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Electronic vs. Paper

I've been using Monkey GTD for nearly two months and I like that I can use it on my USB Flash drive at work and at home, but I am having trouble with collection and review.

For one thing, I tend to forget to do reviews. I have a really bad "out-of-sight, out-of-mind" problem. (This has turned me into one of those "everything in neat(ish) piles" kind of people and I am tired of living like that. I want my work surfaces clean and free for ... work.)

I also really hate the idea of duplicating notes, so although I am using a Moleskine for times when I am away from a computer, I despise having to re-enter those notes somewhere else. Likewise, I hate to have to write out, or remember to print, things like grocery lists, etc.

Also, if I forget my thumbdrive at home or at the office, I am out-of-business. (This is really bad when leaving it at the office on a Friday with a commute I don't do on off days.)

So I'm at a bit of a crossroads with GTD. Not sure how to overcome my normal habits and also find a system that will work for me. Anybody else dealing with this or have advice? Thanks.

Stew's picture

Like you, I have tweaked...

Like you, I have tweaked with the paper/tech balance. I am currently using the d3 flavor of tiddlywiki, but also don't like re-entering data or losing my thumb drive. Is it possible to upload your wiki to a website so that it would be accessible to you anywhere?

I like paper, but I just couldn't find a good way of managing my projects on index cards (portable, but too small to write) or in moleskines (great for journaling, but too linear for data management). I think my next big tweak will be keeping my NA's on index cards and my project planning/support in a circa or rollabind notebook. I find that forcing my self to write things out, although it may seem like more work, actually helps me remember and retain more.

At one time, I used nothing but index cards. Individual tasks, projects, list items, tickler reminders, and someday/maybes - one idea per card. While I solved the problem of having to rewrite a lot, I found there were too many cards to manage. Going back to writing more improved my thought process, as I was not "stuck" with dealing with my initial thoughts as I had first written them.

As far as the out-of-sight, out-of-mind problem, I've had this too, especially with forgetting to check my tickler file. My advice: leave reminders for yourself to check these out-of-sight places. I keep my wallet in my tickler file to force myself to check it every morning before I leave the house.

Okay, I am rambling, but I hope this helps.

 
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