Chapter 2 - You can only feel good about...

Unlike what is discussed in this chapter - the brain dump - I've done my brain dump in little chunks over the past month. Even that has helped to get my mind clear.

I find the discussion about checking which one you want to do next the most interesting part of this chapter. This week I am working on my second-largest challenge after the weekly review, which is actually WORKING from my lists. It is a terrible problem for me, as I often
write it down and still work from my head. Very rarely do I "review all of [my] options of what to do and make the best choices" - I'm working intuitively on work I know I have to do, but not often from my lists.

I try and do a minor brain dump during my weekly reviews, but it doesn't always work that way. I'm going to shortly be pasting the trigger word list from the book (it's on one of my lists) into my notebook so that I can get at it right beside my Weekly Review Checklist.

As to the by-the-ways, I'm using Outlook 2000. Sometime in the spring, I put in a vb script that creates a task from an e-mail. It gives the task the name "Follow up on:" and then tacks on the subject from the e-mail. All very slick. Except I was just clicking and saving, and the tasks were unweildy because a) there were many, and b) I wasn't giving them names that meant ANYTHING to me. I weeded a TON of those out this week, and will have a nice tidy to-do list by the end of this week.

You know, when I'm hoping to do another Weekly Review.

NextAction! for Blackberry 2.0 - The Falcon

Hello, everyone,

I've recently downloaded the new version of NextAction for Blackberry 2.0, called the Falcon. Apparently, it has taken off - who knew. This version is packed with a bunch of new features that make it a lot more user friendly than the previous version. The new features include:

• Enhanced native support for new BlackBerry® models
• Performance: Significant performance boost; can handle thousands of tasks
• Reliability: Passed the longest beta test we ever made; highly stable; ensures data consistency
• Desktop compatibility: Contexts and projects synchronize to all desktop applications; compatible with programs like Microsoft Outlook, Lotus Notes, Act!, Novell Groupwise, iCal, Entourage, etc.
• On-Device Compatiblity: Coexists with other task applications; no interference; works seamless with internal task application
• Notes: Full task note support
• Enhanced usability: Easier, more intuitive and faster usage; improved productivity
• Project support: Projects (identified by a “p:” prefix) are handled according to GTD
• Localization: Available in the following languages: English, German and Chinese
• Added user requests: Hide completed tasks; full project support; several minor bugs (thanks a lot to you!) removed
  

I bolded my biggest beef with the old version - if you had a call to make and had the phone number in an e-mail attached as a note (as an example) you could see it - but you couldn't attach notes within the application.

Like most people, I used this for scanning of my lists - not for actual capture. However, a great portable tool. Well recommended.

There is an interesting discussion about the program at the Davidco forums. Enjoy!

Standing still in a blur / NextAction! for Blackberry

Well, last Sunday to today has been a blur. I really got a lot accomplished on Sunday, but it's been a whirlwind since then.

We've had a VERY busy crunch at work, and so I've had to roll up my sleeves with the rest of our producers and start working assignments. I've got too many things on the go, too many balls in the air, and I'm starting to feel very overwhelmed.

Once again, the week went by without a WR. I let everything get away from me very quickly, and then was working from another city towards the end of the week. Ah well. This week, being a short week, is going to be tough, but I'm determined to get through one WR. Just one.



Onto another note - integrating GTD with the Blackberry. One of the big challenges is the way the Blackberry handles tasks. The BB's task function is frankly terrible - it stinks. It lists all the tasks, but it does not let you sort anything by categories. That's where NextAction! for Blackberry comes in. It lets you view your Outlook tasks by contexts, it lets you select which category labels on the BB and Outlook you want to show up in NextAction!, and it just plain works really well.

I only have two complaints. You have to add tasks either in Outlook or in the BB task applet, you can't add them through NextAction!. That's actually OK for me, as I use the computer to do my WR (when I do one!), but to add a task on the go you have to put it into the Task applet. Frankly, I throw them in, don't categorize them right away, and process them during my review - unless it's a phone call. The other complaint is that it doesn't let you read the items that are in the notes for your tasks - so my solution to using "agendas" does get a little buggered on my BB, as I can't read the agenda items I have for each person. However, in general it works. I recommend it in the absence of anything else for the Blackberry.

For really early (and stable) software, though, this one is quite good.