Two Minutes with David Allen Series

[kelstarrising]

I've made the Two Minutes with David Allen Series more accessible for you all to watch, search for, and play through the podcast. There are 10 in all and are still some of the best nuggets from David on the best practices of GTD.

The series includes:
Advanced Common Sense
Getting Back on the GTD Wagon
Prioritizing with GTD
Creating Nice Clean Edges with Reference
Getting in Control with the Weekly Review
Dealing with Email
Getting a Reference Point for GTD
Get Stuff Out of Your Head
There's Always Another Level
Managing Your Agreements

Enjoy!

Kelly

 

[ArcCaster]

email and blackberries

Thanks Kelly,

David's session on email calls a blackberry a 'louder horn' and says that if people were more successful in handling their email, most wouldn't NEED a blackberry.

On the one hand, I like this thought because I am in the camp of those who are resisting the trend to own smart phones. On the other hand, the current smart phone is more powerful than the blackberry he was mentioning -- so, if I were to generalize 'blackberry' into 'smart phone', do y'all still think it is primarily a 'louder horn'?

I am looking for justification to either maintain my distance from smart phones, or to take the plunge and join the crowd

Thanks,
Rob

 

[Barb]

Two cents

Thanks Kelly,

David's session on email calls a blackberry a 'louder horn' and says that if people were more successful in handling their email, most wouldn't NEED a blackberry.

On the one hand, I like this thought because I am in the camp of those who are resisting the trend to own smart phones. On the other hand, the current smart phone is more powerful than the blackberry he was mentioning -- so, if I were to generalize 'blackberry' into 'smart phone', do y'all still think it is primarily a 'louder horn'?

I am looking for justification to either maintain my distance from smart phones, or to take the plunge and join the crowd

Thanks,
Rob

Rob,
I resisted it until early last year. I just didn't WANT to be that connected! But I'm very glad I made the switch. Not only do I have all of the wonderful features of a great smart phone, but I can (and do) access my email when I'm away from my home office in small moments of time. The "agreement" I have with myself is not to be obsessive about it--and I'm not. But if I'm bored, I'll pull it out and just scan to see if there is anything I need to respond to. Just because I have the capability doesn't mean I have to use it everywhere I go, every minute of the day. No offense to anyone else, but I'd rather be engaged with the people in front of me.

 

[Oogiem]

do y'all still think it is primarily a 'louder horn'?

Not for me my smartphone (an iPhone 4S) is a critical portable tool. I carry shopping lists, address lists, phone (we don't have a wire line phone at all) reference material, calendar, games, timers, GPS, maps and more on my phone. However, I do not as a rule, process any e-mail on my phone. I do use it to look up stuff on the Internet as needed. I will occasionally send e-mail from my phone but not often.

If I had to replace the same amount of information I carry on my phone and use regularly with a paper system I'd need a backpack or large purse with me all the time to hold the large binder. It's impossible to do my work wearing a backpack or carrying a purse so for me a smartphone in a small belt pouch is ideal.

I do feel a bit odd sometimes because I have several critical items on my belt now at all times, my pouch with phone, camera, notetaker wallet with my ID and $, Square device to accept credit cards, spare camera batteries, spare pens and paper list of sheep. I haven't yet figured out how to put my sheep records onto my phone in electronic form but I am working on it. Then I have my epi-pen bee sting kit, and a leatherman tool. Sometimes I carry other items I need as well. I've found that my hands need to be free to do my work and bags and purses fall off the shoulder and get in the way.

There is a reason cops, soldiers and firemen all use duty belts and one of my birthday presents was to get a custom made proper belt so my critical tools will ride more comfortably on my hips. I also have weighed everything I carry regularly and made sure that the weight is balanced. It's still a lot less than a similar set of stuff based on paper.

 

[kelstarrising]

Thanks Kelly,

David's session on email calls a blackberry a 'louder horn' and says that if people were more successful in handling their email, most wouldn't NEED a blackberry.

On the one hand, I like this thought because I am in the camp of those who are resisting the trend to own smart phones. On the other hand, the current smart phone is more powerful than the blackberry he was mentioning -- so, if I were to generalize 'blackberry' into 'smart phone', do y'all still think it is primarily a 'louder horn'?

I am looking for justification to either maintain my distance from smart phones, or to take the plunge and join the crowd

Thanks,
Rob

The video shows its age by focusing on the BlackBerry, because iPhones weren't really on the scene when this was made. It's at least 5 years old.

I absolutely love having a smarter phone. I have intentionally resisted having my work email on my iPhone though. I don't want to be that connected. I can process my email just fine from my laptop and do so regularly. Some people need that mobile access, like our traveling staff, because they don't have access to their laptops that easily.

 

[Mtk8]

quiet the horn

I'm in the couldn't live without my smartphone (iPhone 4S) camp. To stick with the metaphor, I think the key is to make sure that YOU control the horn volume. Turn off all of the various email notifications, including the new message count on the app badge. That way you're only prompted by/distracted by new emails when you want to be.

