Category Archives: tips and tricks

Keeping an Inventory of Projects in Evernote

Posted by chriswilliamsde on

Recently I have been sharing some of the details of how I set up my GTD system in Evernote.  In this post I want to share how I set up my projects list in Evernote.

What Counts as a Project?

GTD approaches projects a little differently, so it might be good to take a moment to make sure we have a good working definition.  As David Allen defines it, “A project is anything that takes more one step to complete.”  He further explains projects by saying that they should be things that can be completed in less than 12 months.  According to this definition, a project can be big or small, personal or professional.  No matter what part of life it is connected to, if it takes more than one step to mark it off as done, it is a project.

The Power of Identifying Projects

This part of the GTD system has provided the most horsepower for my personal productivity for at least three reasons.

1.  Keeps the Ball Moving Forward.

Having a full and current project list has allowed me to keep the ball moving forward on the things I have committed to do.  Before I started keeping a project list, things fell through the cracks or didn’t get the attention they deserved.  Now I review the list each week and insure that I have at least one next action for each of the projects on my list.  This allows me to get things done related to the commitments I have made.

2.  Makes Me a Person of Integrity.

The project list has helped me be a person of integrity.  Saying that you will do something and following through on it is the essence of what it means to be a credible, trustworthy person.  Kouzes and Posner in their book The Truth About Leadership identify honesty and credibility as top-of-the-list criteria for effective leaders.  They say the biggest factor in being considered honest or credible is that you DWYSYWD (do what you said you would do).  My project list helps me know what I said I would do.  It keeps those items in front of me at least weekly.  And it helps me follow through on those commitments.

3.  Helps Me Say “No.”

Having my project list current and complete gives me a snapshot of all that I am committed to complete.  When I see the list of items (usually 50 to 100 projects), I can make informed decisions about new opportunities and requests for my work.  When my plate is full, I know it because I can see it written in black and white.  This helps me say, “No.”  This has immense strategic value for me.  I like to help people, especially when the opportunity seems fun, challenging, or interesting.  This means I overcommit easily.  My GTD project list is helping me say “no” so I can stay balanced and productive in life.

Setting Up The Project List in Evernote

Now that we are on the same page as to what a project is, and have identified some of the benefits of having a complete project list, let me share with some tips to setting up and keeping your project list in Evernote.

1.  Create a notebook in your GTD Evernote stack titled “Project List.”

This is a flat list where you will keep all of your identified projects.  This is not the place where you will keep project plans.  You can do that in any number of ways and places.  This is simply an inventory of all the projects you are committed to complete.

2.  Determine if you want to mix personal and professional projects in the same list.

Personally, I have chosen to keep all my projects in one list, but I have divided the list into four areas: Work (Anything related to my job), Coaching (Anything related to my coaching practice), MDIV (Anything related to the seminary courses I am taking), Personal (Anything that does not fit into one of the other categories).  Some people choose to keep personal and professional on completely different lists.  Others choose to mingle them together on one undivided list.  I have chosen to keep them separate on the same list.  This allows me to see everything in one place, but to still be able to focus in on one specific area with relative ease.  As you set up your list, decide what works best for you.

3.  Decide if you want to group projects by area of responsibility.

In both my personal and professional aspects of my life, I have identified headings for the major responsibilities I have in life and work.  My areas of responsibility are as follows:

Life

  • Health & Fitness
  • Spirituality
  • Personal Growth & Development
  • Writing
  • Marriage
  • Parenting
  • Family
  • Personal Finances
  • Household
  • Relationships

Work

  • Facility/Campus Management
  • Communications
  • Personnel
  • Property
  • Administration
  • Leadership Development

I begin each project on my list with one of these responsibility headings.  This connects each project with its corresponding area of responsibility and allows me to group projects from each area together.

Example: Writing – Publish blog post re Keeping an Inventory of Projects in Evernote

Some people do not find this step helpful.  I use it because seeing projects grouped by area of responsibility helps me assess where my time and energy is being focused.

4.  Describe each project in its completed form.

Each project in your list should begin with a verb and a statement that describe “what finished looks like.”  In other words, describe the project using a phrase that will be true when you are able to mark that project off as completed.  In the example I gave above, the project is done when the blog post is published.  Brainstorm ideas for the post, draft the post, and edit the post are actions related to the project.  The project is publishing the post.  That’s why the project is articulated the way it is.

5.  Identify next actions.

Each project should have at least one physical, visible action identified and recorded in one of your GTD Action Lists.  This is what keeps the ball moving forward on your projects.

