Any Mac users out there?

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Anonymous

Guest
using the Mac to support both paper and digital tools

After reading "The Myth of the Paperless Office", I have gotten the confidence to go back to paper for those things where it excels. I have a paper binder that contains all my active lists, and use a Palm m105 for my portable reference (addresses, reference lists, checklists, quotes, etc.) I find the hybrid makes the best use of the functional fortes of both paper and digital. Paper isn't old-fashioned -- it just excels in different things.

I was frustrated with the constant search for new and better in the software world, then learning and upgrading, etc. led me to a simple solution. My Projects, Next Actions, and Someday/Maybe lists are simply folders on the desktop all inside one GTD lists folder. I have nine folders:

@ calls
@ office
@ computer
@ agendas
@ errands
@ home
@ waiting for...
Projects
Someday/maybe

Each individual item becomes a folder inside these folders. The folders contain nothing but folders because they are just my lists. Project support goes elsewhere. I use Print Window 2.1.1 to print out each master folder and then bind them once a week in the tabbed sections of my GTD binder. In-between Weekly Reviews, I just use the paper lists for adding and crossing off. Very fast, no tiny screen to scroll, no new software to learn and upgrade, no Grafitti to deal with. Backing up means copying one folder. Plus, I keep each Next Action (that is tied to a Project) in its Project folder, and then drag an alias to the correct Next Action folder. A quick scan through all the Projects in OS X column view shows me that I have Next Actions for all my Projects. During the Weekly Review, I delete all aliases and start over. This forces me to touch everything once which helps with the "staleness" factor.

I also keep an "on deck" subfolder in some Project folders to capture any future actions that are taking up mental space. The combination of single Next Actions and the occasional On Deck actions handles 93% of my Projects in that it gets them completely off my mind. It is interesting to me that the Project size has nothing to do with it. Our one-day trip to an amusement park required a plan to get it off my mind, and a book I'm writing has a single next action. By the way, 93% is a real number. I suggest you check your Projects list and see which ones require writing down more than a single Next Action or 3-7 On Deck actions in order to get them off your mind. I believe it will be much less than you think. I find it is about 80% Next Action only, 15% 3-7 On Deck actions, and only 5% full-blown plans (outlines, calendars, etc.)

One of my favorite principles in David's new book asks if you are organizing because you like organizing or because it is helping you get things done. Being an ex-FranklinCovey junkie, I know the feeling of focusing more on the tools than the outcome. I would suggest you find something that works well for you, and stick with it for a while. Latest and loudest can affect your choice of tools if you let it. javascript:emoticon(':wink:')

Scott Moehring
 

Mardo

Registered
Mac and Chronos Personal Organizer

Are any Mac users using Chronos Personal Organizer with GTD? If so how do you use it? I know it syncs. Thanks in advance for your help

Mardo
 

alsa

Registered
I have the Chronos organizer on my Mac and it does sync with Datebk5 categories which is nice, but I find that I do most of my planning now on my Palm directly within Datebk5 and ShadowPlan
 

Mardo

Registered
Chronos/Daylite

I gained some information on the MacLaw listserv that I thought might be of interest to GTD users. When I posted asking if anyone was using Chronos Organizer two people said that when they used it they lost older notes and data. They noticed it when they synced but their backup was corrupted also. As I understand it both of these lawyers used the multiuser version.
One of the posters who was looking for more than Entourage/Palm etc for case management but less than the 100+ feature versions of case managment software said they he is very happy with Daylite.
 

alsa

Registered
I have looked at the updated Daylite program and it's superb. It support Palm synchronization for OS5 devices that support categories in Datebook internally (such as a Tungsten T3). I am going to possibly look at switching to Daylite from Personal Organizer. Check it out: http://www.marketcircle.com/
 

Mardo

Registered
Now Up to Date and Contact

Is anyone using Now up to date and Contact for GTD and project control?
I am hopefully within a few months of converting the office to my new beautiful souped up G5 and 20" screen and my secretary's new IMAC. I have to choose my contact/calendar/project software first. I have narrowed it down I think to Daylite, Personal Organizer, and Now up to date.
Thanks in advance for your advice.
Mardo
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Macinotsh

Another Macintosh user here.

Mac OS X 10.3.2
Handspring/Palm Treo 600
Entourage 10.1.5 for OS X

New to GTD thinking. very exited to begin. David is training me one-on-one next week. My staff gets trained at the end of the month.

Has anyone translated the David's Workflow processing using MS Outlook for us Mac users within Entourage?

I use most every application within Entourage. It all syncs with my Handspring/Palm Treo 600 phone.

No problems. no worries. In one word: seamless
 

Mardo

Registered
Entourage

Stephen can you expand on how you use Entourage. Especially for projects etc.
I envy you the one on one training. I hope you post how it goes.
Mardo
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Mac users embracing GTD

Recently there has been a great deal of discussion amongst GTD enthusiasts on the Daylite users' forum. Participants are exchanging tips on how to best implement GTD methodology on their Macs.

In case you're not familiar, Daylite is the most comprehensive CRM solution for the Mac (similar to Goldmine on the PC). You can learn more about Daylite at www.marketcircle.com.

