Discussion Forum > Research on Project Mgmt tools (iPhone, Mailbox, Gmail, Dropbox, Any.do)
Hi Seraphim
I don't have a smart phone but my phone does have wifi/ free data, email and storage and regular files just like my computer. It can be text, audio, video or photos. I prefer to use my computer. I also have my paper stuff. That does the trick for me. Just pretend that the files in the computer is like a binder but better! Easy to organize and refer to plus voice, text and email that's very easy to integrate. Maybe you forgot what it was like before pc technology. Even my simple system is FAR easier to work than only paper. Don't get too lured by the flash. LOL! Remember when computers were just plain text with black background and green text? That was very exciting! Heck, I'm old enough to remember thinking I was a Flintstone on the Jetson when I got my first ATM card! That was space age, man! LOL!
I'm not saying to settle. But, maybe, the ROI might be there to use what's less fiddly and still more than gets the job done, yeah? I'm still thrilled with basic computer apps. It still dazzles me how easy it is to work, create, save and have FUN! Every ten minutes, the backup starts and everything is there. It's easy to make changes or put it back! LOL! And this is just simple MAC apps with iWORK that I RARELY use unless I need to write something that I need page count or editing/polishing. Can't you set up your files so that they are easy to use? I use XXXX year XX month XX day and project name or category to keep the stuff inside the files ordered or a cover sheet as the first page. Can't you just go online to answer your emails and keep project relevant duplicates in your computer project files system and on your phone if you wish?
I hope you find what you're looking for. It did take me a few years to learn and set up things how I like them. I learned the hard way to keep it simple. I wish I could take back the part of my life that I went of apps hunting and testing binges and the time to remove them and find all of those obscure pesky files that the uninstaller leaves. After the trace is over, I always hate myself. LOL!
I don't have a smart phone but my phone does have wifi/ free data, email and storage and regular files just like my computer. It can be text, audio, video or photos. I prefer to use my computer. I also have my paper stuff. That does the trick for me. Just pretend that the files in the computer is like a binder but better! Easy to organize and refer to plus voice, text and email that's very easy to integrate. Maybe you forgot what it was like before pc technology. Even my simple system is FAR easier to work than only paper. Don't get too lured by the flash. LOL! Remember when computers were just plain text with black background and green text? That was very exciting! Heck, I'm old enough to remember thinking I was a Flintstone on the Jetson when I got my first ATM card! That was space age, man! LOL!
I'm not saying to settle. But, maybe, the ROI might be there to use what's less fiddly and still more than gets the job done, yeah? I'm still thrilled with basic computer apps. It still dazzles me how easy it is to work, create, save and have FUN! Every ten minutes, the backup starts and everything is there. It's easy to make changes or put it back! LOL! And this is just simple MAC apps with iWORK that I RARELY use unless I need to write something that I need page count or editing/polishing. Can't you set up your files so that they are easy to use? I use XXXX year XX month XX day and project name or category to keep the stuff inside the files ordered or a cover sheet as the first page. Can't you just go online to answer your emails and keep project relevant duplicates in your computer project files system and on your phone if you wish?
I hope you find what you're looking for. It did take me a few years to learn and set up things how I like them. I learned the hard way to keep it simple. I wish I could take back the part of my life that I went of apps hunting and testing binges and the time to remove them and find all of those obscure pesky files that the uninstaller leaves. After the trace is over, I always hate myself. LOL!
February 15, 2014 at 6:29 |
learning as I go
learning as I go
p.s.
Evernote is great for basic knowledge reference system and I have a couple notebooks for just pissing around stuff also. I love that my house could burn down and my photos and art and music lives in the cloud. My sensitive stuff is on personal backup, no cloud and certainly not Evernote. LOL! It's especially great that when I forgot how to fix something or an update screws stuff up, just press a button. LOL! I also love it for recipes and personal research stuff. I keep real work completely out of Evernote. When I crank up Evernote, I know it's play time!
Evernote is great for basic knowledge reference system and I have a couple notebooks for just pissing around stuff also. I love that my house could burn down and my photos and art and music lives in the cloud. My sensitive stuff is on personal backup, no cloud and certainly not Evernote. LOL! It's especially great that when I forgot how to fix something or an update screws stuff up, just press a button. LOL! I also love it for recipes and personal research stuff. I keep real work completely out of Evernote. When I crank up Evernote, I know it's play time!
February 15, 2014 at 6:38 |
learning as I go
learning as I go
Hi Learning - thanks for the comments. Actually what I'm finally doing here is to STOP fiddling, and to finally buckle down and figure out a system that really works for me.
