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The Rise and Fall of Getting Things Done
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Posted by Ken
Nov 23, 2020 at 01:36 AM
Luhmann wrote:
Another, related article, from the LA Review of Books:
>
>Hard Times: Martin Hägglund’s “This Life” and the
>Pomodoro Technique
>By Alexa Hazel
>
>https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/time-management-on-the-pomodoro-technique-and-martin-hagglunds-this-life/
Well, there is a PT cycle of my life I’ll never get back. I suspect that Ms. Hazel must have been paid by the word for that piece, and I am surprised I did not see any mention of mother’s milk leading to heroin somewhere in there. I am guessing that she could have picked any object or productivity tool and written that piece. Perhaps I am too pragmatic for that much philosophy, but it was not a piece that called to me in any way shape or form. But, I am sure it might call to some folks, so I am just going to say that I am not her target audience and leave it at that.
—Ken
Posted by MadaboutDana
Nov 23, 2020 at 11:15 AM
Thanks for the article – I was most amused!
Yes, deciding how best to manage tasks of all kinds is definitely a losing game. Not least because there doesn’t appear to be one single system that works beautifully for everyone.
My wife is a good example: she’s a very busy woman, running several businesses and desperate to manage her lengthy to-do list efficiently. She’s tried about every task management app on the planet, and every time, she returns (with a sigh of relief) to her paper-based system (which is a classic roll-over system). She’s always been an adherent of the “one-touch” approach, and on the whole, manages to implement it remarkably well, so in her case, the roll-over system appears to work.
But recently, she tried Todoist and was so impressed, she decided to use it (with me, so we could share our to-do lists; always convenient!). After a couple of months, she’s (with much regret) abandoned it, and again, her palpable relief at returning to her paper-based system is… intriguing.
I know I couldn’t use a paper-based system (or at least, not exclusively), but I increasingly believe that pure task management apps are not the answer. Not least because they generally treat tasks as “done” or “not done” (pace kanban-based apps, which are slightly more flexible).
I think apps that combine extensive note-taking with tasks are more practical, but defining the “best” user experience for such apps is remarkably difficult, because people really do have different ways of perceiving relationships. The quarrels (sorry: carefully and sympathetically reasoned arguments) my wife and I have over spreadsheets provide an interesting case study: we both have extensive business experience, we both have very different ways of structuring spreadsheets, and each occasionally finds the other’s approach totally baffling. Humans, eh?
So for me, it’s back (with, yes, a sigh of relief) to NotePlan…
Cheers!
Bill
Posted by Simon
Nov 23, 2020 at 12:00 PM
I personally find the computer based GTD just doesn’t work for me. Too much tinkering, plus you cannot view your lists at a glance. I use an A5 Black & Red notebook and follow Mark Forster’s Final Version Perfected (http://markforster.squarespace.com/blog/2015/5/21/the-final-version-perfected-fvp.html). He has some great ideas on his site about GTD.
I found that using paper helps me to use my calendar better (only things needing done on the day get put in); which is also a paper based system. I used ot have reminders and alarms going off all the time. I have about 5 sides of A5 full of tasks which I can scan in less than a minute. Can’t do that on a computer, tablet or smartphone. I also find that writing seems to help me remember my tasks better in general.
I just us one long flat list. Dates written next to the task/project if due dates are needed. List starts at the front, project pages start from the back. I did try an iPad (12.9), but there’s just something about not being able to scan and digest on a computer. Could be my age! I don’t use context, tags, start dates or anything else. This saves me sooo much time!
Posted by MadaboutDana
Nov 26, 2020 at 09:14 AM
Heh, love it! *Almost* sounds tempting… ;-)
Thanks for the Mark Forster link.
Simon wrote:
I personally find the computer based GTD just doesn’t work for me. Too
>much tinkering, plus you cannot view your lists at a glance. I use an A5
>Black & Red notebook and follow Mark Forster’s Final Version Perfected
>(http://markforster.squarespace.com/blog/2015/5/21/the-final-version-perfected-fvp.html).
>He has some great ideas on his site about GTD.
>
>I found that using paper helps me to use my calendar better (only things
>needing done on the day get put in); which is also a paper based system.
>I used ot have reminders and alarms going off all the time. I have about
>5 sides of A5 full of tasks which I can scan in less than a minute.
>Can’t do that on a computer, tablet or smartphone. I also find that
>writing seems to help me remember my tasks better in general.
>
>I just us one long flat list. Dates written next to the task/project if
>due dates are needed. List starts at the front, project pages start from
>the back. I did try an iPad (12.9), but there’s just something about not
>being able to scan and digest on a computer. Could be my age! I don’t
>use context, tags, start dates or anything else. This saves me sooo much
>time!
Posted by Hugh
Nov 26, 2020 at 12:43 PM
MadaboutDana wrote:
>
>Yes, deciding how best to manage tasks of all kinds is definitely a
>losing game. Not least because there doesn’t appear to be one
>single system that works beautifully for everyone.
>
>Cheers!
>Bill
I agree. In particular, as the task-management application market has blossomed, there’s been little acknowledgement (for example, by reviewers or bloggers) of the fact that different apps (or paper-based systems) suit some occupations or work-styles, but don’t suit others. For example, nowadays I find start- or defer- dates in some form very desirable in organising my work (which tends to involve longer-duration tasks), while others I know find start-dates simply distracting.
Incidentally, at one time I found Mark Forster’s task-management ideas intriguing. I also admired his path to devising them. Trouble was, he seemed to keep refining them (as the name of his latest system appears to hint). I was too lazy to keep up.