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Thread: Getting things done??

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    Administrator Moby-Dick's Avatar
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    Getting things done??

    I've decided that I really need to get my backside in gear and try to plan my time more effectivly. There seems to be a bit of a buzz on twitter about the Dave Allen book "Getting Things Done" , but I was wondering if anyone had a practicle experience of there time/work management methodologies and are they something that you can stick to for a while or just a passing fad?
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    lazy student nvening's Avatar
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    Re: Getting things done??

    yeh i really should get around to reading that book
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    Re: Getting things done??

    Everyone I know that's read it bangs on about how great it is, and then totally fails to implement any of the suggestions in any real sense. A lot of it is basically common sense.

    TBH, if you want to get stuff done, only set your email client to check mails every half hour, and enforce some kind of "Do Not Disturb" office hours. Continuous concentration is very important in some jobs (software dev, in my case), and with students or people dropping by throughout the day I find uninterrupted concentration hard to come by some times. Not to mention my chronic Hexus-posting problem.

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    Re: Getting things done??

    Time management Lecture By Randy Pausch
    http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...0380335567758#
    a bit of a hero of mine, sadly passed away in 2008 RIP

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    Re: Getting things done??

    I had one, but then I joined Hexus.

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    Re: Getting things done??

    Start with the little things, like the shopping.... I write the shopping list out according to where the aisles are in the shop, then start at one end, up the first one, down the next, until I've got to other side of the shop, and I've finished. Knocks about half an hour off a standard weekly shop and satisfies the OCD a bit too

    Then rinse n repeat with other seemingly menial tasks.. seems to work for me (a bit anyway)

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    Re: Getting things done??

    Quote Originally Posted by Tumble View Post
    Start with the little things, like the shopping.... I write the shopping list out according to where the aisles are in the shop, then start at one end, up the first one, down the next, until I've got to other side of the shop, and I've finished. Knocks about half an hour off a standard weekly shop and satisfies the OCD a bit too
    Does that take about half an hour to write?
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    Re: Getting things done??

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    Re: Getting things done??

    Quote Originally Posted by nvening View Post
    yeh i really should get around to reading that book
    Maybe you need to plan more effectively?

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    Re: Getting things done??

    To do lists focus the mind (until they get lost). Item 1 is "write a 'to do' list.

    I know some (successful) people plan their time down to almost the nearest minute - "phone xyz at 12:15 - 15 minutes" but that is too disciplined for me (maybe why I'm not as successful as they are).

    But it depends on how tightly you need to manage time - on a daily bais, or an hourly basis. A diary helps - either dood old book version or a PDA of some sort.

    But neither of those are a substitute for the self discipline!
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    Re: Getting things done??

    Get yourself a Myers-Briggs personality type test. If you struggle to plan ahead and stick to your plan chances are you're a perceiver. I am too, it's great but it sure frustrates those plan-ahead Judgers

    My way of dealing with it is I've learned to recognise when I'm avoiding doing stuff and set myself a very quick, very easy to achieve objective, and another just after that, and just focus on that. Then as I achieve them set more very quick very easy objectives. Before you know it I'm on a roll and heading for the final target.

    It's a bit like Gromit building the tracks as he goes along

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    Re: Getting things done??

    Priorities according to 'importance' not by task.

    Also if your work allows it have times during the day when you check your messages.

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