lacking in. Obviously not good since setting, tracking and achieving your goals is vital to being productive and enjoying life. Enjoying life and "stress free living" is what GTD is really about underneath all the processes and concepts, so goals are very important.

GTDAgenda Overview
GTDAgenda uses top tabs or links for Goals, Projects, Tasks and Next Actions. By default the Next Actions tab is displayed as your start page, but you can select which tab to start with in the settings area. These areas provide the core GTD concepts that work with each other for emptying your head of all the "stuff" floating around up there, assigning them to projects of multiple tasks if required, and setting the "Next Action". Basically the Capture, Process, Organize, Review, Do GTD commandments.

The 'other' features are pushed off to the top right of the screen which keeps them in reach but doesn't get in the way of Getting Things Done on a daily basis.

Goals
As you move up from the 'runway' level, as GTD calls your daily "doing" process, and begin to look towards the future, you need to capture and document your goals in life. GTDAgenda provides a very handy way to do that, and an easy way to tag your projects to those goals so you are working towards them. This is missing in some of the other GTD solutions I have looked at. Goal setting in GTDAgenda is basic, but that is all that should be needed. You trap the name, time line, category, and priority of the goal. You can then tag a project to the appropriate goal but you are not forced to do so for those projects that are not applicable to a particular goal.

Projects
Projects are managed on the projects tab by capturing the basic information allowing you to tag that project to a goal during input. Nothing fancy here, just add/edit your projects as needed. On the downside I have found that when I am doing a weekly review or emptying my head, I quickly come up with a task or next action and then realize it is really a project of multiple tasks. Unfortunately this is backwards from how most GTD systems provide for input. Unless I missed something, GTDAgenda does not allow you to add a project on the fly during task entry which would be a useful feature. You can capture the task, go back and add a project and then go back and tag the task to the project, but on the fly project adding would be more efficient.

Tasks
Task management is simple and straight forward as well, allowing basic entry and tying the task to a Project and Context. Here is where it would be handy to be able to add a project on the fly as you realize this task is really a project. One area where GTDAgenda breaks out of the pure GTD mold, is by providing a 'priority' option. It is a simple 1-5 setting but can be useful when working through your weekly review. Yes, the priority may change but at least you have a capture of your thoughts at the time. For those of you who thought Tasks WHERE Next Actions, read on.

Next Actions
Task vs Next Actions - I have struggled a bit with that since reading and re-reading GTD. In GTDAgenda you can input as many tasks as needed for a project but then have the option to tag one, preferably, but more if needed, as a "Next Action". These then are displayed on the Next Actions tab filtering out all the other tasks. You still have access to the whole task lists on the tasks tab but can easily turn tasks into, and out of, next actions as desired. You also have an option to flag any projects that have not had a Next Action tagged for it which could help weed out any 'lost projects'.

Of course usually you will be living on the Next Actions tab while working your lists so this is an important working area. Tools are provided to filter down the task by context by selecting a context from the right side of the screen. Unlike some other solutions, you can only have one context active at a time. This make sense based on pure GTD level, but I personally have found myself filtering down to more than one context often. Items such as @DESK, @COMPUTER, and @PHONE can usually be grouped together for me to work through. Not a big hurdle, maybe I should just work one at a time anyhow, but I find it easier to see them on a larger list many times.

That is the core of GTDAgenda in a few short... okay, maybe not so short, paragraphs. Fully functional even at the free level, powerful enough to Get Things Done from any connected device, but easy to learn.

What I like...

Next Actions AND Tasks
I like the way you can list numerous tasks for a project and then tag one or more as "Next Actions". This is how I usually work in that I like to dump all the thoughts or tasks for a project while they are in my head and then filter down the full list to just the next action for that project. This may step outside of pure GTD to some degree where just the next action is captured but I like the clear my head when I can and can never just think of the next action on major projects.

Mobile Access - a GTDAgenda Strength

Mobile access via a Windows Mobile phone or iPhone is critical to me for an online GTD solution and GTDAgenda provides a clean, clear and concise mobile display. You can filter down tasks or next actions by context such as @Errands and check them off as they are completed via your mobile device. You have access to all the areas in GTDAgenda and can add task items as needed. You can't edit a task beyond Mark as Done or Delete from what I could find, but that would not be overly common besides cleaning up your list or tagging a task as a Next Action. The most lacking item in this area appears to be the inability to view the Notes attached to the task and/or next action. This is an issue to me since that is where I usually store information such shopping or errand lists instead of making each item an action itself. I was pleasantly surprised, however, that the GTDAgenda.mobi site worked well even on my old Moto Razr phone's web browser as well as my Tilt.

What I'd like to be Different...