For me the issue has been not taking the time to think through a single coherent strategy for managing personal/home projects. So I'd create a mish-mosh of papers, apps, files, emails, etc., sometimes using paper, sometimes using Gmail, sometimes using Dropbox, but not really having any coherent plan.
Reading Factory Of One helped me realize (again) how much I need a coherent plan. So I decided to really think through it. I had a few false starts and mishaps, but made some real progress today. (Yesterday? it's kinda late here)
I realized that I like all these tools I use for different reasons, but I needed to get clear how and when I'd use each one. Thus Mailbox for mobile triage, Gmail for heavier routing and processing of individual emails and tasks, Any.do for DOING tasks. Which means stop trying to do heavy lifting with Mailbox, and stop trying to use Any.do for project management, etc.
The real missing piece was project management, and here, I was all over the place. Sometimes paper notebooks, sometimes paper folders, sometimes a Ziplock bag full of papers and misc objects, sometimes Dropbox, sometimes Gmail, sometimes a Rube Goldberg combination of many things. I need to simplify and standardize rather than making it up as I go along. After thinking what that really means, I decided that for me it means:
(1) use a single project mgmt tool (probably Trello or Leankit)
(2) decide on a simple way to integrate it with Gmail to process incoming emails and tasks related to these projects
(3) as much as possible, avoid paper
(4) when you must use paper or physical stuff, figure out a standard simple way of doing it, and make a standard simple space on your shelves to organize it
For me the issue has been not taking the time to think through a single coherent strategy for managing personal/home projects. So I'd create a mish-mosh of papers, apps, files, emails, etc., sometimes using paper, sometimes using Gmail, sometimes using Dropbox, but not really having any coherent plan.
Reading Factory Of One helped me realize (again) how much I need a coherent plan. So I decided to really think through it. I had a few false starts and mishaps, but made some real progress today. (Yesterday? it's kinda late here)
I realized that I like all these tools I use for different reasons, but I needed to get clear how and when I'd use each one. Thus Mailbox for mobile triage, Gmail for heavier routing and processing of individual emails and tasks, Any.do for DOING tasks. Which means stop trying to do heavy lifting with Mailbox, and stop trying to use Any.do for project management, etc.
The real missing piece was project management, and here, I was all over the place. Sometimes paper notebooks, sometimes paper folders, sometimes a Ziplock bag full of papers and misc objects, sometimes Dropbox, sometimes Gmail, sometimes a Rube Goldberg combination of many things. I need to simplify and standardize rather than making it up as I go along. After thinking what that really means, I decided that for me it means:
(1) use a single project mgmt tool (probably Trello or Leankit)
(2) decide on a simple way to integrate it with Gmail to process incoming emails and tasks related to these projects
(3) as much as possible, avoid paper
(4) when you must use paper or physical stuff, figure out a standard simple way of doing it, and make a standard simple space on your shelves to organize it
February 15, 2014 at 7:12 |
Seraphim
Seraphim
Hi Seraphim
I'm glad that you got it down to an easy, not fiddly system. I'm good at keeping a system. The easiest way for me is to keep a projects log and corresponding file system. Since I'm visual, I color code the ones that I use frequently and keep the active and pending ones totally separate from the reference files. When I do mit MITs my active files are right there. If it's a huge job, I'll either use a binder or use duplicate file folders in the same color. I only use hanging files for reference,archive and some "proof" documents. It's so much easier to have my files that correspond to today's MITs right there separate from the other active files for today. If I want to work on something else, it's an easy reach. My computer files are not color coded. When I binge work, some files might get piled up. Search function is great for rounding up my work or finding something in particular if it's a big file. LOL! Advice? Keep it usable, current and easy to find stuff. It's like living in your house. You hang up your coat, clear the dishes, etc. Most days I round up my work. Even if I go on a crazed work binge, it never takes long to put things back to set up the next day. I hate it when I accidentally put a physical document in the wrong folder. That's where the computer search function shines!
It's actually easy once you work with it for awhile. Keep it simple and maintain it so that it's easy to both work and find your work. I'm surprised that you don't have a office system set up after all these years. You must have been spoiled by a having a secretary. LOL!
I'm glad that you got it down to an easy, not fiddly system. I'm good at keeping a system. The easiest way for me is to keep a projects log and corresponding file system. Since I'm visual, I color code the ones that I use frequently and keep the active and pending ones totally separate from the reference files. When I do mit MITs my active files are right there. If it's a huge job, I'll either use a binder or use duplicate file folders in the same color. I only use hanging files for reference,archive and some "proof" documents. It's so much easier to have my files that correspond to today's MITs right there separate from the other active files for today. If I want to work on something else, it's an easy reach. My computer files are not color coded. When I binge work, some files might get piled up. Search function is great for rounding up my work or finding something in particular if it's a big file. LOL! Advice? Keep it usable, current and easy to find stuff. It's like living in your house. You hang up your coat, clear the dishes, etc. Most days I round up my work. Even if I go on a crazed work binge, it never takes long to put things back to set up the next day. I hate it when I accidentally put a physical document in the wrong folder. That's where the computer search function shines!
It's actually easy once you work with it for awhile. Keep it simple and maintain it so that it's easy to both work and find your work. I'm surprised that you don't have a office system set up after all these years. You must have been spoiled by a having a secretary. LOL!
February 15, 2014 at 7:35 |
learning as I go
learning as I go
p.s.s.
Seraphim, sometimes I prefer paper. When I have to lay out several things to see at once, it's easier to shuffle around and position lots of papers, drawings, etc. I'm on a laptop. I don't have a dual screen system. Even, then, spreading out papers is the best way for certain situations especially when I'm still thinking and formulating. I like the tactileness of paper especially for quick notes. Just jot it down vs firing up the device, clicking on the app, write, save, close, etc. The computer shines in other ways especially the calendar system! Sometimes I'll clip a note or two in a project folder to remember what stage I'm at or questions I have. I dunno, there's something about working with paper, pens, books, graphs, whiteboard, etc that seems more suitable for certain work. Maybe the visceral aspect of it feeds my brain somehow. Don't laugh but I even like the smell of paper, felt tips, etc. Even color seems to register differently for me than on the computer. Don't think that I don't also appreciate the computer. To me, sometimes the difference is like the difference between actually playing an instrument and writing your tune on sheet music then playing it again than firing up garage band app. LOL!
Seraphim, sometimes I prefer paper. When I have to lay out several things to see at once, it's easier to shuffle around and position lots of papers, drawings, etc. I'm on a laptop. I don't have a dual screen system. Even, then, spreading out papers is the best way for certain situations especially when I'm still thinking and formulating. I like the tactileness of paper especially for quick notes. Just jot it down vs firing up the device, clicking on the app, write, save, close, etc. The computer shines in other ways especially the calendar system! Sometimes I'll clip a note or two in a project folder to remember what stage I'm at or questions I have. I dunno, there's something about working with paper, pens, books, graphs, whiteboard, etc that seems more suitable for certain work. Maybe the visceral aspect of it feeds my brain somehow. Don't laugh but I even like the smell of paper, felt tips, etc. Even color seems to register differently for me than on the computer. Don't think that I don't also appreciate the computer. To me, sometimes the difference is like the difference between actually playing an instrument and writing your tune on sheet music then playing it again than firing up garage band app. LOL!
February 15, 2014 at 7:48 |
learning as I go
learning as I go
I *do* have systems - they just don't work, LOL!
Actually, at work, my project management systems are pretty well established, built mostly around OneNote, and whatever filing repository IT happens to be pushing that week. I tend to have my work life under control. Also, at work, I don't use any paper at all for my project files.
It's at home where I am always overwhelmed and my systems aren't working.
Getting a smart phone a couple years ago was part of the problem. I quickly figured out how to integrate it into my project flows at work. But at home, it just made things more complex, I think, because so many of my home projects have been paper-based or a mix of paper and electronic, and I just never got to the point of thinking it all through, end to end.
I also like big sheets of paper and expansive whiteboards for sorting out complex problems. I like to get away from the computer for that, too. But for the day-to-day project mgmt, I think I'll be happier if the default is electronic and I stick with that unless there's a good clear reason not to.
Actually, at work, my project management systems are pretty well established, built mostly around OneNote, and whatever filing repository IT happens to be pushing that week. I tend to have my work life under control. Also, at work, I don't use any paper at all for my project files.
It's at home where I am always overwhelmed and my systems aren't working.
Getting a smart phone a couple years ago was part of the problem. I quickly figured out how to integrate it into my project flows at work. But at home, it just made things more complex, I think, because so many of my home projects have been paper-based or a mix of paper and electronic, and I just never got to the point of thinking it all through, end to end.
I also like big sheets of paper and expansive whiteboards for sorting out complex problems. I like to get away from the computer for that, too. But for the day-to-day project mgmt, I think I'll be happier if the default is electronic and I stick with that unless there's a good clear reason not to.
February 15, 2014 at 8:52 |
Seraphim
Seraphim
Hi Seraphim
My system works fine when I also work fine. I'm the only weak link. LOL!
Do you have the type of job that you must bring home with you? That would definitely add to to complexity. Back in working life, I either had that or a had more than one job. I always kept them separate. I might have home jobs and work jobs on my home list but I never had home jobs on my work log book. For errands or calls during break time, I just used an index card to remind me. I also had to keep separate files because I also took courses. Anything to prevent boredom. LOL! Yup, I kept different filing systems within my filing system via color coding and bookshelves. Nowadays I could never keep up with all that. LOL! I always kept it simple and separate even if the projects or jobs were complicated.
The nice thing about keeping to a simple system is that it gets ingrained into your mind. Even if you get totally stupid for a few days, it never takes much to put things back and start again. The hard part for me was getting back on track especially if I had a hangover. LOL!
For me anyway, 99% of the system is me. When I go off the rails, the system is still there waiting for me to come to my senses sometimes more than once a day! LOL! I wish I was as reliable as my system.
My system works fine when I also work fine. I'm the only weak link. LOL!
Do you have the type of job that you must bring home with you? That would definitely add to to complexity. Back in working life, I either had that or a had more than one job. I always kept them separate. I might have home jobs and work jobs on my home list but I never had home jobs on my work log book. For errands or calls during break time, I just used an index card to remind me. I also had to keep separate files because I also took courses. Anything to prevent boredom. LOL! Yup, I kept different filing systems within my filing system via color coding and bookshelves. Nowadays I could never keep up with all that. LOL! I always kept it simple and separate even if the projects or jobs were complicated.
The nice thing about keeping to a simple system is that it gets ingrained into your mind. Even if you get totally stupid for a few days, it never takes much to put things back and start again. The hard part for me was getting back on track especially if I had a hangover. LOL!
For me anyway, 99% of the system is me. When I go off the rails, the system is still there waiting for me to come to my senses sometimes more than once a day! LOL! I wish I was as reliable as my system.
February 15, 2014 at 9:25 |
learning as I go
learning as I go
p.s.
opps, I forgot. Back then I worked out of my calendar and for my main job worked strickly first in-first out excepting revisions. I sometimes had 35-40 jobs with the same deadline with a crazy amount of revisions. If I didn't meet the deadline, I would have been quickly replaced because I had a great job. Also, if I didn't please the docs, I wouldn't get as many referrals for side work. Plus I was almost always taking at least one course and keeping up with my hobbies and social life. I had to cancel some tournaments because of the craziness of my job. LOL. I had no choice but to keep it fairly tight with a calendar and log book. When I took a few days off or a vacation, the stuff just collected dust until I came back. At least for my needs, I had to keep it tight when I was in overdrive and take time for hobbies and social life to keep the batteries charged. A few days on the slopes quickly erased any work pressures. Do you take enough time off when you need to diffuse your brain and fill it with great times? Maybe that could help.
opps, I forgot. Back then I worked out of my calendar and for my main job worked strickly first in-first out excepting revisions. I sometimes had 35-40 jobs with the same deadline with a crazy amount of revisions. If I didn't meet the deadline, I would have been quickly replaced because I had a great job. Also, if I didn't please the docs, I wouldn't get as many referrals for side work. Plus I was almost always taking at least one course and keeping up with my hobbies and social life. I had to cancel some tournaments because of the craziness of my job. LOL. I had no choice but to keep it fairly tight with a calendar and log book. When I took a few days off or a vacation, the stuff just collected dust until I came back. At least for my needs, I had to keep it tight when I was in overdrive and take time for hobbies and social life to keep the batteries charged. A few days on the slopes quickly erased any work pressures. Do you take enough time off when you need to diffuse your brain and fill it with great times? Maybe that could help.
February 15, 2014 at 9:38 |
learning as I go
learning as I go
Hi Seraphim,
I went on a prod tool search around the beginning of the year and feel that I have come up with a great system. One that has me forgo everything I found (and some I paid for) during this search.
I am tied to Outlook at work. I no longer make Outlook tasks. Instead if I need to take action or keep as reference an email, I forward it to myself with the next action or reference description in the subject and a suffix at the end, either 'af for action or 'rf for reference. I then set up rules in outlook to automatically move messages that come from me with one of those 'statements to the 'af and 'rf folder respectively.
When I write the subject, before I hit send, I copy the exact working on one of three places: 1) My action book (where I work off with the randomizer) 2) an @waiting list, 3) or in my project reference book.
When it is time for me to take action or review, I can use outlook search on the subject line to find the email very quickly. If I need to reply, it is trivial to copy and paste the original subject line back in, edit an extraneous signature, etc and respond.
This works really well for me. Prior to this I tried managing everything in outlook tasks, one note, evernote, toodledo and workflowy. I also tried something similar to what you mentioned, some tasks on paper some on a virtual environment. I find I am most effective with this new system.
Happy to answer any questions!
I went on a prod tool search around the beginning of the year and feel that I have come up with a great system. One that has me forgo everything I found (and some I paid for) during this search.
I am tied to Outlook at work. I no longer make Outlook tasks. Instead if I need to take action or keep as reference an email, I forward it to myself with the next action or reference description in the subject and a suffix at the end, either 'af for action or 'rf for reference. I then set up rules in outlook to automatically move messages that come from me with one of those 'statements to the 'af and 'rf folder respectively.
When I write the subject, before I hit send, I copy the exact working on one of three places: 1) My action book (where I work off with the randomizer) 2) an @waiting list, 3) or in my project reference book.
When it is time for me to take action or review, I can use outlook search on the subject line to find the email very quickly. If I need to reply, it is trivial to copy and paste the original subject line back in, edit an extraneous signature, etc and respond.
This works really well for me. Prior to this I tried managing everything in outlook tasks, one note, evernote, toodledo and workflowy. I also tried something similar to what you mentioned, some tasks on paper some on a virtual environment. I find I am most effective with this new system.
Happy to answer any questions!
February 15, 2014 at 22:33 |
Vegheadjones
Vegheadjones
Also IFTTT is really cool, but these days if I am driving and think of something, I just use SIri to put it is as a reminder, and transcribe all my reminders to the action book once I am in the office.
February 15, 2014 at 22:34 |
Vegheadjones
Vegheadjones
Following veghead, can this work Seraphim: only use gmail/your phone's view of mail. Make one folder for each Kanban column. Move emails to the appropriate folder, and to create a new task, email yourself with eg. [task] in the subject line. Set up a gmail filter to automatically put that new email in the "new task" column/folder.
February 19, 2014 at 13:23 |
Alan Baljeu
Alan Baljeu
I set up a day with Trello, hoping to use it on the Android tablet and my computer. Each board a time zone, each card a task, and a template with days of month (or week) for the LAO cards, so I could record date done and move them along to next date. It showed promise, but the Android kept losing boards. I'm watching for the next app update.
February 20, 2014 at 19:51 |
Cricket
Cricket
So here are the results of my tools research from last weekend:
My work setup has been consistent for a pretty long time --
At work - inboxes and routing - I use Outlook and OneNote
(1) Capture with Outlook inbox, or in my paper notebook
(2) Triage email in Outlook: Action, Calendar, OneNote, Archive, Reading.
(3) Action = set flag in Outlook, which turns the email into a task, with a start date of Tomorrow by default
(4) Calendar = it's an appointment or meeting; deal with it on the calendar
(5) OneNote = it's part of a project - send it to OneNote where I keep all my project files
(6) Archive = no action required, just archive it
(7) Reading = could read, could delete, don't really care. I route it to an email folder with a 60-day retention policy. If I don't read it within 60 days it just gets deleted automatically.
Work - managing Projects
(1) Organize each project as a Section in OneNote
(2) Each section is organized with ARCHIVE, LOG, and ACTION REQUIRED pages. Stuff I want to keep but don't really care what order it's in goes as a subpage under ARCHIVE. Meetings and decisions and so on go as subpages under LOG. New incoming stuff and action items go under ACTION REQUIRED. OneNote is very fast and easy to search so there's no need for any heavy organization beyond this simple and practical setup.
(3) When I want to work on a project, I just go to that OneNote section, and see what's new under ACTION REQUIRED. This is where all project-related incoming emails have been routed to. I read, filter, process, see what needs to be done, etc. Maybe delete stuff. Maybe file under ARCHIVE or LOG. Maybe clarify next actions, and turn them into Tasks that will appear in Outlook.
Work - managing Tasks
(1) I use my pocket notebook and Outlook Tasks. It includes regular reminders and tasks. It also includes flagged emails, and items in OneNote marked as tasks. I treat Outlook Tasks and the notebook as one continuous list, traversed by Randomizer.
(2) The view is set up to group by Flag and sort by Start Date, and to show all tasks (completed or not). Also, I have a daily recurring task called "Page Break". This results in a DIT list which I can traverse using the Randomizer. Works great!!
For home/personal, I wanted something that was as easy to maintain, pretty straightforward. But I don't / can't use Outlook. I've used Gmail for years, and have used the Mailbox iPhone app for a year and really like it. I also don't have OneNote for personal use. So I needed to come up with another setup that can handle things as well as my work setup.
Personal inboxes and routing are set up similar to Outlook:
(1) Capture with Gmail inbox, or in my paper notebook
(2) Triage email in Mailbox (iPhone app, very easy for triage) or in Gmail in browser: Action, Calendar, Trello, Archive, Reading.
(3) Action = apply "Action" label in Gmail
(4) Calendar = it's an appointment or meeting; deal with it on the calendar
(5) Trello = it's part of a project - send it to Trello where I am starting to keep all my project files
(6) Archive = no action required, just archive it
(7) Reading = could read, could delete, don't really care. Route to a Gmail label.
Personal - managing Projects
(1) Organize each project as a Board in Trello
(2) Each Board is organized with columns for COLLECT, COMMITTED, WIP, WAITING FOR, DONE, and REFERENCE. Stuff I want to keep but don't really care what order it's in goes as a subpage under REFERENCE. Meetings and decisions and so on go also go to REFERENCE. I haven't felt a need for a special decision-tracking log like I do at work. New incoming stuff and action items go under COLLECT - I can move it to COMMITTED, WIP, or REFERENCE as needed.
(3) When I want to work on a project, I just go to that Trello board, and see what needs doing in WAITING FOR and WIP, and pull things forward from COMMITTED and COLLECT as needed. Maybe copy next actions to my task book.
(4) Trello works great inside any browser and the iPhone app is also surprisingly easy to use and navigate. And it's free, even with unlimited boards. And there are good integrations available for Gmail, browsers, etc. And you can add notes and links and attach files to each card. I'm liking it even more than OneNote so far.
Personal - managing Tasks
(1) I use Gmail "Action" label and my pocket notebook. I treat them as one continuous task list, traversed by Randomizer.
(2) I set up Zapier to send a daily email to myself; it gets automatically filtered to the Action label. It serves as an automatic "page break", since Randomizer requires pages to work right. I turned on Gmail's optional "four-star" variant (instead of the default single star). I use the green checkbox star to mean "completed", and keep the completed tasks on the Action list till the whole page is completed. Then they get archived (remove the Action label). If there are any brown M&Ms in the bowl, the contract is null and void. This all essentially results in a DIT list which I can traverse using the Randomizer.
So that's my tool setup for now. I'm hoping it may last awhile, with adjustments. I haven't run lots of paper-based projects through this setup yet.
I'm still using my kanban board for major project milestones. Actually, maybe they aren't "projects" but "focus areas". I like the visibility it gives me. Time will tell if it keeps its value. Trello has a similar feel but it's much harder to see all the projects in one glance.
I doubt this post will be useful for anyone, but it's still helpful for me to write this all out. Thank you for your patience. :-)
My work setup has been consistent for a pretty long time --
At work - inboxes and routing - I use Outlook and OneNote
(1) Capture with Outlook inbox, or in my paper notebook
(2) Triage email in Outlook: Action, Calendar, OneNote, Archive, Reading.
(3) Action = set flag in Outlook, which turns the email into a task, with a start date of Tomorrow by default
(4) Calendar = it's an appointment or meeting; deal with it on the calendar
(5) OneNote = it's part of a project - send it to OneNote where I keep all my project files
(6) Archive = no action required, just archive it
(7) Reading = could read, could delete, don't really care. I route it to an email folder with a 60-day retention policy. If I don't read it within 60 days it just gets deleted automatically.
Work - managing Projects
(1) Organize each project as a Section in OneNote
(2) Each section is organized with ARCHIVE, LOG, and ACTION REQUIRED pages. Stuff I want to keep but don't really care what order it's in goes as a subpage under ARCHIVE. Meetings and decisions and so on go as subpages under LOG. New incoming stuff and action items go under ACTION REQUIRED. OneNote is very fast and easy to search so there's no need for any heavy organization beyond this simple and practical setup.
(3) When I want to work on a project, I just go to that OneNote section, and see what's new under ACTION REQUIRED. This is where all project-related incoming emails have been routed to. I read, filter, process, see what needs to be done, etc. Maybe delete stuff. Maybe file under ARCHIVE or LOG. Maybe clarify next actions, and turn them into Tasks that will appear in Outlook.
Work - managing Tasks
(1) I use my pocket notebook and Outlook Tasks. It includes regular reminders and tasks. It also includes flagged emails, and items in OneNote marked as tasks. I treat Outlook Tasks and the notebook as one continuous list, traversed by Randomizer.
(2) The view is set up to group by Flag and sort by Start Date, and to show all tasks (completed or not). Also, I have a daily recurring task called "Page Break". This results in a DIT list which I can traverse using the Randomizer. Works great!!
For home/personal, I wanted something that was as easy to maintain, pretty straightforward. But I don't / can't use Outlook. I've used Gmail for years, and have used the Mailbox iPhone app for a year and really like it. I also don't have OneNote for personal use. So I needed to come up with another setup that can handle things as well as my work setup.
Personal inboxes and routing are set up similar to Outlook:
(1) Capture with Gmail inbox, or in my paper notebook
(2) Triage email in Mailbox (iPhone app, very easy for triage) or in Gmail in browser: Action, Calendar, Trello, Archive, Reading.
