Posts filed under 'GTD'
Update : These sets, and many more, are now available free at www.DIYPlanner.com.
Well, my little simian office-mates have come through yet again. I’m pleased to announce the release of the D*I*Y Planner 2.0, A5 Version.
As we don’t have access to A5/A4 paper or planners, we were especially reliant upon overseas testers for this release, and a few people really stepped up to the task and provided some excellent feedback. If you find this version useful, there are a few people who really deserve your appreciation: Yann Abraham, René Yssing Rasmussen, Ronald Schaten (yet again), and especially the eagle-eyed Krzysztof Wysocki. Any errors still left are mine, and mine alone.
Note that most of the templates have been scaled slightly to allow for the difference between the original 5.5″x8.5″ paper size and A5, the receipt envelope should work with A4 paper, and the cover kit has been redone for A5. Please draw my attention to any weirdness you might notice.
Without further ado: diyplanner2_a5.zip.
As an added bonus, Nate Howland has created a version of the main template file as a 2-up, meaning that you can print two A5 pages on one A4 and then guillotine them. For this, tell Acrobat Reader to auto-rotate and center but not scale. Link to download: diyplanner2_a5_2up.zip. (This does not include the other files from the main package, such as the covers and handbook.)
Enjoy!
…
Shameless plug: Oh yes, and if you can’t send bushels of bananas as thanks, please feel free to buy yourself some productivity books (like Getting Things Done or First Things First) at Amazon.co.uk: the monkeys will get a cut.
April 5th, 2005
First, I want to thank the hundreds of people who have dropped me email in appreciation of the planner. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, and knowing that so many of you are finding the package useful is all the motivation I need to keep working on this project.
That being said, I need to address a few things that keep coming up time and again.
I’ve had a couple dozen email wanting to know when I’m planning on releasing a letter-size version of the templates (as in 8.5″x11″). From the D*I*Y Planner Handbook:
7. Can you make some letter (or A4) versions?
Well, let me put this in perspective. There are over 50 templates currently included in this kit. To create a letter-size version, I would essentially have to redesign every template, since it’s not simply a matter of doing a quick scaling-up. New layouts would have to be imagined, new objects would have to be created, new base templates would have to be set up, a new set of guidelines would have to be written, each file would have to be worked on individually, and then each form would have to be tested, printed and tweaked multiple times. And so on. That’s a lot of work. Now, I’m not saying I’ll never create a letter-size kit, but given the fact that there is only one of me, it’s not very likely in the near future. I’ve had a couple of people volunteer for this task, but as far as I know, nothing concrete has yet been done.
I’m not trying to be mean here, but my time is very limited. I use an 5.5″x8.5″ planner, so that’s first off the assembly line. Next is A5, because it requires very few changes in the template layout. And that’s it for now. I did get one email back from a rather rude individual that reads:
That’s stupid. The whole world is using letter size paper. Why would you force everyone to buy that size planner. One of the studpidist things i’ve heard in a long while.
The email does downhill from there.
First, as my good friends across the pond can attest, not everyone is using letter-size paper. Second, I’m not forcing anyone to buy anything: that’s the point of giving this away for free. I’m not going to belabour these points, but they were worth mentioning.
Seeing a lot of people are sending me their problems without caring to read the “Printing How-To” section of the Handbook, I’ll summarise two points in particular here. Do not tell Acrobat to scale, center or auto-rotate the forms when printing. That way, the forms will print at the top left, which is generally where you put your 5.5″x8.5″ paper. Also, create a greyscale printing profile for when you do go to print, else your printer might mix colour inks to produce the grey tones (and you will go through a lot of ink). There are plenty of other things in the Handbook, so please take a few moments to skim through it if you are experiencing any problems before you mail me. If your issue isn’t addressed there, send it to me and it may make the next edition.
Finally, the A5 templates are pretty well ready, but I need some more volunteers who are willing to print out the forms and give me some feedback — preferably within a couple of days. As I mentioned earlier, I have to rely on testers to do this for me, as I have no access to A5 paper or planners. Any takers? If you are, please drop me an email (address is at the bottom of the menu at right).
March 31st, 2005
Update : These sets, and many more, are now available free at www.DIYPlanner.com. In particular, you might want the newest version of this, which is located on the D*I*Y Planner Classic/A5 page.
Well, it’s been a busy few months, but I’m happy to announce that the D*I*Y Planner version 2.0 has finally been released.
The D*I*Y Planner is a set of free do-it-yourself templates, covers, documentation and other gear for creating your own highly customised and tweakable paper planner system. Some highlights:
- Over 50 different templates and forms spanning everything from calendars to finances, from project management to reference lists, from notetaking to specialised subjects like web design and story writing.
