Some people may read the title of this post and think, "Simplification? That isn't based on GTD." True, there is no chapter titled "Simplifying: Make Things Easy on Yourself" in David Allen's book. But examine the concepts behind his system and you will find simplicity is self evident. How it fits At its heart, GTD is about goals. How to clearly define them at all levels of your life, and then mapping out each step to achieve those goals. And to do so in a less stressful fashion. All the bits…
Notice: Part 1 in this series can be read here [https://chrisbowler.com/journal/gtd-overview-part1]. So now that I've talked about how I understand the concepts of GTD, I'd like to share how I've implemented my system. My current setup has lasted for quite a while as I have finally settled on the tools that work for me. This is due to two things: discipline and success. Discipline to stop tinkering with my system and success at completing tasks while enjoying the tools that I use. I break my t…
Notice to readers: This article was written under the assumption that the audience has a general knowledge of GTD (Getting Things Done). If that does not describe you, please use these [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Getting_Things_Done] resources [http://www.43folders.com/2004/09/08/getting-started-with-getting-things-done] to familiarize yourself. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Over the past couple of years there has been a heavy increase in…
It's funny how ideas for blog posts come to you. I have multiple drafts of articles I would like to write sitting in MarsEdit, and I always set a goal to complete one of them on any given day. But nine times out of ten some random thought will hit me while in the shower or out for a run and that's what I'll end up writing about. I guess most people would call that inspiration or creative juices etc. And that's one of the big reasons I started this blog—to…
If you've read some of the content on my site before, you'll know how much I love the third party software available for OS X. They really enhance my enjoyment of using a Mac. But it's also important to remember how good Apple themselves are at making software. You only have to look at the operating system itself (OS X) to see that. But over the years they have produced great software applications like Keynote, Final Cut Studio or GarageBand. Or applications that came packaged with the operatin…
Merlin Mann published a post today [http://www.43folders.com/2008/03/03/kung-fu-unplugged] in reaction to an article by Mark Bittman in the New York Times titled, "I Need a Virtual Break. No, Really." [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/02/fashion/02sabbath.html?_r=1&&pagewanted=all&oref=slogin] Both are interesting reads and reenforced some things I have been going through myself. I would encourage anyone who spends a lot of time being connected to give these both a read (then work on the disconne…
As a frequent user of two of the major computing platforms of the current day - Microsoft's Windows XP and Apple's OS X (10.5) - I feel I can speak with some authority on the differences between the two. Unlike some on either side of the fence who throw out their strong opinions without any actual experience using one of these operating systems, I can say I spend a good deal of my time on both. And although I have a preference for one of these platforms over the other, I'll do my…
Since I have not been able to find a really good desktop task management application for Windows, I have tried quite a few web apps to fit this need. I've spent a good bit of time with a few and took a quick look at some others. I finally decided to go with Highrise [http://www.highrisehq.com/] from 37Signals [http://www.37signals.com/]. It is not a perfect tool for GTD (does that even exist?), but it fits quite easily into my workflow and how I manage my tasks. Now before I get too far, I have…