Young Turk's Ramble: Productivity

ClearContext and GTD

Mon, 16 Apr 2007 18:41:36 GMT

I got a new Lenovo T60p a few weeks ago and decided to switch to ClearContext as my GTD implementation. Mike asked me to give him a heads-up "if I am still using it in two weeks" and, taking advantage of a boring session at Web 2.0 Expo, below are my initial thoughts, mostly comparing it to NetCentrics Outlook add-in, my previous implementation.

What I like:

The functionality to create a task, a meeting, or a delegated item in one click work well. It is not dissimilar to NetCentrics, but ClearContext has simply fewer bugs.
The snooze button is great, and is far superior to NetCentrics' in that it allows you to specify times, snooze multiple times, and more.
Unsubscribing from threads is a welcome addition to the basics from NetCentrics. This allows you to remove yourself from a thread: basically, ClearContext files all future replies with the same subject to a folder akin to junk mail. In an email heavy culture like Microsoft, this button alone pays for the software some days.
Filing is fast. You can assign topics (projects) to threads with one shortcut, plus typing a few letters of the topic. You can then file to that topic folder with another shortcut. This allows me to use ClearContext like a speed filer. For example, if I would like to file a message to "Balance Budget," I can assign a topic with Alt+P and "B" (or as many letters it takes to recognize) and file the message once I am done with Alt+M. This sounds lenghtier than a speed filer but is rocket fast when you get used to it, and gets quicker as ClearContext learn to assign topic automatically.If you still want to use Ctrl+Shift+V, the topics automatically adjust, too.
You can use topic assignment for anything including tasks and calendar items. This allows me to use the Outlook task list for GTD. I can assign both contexts and projects to messages. Then you can pivot on the views to see everything by project or by context (e.g., @Phone). From the previous filing bullet, ClearContext shows all the messages associated with the project automatically, so you can see a history. Very nice, but I still would have liked a nested view.
Changing your topic hierarchy is as easy as editing folders.

What I am still not using:

I am still not using the prioritization features of ClearContext. Having analyzed my folders from the previous months, the software is making a valiant attempt at guessing importance, but it is still wrong frequently. I need to tweak the formula which it uses to calculate importance, but I just did not have time to dig into this. This is the main thing ClearContext builds and sells for, so it is kind of ironic that I am now using the software for its toolbards, basically, but hey, to each his own.

More to come as I play with it and tweak. I especially need to program and customize the task views some more.

shaving time, having time... part 1

Tue, 10 Jan 2006 03:34:18 GMT

I am going to jot down a few thoughts on “shaving time, having time” starting with this post.

I recently got caught in a waiting room with an acquaintance who was complaining about her busy schedule. She was a young and busy professional. Having apparently found the magazines available in the aforementioned room below her standards, she decided to complain to me about how she did not enough time in her day. I had some reading with me, as well as my email through my good old Audiovox SMT5600. But I decided to be polite, put down my reading, and listen to her woes. Don’t we all have her problem after all?

Well, the answer is no. I know many smart people who have spent a lot of energy perfecting systems like Getting Things Done. They are productive, efficient, aware, in control –yet there are so many interesting things in the world for a curious mind that they do not have enough time. So they prioritize the best they can and lead their lives. This is a problem we all have, for we will all die one day. I learn from these people.

Then there are people like this person. I am not going to go into details to respect her privacy, but the more she complained, the more aloof I became. There was plenty of room in her story for improvement: she did not have time because she managed it poorly; there were numerous activities from which she could “shave time” in order to have more time. She was not busy (or not only busy), she was… sub-optimal, I thought. I was quickly ashamed of my lack of empathy. How obnoxious of me!? I am not the best example of efficiency of myself. Look, I am spending (wasting) time writing this blog (although one might argue that self-review is quite a good investment in productivity).

So I decided to write down things that have worked for me as “shaving time, having time” tips, with three goals in mind: (i) it might help somebody –like this lady; (ii) it might help me improve those tips and tricks; (iii) it might entice somebody to comment on them, to add to them, and to improve my day. Take my tongue-in-cheek rant with a grain of salt.