- A thorough D*I*Y Planner Handbook in HTML detailing:
- how to build a do-it-yourself planner, including getting the right supplies;
- descriptions of all the forms, with many suggested uses;
- a GTD-oriented planner configuration;
- how to print the forms, without wasting paper and ink;
- plenty of tips in setting up and using your system;
- links to other template sites; and
- places to find more information that can help you use or configure your planner.
-
A couple of pre-built covers, with do-it-yourself templates in OpenOffice.org Draw format for creating your own. (More covers will be offered later, as well as templates for other applications.)
- All templates from the older 1.0 package have been rejigged, improved and made more consistent.
- While an emphasis is placed upon David Allen’s Getting Things Done, templates are also offered for alternative methodologies such as Covey’s First Things First. There are also quite a few generic templates so you can devise and tweak your own organisational methodology, if you are so inclined.
- A template for creating your own receipt envelopes, complete with areas for recording transactions and jotting notes.
- Currently, all templates are designed for 5.5″x8.5″ planners (half letter-size), but a version for A5 is in the pipe. (Stay tuned.)
- A set of GTD diagrams culled from the DavidCo site, resized and positioned for your planner. (See the handbook for links to the originals.)
- A new identity for the package: a new logo, a slightly new name (note the asterisks), and a vague leap towards consistency and semi-professionalism.
As with the last package, version 2.0 is released under a Creative Commons license, which means that it is free for personal and non-commercial use.
Special thanks to Ted Bongiovanni, Ronald Schaten and Anthony Schellenberg for some excellent suggestions along the way, as well as to the 43 Folders Google Group for continued inspiration and so many wonderful ways to waste time while saving it. 
My apologies to all those friends and groups who have been deprived of my company (or blessed by lack of it): things should be getting back to normal soon.
The package can be downloaded here: diyplanner2.zip.
The new D*I*Y Planner button at the right will always take you to the latest version of this package, which will always be at www.douglasjohnston.net/templates/.
Update : There’s now an A5 version, as well as a 2-up version (printing two pages on one sheet for cutting in half).
Update 2 : Please don’t ask for other size templates (like 8.5″x11″) for now. The reasons why are explained in this post.
Update 3 : New GTD/Covey Diagrams for D*I*Y Planners.
Update 4 : The Hipster PDA Edition is released for printing 3×5″ (index card) versions.
Update 5 : Several keen-eyed individuals have mentioned a broken link in the handbook. (Thanks, I missed that one!) The latest version of the templates can be found at http://www.douglasjohnston.net/templates/, not douglasjohnston.com. This is a redirected link to the latest release, by the way — currently to this post.
March 28th, 2005
Working on the new version of the DIY Planner 2.0 Handbook, and it occurs to me that I don’t have very many links to other printable templates.
A few nice folks have been sending me links to their own templates in the past few days, and I will indeed be including them in the handbook. If you have created templates, and would like to be linked, please email me your URL within the next few days, as well as a one-sentence description of the forms. Don’t forget to include your target paper size(s), and be careful not to violate any copyrights. (My email address, as always, is at the bottom of the menu at right.)
Also, if you are aware of any other printable templates out there for public consumption (like those offered on the Microsoft Office website), please leave a comment below with an URL so that I (and others) may find it. The more, the merrier.
March 22nd, 2005
Sorry for the dearth of postings here recently, but any free time I have (and there isn’t much of it) is being devoted to pushing the new version of the DIY Planner out through the door. I’m aiming at releasing 2.0 within the next two weeks, and while most of it is complete, I still have a few forms to do, some touch-ups and inconsistencies to take care of, and some documentation to write.
Herewith, some random notes about where I am and where I’m heading on this project. Forgive me if they’re a bit disjointed: they were written piece-meal over a week.
So what’s new? Well, here are a few highlights:
- Plenty of new forms. I haven’t done an exact count yet (there are a few left to go), but I’d estimate that there are about three times as many templates in this package. Some are requests, some are new takes on old ones, and some are forms for which I had a use.
- Every existing form has had some type of make-over. I’ve kept the same basic (i.e., “non-offensive”) style for all templates, but added a few subtle look-and-feel elements to tighten up the design and help with the consistency. Speaking of consistency, there is now far more of it: I deviate only occasionally where I think it would allow for more efficiency or legibility.
- There are some “alternatives” for V1 forms. For example, some people have no use for two full lines for items like Next Actions, and so I’ve made slimmer versions which only have one line per item. The V1 templates are also included, so you can choose whichever one best suits your style and methods. (Myself, I generally use two lines.)
- Per request, I’ve toned down the use of grey in certain forms. Some pages, like the Notes templates, have both light and dark versions.
- Some previous forms have been broken apart into different ones, where it made sense. For example, the former Project Outline is now the revised Project Outline (with step-by-step planning) and Project Details (for listing objectives, resources, personnel, budget, etc.).
- There are a few flexible generic templates, like Checklist and Shopping, that can be used for different purposes.
