Productivity Guide
I enjoy being organized and feeling in control of my life. Of course, no one is completely in control, but there are methods and tools that can help you from at least spinning out of control. The ideas listed below have helped me take things that are out of wack and have confidence I can manage my life a little more efficiently.
To Do List Management
Per Getting Things Done (GTD) Methodology, I like to create lists based on context. For example, I have one list for when I’m at home, out doing errands, my laptop and my phone.
- @Home
- @Errands
- @Laptop
- @Phone
I also have different folders based on the roles I have. For instance individual, family, church.
As for platforms, I recommend Trello. I really like the way it is organized using boards and cards to separate and file different lists.
Email Management
I am a huge fan of the Email Ninja Methodology, which relies on using three simple folders and getting everything out of your inbox. The idea is as follows. Process, or file, email only two or three times a day. If it takes more than two minutes to work on, then file it in to one of the following three folders:
- Action – email that has something you are responsible to do
- Reading – an article that you are interested in reading at some point
- Waiting – email that you delegated to someone else
Physical Inbox Management
At home, my wife and I use the GTD methodology of having a physical inbox (or tray) for each of us. We put documents, mail, items and anything else that is something that we need to take care of. It has become our email inbox for the physical world. It works wonders.