Organize IT

By the time you read this I will be on my honeymoon chilling out on a beach. However I won’t be leaving the blog unattended, I’ve lined up a few guest posts over the next two weeks to keep you going, one of which went up on Wednesday. I hope you find the different voices and opinions interesting even if you don’t always agree with them (Jay Frawley’s tip on using a dish towel has proved especially controversial). In the meantime I’ve listed the best posts from January so you can catch up and comment on any you like. Don’t forget I recently released my new ebook, please check it out! I will be back to regular updates on the 16th February.

This guest post was written by Jay Frawley.

Many of the best selling productivity books out there come with a one size fits all mentality that is hard for everyone with their varied lifestyles to apply. For instance, experts tell you to take your most important task (MIT’s) and do them first thing in the morning and get them off your plate. I am sure this works well for certain people, but I am willing to bet some of David Allen’s money that it does not suit a large portion of society. This article is for those people who do not want to get up at 4AM anymore, pretending it is the best time to be awake while downing a Red Bull just to keep both eyes open. Read on, I promise sleep and productivity in one plan.

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Simplifying is very popular right now – with many even saying it’s the new productivity – and with good reason too. Nowadays we get bombarded with stuff everywhere we go, whether it be via the zillion channels on TV and radio, the squillion blogs that cover every potential interest you might have or the bazillion emails filling up your inbox… Too. Much. Input. Most of it is crap too. Sorry, but it’s true. You know that massive TV subscription you have? How many channels do you actually watch regularly? How many of those emails can be deleted without a second glance? I could go on but I think it would be more interesting if you guys share your own input dilemmas. Yes, it’s great to have so much choice but that doesn’t mean it’s all quality.

You read it right. Below is a video of David Allen showing us around his office and discussing what his setup is. This should certainly prove interesting for anybody who does GTD. How does your office compare to his? This video forms part of a bigger documentary that is being developed about lifehacking called You2.0, and if this is the sort of insight we can expect to see it should make for good viewing.

When it comes to being productive – much like anything in life – there is no one definitive way of doing things. Approaches covered in books like Getting Things Done and The Four Hour Work Week provide a solid framework and best practise for effective and efficient productivity but they don’t cover everything. One of the biggest tips you’ve probably been taught from an early age is to plan. Plan, prepare, do your research. Only fools rush in, after all.