- There are a few very specific templates, like Web Design I and Web Design II, which can help those working in certain industries. (Many more are planned for the future.) Obviously, you don’t have to print them if you don’t use them.
- The PDF file is no longer 8.5″x11″ with the need to print two per page, then cut. As stated in an earlier entry, I’ve switched the PDF to 5.5×8.5. This way, you can use pre-cut paper if you have it, or just guillotine letter-size paper before printing. It also has the added benefit of making it very easy to produce an A5 version (which I’ll be working on just as soon as the North American version is out through the door).
- Starting with V2, the files will be split into different “packs,” either for topic-related, formatting or logistical issues. For example, the Receipts template is in a file by itself, since it’s a cut-out form based on larger paper, and the GTD diagrams are also in a separate file, since they weren’t created by me (only resized to fit the planner).
- Yes, I’ve succumbed to your requests: there are undated daily and weekly planning pages. Don’t ever say I don’t care about you folks.
- More testing for the differences between laser printers and inkjet printers; there will still be many variations in tonal qualities, but all text and backgrounds should allow enough contrast for legibility. However, I use an inkjet most of the time, and thus the forms probably look slightly better on that style of printer.
- Since my philosophy is to provide templates that cater to a highly-configurable (i.e., “tweakable”) planning system, malleable to the different needs and situations of many types of users, I’ve adopted two important goals when producing V2:
- Make allowances for alternative planning systems: besides GTD (which is still a primary design objective, since I use it daily), I’ve also provided many generic forms and a few Covey-inspired templates ;
- Mix and match: I’ve attempted to ensure that many forms can be printed on two sides of the paper, which means –for example– you can face a Weekly Planning page with a Covey-esque Weekly Goals (sharpen your saw!), another Weekly Planning page (for a two-week spread), a Next Actions page, or a To Do list.
I had been planning on including a few generic OpenOffice.org Draw templates with this release so you can produce your own. However, I’m going to await the release of OOo 2.0 (within the month?), because it’s supposed to have many improvements in its drawing application. Once I get up to speed with it and manage to produce something I’m happy with, I’ll release these templates in another package, along with fonts, logos and other design material. These will also be produced under a Creative Commons license. In case you’re wondering, I’m choosing OpenOffice.org because:
- It’s cross-platform, for Windows, Mac and Linux;
- It’s free and Open Source, so anybody can download it and use the templates without worrying about their budget;
- It contains a decent vector-based drawing application (I’ve used it many times in the past for posters, etc.);
- It produces excellent PDF files, natively and free of charge; and
- The format is open, not restricted in any way: this means that you aren’t “locked in” to a proprietary format in the future (thus needing to keep buying a certain type of commercial application).
I’m thinking about creating a wiki for users of this planner, so that people can contribute advice, new templates, their “configurations”, how they use it in conjunction with PDAs or other organisational tools, etc.. Anyone interested?
That’s it for now. Back to work I go.
March 20th, 2005
For the DIY Planner, I want to produce a version for A5 as soon as possible. However, I’m somewhat hindered by the fact that I don’t have either an A5 planner, nor do I even have access to A4 and A5 paper for the testing: they are almost impossible to get on this side of the pond.
Does anyone in an A4/A5 country want to donate a super-cheap A5 planner and some paper, or at least provide very exact measurements for me to follow (including positioning of the holes for typical planner systems) and volunteer for print-out testing? I have to count on you folks, because I want to do this right.
March 20th, 2005
Despite the fears and uncertainties that come with leaving a job, it’s a wonderful opportunity to “clear the slate” in many ways. True, that weekly paycheque isn’t coming in, but this urgency puts a lot more emphasis on creativity, goal-setting, organisation and brainstorming. Now, many of you are probably thinking: hey, this is a perfect opportunity for the effective use of a planning system.
But here there be monsters. What happens if, like me, you’re an organisational geek attracted to every shiny new way of planning and managing information? In the past twelve months, here are just a few of the systems I’ve tried:
- A paper-based planner system (basically, my DIY Planner templates in a nice faux-rustic-leather DayRunner);
- A Palm Tungsten E, decked out with 512Mb SD card, Palm wireless keyboard, Internet connectivity, headphones and plenty of software goodies;
- Apple iCal + Address Book + Missing Sync on my Macs;
- Evolution on Linux;
- KDE Kontact suite on Linux;
- Palm Desktop on Windows;
- MS Outlook;
- MS Entourage (as in, Outlook for the Mac);
- Mozilla Calendar/Sunbird;
- Emacs + planner.el;
- Eclipse IDE/text editor;
- Various UNIX shell scripts (at, cal, cron, etc.);
- PHPGroupWare;
- Various wiki-based solutions, including SiteBar + TWiki;
- Various portal-based solutions, including Plone;
This list doesn’t include all the various other toys like QuickSilver, Beagle, GNOME Launch Box, Konqueror, library management tools, and… uh… vim. So where does that leave my planning information? Well, all over the place, of course. The good news is that I’ve “compartmentalised” most of the information in certain ways. For example, all my contacts are generally stored in my Palm, which syncs out to all the other computer-based contact lists (like in Apple Address Book, Evolution, etc.), and all my memo-style files are generally stored as plain text files in some way, which generally sync well across all the operating systems I use. However, I realise it’s time to start consolidating most of my day-to-day organisational information in some way.