One pet peeve I have with websites in general are those that use fixed width formats and GTDAgenda does indeed use a fixed width layout. I know there are arguments on both sides in regard to fixed vs fluid layouts but I always hate using a site that is fixed at 1024 or smaller and I am viewing on a 1920+ pixel monitor with all this wasted space around the app. Not a deal breaker by any means, just annoying to me.

Adding projects on the fly and the ability to view notes from the .mobi site would really help the usability of GTDAgenda but are not deal breakers.

Also it is difficult for me to justify a pay per use site with all the free or ad supported options available on the web. Although the free version of GTDAgenda does allow you to use it, you have to limit your goal, project, and contexts decisions. It is nice, however, to be able to review the options and look and feel of the solution. Of course even the unlimited version only comes out at $5.82 per MONTH if you pay annually and I blow more than that in change each month so why wouldn't one pay that to improve your productivity?

The Other Stuff
Beyond Pure GTD
GTDAgenda offers some features beyond the Getting Things Done methodology that could be quite useful and have been covered in other reviews.
GTDAgenda offers Checklists, Schedules and a Calendar option. The Checklists is included in the free version while I believe the Schedules and Calendar are only available in the paid versions. The Checklists are available in weekly, monthly and yearly views and allows you to setup ticks for things that need to be done repeatedly but that you do not want to include in your tasks or next actions. Pretty handy for items like exercising, paying bills, or those annual items that are easy to forget.

Email Notices and Additions
Just recently added to GTDAgenda is the ability to turn on or off a daily email of your Next Actions. Looks like it's an all or none option without the ability to select which actions but that is not necessarily a bad idea, you should likely be reminded of anything you have deemed a true Next Action anyhow.

You can also send email to GTDAgenda to create a task, project or a context using the unique email address that is created for each of these items. The email address is displayed on the bottom of the screen for that project, task or context. Possibly handy but a little messy keeping up with the email addresses. I didn't test this option out but I can see where it could be useful if you use GTDAgenda as an incident tracking system allowing inbound emails to be stuffed into a 'pending' project or context.

Conclusion
GTDAgenda is a feature rich Online GTD solution, but straight forward and easy to use. There is quite a bit of power available if you take time to learn the options, but one can easily sit down and be setting up projects, task and goals within a few minutes of logging in.

GTDAgenda also has a forum for customer support and interaction and appear to be constantly reviewing and adding features or enhancing existing ones if they are warranted. I believe Dan Baluta from GTDAgenda is dedicated to building a quality GTD solution for online users and adding some nice options to help boost productivity of his customers as well.

If you have not tried out GTDAgenda and are looking for an online solution that is simple, yet powerful withou a big learning curve, GTDAgenda serves up GTDers quite well. Even with the limits of the free version, those starting down GTD path will benefit from the integrated solution and structure while power GTDers will enjoy the add ons such as checklists and schedules from the pay version.

In any manner, you should take a look at GTDAgenda and make your own decision. for either $3.28 or $5.82 per month you will benefit from goal tracking and easily tagging your projects to those goals which will help you achieve them and just using the free version will get a GTD "system" working for you.

"Productivity is Dead. Long Live Productivity"

"Productivity is Dead. Long Live Productivity." That quote is from one of Dustin Wax's latest post over at Stepcase Lifehack. In his post Dustin discusses the various backlash movements against "productivity" and Getting Things Done (GTD) in particular. He talks about 43 Folders Merlin Mann's movement away from what he calls "Productivity Pr0n" earlier this year, Glen Stansberry of LifeDev's redefining of the site and Leo Babauta's Zen To Done (ZTD) ideas from a year earlier. The post is titled "Toward a New Vision of Productivity, Part 1: Transformation" and is a good read. There are to be twelve different installments of this series so it will be very interesting to follow along for the next few weeks and should be a must read for all the GTD productivity hacks around the world.

What seems odd to me, however, is that many are seemingly pronouncing the end of productivity and all the blogs, news, hacks, and more that have become the staple of "productivity" over the past few years. It's as if the big dogs have burned out and thus the rest of us must follow. That the end of productivity is near and we all must find something else to obsess over.

Actually, it appears the main issue is the focus seemingly has been on productivity for productivity's sake, and not for the main purpose of the by-line of Getting Things Done - "The Art of Stress Free Productivity". Like the humans we are, everyone seems to have focused on the easy part: the process, the system, the structure, and not the rest of the book. From my read of the book, a big point of getting all the stuff and 'things to do' organized in a 'system', was not to prove how productive we are or get a more done, it was to get all that stuff organized and out of your head so you concentrate on those things that ARE important such as the things that have meaning. That 50,000 foot concept that Allen talks about in Getting Things Done - the looking at your purpose of being on the planet type of thought.

