http://www.learnfastdirect.net 60 http://www.learnfastdirect.net/blogdetails.aspx?p=35 I've used 'Tickler Systems' over the years - either as a brought-forward folder with 1-31 dividers and January-December dividers, or as postings in Outlook Dave Allen, however, recommends a HUGE system - using 43 distinct folders see image This has some MASSIVE benefits It means that you can really put quite bulky items into the folders For example, I love finding interesting greetings cards for birthday and anniversaries, for christmas and random spontaneous gestures of appreciation Often I'll find a card that will suit someone for their birthday - but their birthday will be months hence With this system I can not only pop in a reminder of their birthday, but I can also pop the card in there in readiness Items too large to fit the folders can be represented by slips of paper with the details The folder system also makes it far easier to update the system each day since all you have to do is move today's folder to the back How do you work the system At the point of writing this, the date is 4th Feb This means that when I open my filing cabinet drawer, the first folder that meets me is one with quot4thquot written on it Behind it are the folders quot5thquot through to quot31stquot and behind them the Months quotMarchquot through to quotFebruaryquot, finally followed by day folders for quot1stquot through to quot3rdquot Why quotMarchquot and not quotFebruaryquot Simply because on the first of February, all the contents of the pending February folder are taken out and placed within the right day-date folder for the month ahead As the days go by, that day is sent to the back ready to be renergised at the beginning of the next month All the time we are looking for 'non-brainer' systems that will keep our working memory clear of reminders that would be better served by such a process as this LearnFast Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.learnfastdirect.net/blogdetails.aspx?p=36 Some additional thoughts on 'Golden Time' The only way I can seem to move forward at the moment is to lsquothrow a Maryrsquo Here's an account from Luke's Gospel, chapter 10 - at the home of Martha and Mary As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made She came to him and asked, quotLord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself Tell her to help me!quot quotMartha, Martha,quot the Lord answered, quotyou are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her quot I share a similar concept on our time management programme - embracing it within a concept I call lsquoGolden Timersquo - that time of day when we are at our sparkiest Stephen Covey puts it in another way - the need to put lsquofirst things firstrsquo and he tells the story of filling a jar with rocks, then pebbles, then sand, then water The story then gives the alternate ending where you put the items in but in reverse order They wonrsquot fit even though they can It seems there is only one way to make it work: to carry out our golden activities in golden time - rather than saving treasured activities as rewards at the dog-end of the day! Like Martha I have been constantly worried and upset about many things - many urgent and important matters! However life comes from filling our lsquoempty bowlrsquo Sitting quietly, walking in nature, giving time to learning and conversation, to music, to art all these are opportunities for something lsquooutsidersquo of us to come in an fill that inner emptiness that we all feel from time to time If you are reading this today - give yourself and perhaps someone special in your life the gift of 'Golden Time' These are the good old days, just wait and see! LearnFast Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.learnfastdirect.net/blogdetails.aspx?p=28 We are often told that humans were first 'Hunter-Gatherers' and later became less Nomadic as they turned to Farming These are great metaphors for how we can 'Take Control of our Time' Until we have hunted out and gathered all our active commitments into appropriate baskets, bins, boxes, buckets and 'Next Physical Action' lists, we will be haunted by a sense of the unknown and the undone see Blog on 'Unfinished Business' Our quest must be to hunt and gather until absolutely everything has its place and there is a place for everything Anything that ends up on a table, a pile, or dumped in a stack broadcasts to us one clear message: our system of buckets, boxes, baskets and bins is still not straightforward enough to the point where it is easier to put something in the right place rather than dump it in a pile Only when there is a place for everything and everything in its place can we evolve into our other roles as Farmers and Gardeners - to cultivate more of what we want in life, and to grow as human beings I don't want to be a 'doing', do you LearnFast Sat, 23 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.learnfastdirect.net/blogdetails.aspx?p=29 I'm thinking of rebranding the manual for 'Taking Control of Your Time' as 'Unfinished Business - How to Take Control of Your Time' Why Simply because I think the sense of 'unfinished business' is at the very heart of the process When we have endless 'open loops' as David Allen calls them in his process , we have this all pervasive nagging sense of unease over all the unfinished business we have yet to deal with This makes it virtually impossible to relax, and place the elusive 'Flow-state' of productivity beyond our reach Two parts of our psyche must be at peace: our Working Memory, cleared of RAM-based reminders, and our 'Other-than-conscious-mind' with a sense of discomfort over tasks and promises, commitments and intentions left undone By RAM in Working Memory, I mean that all-too-fragile capacity to hold 7+/-2 points of focus in our multi-tasking mind at any one time Keeping this clear through the use of the lists and other memory management tools allows us to apply the full power of our mental processing to the single focus before us We even praise the concept of being 'single-minded' when it comes to fulfilling