The end of a job is a perfect opportunity for this, as one can generally leave behind a lot of information that’s no longer needed, like previous appointments, expense details, client contact info, hours of operation, report statistics, and so on. This has a bit of a cleansing effect, because you are now free to choose a planning system without worrying about legacy data and how to port or transcribe it over to your new gear.
In a way, it’s a call to action: stop flirting and make a commitment for once. Make a choice and stick by it. I’ve spent so much of my spare time in the past year just trying and tweaking new ways of organising myself that I’ve probably wasted as much time as I’ve saved. I know I’m not alone here: read the 43 Folders Google Group, and you’ll see hundreds of others constantly seeking and extolling new ways of planning their lives. Yes, I do find this incredibly interesting, if not exciting (it’s the project manager and information architect in me), but there comes a time when you have to stop playing the field and settle down, lest the endless one-night-stands of organisational methods start to take their toll on you.
So, which is it going to be? Well, of course everybody is different, but I think I’ve finally settled on a system that makes sense for me and the way I work. Here’s my gear, at least for the foreseeable future:
- My DayRunner, because it just feels good to write in. Purpose: calendar (hard landscape), next actions, project outlines, brainstorming, general writing, reference lists (to buy, A/V gear, photography info, to read, etc.), important contacts, carrying paper info (things to mail, various forms to fill out, etc.), story ideas, job search details, etc.
- Palm Tungsten E. Purpose: music, audio books, news on the go (AvantGo, Plucker), pictures of family, ebooks, encrypted files (financial info, passwords, etc.), uber-list of contacts going back to my far-flung past, alarms (”wake up” or “you’re late!”), technical info (usually synced from a computer), and word processing for digital deployment, since I have a keyboard to type quickly and it’s easy to sync the text to my laptop or desktop.
- TWiki. Purpose: online documents for editing or reading from multiple locations, and collaboration.
Notice that there is no mention of a computer-based planner there, like Evolution, Outlook or Entourage. I considered this long and hard, and came to the conclusion, “So what?” Maybe it’s because I change operating systems or computers so many times in a day, or maybe it’s because I’ve never really found a program that “thought” like me, but each time I use one, it seems like a token effort. I finally decided recently that I might as well skip them altogether, and just learn to use and trust my DayRunner and Palm combo.
[Note that all of the above concerns my personal organisational approach. In a business context, things work differently, and there are plenty of tools available to ensure that project management, workflow, time management, resource allocation, record-keeping and communications are efficient within a particular system. However, what works for a business often doesn’t work well for an individual, and vice-versa.]
Now, the next decision to be made: which methodology to follow? As the result of a few months of experimentation –mainly with the DIY Planner materials– I think I have a very effective process nailed down, and it’s only partially GTD. I’ll cover that in a future post.
March 14th, 2005
If your big thing is outlining and task management, you’re Mac-centric, and you haven’t been following the About This Particular Outliner series, shame on you! The latest column is now up, and includes a nod at GTD: ATPM 11.02 - ATPO: Task Management and Outlining. While some of the software is also available for Windows and/or Linux, the emphasis is on Macs because …well… the site is called About This Particular Macintosh. Personal task management and outlining software is the one area where I feel the Windows world is very lacking, at least until the Windows version of Tinderbox comes out. There are so many imaginative and impressive applications that run on my Macs that I’m spoiled for choice, and I cannot find comparable apps that run under the “other OS.” This series, documenting all the most popular (and not so popular) outliners, is one of the most consistantly thoughtful and well-written tech series I’ve seen, filled with screenshots, explanations, and pros and cons. Definitely intended for information management junkies, it’s one of the only columns I actually look forward to reading.
You can see a list of all ATPO articles so far on the About This Particular Outliner archive page.
If any Mac/Windows users out there want to mention any Windows applications you think are comparable to ones like Tinderbox, NoteTaker or OmniOutliner, I’m all ears. Please leave ‘em in the comments. I’d love to try them.