In reality that is the HARD part of life - the thinking part that makes us stop the busy work and look at where we've been, where we are going, and what we are looking for out of life. Getting Things Done was never meant to be the panacea of life to me, it was meant to be one means of getting past the "busyness" of the day to day life and on towards the end meaning of life which I feel is enjoy living and living what you enjoy.

Zen To Done, which I personally favor, expands the core GTD process steps of Collect, Process, Organize, Review, Do, adds some to cover other items outlined in Getting Things Done and put them into basic 'habits' which are easier to understand than how it is outlined in the book. Honestly that concept was very helpful for a simple someone like me. If you look at GTD in general you see the first three habits of Covey to Be Proactive, Begin With the End in Mind, and Put First Things First right there inside GTD - it's just a process for doing so.

So is Productivity Dead? Hopefully not but maybe Productivity for Productivity's Sake is dead. No loss there for sure. Mann says “If you’ve crossed the river, you should quit carrying the boat.” but there will be many different "rivers" in life that you'll need that productivity boat so I for one will not be selling my productivity boat just yet.

Check out Dustin's series and post your own comments here and there - it should be an interesting start for 2009.

GTD for You? - TaskWriter.com

I was recently contacted by folks at TaskWriter to take a look at their online GTD (Getting Things Done) based solution at TaskWriter.com and participate in their Beta project. I already have my own custom web based "system" so I was weary of even looking at something else but decided one evening to check it out.

I was amazed at the easy sign up process, at least for now. Pick a user name, type in and confirm your password and wham! – you are in. I was fully expecting twenty questions plus some capshia I couldn't read followed by having to validate an email address before I could even see the main screen - but no such hassles here. Hopefully they can keep the 'bots away long enough to keep this in place.

I initially just poked around the main screen and was impressed with the simple yet effective layout. The main pane in the center of the screen holds your "list of doom" so to speak. A handy input area at the upper corner allows you to input your "tasks" quickly and a nice filter tool bar on the left is available. You have Task, Calendar, Archive and Define tabs in the main screen which makes it simple to view and very intuitive.

I did look around for the use of term Next Action since Getting Things Done is very oriented around that term but since this is TaskWriter and not NextActionWriter (hey, the domain name is still available) I guess the word Tasks makes more sense - Actually that is what I've always called my 'next actions' anyhow.

The Tasks

Each task/next action can be assigned to 1) a LIST to appear on, 2) a PROJECT to be included in, 3) a CONTEXT to be done by and optionally 4) a due date. I have historically kept all my next actions in one list and simply filtered by context but I see the benefits to keeping the next actions defined in different lists as recommended by David Allen's Getting Things Done book. By default there are a few lists, projects, and contexts to use which do make sense but you can easily add others as needed. I do wish it was easier to add a project on the fly since many times what you think is a single next action quickly turns into a project with multiple actions while clearing your head. I added a #Add Project project name that I use while capturing if there is not a current project and then add the project later and move the tasks but it does take more time.

The simply yet useful layout is refreshing but the filter options are where the benefits begin to really appear. You have instant filtering abilities by list name, by context, by project or by due date. And I mean instant - no page reloading or waiting. That may sound minimal but can be a hassle such as in my current solution since you can easily loose focus. This is done all in the local browser since Taskwriter is written in the Google Web Toolkit framework. You can apply filters by multiple selections within any of the types which is very handy. For example you can see your @computer, @home, and @desk lists @ the same time. This works quite well for me since when I classify a context I sometimes do not apply the sharp edges as needed making it easy to miss a next action when looking at contexts. When I'm @Home, sitting @Desk and @Computer I can instantly see what I could be doing. Which is depressing sometimes but there would be excuses that I didn't see it in the list with TaskWriter. If you are using due dates you can also select by several selections that are handy allowing you to filter out task that are not due until later on or have no real due date.

Tasks or "next actions" are easily entered in the quick "add new task" area allowing you to name the task, select which list you want to put it in, select a project, apply a context and optionally set a due date. It's pretty easy to get a next action into the system. The only current issue to me is that most of my items are really projects with multiple next actions. It is not a big issue to add a project in TaskWriter - click the 'define projects' link in the by project filter box, click Add Project and input your project info. What is really nice is that the default project selection in the task input instantly changes to your new project without losing any input you've already done. If you prefer a larger area to input or you want to capture notes for a task during input you can use the Add Task button above your lists and a larger input window is available.

Another simple but excellent feature are the keyboard shortcuts during input. Another feature often missing from online applications forcing you to over use your mouse. When adding a task in the quick input, CTRL + ENTER saves the input and while entering a task in the large input you have an additional option of ALT + ENTER that saves the one you are on and sets you up for another task / next action. Makes things much faster when clearing your head or inputting from a capture list. You can also easily change up a task / next action by clicking on the context on the right side of the screen allowing your to re-assign the list, project, and context which all show up in one window.