--Marc

 

[kelstarrising]

Thanks Kelly,

David's session on email calls a blackberry a 'louder horn' and says that if people were more successful in handling their email, most wouldn't NEED a blackberry.

On the one hand, I like this thought because I am in the camp of those who are resisting the trend to own smart phones. On the other hand, the current smart phone is more powerful than the blackberry he was mentioning -- so, if I were to generalize 'blackberry' into 'smart phone', do y'all still think it is primarily a 'louder horn'?

I am looking for justification to either maintain my distance from smart phones, or to take the plunge and join the crowd

Thanks,
Rob

Rob--Serendipitously, this topic came up today in my Up Close with David recording. He talks about processing email on his iPhone now, for the first time, and how it's improved his productivity. It should go live in a few days.

 

[ryanirelan]

Resisting processing email on my phone

That's interesting that it came up because I've had several conversations recently about my resistance to using my phone to process my email. There's a great, new app for the iPhone called Dispatch that makes it easy to process email--even the ability to send emails to Evernote or OmniFocus.

I don't want to process email on my phone because then when I'm on the go I'll feel like it's an obligation. Phone email for me is as a way to get notified of important emails and to reply only when it's absolutely time sensitive.

I'll be interested to hear David's take on it. Looking forward to the next video!

 

[ArcCaster]

I think the topic is controversial. I work in high tech, so I should be sympathetic towards use of smart phones. But I am not. Surprisingly, most of the people I see who are also dragging their feet are also in high tech. Maybe because our work has us always connected to the web, and because our workdays often spill over into 'personal time', we are already as connected as we want to be.

I also spend a lot of time in airports, and I find it a bit disturbing to see so many of my fellow travelers dragging their own virtual worlds around with them to the exclusion of the real physical world.

Maybe if I didn't spend my days at a computer, I would have the opposite perspective

 

[Nancy.LoCascio]

Not for me my smartphone (an iPhone 4S) is a critical portable tool. I carry shopping lists, address lists, phone (we don't have a wire line phone at all) reference material, calendar, games, timers, GPS, maps and more on my phone. However, I do not as a rule, process any e-mail on my phone. I do use it to look up stuff on the Internet as needed. I will occasionally send e-mail from my phone but not often.

If I had to replace the same amount of information I carry on my phone and use regularly with a paper system I'd need a backpack or large purse with me all the time to hold the large binder. It's impossible to do my work wearing a backpack or carrying a purse so for me a smartphone in a small belt pouch is ideal.

I do feel a bit odd sometimes because I have several critical items on my belt now at all times, my pouch with phone, camera, notetaker wallet with my ID and $, Square device to accept credit cards, spare camera batteries, spare pens and paper list of sheep. I haven't yet figured out how to put my sheep records onto my phone in electronic form but I am working on it. Then I have my epi-pen bee sting kit, and a leatherman tool. Sometimes I carry other items I need as well. I've found that my hands need to be free to do my work and bags and purses fall off the shoulder and get in the way.

There is a reason cops, soldiers and firemen all use duty belts and one of my birthday presents was to get a custom made proper belt so my critical tools will ride more comfortably on my hips. I also have weighed everything I carry regularly and made sure that the weight is balanced. It's still a lot less than a similar set of stuff based on paper.

Hi,
I have been thinking about your sheep! What sort of information or data do you need to keep with you about each sheep? I ask because I am wondering if taking a picture and labeling each photograph with relevant information would be a way for you to eliminate that paper.

By the way, I use the camera on my phone for so much these days -- from snapping a picture of where I parked my car to exactly where my knee hurts so I can show the physical therapist on my next visit. I don't want to count on my brain to hold onto that sort of data!

Would love to hear your thoughts!

Nancy

p.s. I spent four years growing up on a farm. Still remember the day we brought some lambs home!

 

[Oogiem]

What sort of information or data do you need to keep with you about each sheep? I ask because I am wondering if taking a picture and labeling each photograph with relevant information would be a way for you to eliminate that paper.

What I carry on the spreadsheep (I use a spreadsheet to store the data) varies by time of year. The current list has ear tags (federal, farm, EID if present, color, which ear the tag is in), any other identifying marks, sheep name, sire, dam, birthdate, birthweight, Codon 171 status, notes and, for the ewes, whether they had lambs this year and how many of what sexes.

My LambTracker program is being designed to contain all the data I need on the sheep in the desktop version. The mobile version will have subsets as required for various tasks. Problem right now is that I carry an iPhone, and because Apple has a closed bluetooth system we could not get LambTracker and the EID stuff working on it. So LambTracker Mobile is Android only right now. It's on the list as a project to make an iOS version but I've first got to get the final database design built, tested and operational on the desktop version, finish writing the Convert to EID, NSIP data collection, drug administration and slaughter withdrawal monitoring and the official federal reporting mobile apps for the Android written before I can even think about conversion to iPhone.