February 23rd, 2005
Once upon a time, I used to manage fairly large multimedia projects involving anywhere from four to a dozen people. Besides myself, there were also several other managers in various parts of the company who were faced with trying to handle projects with diverse multi-disciplinary teams filled with regular employees, temps, freelancers and employees culled from various divisions. We tried a few different types of approaches for managing these tricky projects, including:
- Gantt charts and task lists produced by Microsoft Project
- Web-based scheduling and task management software, including three types of groupware
- Paper-based forms, delivered each morning by the PM (the Project Manager, not the Prime Minister) and completed by the team at end-of-day
- Outlook+Exchange for distributed tasks and calendars
- Daily email reminders of deadlines and uncompleted tasks
- Standing over the shoulders of employees and constantly asking, “Is it done yet? Why not?”
Being the “high-tech” guy, I generally advocated and experimented with the web-based ones, while others tried various approaches almost at random, according to mood or the best-seller flavour of the day.
So which one worked the best, on average? None of the above, unfortunately. It was a decidedly low-tech PM approach, notionally borrowed from a past A/V production department, which seemed to yield the best results. This department had a huge blackboard that it used to track personnel used for its projects. People referred to it each and every day as they walked past it (it was in a “lobby” between the offices), and there was never an excuse to double-book a team member or forget a deadline. I adapted a version of it for a whiteboard, using standard planner-style methodologies. I began to refer to it as a “warboard”, which lent a certain urgency and importance to it.
How to create one? Well, put up a whiteboard in a place that each member of the team visits or passes several times a day, such as a production room, a hallway, or even a lunch room. It should be a fairly short walk from any of the offices, and front-of-mind. It should be a large board (minimum 5 feet wide): if you only have small ones, put up two or even three. Devote half the space to the “hard landscape”, a two-month block calendar with deadlines, employee in/out days, holidays, and major resource allocations (such as a boardroom or a major piece of equipment in use). The other half, devote to the projects and team members. Write down each major project, the team for each one, and the deadline. Then for each team member, write down their next two or three actions. The PM should update these lists whenever tasks are completed or set; he or she should also have a “master list” on file for project tasks –this can come from a Gantt chart– as well as a list of all reference materials and to whom they are loaned.
A few quick tips, gleaned from experience…. Using a thin- or medium-sized whiteboard marker helps save space, and you can fit a lot more on the board in a neater fashion. Use different colours for different types of projects. Keep plenty of spare markers in your desk drawer. You can create a two-month grid using a permanent marker and a yardstick, so that you only have to wipe off the whiteboard markers each month, and the grid stays. (An alternative would be to use a very large laminated calendar, but this isn’t highly visible, nor can you fit much on them.)
It works well. For the employees, there is never an excuse for not doing your job, plus having others know your tasks is a source of both motivation and ownership. For the PMs, resource allocation isn’t generally a problem, and you know that your team is aware of their responsibilities and deadlines far ahead of time. It’s decidedly low-tech, but it’s probably one of the most effective project management tools I’ve seen yet. I wouldn’t want to manage hundreds of people with it, but it’s great up to a dozen or so, especially in a fairly close-knit organisation.
Even if I’m working solo on a project, I still tend to produce a warboard. When projects accumulate and deadlines fly quickly, and I’m in danger of verving into crunch or crisis management territory, it helps to have a whiteboard –however small– within easy view and reach. I populate it with material from my planner, so the two remain in sync.
I wasn’t aware of GTD at the time, but the process of warboarding is a very snug fit indeed.
February 22nd, 2005
Version 2.0 of the DIY Planner should be released in early to mid-March, and to that end, I’m looking for a bit of help. There are some templates I’d like to produce, but don’t know enough about the subjects to feel I can do a good job. I can use another planner system’s forms as a basis, but then I’m concerned about infringing upon their copyrights, which –in this sue-happy age– is something I really want to avoid.
- A few people have requested “fitness” or “exercise” templates. Not being a fitness buff (well, except for cycling and hiking), I have no idea of the best way to structure such a form. It has to be generic enough to allow for different exercises, reps, time durations, etc., but still allow for ease of use and adequate space (perhaps this one should be sideways?).
- Daily Finances and Expense Report. Again, I’m trying to avoid copyrighted “look and feel” issues here. Anyone have any good ideas for these, especially those that can address the limitations of other planners’ forms?
- Vehicle Service Record.
- Insurance Information.
- I’m also looking for reference cards and “cheat sheets”, all non-copyrighted, of course. Weights & Measures, Area Codes, Time Zones, First Aid, Windows Shortcuts, Mac OS X Shortcuts, common bash commands, and anything else that might be very useful to many users. I’m going to resist the urge to do anything too technical or niche here, with the possible exception of bash (because it’s something I –and many people I know– would probably use). I’ll probably put these cards into a separate PDF file within the package.
- Anything else you’d like to see?
If you’d like to help, please leave a comment or drop me an email (see my address at the bottom of the menu at the right). A few things to point out, before you do:
- Let me contact you before you go through any degree of effort. There may be somebody already volunteering to help produce the same material.