6.  Review weekly to keep your project list current.

The project list should be reviewed weekly.  In fact, this is the major focus of the GTD Weekly Review (more about this in a future post).  Knowing that the inventory of projects is current and complete, and the next actions are identified is what gives you the ability to have “mind like water.”

Give Me a Tip

How do you keep track of your commitments and open loops?  What tools do you use?  What tips and tricks have you found helpful?  Leave me a comment below.

Posted by chriswilliamsde on

Great quote I came across at Zen Habits:

Multitasking is out. Turns out this badge of honor from the ’90s is more fiction than fact. Our brains don’t multitask, they just rapidly switch between tasks, sometimes fast enough for us to believe we’re doing many things at once. Problem is, every time we switch, there is a “ramping cost” in your brain, it takes anywhere from a few second to 15 minutes for your brain to fully re-engage. This makes you feel insanely busy, but simultaneously craters productivity, creativity and increases feelings of anxiety and stress. Multitasking also requires you to hold a lot of information in your working memory, which is controlled by a part of the brain known as the prefrontal cortex (PFC). But the PFC is also responsible for will-power, and for keeping fear and anxiety in check. Multitasking increases the “cognitive load” on the PFC, overwhelming it and effectively killing it’s ability to keep fear, anxiety and the taunt of distraction at bay. Simple solution–just say no. Do one thing at a time in intense, short bursts. - Jonathan Fields, author of Uncertainty: Turning Fear and Doubt Into Fuel for Brilliance.

What are your thoughts on multi-tasking vs. single-tasking?  Which one makes you more productive?  Which one makes you more effective?

Setting Up GTD Next Action Lists in Evernote

Posted by chriswilliamsde on

Last week I wrote about the steps I took to set up my GTD System in Evernote. One of the key parts of that system is the Action List notebook.

The Power of Context

One of the breakthrough ideas in GTD is that one “to-do list” is not enough. You need to have an action list for each of the contexts where you get work done. This provides a powerful filter option for you when it is time to do work. You simply look at the list or lists that connect with context you are currently in, and choose from the next actions on these lists.

For example, when you are sitting at your desk in your office, you could likely choose to look at two or three of your lists: @Calls (because you have a phone at your desk), @Computer (because your computer is in front of you), and @Office (because you are, well, in your office). You don’t have to look at your @Home list because you are not at home. You don’t have to look at your @Errands list because you are not out and about running errands.

By setting up lists according to your contexts you are creating a filter which allows you to use these lists to direct your focus as you sit down to engage in work.

What Lists Do You Need?

Of course, you know your contexts better than anyone else, so no answer given here will work across every person’s situation. That said, there are some key lists that most people can utilize.

  • @Calls – A list where you keep all the phone calls you need to make.
  • @Home – A list of things that can only be done while you are at home.
  • @Office – A list of things that can only be done while you are at the office.
  • @Computer – A list of things that can only be done when you are in front of your computer.
  • @Errands – A list of things that can only be done when you are out and about.
  • @Anywhere – A list of things that are not tied to a certain context and can be done wherever you are.
  • @Waiting For – A list of things that you are waiting for from others.

Other Lists You Might Benefit From

While certain contexts seem to be staples for nearly everyone, there are likely to be a few that are unique to you. I have two such lists that I keep.

@Online – A list of things that can only be done when I have an internet connection. I created this list because several things I do are web-based and though I usually have an internet connection there are times when I don’t. I may not have an internet connection, but I do have my laptop. Therefore, the @Computer list can still provide a focusing list for things I can get done. You may not need a list like this, but I have found it helpful.

@MDIV – A list of next steps related to current assignments for the Master of Divinity degree I am pursuing at Wesley Seminary at Indiana Wesleyan University. Though this isn’t really a context per se, I do have blocks of time set aside for school work. This list makes it easy to focus on what I need to do in those blocks of time. I pull that list up and focus my energies there.

@??? – What unique list would be helpful for you to have? Make it up and give it a try.

Setting Up Your Action Lists in Evernote

If you want to set up your action lists in Evernote, just follow these simple steps.

1. Create a notebook (CTRL + SHIFT + N) for your action lists. I got creative on the title; I named mine “Action Lists.”

2. Create a new note (CTRL + N) for each list you want to set up. Title the note with the name of your context. My action list notes are:

  • @Calls
  • @Computer
  • @Errands
  • @Home
  • @MDIV
  • @Office
  • @Online
  • @Waiting For

3. Populate your lists with the next physical, visible actions that you need to complete to get things done.

4. Review your lists on a regular basis to keep them clear and current.

Questions?

If you are thinking about setting up your system in Evernote or have already started setting it up and have a question, please feel free to post it below or EMAIL ME. I’ll do what I can to help you.