The Daylite users' forum can be joined by visiting:
http://lists.marketcircle.com/mailman/listinfo/daylite-talk

Regards,

Tom
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Best Mac/Palm based GTRD system out there by far

I use this on my office Mac and home laptop, each running OS 10.3.2, and on my Treo 600. This program synchronizes seamlessly with all three. It makes implementing GTD easy and intuitive. It is built to integrate into the Palm desktop but can also integrate with other systems such as iCal. They even have a template and a tutorial designed for GTD users. It is pricy but I think it is well worth it. I have tried other programs but this is the one which really thinks in the way that GTD users think. Here is a link to the company site. I suggest you do the month trial to decide if you like it before spending any money.

http://www.llamagraphics.com

Here is a download link to the tutorial on using the program for GTD, by the way this is really well thought out:

http://www.actionable.org/files/GTD.with.Life.Balance.pdf

Here is a template that will be helpful too:

http://www.llamagraphics.com/resources/exchange files/index.html

I am surprised that there has not been much discussion about this great program???
 

ceehjay

Registered
I've tried it -- too complex for me. I prefer a few simple lists. I also prefer to make my own choices about the most important next action. This was one of those programs that took so much of my time that I realized I really wasn't getting anything done.

Life Balance has been mentioned here before, and it does have its devotees. You'll find a few Shadow Plan folks here, too. I've also tried SP, and it met my needs better than Life Balance. However, I'm back with a version of the Plain Vanilla GTD. I tend to stay more focused when I keep it simple.

Just my opinion --
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
LB is intuitive and simple

I am surprised that you find LB complex. To me it really is easy. Let me give an example of the way this program saves time...

I used to use Omni outliner to plan and track my projects, then cut and paste or retype the action items from my projects into palm todo. Then when the @items were completed, it was back to the outline again to check the completed items off there, after I already had done it in my todo list.

Now LB is my outliner and it does all of this for me, saves me time. It automatically transfers the action items to my todo list, and it automatically checks off the completed tasks in my outline.

I looked at shadowplan which works in a similar way. If I had a PC, I would consider it, but the mac beta makes mistakes and it did not lend itself to being a trusted system that I could rely upon.

As far as selecting the action items, LB does not force you into doing one action item over the other. You can choose which ones you want to do.

Anyhow, this is a system that works for me, maybe it doesn't work for everyone.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Mindmap, organize, todo list -input data only once

Nova-mind, a great mind-mapping program, it updating their software shortly (2.0). It will soon have the capability to export via opml. LifeBalance, a great program which takes outlines and puts them into context specific todo lists, has just acquired the capacity for opml import/export.

Using these two programs together, one will soon be able to easily mindmap an idea, organize it into an outline, transfer it to context specific todo lists which you can carry around and check off on your Palm - AND ONLY INPUT THE DATA ONCE!

Hey David Allen, its time to make the switch to Macintosh!
:D
 

Mardo

Registered
Way cool new mac and Entorage

By this time next week I should have my "way cool" (as David Allen would say) G5 with the Apple 23" monitor. I winced hard when I wrote out the check but since it was six years since I bought my last computer I figure something that I am going to be looking at 6-10 hours a day until 2010 deserves to be way cool.

I am getting Office 2004. The computer store says they think its arriving next week and several of the Mac sites have echoed that. I really like the fact that they have a greatly expanded project center in entrouage. I hope that it will be all I need for my data base.

Here is hoping it improves my productivity!
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Try VooDooPad

For an extremely flexible and intuitive task/project/think-tank program for the mac, try VooDooPad. It's tricky to describe, but if you have ever heard of a wiki, it's similar. Pads can be exported to the iPod. No connectivity to Palm yet. I have been using it for research/writing, but have recently started using it for tasks/projects. You can check it out at www.flyingmeat.com. I'm not associated, but was an early adopter.

Brian
 

Mardo

Registered
Mac/Palm for GTD

I just got the new Office 2004 and am sitting here setting up Entourage. The new Office Entourage 2004 has a project Center and it syncs seamlessly with my Zire71. Projects can be linked to tasks, contacts, memos, any office generated document, email etc. I chose to sync Contacts, calender, and tasks. I think this may be it- the contact and project manager that can keep projects together. There is also clippings from anywhere that can be associated with the project and you can even get driving directions from your office to a contacts address.I need to find out how many catagories can be assigned to a project. Key words fit in somewhere.
Its early days yet but I am optimistic.

P.S. This G5 and 23 inch monitor has made me very happy!
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Voodoo Pad

I had been looking for a Mac notepad application that allowed links and just picked up Voodoo Pad after reading Brian's post. I'm interested in hearing ideas on how to best configure it to link next-action and project lists.

DZ
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Re: Voodoo Pad

Guest said:
I had been looking for a Mac notepad application that allowed links and just picked up Voodoo Pad after reading Brian's post. I'm interested in hearing ideas on how to best configure it to link next-action and project lists.

DZ

Well, it's pretty easy to configure to the GTD method. I made pages for each category (projects, tasks, waiting, someday/maybe, etc.). If you need a notes page, you simply turn the project into its own page and you can type away.

You can drop files onto pages and it will link to the files (also works for url's to web pages). If you drop a picture, it embeds into the page. The programmer is almost done linking Address Book cards, so you'll be able to drop those onto pages as well and it will link to the card.

You cannot sync to Palm, but you can download to the iPod. The program can export to a variety of other formats, including Word, HTML, etc.

See www.flyingmeat.com for more info. It's an inexpensive program and the author is very responsive to requests.

Brian
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Mac User, new to GTD, looking for Filemaker template...

I read thru the messages and have looked at the various alternatives (other programs) and am pretty much maxed out with program buying and implementation = one more thing to do and learn!! I want fewer not more. I figure that I already own Filemaker (6, but will be moving to 7) and generally have the idea of templates etc. I would think someone has already created one for FMP (and there is a program to sync to Palm a FMP database, so that chore would be done. But, despite several googles on topic, no go.

If anyone does know of a Filemaker template, that'd be greaet.

I have a Cube (souped up) and also am a lawyer on the MacLaw list...

Thanks much for the discussion.
 
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