- You must be prepared to hand over any ideas to me, and not claim ownership of them in any form. (This is my “cover my legal ass-ets” disclaimer: I don’t want anybody coming back to me at a later date with a subpoena, alleging that their idea is what made me a millionaire. ) However, I will be duly noting any volunteers in the credits along with their web page links and/or email addresses, so everybody can recognise your contribution, you can feel good about helping other organisational geeks, and you can even get a little traffic to boot.
- You must state that any ideas you put forth are not copyrighted by anyone, as far as you can determine within the limits of reason. The finished templates and references will go under the Creative Commons license with the rest of the package, under the same terms and conditions (see the package’s accompanying HTML file for more details). If something is public domain (say, a diagram or a particular chart), I will note it in the credits file, so this shouldn’t pose a problem.
- If you are either artistically inclined, or are capable with an office or graphical program, please feel free to send mock-ups or layout ideas. If not, just basic text information or ideas would be fine.
- Keep in mind that any template information, mock-ups or layout ideas you pass along to me should not ressemble or make use of any copyrighted material. I can’t stress this enough. I don’t need a mega-corp hauling my derriere to some expensive U.S. kangaroo court where they’re represented by a $1000/hour lawyer and my spokesperson has all the legal knowledge of a backwoods muskrat (i.e., “me”).
Upon the release of 2.0 in 5.5″x8.5″ form, I will be following it up almost immediately with an A5 version (which is just a bit of a resize, really). It would appear that my volunteers for producing letter-size and A4 are going to be busy till at least April, so I might put out a call for other help next month unless my schedule opens up enough to produce these versions myself within a reasonable timeframe.
I just wanted to offer a big thank-you for all the feedback so far. It’s been invaluable to the production of these templates, and I’ve learned a lot about how others work effectively. Surely, this will help my own productivity in the long run.
February 9th, 2005
It comes as no surprise to anyone following the whole 43folders-style quest for life tweaks that there seems to be a resurgence in paper-based organisational products. See Merlin’s canonical Introducing the Hipster PDA (follow-up), my own DIY Planner, Scott “Jerry” Lawrence’s Hipster designs, Moleskine notebooks (link & link), and now Mark Berstein’s Tinderbox Cards (he would be the so-intelligent- he-must-be- an-alien-lifeform creator of Eastgate’s wonderful Tinderbox information management tool).
I have to wonder about what might be the reasons for the current infatuation with paper, especially those pieces of paper with semi-structured forms for inputting your information.
Is it portability? If you look at my Palm Tungsten E and at my DayRunner, you’ll know which is more portable. Even a pack of Hipster PDA index cards can’t compete with the size of a Palm.
Is it fear of technology? No, not for most. True, there are some people who have never jumped atop the digital bandwagon, but this new millenium is seeing most of them either dying out or reluctantly edging into modern technology. However, a majority of people who have recently taken up paper-based planning with a vengeance are those people for whom computers are a way of life.
Is it ease of sharing or storing information? Nope. You can’t “sync” paper, although you can always photocopy pages at your local library or office supply store. And have you ever had to “search” a full filing cabinet for that little stray snippet of text you need?
Is it a failure of technology to keep abreast of personal information? That would be far-fetched. There are a million-and-one ways to organise your data. PDAs, TabletPCs, Outlook, Evolution, iCal, groupware, wikis, Tinderbox, DevonThink, OneNote, or even Emacs can all categorise and structure almost any sort of data you can produce. If anything, there are too many options (hence the inherent and endless “tweakability” of solutions).
Is it cost? I don’t think so. A lot of people seem to have switched from PDAs and computers to paper, and frankly, you can get them dirt-cheap anyways. (I saw a base-level Palm at a local Wal-Mart the other day for about $55 USD.) DayRunners and Day Timers can be expensive, and buying paper, ink cartridges and other supplies can get a little pricey in the long run. Plus, people seem to be fascinated with purchasing $20-80 pens for their systems.
So what is it?
Pure and simple, I think the keyword is intimacy.
Try and curl up with a TabletPC, laptop or PDA for a few hours. Your eyes hurt, the hard shape is awkward, you’re constantly checking for remaining battery time (or juggling a cord), and –despite this day and age– it’s not easy to build any sort of bond or connection to a machine, especially ones so transitory and mass-produced.
However, pick up a nice little leather-bound journal, grab a smoothly-writing pen, and all of a sudden, things become sensual. There is no hunk of metal, plastic and wires acting as an intermediary, nor is there any intimation of data being temporary. What you write on paper is immediately there, forever, and the flow of thought and creativity knows no middle-man: the connection is personal, free-flowing, spontaneous, and free of modern-day digital “interpretation”. You write, sketch, doodle, draw lines and circles, add stars, and otherwise feel the flow of ink laid smooth upon the grain of the paper. It’s a throw-back to another time, and we might just as well be our great-grandparents writing by nib pen and inkwell alongside the dim glow of a candle. For once, we can abandon our reliance on modern technology, and experience a connection with our innermost spirit, letting it roam free upon a page. All of this, and much more, heightens our sense of intimacy with the paper before us.
