Organize IT

One of the most interesting posts I did recently that produced a lot of comments and thoughts was the one regarding whether simplifying our lives is a lost cause. In it I debated whether in this high tech world, adopting a process of simplifying our lives was putting us at a disadvantage. Below are two comments that stood out for me.

Latest batch of productivity templates for your personal use. You can view the full list on the special page I have set up for them. It is currently one of the most popular pages on the entire site so it would be great to hear from anybody who has tried them or even better, regularly uses them. In the near future I hope to do a regular series explaining the different ways of using each sheet. If you have any suggestions for new templates or any feedback in general then please do get in touch.

• Weekly tracker A4 A5
• Monthly tracker A4 A5
• Notes A4 A5
• Finances A4 A5
• Personal details A4 A5

I’ve found from experience that every system or tool you have set up to organize your life, whether it be the filing cabinet at work, the drawer in the kitchen, your home cleaning rota or the productivity system you use to get things done, will ultimately flourish or fall apart depending on how easily it functions in three key areas: inputting, tracking and deleting. I’ve found that regardless of whether it’s a complex setup used by your business or a simple paper-based system you use at home, if it doesn’t follow the following rules it will fail on you.

The Simpsons intro done in real life:

Organize IT recap for 03rd November 2007

• Lifestyle inflation is a big issue and I intend to write more on it in the future. In the meantime, check out this article by Dumb Little Man which covers 10 smart ways to live below your means. It’s not a straightforward thing to do but these tips are comparatively easy to incorporate into your life.
• GTD isn’t flawless? Shock, horror! Steve Pavlina describes the missing half of Getting Things Done (hint: it’s the high level stuff).
• While we are on the GTD bandwagon again, let’s play GTD bingo!