a goal or mission We can clear RAM through the use of the right systems We can Feng Shui our minds! Having great systems in place also reassures the more emotional psyche that simmers below-the-threshold-of-consciousness The systems when used! say clearly that not only is there a place for everything, but also that there will indeed be a time for everything, and everything will be dealt with in its time We will thus move from a dreadful sense of 'Unfinished Business' to a motivating sense of 'Business doing well' LearnFast Sat, 23 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.learnfastdirect.net/blogdetails.aspx?p=30 So what should we do with our Calendars The answer, suggests David Allen, is only three things: Time specific events, actions and appointments Day specific events and actions that do not need to be performed at a specific time that day Day specific information - for example, direction to a meeting Everything else should be 'Parked' in the appropriate Next Action List or in a tickler file to remind you when you next have your weekly hour-of-power See blog entry on the 'Hour-of-Power' I love this heresy! I have very beautiful time management systems - I've tried a lot Tried and failed Why For me, they're too sophisticated They take too much time to manage my time My head assents to the importance of reflection and planning - but I really don't want to be spending too much time doing that when there is so much to achieve David Allen's approach destroys the waste of time carrying over tasks from one day to another Those non-time-specific tasks live on Next Physical Action Lists - ready for when opportunity knocks That means they are written once - and then actioned when you can Most of us know how demoralising it is to carry over 'tasks yet undone' over to yet another day Keeping the Calendar as Sacred Space for Sacred Times is a sensible, straight-forward and practical way to preclude overwhelm Thank You David Allen for talking sense! LearnFast Sat, 23 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.learnfastdirect.net/blogdetails.aspx?p=31 What could we be doing in the 'Weekly Hour-of-Power' Participants on my first Time Management workshops will notice that I've bumped up the half-hour-of-power to an hour-of-power This is because the tasks to be done in this hour have increased since I first started sharing the concept Here's what I'd recommend, based on combining the work of David Allen, Stephen Covey, Roger Merrill, Claus Moeler TMI et al Prepare your 'Week Ahead Overview' Review all open 'Next Physical Action Lists/Manifests' Review all open 'Project Lists/Manifests' Book in all Mortguaged Time ie existing time specific commitments or day dependent tasks Bung in some Rocks - by scheduling a realistic amount into time you've 'taken' for them In time, I believe you'll be able to get far more proactive with placing 'First Things First' the Rocks over and above the Pebbles How By using a monthly 'Hour-of-Power' to plan sufficiently far ahead to put the rocks first place LearnFast Sat, 23 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.learnfastdirect.net/blogdetails.aspx?p=32 So what sections are we going to need in a paper-based system or on our computers For the sections mentioned below, just think folders and applications if you are going to go totally digital For this blog I am going to concentrate on 'pimping' my Time Manager International System Here are the suggested changes: Diary Section with Day, Week and Month planner I used to have a single Anniversaries sheet list so that I didn't have to redo that each year - though this is now moved to the tickler system in terms of nice birthday cards if I find them on my travels - ready for specific people Outlook now handles the automatic reminders Separate 18 month diary giving me a 'helicopter' overview of six seasons Index List of Projects leading into an Open Projects Section A section dedicated to 'Next Physical Action Lists' categorised and alphabetised by location or theme , eg, '@ Computer' or '@ Home' or '@ Shops' Notes section for a brief memory buffer to capture random ideas - which must be categorised and filed asap Minimal database section - perhaps a tube map but really as little as possible as all data should be in my filing systems Minimal contacts - perhaps a list of core contacts should I need them or anyone finds my organiser! This is a hugely scaled down version of how the TMI binders where originally intended to be used, but I believe it is more pragmatic Everything else should be in the buckets, boxes, baskets and tickler systems we've been talking about elsewhere I also carry my diary on Outlook synced with my Blackberry, and I'm thinking about resurrecting my iPaq just for the security of knowing there's another no-brainer back-up LearnFast Sat, 23 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.learnfastdirect.net/blogdetails.aspx?p=33 Could 'Next Physical Action Lists' spell the end of wishy-washy commitments and lack of results I think they certainly offer us a major step forward Next Physical Action Lists are all about living our Carpe Diem philosophy to the full - seizing the moment quickly when it arises As a reminder, Next Physical Action Lists contain tangible tasks and actions that are not time or day specific Tasks that are time-sensitive should be in the diary and in the tickler system for the specific date By having situationally specific Next Physical Action Lists, we can seize the moment in seconds when we get discretionary time eg, when a meeting is cancelled or finishes early Suggested 'situationally specific' Next Physical Action Lists may include Calls to make but not calls that need to be made on a specific day or at a specific time Include the person's number on the list to avoid having to look it up You can then get into a flow state and zone your calls Emails to write, send or respond to Tasks that can only be done at the computer Tasks that can only be done at the office Tasks that can only be done on site Tasks that can only be done at home Shopping lists Other erands and chores