I realise that this seems a little strange to most people recently immersed into the realm of computers, PDAs and PIMs. After all, aren’t we just doing things the old-fashioned, inefficient way? And then there are those folks for whom the digital domain is all-consuming, leaving no fuel nor inclination to pursue anything as backward as paper.
But –I think– there are many of us who have been forging technology to our sundry needs for years, and now realise that something is indeed missing. For a few of us, this something is as fundamentally simple as scribing our schedules, our ideas, our idle thoughts, our lists, our daily dramas and even our dreams upon pieces of paper. In the same we can feel more for a photograph than for an image on a screen, these intimate, well-worn and sometimes messy little scraps will be cherished long after the phosphor of our screens has faded.
February 7th, 2005
The Net is a cool place to hang out. In many ways, it’s like those times when you wish you could be a fly on the way, and listen to what others are saying about you and the things that matter to you. People speak more freely about so many things, not thinking for a second that the object of their discussion is actually listening to what they say.
And so it is with my little sojourn into some discussion forums and other blogs mentioning my DIY Planner. Some of the rather negative mail I received the other day piqued my curiosity, so while I was wolfing down some lunch, I started doing a little searching and browsing, and tripped across a few interesting posts concerning some pros and cons of the system. It seems well-received, overall, and most people’s beefs seem to be connected with the absence of different paper sizes. However, I did trip across two other issues that I’d like to address here.
The first concerns that fact that my planner system does not adhere to GTD in its strictest implementation. In other words, all the various little bits of Allen’s book do not have a direct counterpart in my templates, and there are even parts that veer away from GTD, such as the Covey Quadrant. The second issue is that a few people see my forms as too rigid, while others lament too much rigidity and wish for more structure. Both of these issues are a direct consequence of certain design decisions I made while creating the forms, and these were not made lightly: they are the products either of practical experience or long periods of thoughtful consideration. (Most of these forms were created and used over a period of two to three years before I decided to release them to the public.)
Here is my ultimate goal: to produce a set of templates that, while in essence based upon Getting Things Done, provide enough flexibility and customisable options to be of use for many different organisational methodologies and situations. This is not easy. If you pay attention to the discussions on 43 Folders (including the great Google Group), any of the other GTD-related discussion groups, the nice folks over at OfficeZealot’s GTD Zone, or any of the other numerous blogs devoted to this subject, you’ll find a million opinions about how to do things. And that’s only one organisational approach! (It’s almost like how numerous religions, denominations and sects interpret the information in the Bible, as far-fetched as that comparison initially sounds.) Many people who have fallen head-first into GTD are organisational geeks that love endless tweaking in the pursuit of productivity (a seeming paradox, to be sure ). And who am I to restrict their opinions and metholodogies?
It’s a long and slippery tightrope to walk. The best I can do is to provide a wide array of templates that can be used (or not used, as the case may be) however the person sees fit. The fields in the forms are sometimes intentionally vague, and sometimes provide room for information that might not be pertinent to a given situation, but they are simply prompts, and nothing else. Use whatever makes sense for you, and ignore or rename the rest.
When things are based upon my strong experience in an area, such as project management and web development, I feel I can create more specific templates. When it’s a “soft” area with a great degree of subjectivity, like “Objectives” or “Someday/Maybe”, then the templates are –by necessity– less specific. When Allen is specific enough in the book that I can interpret the need for certain fields, I am always sure to include them. Likewise with other methodologies, such as Covey’s, where there is an obvious potential for building more options into the system for those people who want to avail themselves of them. (The recent addition of “Goal Planning” is a good example.) Finally, I do try, whenever possible, to take into account the feedback of others, and this too has proved invaluable in the fine-tuning of the system.
Just wanted to get some of that out in the open. I only spend about 15 minutes a day working on these templates, and another 15 minutes creating entries on this blog. (Both of these are self-imposed time limits to ensure that I get around to doing those things I’m actually paid to do.) Because of my current lack of time, I can’t always participate in the forums and discussion lists that I love, but I still wanted to address those people who have mentioned the above issues in their posts. As usual, I’m happy to take into consideration any suggestions, additions or modifications for the DIY Planner. After all, I only know what I use it for, and you probably have some very different needs that I might like to address in future versions.
February 5th, 2005
If you’re anything like me (and hopefully, you’re not), it’s often far more convenient to store receipts in your left-hand pants pocket, and once a month, you take out a handful of shredded and highly illegible paper scraps to stick in a drawer somewhere. I do have a nice little receipts envelope for my DayRunner, but I only have one, and I’m loathe to actually write on or otherwise use it, lest my pristine copy be sullied once and for all.
