I’m just going to jump right in and get to writing.
Let me start by telling you the idea and reason behind To-Done. Like many of you, I’m a very busy professional with an active social life and way to much to do. I’m fairly organized, but I’m quickly realizing that being “fairly” organized isn’t enough. As ideas pour into my head, and more often than not, fly around there for weeks on end before they get any outlet. The more ideas I’ve got, and the more I’ve got on my plate, the harder it is to actually get things done.
The thing is, I like getting things done and I like holding on to my ideas!
I’ve been, for years now, trying out all kinds of ways to help keep myself organized, help keep my ideas in my head (or easily accessible) and keep my stress level down. On top of that I’m always trying new ways to keep my work/life balance in tact. At the end of the day, though I love what I do, I really like to live. Work should be fun and fun work should beget a fun life, right?
Recently there have been all sorts of methodologies (such as those contained in David Allen’s Getting Things Done) and related tools to help people get (and hopefully stay) stress-free, organized and productive. In fact, the sheer number of ways out there to help you stay productive and organized are often stressful and intimidating in their own right.
I decided, since I love to write and I learn by doing and sharing, to start a site that will focus on all this stuff. My hope is that it becomes a resource for people like me and grows into a community that can share and talk about ways to keep organized, stay stress-free, get stuff done and work to live a great life.
Hi Keith,
Congratulations on the new site. Very nice (but then we kind of expect that after your stunning revamping of asterisk). I’m in a very similar boat: loads of ideas, and loads of intentions to get things done. I’m having fantastic success with index cards. They are incredibly un-sexy, I’ll admit. But damn! Nothing, and I mean nothing has ever been able to keep up with how I work. It’s not that I’m quick. Rather I’m scattered. And verbose. Nothing electronic has done it for me, and I’ve spent many a grand on the latest and greatest.
Anyhoo, rather than writing a book here (I said I was verbose), you may be interested in a couple of articles I’ve written about my unholy index card love at http://www.peterflaschner.com/?id=121
Looking forward to reading more!
Peter — Thanks for the tip. I’ll give your articles a read!
Hi Keith and congrats on your new blog. I just started mine last week too coincidently – it has a focus on gtd stuff too with a geeky techy bent.
Anyway, looking forward to reading more from you on GTD tips.
Like the idea of the site. Keep at it.
Through the audio version of GTD obtained via an Audible.com free trial membership (I just wanted the Daily Show audibook really), the cult of David Allen entered my house a short while ago. It’s been helpful, although every new blog I read with a reference to it — as with the recent run of GTD-related stuff in asterisk — makes me a little more fritghtened of the possibility of one of two things: either David Allen is trying to take over the world, or he’s breeding a bunch of uncharacteristically organized web designers. Either way… scary. Keep up the good stuff, and hope you’re enjoying WordPress (my favorite engine).
Thanks everyone. I’m hoping to keep the content interesting and the conversation lively up in here.
(oh and to those who caught my typo — I hope you don’t mind me deleting/editing the comments. Just want to keep it on topic.)
Hooray! Another productivity blogger! I’m also crazy about productivity and personal information management, and I’m definitely going to write about your blog for my next entry. =)