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My lofi system isn't working as well as I had hoped. Help needed.
baraqyal | Apr 5 2007
I work full time (~50 hours a week) in addition to being a full time grad student at night. GTD clicked with me, and initially really helped reduce the stress. The problem is that my systems haven't been working out as well as I'd really like them to, and I was hoping to get some feedback from others who use similar methods to see how I can improve. I'll break it into a few different parts: On my person, I carry a moleskine ruled pocket notebook and a pilot precise V7 pen. I really like the look and feel of both of them. The moleskine is divided into a few sections. All pages are numbered and the first 6 pages or so are an index. From there, up to page 90, I have space reserved for various projects that I take on. Just little bits of information like "why I'm doing this", information like phone numbers/addresses/etc, and a list of actions for each project. Inside the cover of the moleskine, I carry two 3x5 cards. The sides are labelled like so: "Next@Home", "Next@School", "Next@Work", and the last side is divided in two "Calls" and "Waiting For". As I cross actions off the next action list, I go through and add new next actions from my projects. The second half of the moleskine is reserved for raw data capture. Phone numbers, maps of where I'm going, etc. At home, I have a tickler file and a box of a bunch of manila folders for various projects and information I want to keep. I also have a wire basket inbox. I have a calendar on the wall. At work, I also have a tickler file and file cabinets for information. On the wall is also a calendar. Here are my problems: On my person, I don't have a calendar. I tried printing out some on 3x5's, but they didn't seem to work. I tried carrying a seperate calendar, but that didn't work either. I don't know how to solve this issue, I need to be able to keep track of dates somehow. At home, I can't seem to get into the habit of regularly going to my desk. This is a big problem, because it means stuff stacks up in my inbox and my tickler file and calendar are downright useless. I can't seem to nail down a specific time to do a weekly review, because something always comes up. At work, my inbox keeps growing and growing. I have one very important process that takes up a huge amount of my time that I can't delay or give to someone else. While I'm working on this task, I'm constantly interupted and sidetracked. It's a struggle to keep up. In the meantime, I can't seem to find the time to go through other, less important projects and they keep getting pushed back in the tickler file. The main process is about 6" of paper that sits in my inbox and I can't seem to get it empty (I did about 3" worth yesterday, only to see it fill completely back up today.) I'm on the verge of completely dumping both tickler files. They just don't seem to be working for me, and are just causing a big delay in things getting done as I move things back further and further while I try to catch up. The calendars aren't working for me either. What can I do to improve my mess? Help! 5 Comments
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 The short answer: commit your...Submitted by unstuffed on April 6, 2007 - 4:09am.
The short answer: commit your time, whittle away at the nasty bits, and learn some procrastination hacks (see Merlin's archive for some doozies). Longer answers follow... baraqyal;8834 wrote:
I don't know how to solve this issue, I need to be able to keep track of dates somehow. Can't you print out calendar pages for your Moleskine? Or buy some? That would solve that problem. baraqyal;8834 wrote:
At home, I can't seem to get into the habit of regularly going to my desk. ...snip... I can't seem to nail down a specific time to do a weekly review, because something always comes up. This is two problems. First, the desk habit. Try sticking notes on the fridge, back of the bathroom door, on your wallet, to remind you. Second, the weekly review. When you say "something always comes up", what that means is that either you don't have a fixed regular time, or that you decide to do something else instead when the time comes. This won't work. It needs to be hard landscape, at a regular time, otherwise something will always come up. Write it on your calendar and commit to it. baraqyal;8834 wrote:
While I'm working on this task, I'm constantly interupted and sidetracked. Shut down your email. Same with your web browser. Close your office door, and maybe even lock it. By interrupting, your colleagues are saying that their work is more important than yours, and they have the right to barge into your office whenever they wish. Don't let them. baraqyal;8834 wrote:
In the meantime, I can't seem to find the time to go through other, less important projects and they keep getting pushed back in the tickler file. The implicit problem is that you're seeing your paperwork as completely unimportant. If it's part of your job, and you're expected to do it, it's all important. You have to schedule time daily to do these things. Don't let them go until they build up into a huge pile. There are several tricks for whittling away at things like this, listed on Merlin's site under the categories of procrastination, productivity, and a couple of other things. Read them, because they're good. baraqyal;8834 wrote:
I'm on the verge of completely dumping both tickler files. They just don't seem to be working for me, and are just causing a big delay in things getting done as I move things back further and further while I try to catch up. What can I do to improve my mess? Help! First, you need to realise that the problem isn't in the tickler file. It sounds much more like an issue with procrastination, distraction, and time management issues. This sort of mess is extremely common to postgrad students, because creative people generally tend to suffer more from procrastination for reasons I won't go into now. So to round up: commit to time for daily and weekly reviews, and check out Merlin's archive for some groovy hacks. » POSTED IN:
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