Maintenance tasks Routine financial and reporting disciplines Those of you who have explored Mind Mapping with me will realise that these equate to 'Basic Ordering Ideas' I have used the above headings on a master day planner mind map for years, but will be trying these as separate maps or even lists for the next season as I like their 'clear edges' Any tasks that are day or time specific should never make it onto these lists but go straight into the diary or tickler system to avoid repetitious listing These lists are purely for when discretionary time offers us the opportunity to take a step towards closing another loop, to finishing business LearnFast Sat, 23 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.learnfastdirect.net/blogdetails.aspx?p=34 If we need to 'Mind the Gap' in order to gather our thoughts when put on the spot, we doubly need to do so when we need to create new ideas We need a creative pause if we are to generate new ideas, alternatives and fresh options If fact, the 'Creative Pause' is a technique recommended by creativity guru, Edward de Bono His method is just to have some 'time out' and trust that the creative mind will 'fill that gap' - and it does However, we can actually catalyse the process by borrowing an idea from other creativity gurus, Tony Buzan and Vanda North When I attended Vanda's programmes on Buzan's Mind Mapping, she was quick to point out how the mind likes to fill gaps For this reason, she would recommend leaving lines on a creative mind map, without any content on them Her point was that the mind will then be seeking to fill this gap We've all experienced this when conversing with friends who insist in finishing our sentences for us! They jump into the gap with 'created' content! If you are put on-the-spot and asked to come up with ideas and options, putting the core concepts around a central focus and then branching out with some blank twigs will really provoke your creative mind to fill those spaces The Japanese Daruma Doll uses the same concept When you begin a project, you colour in one of the doll's blank white eyes The doll then sits there partially gazing at you - urging you to finish the project I'm not sure, in the light of our time management programme's principles, that I like this approach, but it is essentially tapping into the same mental principle LearnFast Sat, 23 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.learnfastdirect.net/blogdetails.aspx?p=27 As we begin a new decade, itrsquos decision time! If our time management programme had one rallying cry, it would be lsquoLive Deliberately!rsquo The call to live our lives on purpose Irsquom not necessarily suggesting we have some great and noble purpose - although, that would be good I am suggesting that we simply use our conscious mind to make deliberate and purposeful decisions on a moment-by-moment basis And to that end, Irsquom writing to you today about lsquoPassengers, Tourists and Playersrsquo You can tell which one you have been by reflecting briefly on last year lsquoPassengersrsquo are those of us who say, ldquoWhat happened rdquo or ldquoWhere did that year go rdquo Itrsquos as if wersquove just been carried along without any major direction or input from ourselves This is usually an easy ride because we leave the purposeful decisions to others, but letrsquos remember that very few people have our best interests at heart lsquoTouristsrsquo are a little more engaged They are those among us who lsquoenjoy the journeyrsquo - who are consciously paying attention to the changing landscape around them This is more deliberate and purposeful, yet they are often still carried along by others in a passive manner like the passengers Tourists enjoy the landscape, but they do not become an active part of the territory lsquoPlayersrsquo say, ldquoLet me in there Coach - donrsquot leave me on the bench!rdquo Players are not simply on the tour bus, they want to drive it and decide its next destination - heck, theyrsquoll plan the whole itinerary I was going to say, ldquo given the opportunity,rdquo but this isnrsquot true for Players - they take the opportunity They seize the moment Your 2010 Normally I could safely assert that it would be fine if nevertheless a waste for you to coast along in 2010 as a Passenger or a Tourist Both were low pressure, low intensity options in the past But I would have to say, ldquowere,rdquo because of the way the World has behaved over the last two years As Passengers and Tourists, we have watched and observed as a few greedy bankers have put us all at risk Notice how many of these rogues have actually come out on top This is because they have a criminal mindset according to Transactional Analysis of ldquoIrsquom OK, Yoursquore not OK rdquo As far as they are concerned, you and I just don't mount up to much - we don't count It is no longer safe to leave to others the decisions that impact your life If 'Rage Against the Machine' can get the Christmas Number One through internet campaigning, this just proves that we can all have a say and make a change We used to talk about the circles: circle of control, circle of influence, and circle of concern In time management, most energy must be poured into our circle of control and then some into the circle of influence However, we have surely reached a time where circles of concern are being swallowed up by an ever increasing circle of influence and an increasing circle of control These are the realms of the Players These are the circles they move in As Churchill said, ldquo Give us the tools and we will finish the job rdquo The Internet offers us unprecedented tools to influence the World - thatrsquos one reason we talk about the 'World Wide Web' So, step up to the line and boldly decide this year to be a Player - one who is fully engaged in making a difference to your own life and those impacted by your presence on this planet To help, Irsquove created a template Mind Map that can be found in the Blog entry, ldquoThe Most Important Mind Map Ever!rdquo LearnFast Thu, 31 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT