Paper GTD System
I know, I know, I know. I have been a big advocate of keeping your GTD system online – seemless link where I can input stuff on a computer, have it organised, and then be able to access it anywhere via my phone.
My logic was:
1. An online system is much neater, tidier, and concequentially use-friendly;
2. I can’t loose something that is in the cloud;
3. I don’t want to be carrying more stuff around with me than I have to – I am already carrying my iPhone so a synchronising app is ideal;
4. I can’t read my own handwriting so typing was easier and quicker;
Only this wasn’t working any more. It may be just fatigue with one system (see <why a change is good>), but either way, I had stopped using it and started just trying to remember things. Which we know is bad. Especially for me!
So I have gone hybrid. I am using a paper based system for my Next Actions, my Waiting For, my Project lists, and newly thought of Someday/Maybes. The full record of my Someday/Maybe is being held in ‘the cloud’ (on Toodledo – which I still think is a great application).
The picture at the top of this post shows what my new system looks like – it is a blend of ideas that have floated around Merlin Mann’s <Hipster PDA>, which just seem to make sence to me.
And has it worked? Yes, I am back using it for everything – as others have said in the past, there is nothing quicker than pen and paper to note down an idea. This means I trust the system more, and thus it clears my usually foggy head.
Now who will bet me $10 I’ll be back to a fully electronic system by the end of 2010?
I know, I know, I know. I have been a big advocate of keeping your GTD system online – seamless link where I can input stuff on a computer, have it organised, and then be able to access it anywhere via my phone.
My logic was:
1. An online system is much neater, tidier, and consequentially use-friendly;
2. I can’t loose something that is in the cloud;
3. I don’t want to be carrying more stuff around with me than I have to – I am already carrying my iPhone so a synchronising app is ideal;
4. I can’t read my own handwriting so typing was easier and quicker;
Only this wasn’t working any more. It may be just fatigue with one system (see why you should change your GTD system), but either way, I had stopped using it and started just trying to remember things. Which we know is bad. Especially for me!
So I have gone hybrid. I am using a paper based system for my Next Actions, my Waiting For, my Project lists, and newly thought of Someday/Maybes. The full record of my Someday/Maybe is being held in ‘the cloud’ (on Toodledo – which I still think is a great application).
The picture at the top of this post shows what my new system looks like – it is a blend of ideas that have floated around Merlin Mann’s Hipster PDA, which just seem to make sense to me.
And has it worked? Yes, I am back using it for everything – as others have said in the past, there is nothing quicker than pen and paper to note down an idea. This means I trust the system more, and thus it clears my usually foggy head.
Now who will bet me $10 I’ll be back to a fully electronic system by the end of 2010?
If you liked this post, then try these related posts:
Tagged as:
Get Things Done,
GTD,
Hipster PDA,
Paper,
Productivity
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I will bet you for that $10, but I must admit that sometimes pen and paper are still the best capturing tools around. Especially when compared to taking a quick note on your electronic PDA, whether it be an iPhone or something else, which is still a lot slower than creating that “doodle” that you won’t be able to read later
Hi Sander,
I’m not even sure it IS quicker to pull out my pad, find the right page, then scribble away. It is just less hassle than misspelling things on an iphone keyboard – on the iphone I can tell I have misspelt it, as you point out, at least on paper I won’t be able to tell!
Rich
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