Comments on: Ask The Readers: How Have You Gone About Modifying Productivity Systems To Suit Your Own Requirements? http://www.organizeit.co.uk/2009/04/08/ask-the-readers-how-have-you-gone-about-modifying-productivity-systems-to-suit-your-own-requirements/ One of the longest running and most respected productivity blogs on the net! Wed, 28 Dec 2011 20:52:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Greg http://www.organizeit.co.uk/2009/04/08/ask-the-readers-how-have-you-gone-about-modifying-productivity-systems-to-suit-your-own-requirements/comment-page-1/#comment-29665 Greg Thu, 09 Apr 2009 02:27:58 +0000 http://www.organizeit.co.uk/?p=3337#comment-29665 I used to constantly tweak my system until I realized all I was doing was tweaking it. I was continually modifying contexts, actions, and moving around tasks. I thought I was getting more things done but I was really just fooling myself. All I was doing was looking at how many items I could check off each day, not if they had any real impact or were the most important for me to complete. I think the biggest change I have made is to look at the big picture more. Yeah, I have important tasks for each day but like you, I try to look at my week as a whole. Now, my GTD list is simply a reminder and not what I live by each day by. The next step is to look at the entire month in a similar fashion... guess that is my next tweak. I used to constantly tweak my system until I realized all I was doing was tweaking it. I was continually modifying contexts, actions, and moving around tasks. I thought I was getting more things done but I was really just fooling myself. All I was doing was looking at how many items I could check off each day, not if they had any real impact or were the most important for me to complete.

I think the biggest change I have made is to look at the big picture more. Yeah, I have important tasks for each day but like you, I try to look at my week as a whole. Now, my GTD list is simply a reminder and not what I live by each day by.

The next step is to look at the entire month in a similar fashion… guess that is my next tweak.

]]> By: Marina Martin http://www.organizeit.co.uk/2009/04/08/ask-the-readers-how-have-you-gone-about-modifying-productivity-systems-to-suit-your-own-requirements/comment-page-1/#comment-29646 Marina Martin Wed, 08 Apr 2009 21:32:46 +0000 http://www.organizeit.co.uk/?p=3337#comment-29646 I totally agree that tweaking a system over time usually leads to it being less productive, but since I'm an efficiency consultant for a living, tweaking was part of my professional research. I use the GTD concepts of next actions and contexts (just a few, namely @calls and @errands), but I have a daily action card that automatically covers recurring tasks (exercise, vitamins, feed the cats) with room to list next actions that must or should be done on a specific day. GTD's lack of support for deadlines always confused me - how do you complete, say, a big research paper on time by just intuitively looking at your list? I totally agree that tweaking a system over time usually leads to it being less productive, but since I’m an efficiency consultant for a living, tweaking was part of my professional research. I use the GTD concepts of next actions and contexts (just a few, namely @calls and @errands), but I have a daily action card that automatically covers recurring tasks (exercise, vitamins, feed the cats) with room to list next actions that must or should be done on a specific day. GTD’s lack of support for deadlines always confused me – how do you complete, say, a big research paper on time by just intuitively looking at your list?

]]> By: James http://www.organizeit.co.uk/2009/04/08/ask-the-readers-how-have-you-gone-about-modifying-productivity-systems-to-suit-your-own-requirements/comment-page-1/#comment-29629 James Wed, 08 Apr 2009 19:50:41 +0000 http://www.organizeit.co.uk/?p=3337#comment-29629 You make a good point Paul. Not really considered how tweaking can make things more complicated but you're right. For the longest time I tweaked items like my weekly planner, adding features and other tid-bits to cover all bases... but of course none of it was of any practical use. You make a good point Paul. Not really considered how tweaking can make things more complicated but you’re right. For the longest time I tweaked items like my weekly planner, adding features and other tid-bits to cover all bases… but of course none of it was of any practical use.

]]> By: Paul Gardner http://www.organizeit.co.uk/2009/04/08/ask-the-readers-how-have-you-gone-about-modifying-productivity-systems-to-suit-your-own-requirements/comment-page-1/#comment-29623 Paul Gardner Wed, 08 Apr 2009 18:01:32 +0000 http://www.organizeit.co.uk/?p=3337#comment-29623 For me, the most important thing to achieve productivity was simplicity of use as per my <a href="http://www.paulgardner.info/productivity/simply-productive/" rel="nofollow">post on the subject</a>. I use the GTD methodology and eProductivity for Lotus Notes to achieve what I need. In the past, I've found that too much tweaking adds to complexity and as soon as I make something complex, it becomes an untrusted system! For me, the most important thing to achieve productivity was simplicity of use as per my post on the subject.

I use the GTD methodology and eProductivity for Lotus Notes to achieve what I need. In the past, I’ve found that too much tweaking adds to complexity and as soon as I make something complex, it becomes an untrusted system!

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