Organize IT recap for 21st March 2008

• On Wednesday I asked whether personal development can (and should) be taught in schools. I’ve received some very interesting comments, so I just want to draw attention back to it and keep the discussion going. In the near future I will take a look at what elements would be appropriate for teaching. Who knows, maybe we can create a full course.
• While the internet is an invaluable tool, it can also be one big time waster. If you feel you aren’t being efficient with your browsing then this guide covering five tools for tracking your time will be of interest to you.
• The principles behind GTD can be used in many walks of live but what about computer games? Or specifically MMORPGs like World Of Warcraft and Guild Wars. If you are interested, here is an imaginative guide to using GTD in those such games (thanks to GTD Times for discovering it). Expect my guide to using GTD with The Sims soon.
• Over at Unclutterer, Leo of Zen Habits has written a guest post detailing how to create a minimalist workspace. He has a picture showing his current setup and while a part of me loves of the clutter free layout, it also seems a little sterile and uninspiring. Does anyone else feel the same way? At what point does simplification and minimalism actually become as problematic as a cluttered mess?

Should personal development be taught in schools? To me on a basic level, it seems like a smart move. It could arguably give children valuable life tools like habit building, productivity and how to gain a better understanding of their expectations in life. In this day and age, with increasing complexity and pressures, it’s surely more valuable than ever for children to have such knowledge. However, in my case at least, I’d finished school long ago and had even gone through university before I started to give a crap about my self improvement. I suspect a lot of kids would have the same outlook. Can children be taught to think about their personal development, or does it take life experience and age before it starts to actually mean something? I look forward to reading your thoughts!

This Thurday at 9PM House finally returns to TV in the UK for the fourth series. If you are a regular reader of this blog you will no doubt know that I am a big fan of the show and have waited a long time for the new series, resisting all urges to watch cheap copies of it online. With this in mind it seems fitting that I take a look at the ever intriguing Gregory House and wonder whether - despite being a vicodin popping, bitterly sarcastic, rule breaking doctor - we can learn a thing or two from him.

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A year ago on Organize IT you were reading:

The Productivity Cycle
“The danger with this stage of the circle is the temptation to get bogged down in planning. It is important to know where to draw the line and actually start using the preparatory work.”

5 Ways To A Longer Life
“Be prepared to express yourself both vocally and in any creative ventures. Pent up emotions are often said to be toxic to the body. Are you angry about a person? Talk to someone, get it off your chest. Is your job dragging you down and making you bitter? Leave!”

GTD Dictionary: Productivity
“Being productive involves knowing why you are doing a project, seeing where you need to go next with it by having next actions, and having the final result in mind at all times.”

Organize IT recap for 14th March 2008

• Have you read my post about flaws in the GTD system yet? If you haven’t please do, and be sure to share your thoughts. It’s had a lot of feedback so I hope to do a best comments special in the near future…
• There is another top 100 list of productivity blogs on the scene which is well worth checking out. Some of them are also on my own list, but a lot are new to me so I think another update is due!
• Will brain fitness be the next big advancement in health? It’s certainly an industry that has grown rapidly over the last few years. Would you be interested in mixing physical exercise with a mental workout whenever you visit the gym? Let us know!
• The Positivity blog has a fascinating look into Bruce Lee’s top seven fundamentals for getting your life in shape. This is well worth a read as every single point is spot on.