MY TIME AND PRODUCTIVITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
WHAT WORKS FOR ME AND WHAT I'M LOOKING AT


Notes, in process, see sidebar..

After doing this partially, off and on when frustrated or not being productive enough, I decided to do as I should have done in the first place:  to really nail this down.  My objective was to get a workable system that I would use, instead of always be short of some better system.

I tend to "overdo" the number of ideas and things of interest, so I end up with piles and accumulations of undones, sometimes lost.  But there was lots of wasted time initiatin some of these things but have them go nowhere - into the land of rusty cars in the yard (incompletes cluttering the place and/or my mind).

To conquer this area and to set it up so other people could benefit took me about       .  If you jump off of anyone else's systems and merely learn to use them, plan on spending at least 20-40 hours (or whatever it takes) to really be good at the system - otherwise you will consistently be blowing time, flushing it down the sewer!  Use the simplest system that serves your needs, even if it has more re-writing in it than a bigger software system has.



INFLOW SYSTEM
OUTFLOW SYSTEM
CAPTURE SYSTEM

Information management

See My Information Management Software page  on how I organize and use these:
   Evernote
   Workflowy

The One Master Notebook - As thoughts or follows or whatever come up, I capture them here.

Ideas - See My Information Management Software page, as these can go into Evernote or Workflowy "depending" on the nature of the items.   Evernote is for storing clippings and brief notes for myself.

[UsedI have a "category" in my Achieve Planner (nonsyncable) old time management software (it is "collapsible" so I open it only when needed).  I put them into subgroups, by subject or project, when I am into it. This is currrently a sinkhole, unless I tickle them up. ]

Information for reference

All information, little writeups and stuff I am going to work on, hopefully, someday are filed by category and then subgroups, though the subgroups are different than the ideas section.

My Journal (DavidRM) software; Excellent tree outline so it is absolutely referenceable. , Nonsync, on my PC.   See special journaling structure:  "Working Journal Structure Outline"

"Pages" (word) program in IPad:  By overall subject area, then by document subject. 
Files working on for writing etc. - in my rolling file next to my desk   For longer writings.

"Notes" in iDevices:  For simple lists or tell Siri I want to dictate in notes, and then I will access the notes in order.  Much of this could be in Workflowy, too - but this is simple, and not hierarchical, but handy.

Email (and contacts) - Using Yahoo now, but gradually shitf to GMail (or send "to dos" for transfering to tasks).

Filing, reference systems, locations - All defined, with structures for each item, category, etc., for retrievability. (in process)
CALENDAR AND TO DO MANAGEMENT

See My Task Management Software.

Google Calendar - Synced to iOS iCal. Will put tasks at top of day in the future. Won't do "sounds" alarm (set those is iCal).

iCal - Won't do specific days of week repeated or "fourth" Wednesday type of things, so use Google.

GTasks - Syncs with Google tasks.  Unlike Google Calendar, it can do subtasks (which do show up on the Google Calendar Task Lists!).

Evernote - Add reminder, in subject line at end, to item emailed to Evernote after a ! (with or without the other two items I've included here):  !2015/01/15 , before the @notebook #tag

Only notes for now:
Tasks and projects work better in software

Long term reminders system
Audible alarms 

able to drag and drop 

tickle system for all key to dos, preferably in installable pieces..
Pending lists - sort? in word? in google docs?
  How bring to top?  (C optional, B good to do, A do), check out google to dos and calendar
ifttt.com for automatic actions...from anywhere...
PLANNING

My Dashboard - Overview of current objectives
                       How am I doing?  Key metrics.

Daily - Daily targets, use simple decision list
         Warm up routine 
Calendar - Google or outlook 

A pre-set daily schedule, weekly schedule.

Checklist/procedure/forms:

Daily Planning
Weekly Planning
Monthly Planning
Quarterly Planning
Yearly Planning
LifePlan

email screening
RSS feeder
Notes

I will not recheck my todo list (hardly ever), so if I want something done it has to come up into my face at the right time.  If it is on a list it is also easier to blow off. 

Great days checklist, 19, 20, 21 aug each...

choas sifter -
   make all decisions possible when "sharp" and in perspective, minimize otherwise (notice how decisions don't work when in lower state)

Organizers:  AnyTime

"Those who do not have time to organize chaos into order will never have time - and they will always live in chaos, subject to any variation in forces out there, and never being in control of their lives."


"Funnel" - List by category - selected by day, prioritized, then entered into day....
               If category gets too big, have to have a means of most important being at top and selecting from only a few.
               A "category" could be a role and the task that one must do in that role.

Side notes for myself
See simpleology elite, for big business, but free trial...
Only today's show up.

Ecco Pro is the best I've ever seen, but it is not currently supported by a company
QuickList Overview

Dropbox
iCloud
Evernote
Google:
  GMail (Yahoo - some)
  Google.com (search)
  Google Voice
  Google Docs (simple
    format docs only)
  Google Calendar    
    (coord with ipad)
    GTasks
  Google Reader
Workflowy (outliner, lists)
Writing:
  Word (best)   
  Scrivener - For writers
  Pages (poor)

Also:

iPad Reminders (limited)
Notes, ipad (limited)

Skype

To further review:

Calengoo
Nozbe ++
Trello


NOTES FOR NOW
(See links, above.)

Sync to all devices

Evernote - For information filing, clipping

Workflowy - "Outliner", hierarchical notes/lists. Difficult to move a line in iPad. 

Scrivener - For writing

iCal

Google Calendar & To Do 

GTasks

Notes on others

Task mgmt - Available on multiple platforms, scalable to groups


Asana - to teams
ToDoIst - $31/yr  simple, good across all
Trello - free, takes some getting used to, highly visual
Wunderlist simplest, lowest scalability to teams


Experts: 

Steve Dotto,
Mike Vardy
   ( Productivityist)

Learn: Search in YouTube!  

Books:  David Allen, Getting Things Done - The Art Of Stress-Free Productivity  


Explore:

Creating Flow with OmniFocus, Kourosh Dini.


THESE ARE THE PIECES OF THE SYSTEM

Each has instructions on what to use (Software, forms, systems)

See My Time Management Dashboad which gives me perspective and reminds me of what to do (and keeps the system sustainable!)

Inflow                                                         Outflow
   Capture info (in an organized way)                   Tasks system
   Organize info                                                 Scheduling (and calendar)