(3) Action = apply "Action" label in Gmail
(4) Calendar = it's an appointment or meeting; deal with it on the calendar
(5) Trello = it's part of a project - send it to Trello where I am starting to keep all my project files
(6) Archive = no action required, just archive it
(7) Reading = could read, could delete, don't really care. Route to a Gmail label.
Personal - managing Projects
(1) Organize each project as a Board in Trello
(2) Each Board is organized with columns for COLLECT, COMMITTED, WIP, WAITING FOR, DONE, and REFERENCE. Stuff I want to keep but don't really care what order it's in goes as a subpage under REFERENCE. Meetings and decisions and so on go also go to REFERENCE. I haven't felt a need for a special decision-tracking log like I do at work. New incoming stuff and action items go under COLLECT - I can move it to COMMITTED, WIP, or REFERENCE as needed.
(3) When I want to work on a project, I just go to that Trello board, and see what needs doing in WAITING FOR and WIP, and pull things forward from COMMITTED and COLLECT as needed. Maybe copy next actions to my task book.
(4) Trello works great inside any browser and the iPhone app is also surprisingly easy to use and navigate. And it's free, even with unlimited boards. And there are good integrations available for Gmail, browsers, etc. And you can add notes and links and attach files to each card. I'm liking it even more than OneNote so far.
Personal - managing Tasks
(1) I use Gmail "Action" label and my pocket notebook. I treat them as one continuous task list, traversed by Randomizer.
(2) I set up Zapier to send a daily email to myself; it gets automatically filtered to the Action label. It serves as an automatic "page break", since Randomizer requires pages to work right. I turned on Gmail's optional "four-star" variant (instead of the default single star). I use the green checkbox star to mean "completed", and keep the completed tasks on the Action list till the whole page is completed. Then they get archived (remove the Action label). If there are any brown M&Ms in the bowl, the contract is null and void. This all essentially results in a DIT list which I can traverse using the Randomizer.
So that's my tool setup for now. I'm hoping it may last awhile, with adjustments. I haven't run lots of paper-based projects through this setup yet.
I'm still using my kanban board for major project milestones. Actually, maybe they aren't "projects" but "focus areas". I like the visibility it gives me. Time will tell if it keeps its value. Trello has a similar feel but it's much harder to see all the projects in one glance.
I doubt this post will be useful for anyone, but it's still helpful for me to write this all out. Thank you for your patience. :-)
February 21, 2014 at 6:07 |
Seraphim
Seraphim
Thanks for pointing me Trello, and for the hint on column set up, good suggestion!
February 24, 2014 at 8:42 |
Nicole
Nicole
Veghead Jones (and others):
Does anyone have recent experience with ToodleDo? I'm very tempted to switch to that from paper as I reboot. (I'm rebooting a lot these days, since I stopped my Week Page.)
Linenberger's videos make a good case for it. It will automatically bubble things up as needed, so I won't need my Week Page. The ability to add tasks through email will help with emailed tasks.
The only other references to it are a few years ago, using it with DWM, before they had an Android app.
Thanks!
Does anyone have recent experience with ToodleDo? I'm very tempted to switch to that from paper as I reboot. (I'm rebooting a lot these days, since I stopped my Week Page.)
Linenberger's videos make a good case for it. It will automatically bubble things up as needed, so I won't need my Week Page. The ability to add tasks through email will help with emailed tasks.
The only other references to it are a few years ago, using it with DWM, before they had an Android app.
Thanks!
February 24, 2014 at 16:26 |
Cricket
Cricket
Hi Cricket,
I've used Toodledo on and off, and tried going back to it this year,including springing for a Gold membership. I spent time creating saved searches for DIT, FV, AF2, AF1 and had contexts and folders organized by GTD.
Not using it at all. I am convinced that for me an analog system for tasks is the way to go, with nearly all work being done digitally. The key is to forward all emails to a dedicated spot with the subject being the task action. That task action gets added to your paper list with the exact wording of the subject. The search for that email then is very quick. For managing projects, I make project pages and add the information in the exact same way.
Nothing against Toodledo per se, which I think is a really neat product, but too much overhead. My goal for a system is to have as little overhead as possible to allow more time for doing. A paper based randomized system with incremental weekly reviews and very short daily reviews work best for me. I have on my list to write up this system, maybe the randomizer will get to it today
I've used Toodledo on and off, and tried going back to it this year,including springing for a Gold membership. I spent time creating saved searches for DIT, FV, AF2, AF1 and had contexts and folders organized by GTD.
Not using it at all. I am convinced that for me an analog system for tasks is the way to go, with nearly all work being done digitally. The key is to forward all emails to a dedicated spot with the subject being the task action. That task action gets added to your paper list with the exact wording of the subject. The search for that email then is very quick. For managing projects, I make project pages and add the information in the exact same way.