So, in my ongoing curiosity to see how far organisational geeks like myself can be pushed to do strange things in the name of do-it-yourselfness, I’d like to share with you the draft of my new receipts template.
And why is this so strange, you might ask? Well, grab your scissors and favourite adhesive (chewing gum does not count), because this template actually requires you to do cutting, folding and gluing. It’s rather like the projects I remember doing in kindergarten and elementary school. Once you get over the initial embarrassment of not being able to cut exactly on the lines, it’s actually quite fun. See the little diagram below for how it should be cut (the red areas should be cut away). Fold along the obvious dotted lines, and you’re all set.
A few quick notes:
- You should use a slightly heavier stock for the envelope. Standard inkjet/laser paper is too flimsy, and card stock is way too heavy: find something in between, if you can.
- I’ d recommend a waxy-style stick glue. Liquid glue is fairly messy, and will probably warp your paper.
- If you flip over the envelope, you’ll see a little crosshairs. This is where your centre hole should be punched, vertically. (In other words, feed the envelope in so that the middle punch lines up with the crosshairs.) The envelope won’t take up a full page in height or width, but it should still fit nicely in most 5.5″x8.5″ planners.
- The template requires very precise cutting. Err on the side of cutting slightly inside the lines, and it should still work fine.
This is only a draft. As usual, any feedback is welcome. (Yes, I will be getting around to releasing A5 versions of this too.)
February 4th, 2005
Hmm… I’m linked from Jeff Sandquist’s fledgeling GTD wiki, which I truly hope grows into a big community-driven effort. Heaven knows, a lot of people out there have enough information and opinions to contribute.
If this is your first time here, folks, I want to extend you a hearty welcome. If my server stats are any indication, you’re probably here mainly for the GTD-based Do-It-Yourself Planner. You’ll always find the link to the most current DIY Planner in the menu at right. In a nutshell, it’s a series of PDF templates (and instructions) for 5.5″x8.5″ paper planners like the DayRunner or Day Timer, based mainly on Getting Things Done methodologies, albeit with a bunch of extras thrown in for a wide degree of customisation. It’s released under a Creative Commons license, which means it’s free for you to download and use, so –as we say here in Newfoundland– go fill yer boots.
February 2nd, 2005
I’ve been squirrelling away a few minutes here and here to do a little work on the DIY Planner forms, mainly those ones for which I have an immediate need. Since I’ve received so much helpful feedback in the past, and since there are so many of you using the system (at least, so I hear), I figured that I’d give you a peek at some of the new forms in development.
In this 8-page PDF file, you’ll find some new project management forms (I’ve broken the old project form into “Details” and a more concise “Outline”), a Goal Planning form (a la Covey, but certainly compatible with GTD, IMHO), and … *ahem*… a Job Search form. (Anyone need an educational technologist? ) Please give them a whirl, and let me know if you have any suggestions before these get put into the DIY Planner 2.0 package.
Astute PDFophiles will note that this is actually a 5.5×8.5″ file. I’m making a little change to the methodology. Since many people have access to blank, punch-holed paper this size already (it’s found in most office supply stores, at least in North America), I thought I’d now produce the PDFs to this dimension. If you can’t find this paper size, then just use the guillotine to chop regular letter-size in half before putting them in your printer. Make sure you tell Acrobat not to resize, centre or rotate, and they should print fine (that is, assuming you have the paper lined up correctly). The new paper size has the added bonus of making it easier for me to slightly resize the templates and pump out v.2 forms as A5 for you dear folks in the rest of the world.
Okay, time for a little related rant. I have a Canon i350 printer, and I’ve been quite happy with this inexpensive little workhorse. But printing onto the aforementioned punch-holed paper is a major problem. If the paper descends into the roller at all, then it tears. The problem? Exactly where punch-holed paper has its holes (letter size or 5.5×8.5″), there is a little upwards-facing “hook” used to press the paper against the roller. The holes therefore catch onto this hook. Why, oh why, did Canon make such a sloppy mistake in the positioning of these stabilisers? A quarter inch to the left, and there would be no problem at all — I’m sure that the paper would be just as stable. Or, they could have changed the form or width of the hook to prevent catching. Instead, they’ve made this a major problem for anybody using paper with punch-holes. I’m sure I’m not the only one facing this problem. Anybody using the other Canon iXXX printers notice the same design flaw?
So, it turns out that I’m one of those people who have to chop paper in half using the guillotine just to print 5.5×8.5″, and then I have to hole-punch the printed forms afterwards. This, despite having a rather large pack of nicely pre-punched paper at just the right size. Oh well….
Any comments or suggestions regarding these new forms, please leave a comment or drop me an email. I’d love to hear what you folks think.
February 1st, 2005
Next Posts
Previous Posts
