Radio Silence, Email downtime & Reply All
Posted by Jered | Filed under Choice
Email Downtime
Starting a few weeks ago, I implemented a few of the 4 Hour Work Week principles, namely a reduction in the number of times I check my email and feeds. For my email I have added a “vacation response” that reads:
Dear Colleague,
Due to high workload, I check email twice daily at 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM EST. I respond to urgent email at those times and endeavor to respond to all other email once a week, on Fridays at 9:00 AM EST.
If you require urgent assistance (please ensure that it is urgent) that cannot wait until either 9:00 AM or 4:00 PM, please contact me via phone at XXX-XXX-XXXX.
Thank you for understanding this move to more efficiency and effectiveness. It helps me accomplish more to serve you better.
Sincerely,
Jered
And while I have received some flack from coworkers, the response has been favorable overall. A few of my co-workers have found my response an intriguing and are considering using similar rules for themselves.
Radio Silence
I have also found it incredibly useful to turn off distractions, namely IM, web browsers and feed readers. Going “radio silent” is something that I have been practicing for my entire working career. Changing up routines, shutting down everything that can be a vector of distraction are easy ways to increase focus, especially on a grey Monday.
Reply All
It is my opinion that two of the largest programming “bugs” are as follows:
- One hour default meeting times in Outlook
- The inclusion of a “reply all” feature in any email program
I hate digging through my email, particularly when it is filled with back and forth conversation that I either should have never been involved in, or a coworker uses the “reply all” feature. I found a fabulous website: ThanksNo.com. It has a gentle reminder about how you include people in bulk emails and CC’s.
In a similar overture, I have created PleaseDontReplyAll.com. While the site was patterned after ThanksNo.com, it is targeted at a very specific behavior that is particularly bad in my work environment.
Tags: email, radio silence, reply all
TaskPaper = OmniFocus Light
Posted by Michael | Filed under GTD, Recommended
For the most part, the applications that are specifically designed for project organizing are way too complex, with too much horsepower to really be functional for 98 percent of what most people need to manage. — David Allen
Jered and I often mention the Mac OS X application OmniFocus. It’s a terrific application to bring the concepts of GTD to your computer in an elegant, yet effective way. If you haven’t tried OmniFocus, but are looking for a rock-solid project task manager, definitely head over to The Omni Group site and give it a try. You won’t be disappointed.
My first impression when Jered introduced me to OmniFocus was one of amazement. It does everything I’ve ever wanted in a task manager, so I gave it a trial for a few weeks. Unfortunately, OmniFocus was still a bit too much for me. I’m easily distracted by bright and shiny things (taking me shopping is a dangerous proposition), so I found myself managing (okay, playing with…) the application more than tracking and completing tasks. Not that I didn’t like OmniFocus; quite the opposite. I simply didn’t need all the features. On the other hand, Jered swears by OmniFocus, and given what I understand of his workflow, it definitely fits well. Sometimes we don’t need all the features applications such as Omnifocus have to offer.
As my workflow is a bit more straightforward than Jered’s, (at least for now) I decided that I needed something simpler… an “OmniFocus Light” if you will. Enter Hog Bay Software’s TaskPaper. The comany’s odd name aside, the application’s promise is simple: ”For Mac users who want a simpler way to stay organized and get things done. TaskPaper is a simple to-do list that’s surprisingly adept. Unlike the competition, TaskPaper’s text based interface is focused on paper-like simplicity.”
At first glance, TaskPaper doesn’t seem to be much more than the built-in Mac applications Stickies and TextEdit, which I often use for note taking and braindumps. The simplicity of TaskPaper is that it isn’t much more than these, but that seems to be the point. Just the basics, plus a bit more (e.g., the tagging feature is cool).
In addition to TaskPaper, HogBay Software is well-known for their other application, WriteRoom, the back-to-basics writing program that gives you a “full-screen writing experience” and nothing else. I’m giving both TaskPaper and WriteRoom the 3-Week Tech Trial (well, 15 days as that’s how long the trial version allows).
Tags: GTD
The Simplicity Habit Podcast Special Edition: GTD vs. 4HWW
Posted by Jered | Filed under 4HWW, Featured, GTD, Podcast
Jered and Michael discuss an integration of David Allen’s Getting Things Done and Tim Ferriss’ 4 Hour Work Week. How can two systems that seem to be so different be used together to make your life better?
Read more at: http://simplicityhabit.com/featured/gtd-4hww-productivity-perfection
The Simplicity Habit Podcast Episode 2
Posted by Michael | Filed under Featured, Podcast
In this episode, we talk about taxes and the dangers of shredding before the accountant calls, Jered’s decaf coffee and 7-4 workday, a bit of dedicated GTD apps kerfuffle, and discussion about Dennis Best’s blog posting about back-to-basics with GTD apps. Some of the key apps we review are the new EverNote and Pizziz - sleeping to productivity?
Links to apps and blogs discussed
- Evernote Beta - “…easily capture information in any environment using whatever device or platform you find most convenient, and makes this information accessible andsearchable at anytime, from anywhere.”
- Omnifocus - “Professional-grade personal task management”
- Dennis Best on GTD and built-in productivity apps in Leopard
- Pzizz - a software application for Mac and PC that creates custom audio soundtracks that help you to nap during the day or get to sleep at night.
- The GTD “Ubiquitous Capture Device”
Enjoy!
Tags: Podcast
Pzizz - sleeping to productivity?
Posted by Jered | Filed under 3-week tech trial
Image via Wikipedia
While recording the podcast, I mentioned that I had been using Pzizz to fall asleep quicker. Pzizz is a program available from pzizz.com, which uses Neuro Linguistic Programming to help you fall asleep faster and wake feeling more energized. Pzizz creates custom soundtracks to help ease the transition to sleep, by use of two modules, one for sleep and one for naps, both of which I have bought but I have only been using the sleep module. I have had a hard time integrating the nap module into my routine due to my working in a cubicle. I think my coworkers would find it odd to find my napping (Plus, I worry about the middle school pranks).
While the idea of napping / sleeping to productivity may sound odd, there are a good number of people who tinker with their sleep patterns who see an improvement in their productivity. Merlin Mann has written extensively on napping and sleeping at his blog 43folders.com. Tim Ferriss, author of the 4 Hour Work Week
Now, does using Pzizz or taking naps make it easier to get things done? No. Does it take items off of your task list? Definitely not. I can say from personal experience that I (and my wife) have been falling asleep quicker, sleeping better (even through pregnancy) and waking up with a little more energy, all of which can be attributed to Pzizz.
Download a trial nap and sleep from pzizz.com/download, put them on the mp3 player of your choice and I’ll see you in the morning.
Tags: Merlin Mann, nap, napping, Polyphasic Sleep, Pzizz, Sleep, sleeping, Steve Pavlina, Tim Ferriss
