dekay.org

So I have been playing with David Allen’s gtd method for a while now. I also got myself some moleskine notebooks and a nice pen - note-taking as well as writing journal like stuff never has been so easy…

• I am pretty good at my lab with using my inbox - as well as processing it. There are still some problems with my electronic inbox - which consist of multiple places:

  a) a folder for downloads (like new versions/betas of DevonThink… as well as literature in pdf format). I am pretty good at putting stuff in there, but not as good in processing it. But then this is not really a problem since most of that stuff either gets dumped into DevonThink for later reference (literature as well as diverse snippets from the net, the occasional (hah) GTD hack and much more). Nothing essential and most just stuff of low priority. And then there is that stuff that should go into the @SomedayMaybe box - software updates, new applications, plugins - whatever. Just the regular digital toys and tools.

  b) my email inbox Now that is a bit different. I just switched to Mail.app 2.0 and am training my spam filter again - since junkmatcher is not available yet. Thus the inbox is quite full and needs some work, as well as my stuff in @nextactions - it seems to get overlooked - even though I just started to add the items/actions to my backpack-lists.

  c) my del.icio.us account. I am pretty good at filing stuff immediately so I don’t have too much stuff in @inbox, and most of that stuff is there because I have not had the time to think about filing - so there is low priority stuff in there mostly. Actually hardly any of the pages in there are related to important stuff - maybe that’s why the associated actions are not showing up on my lists. (basically my delicious account is a huge reference kit as well as a someday/maybe/readlater box). And then I usually don’t bother to check my “real inbox” in delicious (the one with the subscriptions of bookmarks). too many bookmarks and too little time.

• I am not so good at my lab with creating nextAction-lists. I think it is quite difficult to write down the next physical action since there usually are so many actions that take so little time - and it can be better summarized with the project’s name. But then I haven’t figured out how to really organize my lab work into projects - at least I am not thinking in terms of projects here. I have multiple reactions/products in my lab journal - each could be considered as a project - but then they are all part of a bigger project as well. mhh, I need to think more about this problem

• I have become much better at writing my lab journal. And I am also starting to use the first minutes when entering the bus going home to rethink my work day, collect open loops and ideas, brainstorm and plan a bit ahead - all in my moleskine - as well as think about other stuff I need to do. This takes about 5 to 25 minutes each day and really gets my head clear of stuff and ready for my evening.

• I have an inbox at home which is processed once every 7 to 10 days. There is mostly mail, bills and stuff to read in there, but i feel good about being in control here, too. But then there is the same problem as in my lab - I am not really good at keeping the nextAction lists as well as project lists. I think it all still comes down to the point that I haven’t found a system that I trust my stuff to put it in there and actually get it back out again. Ok there is not much lost since I have no urgent stuff hanging here - most of my time is spent either at my lab, dancing or “relaxing”. But I think I could be much more efficient and would enjoy having a bit more control and discipline at home, too. I suppose I will need to rely on low-tech notecards and papers for my trusted system at home - anything fancy just doesn’t keep me interested as well as feeling safe with it. Hey, I don’t even want to start writing nextAction-Lists in my Moleskine - although I could see myself putting some context exactly there, like @calls @errands @shopping @u-bahn - in addition to having lists in a hipsterPDA. But strangely I am much better at using my Moleksine as a journal as well as a thought-drop box - which basically is a storage of stuff that will need to be processed, so basically I trust my moleskine as an inbox - but not for processed stuff. This will need to change.

[I need to leave now, more on that later, probably the next post]