It’s that time of the year again when we all think about how we’d like to change for the better… and to get it done the upcoming year. For most of us, time has become a highly valued commodity that needs to be used the most efficiently so that you can accomplish things that you value, that are necessary, and that you enjoy. But in order to do that, you need to be extremely organized and nimble to handle whatever comes your way.
I’m a recently converted and big fan of David Allen’s Getting Things Done (GTD). I can’t say enough how much this approach and system to organizing things has affected my productivity – both at work and at home. It’s helped me to clearly visualize a system to getting things organized in all aspects of my life, and to keep ahead of any build-up and clutter. I’ve been working hard at making it work, but I’ve unfortunately run into a few problems in finding the best TOOL/record keeper for my GTD system. Having converted to Mac a few months ago (which I wish I had done years earlier!), my Palm Desktop OS doesn’t work as well as it did with Windows.
So here’s my dilemma – I love my Mac. I love GTD. What’s the best tool to use for my GTD system on my iBookG4??
Here’s where KGTD comes in. This is the creation of another avid GTD follower, Ethan Schoonover, who created this file in OmniOutliner Pro 3.5, a really versatile organizing program for Mac OS. I came across his website (www.kinkless.com) by reading another blog of GTD evangelist Merlin Mann’s 43 Folders. After reading positive comment after another, I decided to check this out for myself! So last night, I bought the OmniOutliner Pro (a very small monetary investment of US$70 for a huge personal/business ROI), and then downloaded the (free) Beta KGTD. I am in the process of working it all out and writing in all my projects and tasks – but I can tell already that this is a great tool that’s adapted GTD well.
Basically you can keep an outline form of all those things that clutter your brain: brainstorming ideas, errands, personal and business projects, with all the sub-projects, tasks and next actions neatly interlinked and accessible. Extracting all your Next Actions from your Project Plans has never been so easy! It’s a great tool to keep EVERYTHING TOGETHER, yet easy to find, and all interlinked. It syncs with iCal which can then sync with any Palm device you have.
If you're new to GTD, I suggest you take a look at the website or even get a copy of the book. If you're already onto it, and want to use a great tool on your Mac, I highly recommend downloading KGTD.
So this year’s resolution, which I’ve already started, is to stick to KGTD and have the best year of Getting Things Done.
Steven,
I am a KGTD user and can attest to its power. As you pointed out, it takes some sticking to (but what doesn't).
Good luck!
Ian
Posted by: Ian Christie | Tuesday, December 13, 2005 at 05:39 PM