So, here is the first rule, tip, whatever you want to call it. Keep your resource utilization high at all active times.

You have plenty of small periods throughout the day when your brain is idling like a grinder waiting for more raw material. So your average resource utilization throughout an active day is going down. Keep feeding it.

Make a list of “activities” where you can focus on a second one. I’m not necessarily advocating multi-tasking: doing two things requiring attention simultaneously may produce worst results (and times) than doing them sequentially. I’m talking however about “dumb activities” that do not require your attention. The obvious example is your commute (for me 30-60 minutes per day) or your time on the treadmill (same).

But less obvious –perhaps because they take less time- examples abound: walking from the garage to your building, waiting at the cafeteria or for the elevator, chopping vegetables in your kitchen, getting dressed, doing laundry, sitting in the bathroom. Once you add these up, you will see that you may have a few hours in the day when your brain is, um, under-utilized. To utilize these, have a list of “less dumb” things you can do in their context (perhaps @anywhere, for you GTD users). Have a call list. If you spend 30 minutes on the phone in your office, and you have a commute, you might be wasting time. Can this call wait until you hop into your car that evening? Or the next morning? Do it then. Do not waste time with it now, in your office, when you have other tools (like a computer at your disposal). Since I work in Seattle, any calls to EST fall into my morning drive, with the time difference. If you made all your calls (and you can always call your family more often, you know), listen to something. I really like Audible, and get a few books in per month. My big Creative player means that I always have a backlog of stuff to listen to. Invest in technology everywhere –car, shower, office.

Try it for a week. Start with big (long) activities, then move to smaller ones. You will be amazed at how many things you get “out of the way” simply waiting for an elevator. Books, podcasts, your email, whatever you prefer –have something please to feed your brain. So that you do not complain to someone in a waiting room, at least… and feed them to your grinder.

interesting foldable pen design

Sat, 07 Jan 2006 03:11:26 GMT

GTD suggests a pen with you at all times. Pens of "credit card" thickness are often too short or too awkward to use. So I went with the Ion, as I mentioned in a previous post. It makes a nice keychain, and is roughly the same length as my house keys, which is also with me at all times. However, Kevin Kelly shows an interesting design that looks long enough for an adult. I might reconsider putting my pen back into the wallet (although I abandoned a traditional wallet long ago as well). I'd love to hear more people sound off on this, giving it a thumbs-up or down.

DateLens

Tue, 27 Dec 2005 20:20:40 GMT

With my vacation and new projects at work, I spent a lot of time looking at my calendar recently. DateLens, a project by Microsoft Research, offered me some interesting ways to visualize my time. I am not sure if it will fit into GTD, but (since my calendar is color coded) it nicely shows how my life is on or off balance, and where the gaps are.

I love applications that help me visualize information. When you find cool ones, comment here and let me know. Let us just say I am looking forward to Windows Vista.

productivity... now that can be a category...

Fri, 09 Dec 2005 23:39:58 GMT

I was going through my teammates’ blogs yesterday and was happy to see this entry by Mike Torres.

I love the Getting Things Done (GTD) system that Mike refers to. I spent a decent amount of time over the last 18 months customizing it to my lifestyle. It is therefore refreshing to see that you are not the only insane person investing a few hours on setting up your productivity tools. It is also enlightening to see what other professional use.

I am in the middle of re-tweaking my setup right now: I will wait to see how I like the new setup before I provide you with my “list.” In addition to the great list Mike suggested, I have been using OneNote Powertoys; FolderShare; NewsGator; some internal Microsoft tools like thread compressors, lots of folders, and a PocketMod with a Cross Ion keychain. Pen and paper? Yes, pen and paper. I love software as much as the next guy in Redmond, but it is useful to have some analog tools in a pinch. Jeff Sandquist, one of our colleagues at Microsoft and one of the C9 guys, has a good wiki on the subject. The tools section is particularly useful.

Reading on productivity is an investment that pays off. GTD by David Allen is my favorite at the moment (link on the booklists in this space) and I also point RSS readers to his site, LifeHacker and 43 Folders.