Sam Harrelson

Sam's Personal Stream of Life

How I Get Things Done (Dec '09 Edition)

In my constant ever-evolving "Get Things Done" process, I've tried many solutions from OmniFocus to Google Tasks to RememberTheMilk to todo.txt to just a .txt file to... well, you get the idea.

However, I've been using a new flow for the past week that might have some real sticking power as it combines journaling with todo'ing (and my Moleskine) and has multiple entry/exit/access points.  Partly inspired by my pal and fellow GTD sojourner, Scott Jangro, I decided to share:

1. It all starts in the iPhone WriteRoom app where I daily create a new file labeled Year/Month/Date Day with tags like @sds (for school) @MH (for my daughter), @home (for home-related errands) etc. Some entries are todo's and some are just notes and pieces of info I'd like to remember from that day.  

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2.  I keep a list of about a week's worth of journaled notes on my iPhone for quick reference:

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3. These notes sync over the 'net with the SimpleText.ws (open source) instance that WriteRoom uses (which is simple and awesome):

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4. Daily, I do a quick refresh to see if there's anything I need to add/subtract or mark as very important for the next day and then email the note to two places... 

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GMail (where the notes go into special "Notes / Journal" label) and

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Evernote (where the notes go into a "Journal / Notes" notebook).

That's a great deal of redundancy (the notes also end up in a desktop folder that is sync'd with Dropbox and JungleDisk), but it's all pretty mindless backup that I don't have to fuss over. Plus, the physical act of my emailing the notes every evening to GMail, Evernote and the Dropbox folder forces me to stop for five minutes and consciously review the notes.  That's invaluable. Thanks for that idea, Scott.

So, that's how I get things done and record the things I do in Dec '09. 

I'm sure it will change either subtlety or drastically in the coming months. However, the basics have staying power!

 

 

Web Clip Tool for Backpack

Snip 2 Backpack is a Backpack Bookmarklet that lets you snip text from a webpage and send it directly to your Backpack page as a note. First, create your bookmarklet by typing your Backpack page's email address. Then drag your new bookmarklet to your bookmarks bar. Here's what the end result looks like:
via productblog.37signals.com

Love this idea... basically a web clipper for Backpack.

As I wrote about last week, I've made the switch from Evernote to Backpack for my workflow inbox/aggregator/containment field/processor.

One of the features of Evernote that I missed when I made this switch is Evernote's fantastic web clipping tool. However, this closes the gap a little bit.

I say a little bit b/c this clipping tool is text only. That solves a good deal of my problems, but I'd still like to see the clipper be able to grab images as well.

BTW, I'm still in love with Backpack's Journal feature.

Dear @Evernote, I Want to Use your Service But This is Unacceptable

Over and over tonight (strong wifi):

Looks like I'm sticking with Basecamp.
 
 
Sent from my iPhone

From Evernote Back to Backpack

I've been a longtime Evernote member going back to March '08 (and then a paying Premium member since June '08 shortly after they opened that functionality), but I just can't figure out the best way to integrate the service into my workflow.  I've certainly tried because I do see so much potential in the product.

However, since I've been trying to do most everything using only web apps and my iPhone, I've had a tougher time using Evernote. The Mac desktop client is beautiful and easy to use. The Windows desktop client less so. But it's the web interface that just isn't working for me (and that is the most important one at this point since I can't install the desktop client on my locked-down school Macbook).

So, I'm going back to Backpack (in the old days, I would have used my affiliate link for the program there with a little disclosure) for workflow management. The web interface is fantastic (and familiar), I can easily email in material, create seperate pages, feel secure, integrate easily with GMail, Google Calendar and be completely web-based. 

However, the killer app Backpack has going for it is the Journal feature:

I'm using it for product management, status updates to myself and as a "private twitter" etc. It's like the anti-social bookmarketing site Pinboard for micro-messaging.

The problem that has plagued Backpack (and the whole suite of 37Signals products such as Basecamp and Highrise) is the lack of iPhone apps or integration.  That's been solved by a nifty app called Satchel.  Yes, it costs $10, but it's well worth the price. Satchel is speedy, works "offline" (whatever that means anymore), and intuitive. I can also easily update my Journal through Satchel. Plus, there are hacks and apps for getting Backpack to work well as a web app (like GMail) on the iPhone if preferred.

So, between Backpack's web apps and Satchel, I'm very happy (and productive).

I'll explain more on today's Thinking.FM podcast episode. 

Hey, You! Get Off of My Cloud! (Or The Rise of Anti-Social Media)

I've fallen in love with Pinboard (for bookmarking) and Simplenote (search for it on the iPhone app store) this week. I've been testing out both services for a little while but decided to take the plunge this week and use them more heavily.

And they rock.

Pinboard is Delicious from 2004 with more goodness baked in. It's fast, easy and private.  That's right... in an age of rival-bookmarker Diigo's communities, Evernote offering sharing of notebooks as a Premium feature and RememberTheMilk touting their social features, I'm finding myself leaning back towards sites like Pinboard that take advantage of the web2.0 goodness with a nod towards those of us who want to bookmark without worrying about what the neighbors might think (not that I'm bookmarking anything scandalous, but I don't have to worry about crossing the education/tech/marketing/science/music streams with Pinboard). 

Simplenote does exactly what I want a note taking app to do... it takes notes quickly, easily and syncs automagically. I love Evernote, but I've found myself overwhlemed there as of late since there are so many features (and since I do have so much data there).  Simplenote is... well, simple. And that's refreshing.  The same with Pinboard vs Diigo. I love Diigo, but I honestly don't make use of all their community and bookmarking features enough to pledge allegiance. 

So, will we see a rise of anti-social media apps that take us back to a "much more civilized time" of elegant and simple lightsabers rather than social blasters? I'm not sure. But the evolution of media is definitely fascinating to participate in and ponder.