Short term is hoping Libre Office comes out with a read only viewer for iOS for documents or seeing if I can expand DEVONThink to show the data. Iv'e tried but it gets hard. You really need a look up sheep activity/function so you only see a single sheep's worth of info on the phone at at time due to screen real estate issues. Paper is easier because each row is a separate sheep. Scrolling sideways in a spreadsheet on a phone screen is difficult, BTDT.

I have an idea what I want and need it's a matter of lack of time to create it right now.

 

[TesTeq]

Passion and professionalism that I admire!

What I carry on the spreadsheep (I use a spreadsheet to store the data) varies by time of year. The current list has ear tags (federal, farm, EID if present, color, which ear the tag is in), any other identifying marks, sheep name, sire, dam, birthdate, birthweight, Codon 171 status, notes and, for the ewes, whether they had lambs this year and how many of what sexes.

I knew that the answer would contain much more than we had ever thought that we wanted to know. But... that's passion and professionalism that I admire!

 

[kelstarrising]

Rob--Serendipitously, this topic came up today in my Up Close with David recording. He talks about processing email on his iPhone now, for the first time, and how it's improved his productivity. It should go live in a few days.

Here is the new video with DA where he talks about how he's processing email on his iPhone. It's quite simple actually--he uses the phone for deletes and less than two minute items. Everything else stays in the inbox until he can get back to his laptop.

https://secure.davidco.com/connect/upclose.php

 

[ArcCaster]

synching iphone with PC

OK -- you have almost persuaded me -- I am about to trade in my indestructable auditorily-wonderful Samsung Rugby for an Iphone.

Thing is, I prefer keyboards and screens that are full size, and, as long as they are available, I will be using a PC for planning, listing, capturing, and so forth. The iphone will become an extension of my office; on an everyday use, it will become my 'ubiqitous capture too'; when I am on the road, it will assume a heavier load.

PC tools I have used for GTD include Outlook Tasks and, more currently, a simple Word file. My question -- are they appropriate for synching with an iphone? Or should I be exploring other software that supports GTD both on PC and iphone?

Thanks,
Rob

 

[kelstarrising]

OK -- you have almost persuaded me -- I am about to trade in my indestructable auditorily-wonderful Samsung Rugby for an Iphone.

Thing is, I prefer keyboards and screens that are full size, and, as long as they are available, I will be using a PC for planning, listing, capturing, and so forth. The iphone will become an extension of my office; on an everyday use, it will become my 'ubiqitous capture too'; when I am on the road, it will assume a heavier load.

PC tools I have used for GTD include Outlook Tasks and, more currently, a simple Word file. My question -- are they appropriate for synching with an iphone? Or should I be exploring other software that supports GTD both on PC and iphone?

Thanks,
Rob

Synching Outlook Tasks to an iPhone can be done. But because one is Apple and one is Microsoft, they play as nice as two cats in an alley who just discovered the same mouse. They fight a little bit over the data and most notably on the iPhone, your nicely categorized tasks on Outlook show up in one big list in iPhone Reminders (still categorized correctly on Outlook, but showing that way on iPhone.) But even that depends on how you are synching too. If through Exchange, I've heard that's not the case and everything gets along and syncs perfectly. If through iCloud (there is no local sync from what I know) it does the weird category thing. It's a current project for us to evaluate more solutions for this. One I've heard of, but have not vetted, is separating tasks on the OL side into folder, instead of under one folder called Tasks. But that is completely different than our Setup Guides and then breaks the Netcentrics GTD Add-in functionality, if you go that method. Another, again which we have not tested, is Milk Sync from Remember the Milk.

Someone asked me yesterday what to use and I suggested they consider iCloud.com for Email, Calendar, Tasks, Contacts (can access from anywhere and syncs to iOS devices seamlessly.) Or, Evernote for lists and iCloud for the rest. Lots of choices! Hope that helps!

 

[Mtk8]

PC tools I have used for GTD include Outlook Tasks and, more currently, a simple Word file. My question -- are they appropriate for synching with an iphone? Or should I be exploring other software that supports GTD both on PC and iphone?

I recently switched from PC to Mac, but prior to that I used Outlook on the PC (with Exchange server) and synced tasks to my iPhone with an app called imExchange. Tasks pushed from Outlook to imExchange each time the app was opened and categorized appropriately based on my next action categories in Outlook. I'm not sure what the non-Exchange server functionality would be, but if you're using Exchange it is a solution worth looking at.

--Marc

 

[ArcCaster]

My company uses PCs. Maybe it would make sense to go Android?

Barebones, I would like to be able to sync and carry my next actions list with me, and I would like to be able to add to that list at any time.

And, nice-to-have for traveling, I would like to be able to wave my phone over the scanner as a boarding pass, would like to receive email telling me where my rental car is located, and would like to receive updates as to latest gate and schedule changes for my flights. (just envying what I see my fellow travelers doing). And, if my end-of-day meeting changes while I am flying to it, it would be nice to receive notification.

Everything else is gravy (and people who own smart phones tell me that I will not be able to resist adding lots of gravy to my phone).

Maybe I should ask, do I need a smart phone for this? Maybe all I need is a printer and a request to people to text me instead of sending email