Nothing against Toodledo per se, which I think is a really neat product, but too much overhead. My goal for a system is to have as little overhead as possible to allow more time for doing. A paper based randomized system with incremental weekly reviews and very short daily reviews work best for me. I have on my list to write up this system, maybe the randomizer will get to it today
February 24, 2014 at 17:31 |
Vegheadjones
Vegheadjones
Background: My project management at work is doing well, but my personal project management is hit-and-miss (for personal and volunteer projects). Personal Kanban helps make major objectives and milestones visible, and that is really helpful. But I need a better method for handling all the details.
OneNote + Outlook works well for work projects. But my personal and volunteer work is more Gmail and paper based and my project mgmt is hit and miss.
I've struggled because so much of these projects are partly paper-based and partly computer-based. I finally decided to give it a go putting everything on the computer, except reference files and papers and objects that can't go into the computer. I also got really clear about what I really want in a project-management toolset -- taking some time to sit back and think through it, rather than just getting on the Internet and looking at all the tools and apps available. Here's what I came up with, for my requirements -- tools I already use, and want to keep using:
- Mailbox on iPhone for email triage - fun and easy to use
- Gmail for email archive and information hub
- Dropbox for active files and file archive
- Any.do for tasks (unless I find a project mgmt tool that handles tasks at least as well)
- Some kind of project-management tool that integrates well with all this
Workflow requirements:
- Send all new tasks to Gmail
-- Use Captio on iPhone to capture one-off tasks
-- Explore using Siri with ITTT to use voice to send text messages to Gmail (might be a step or two less than Captio)
- Mailbox (integrates with Gmail) - email triage is easy:
-- swipe one-off tasks to Gmail task label
-- swipe project tasks to Gmail projects label
-- swipe reading to Gmail reading label
-- snooze things I want to see later - don't want to start this week
-- reply or archive everything else
- Gmail - process emails and tasks
-- One-off tasks - go through emails tagged with task label, and just finish the items or capture next-action with Any.do plug-in and send to Any.do list
-- Project tasks - go through emails tagged with project label, and send to project management tool (better if can be sent directly from Mailbox - saves a step and having to think about it twice)
-- Everything else - read, reply, and/or archive
- Any.do - (or other task list if you find a better one)
-- Must be able to support DIT+Randomizer method
-- Must integrate with Gmail such that it links back to original email (for easy reply and to see whole thread if desired)
- Project Mgmt tool -
-- Easy capture new project-related tasks from Gmail
-- Capture all kinds of info
-- Easy to set aside some as reference info, some as tasks, some as to explore later
-- Easy to review on iPhone (like Trello) (but full power is not expected for phone)
-- Easy to integrate with task tool (such as Any.do) (or capable of functioning as task tool itself)
I looked for ways to integrate Mailbox on iPhone with a project mgmt tool ( looked at OneNote, Trello, Evernote, Leankit) and Any.do (which works okay as a base for a randomized task list).
A nice tool to integrate things is FTTT.com. You build rules to automatically process and handoff things between other tools. Zapier.com does the same thing, maybe better, but it isn't free.
Mailbox + Gmail + FTTT + Evernote was kinda cool, because you can swipe emails directly into an Evernote notebook. (Mail becomes a note.). But it doesn't link you back to the email (which is bothersome if you decide you want to respond, or see the rest of the thread.) Plus, you can't custom-sort notes in Evernote, which I found troublesome.
Gmail + Trello has some nice options if you are on a PC. Trello is like a personal kanban but on the computer screen. It's very nicely implemented. It's also easy to review projects on the iPhone - it's amazing how almost fully functional it is on such a small screen, especially since it is such a visual tool.
I did not find a good combination for Gmail, Chrome, and OneNote. I live in OneNote at work but it's painful to integrate with Google- and iOS-based tools. I couldn't figure out how to get anything into OneNote easily from Mailbox or Gmail, except using questionable Chrome extensions (I really don't want to give access to all my Gmail to an unknown third party.)
I've dabbled with Leankit (another kanban tool) but need to look closer at it, didn't really decide if it fits or not.
Once I got focused on what I really want, and made some hard requirements, it was easy to quickly look through many many options, and do some quick screening, to see if my requirements are even possible to meet. So far it actually looks more promising than I was expecting.
I'm probably going to use Mailbox on iPhone for quick triage, Gmail + Trello (or Leankit) to do deeper processing and planning, Any.do (and my little pocket notebook) for Randomizer tasks, and Trello for managing projects. This seems to meet all my requirements, but I was hoping for a tighter direct integration / automation between Mailbox and Trello. I'm not sure what kind of Gmail integration Leankit has.
Does anybody have a project-management setup they like?