The Calendar
The calendar option is used to get a monthly view of those tasks that you have assigned due dates to. It is not going to replace your main calendar and you do not have any direct input abilities - it is a simple but effective tool to get a visual on upcoming due dates for tasks/next actions you have in your system. I recently added a calendar view to my custom system as well since it is very difficult to visualize dates by only looking at a list with due dates.

The Archive
The archive section is where completed task go to bed - but not completely forgotten. When you check off a task as done,it shows up in your list with a line through it and grayed out, giving you that satisfaction of marking someone off a paper list. You then have the option to click the icon on the far right and move the task to the archive where you can view task as desired.

Define
The Define tab is where you customize TaskWriter to match your lists, contexts, and projects. Lists, contexts and projects can be edited here, notes added, and deleted if need be.

Recommendations
Overall I was personally impressed with the easy to use interface, very flexible filtering, and ease of input that TaskWriter offers. There are a few items that I use in my custom system that are handy and would be missed.

One is there doesn't seem to be a mobile version yet - even something simple that allowed you to view basic lists and input would be essential if you planned on using TaskWriter. I do understand a full blown mobile solution is apparently in the works so that will be nice in the future.

Another is the ability to complete a task/project but fire off a copy of the completed task with a future due date. I use this for re-occurring task such as "pay bills", "check smoke detectors", "check vehicle fluids", etc. These are not appointments so I do not use my calendar for these since I do want to track them until I complete them. This just keeps me from having to re-enter those. I suppose one could just re-set the due date in TaskWriter instead but then you wouldn't have that warm fuzzy feeling of marking that line through that completed task - even if it is just a 'virtual line' when doing it online.

If you are into GTD and are looking for an effective online solution with easy inputs buy very flexible filtering, TaskWriter.com might be the solution you've been looking for.

Personally I am going to give it a try for a while since the filtering and easy access make it quite appealing. Just have to figure out how to handle mobile access to my GTD needs now.

-Stephen

Photo Credits:
Pen and Paper photo by cpsutcliffe
Calendar by joelanman

Got Things Done

Well at least the weekend was semi-productive. I managed to get a few things done that were hanging out there in my GTD list as well as a few that were not. I did managed to tune up the old TurboCoupe T-Bird with new plugs, wires, cap and rotor but ended up having to cough up extra money for a re-manufactured distributor after a mounting tab broke off while I was taking it apart. Oh well, it can't hurt anything in the long run. I also installed the new to me headlight switch and re-dyed the interior - helped make the car much more presentable. And now it smells like PAINT inside instead of smoke... for now at least.

Otherwise I finally finished out the little 'Tree Patio' that we use early in the morning for coffee and relaxing. Something that had been hanging around for a while. Nothing fancy, just a nice place to sit and enjoy the morning.

I also finally purchased and put up an extra fence panel to hide the 'Storage area' - that is code for the junk pile location for those that do not know. This blocks the view when you pull up and from the street so my other half should be a little happier.

As you can tell I used my @OUTSIDE and @TBIRD contexts over the weekend.. :-)

Four Priority Tips?

The 4 Ideas That Will Revolutionize Your Productivity - Practical advice on personal development, productivity and GTD is a pretty good read on some primary things to concentrate on while trying to get things done. I'm still very rough on the prioritizing part and the "Prioritizing by Needs" is rather interesting in that area. Can it make a difference? Not sure. I am still battling the 200 Next Action syndrome and what do I do next or what is most "important". First I have to UNSchedule the 15 hour work days that I've set my self up to fail on.

This is very similar to Time Management For Systems Administrators by Thomas Limocelli that sets priorities as things that must be done TODAY, Soon, or later.

So I guess THAT is my current priority... figure out how to prioritize?

GND?

Although others have blogged about it before, and quite humorously I might add, I have felt more like I am in GND mode instead of GTD mode that I want to be. That is Getting Nothing Done...

I guess I need to admit that a LOT of time lately has been spent changing offices and moving servers around at work, but I still feel like I am not making progress on the 200+ "Next Action" items I have in my work list.

I am actually re-reading the Getting Things Done book which is helping further understand the missing pieces from the first times I've read it.

I bought the guys I work with copies of the Getting Things Done book as well hoping they will read it so maybe things will make more sense at work when I'm talking about it - time will tell.

Heck, maybe I am just in a down time just before things really start to come together... yeah, that's the ticket... downtime before massive productivity... sure... that's it... yeah. Wow I need to take a break after thinking that hard.

Actually THIS is a much better solution