So, I did what anyone would do. I backed up everything I thought I’d need, made lists of the stuff I’d want to reinstall, and went ahead with the erase job.

Two things happened:

• I erased everything and reinstalled just the OS, only to find my problems remained. It turned out to be faulty RAM that I had installed six months before. Yes, I ran hardware tests, but they didn’t show any problems. Major thanks go out to Mariam, the angel on the Mac forum who saved my bacon. Ever since getting my new RAM, everything has run perfectly, like a Mac does when you don’t put junk in the engine.
• I realized that the way I had been working, managing information, and handling my digital life was way outta whack. I had backups, I’d worked efficiently, I’d streamlined my processes… yet until I had to start completely over from scratch, I had no idea how much fat there was still was left to trim.

Welcome to the butcher shop.

Now, I’m pretty sure—without Googling—that there are umpteen posts similar to this one out there in the world. I mean, productivity “hacks” are a dime a dozen, I realize. And, it’s not my intention to just air my laundry, so to speak.

But along with that little observation, my internal censor tells me I should just stop writing now. But to that censor—and yours, if you got one—I say two things:

1. I don’t care. I mean, I think it’s great that other posts are out there, but since this is my virtual soapbox and my life, and this was a meaningful event that has shaped every day since, I’m going to write about it.
2. I’m not a “productivity guru” writing about getting things done faster, easier, etc., as means to their own end. Gawd knows, everyone who has tried to implement increased-productivity measures in their lives has hit the point where they were tweaking their system more than actually doing things with said system.

But that’s not my intent here.

I don’t write about this to help you shave 0.4 seconds off your email time; I write about this because if you can walk away from your desk/laptop/iPhone with a few less knots in your shoulders and a clearer mind, then I’ve done my part. It’s about peace of mind, clarity of thought, and ease of being. Not to mention creating less waste and saving resources, both external (paper, space, time) and internal (thought, stress, and your creative potential).

That said…

I honestly don’t know if I could track every change that has come into my life since my self-induced electronic colonic, but I’ll share with you the biggies: the ones that I notice many times a day have improved my workflow and left me feeling much more peaceful about how I flow from from one task to another.

The big mind-shift happened as I went to download the software I had been using before the crash. I had taken screenshots of my Applications folder, so I could get everything back to the way it was. As I looked over the list, I realized that:

1. there was a bunch of stuff I had downloaded that I just didn’t use any more (surprise, surprise),
2. there were a few programs that were redundant, because other, better solutions existed… and now was the perfect time to take advantage of them.

Case in point…

Email.

I had been an avid—and satisfied—Thunderbird user for some time, after leaving Eudora years before. But I had also been hearing good things about just using Apple’s Mail, because of Address Book integration.

So, I Googled “mail vs thunderbird”, and I found this post by Dave Moyer, about using Gmail instead. Brilliant.

Why Gmail? Because:

• you can receive, and send from, other email accounts through Gmail. So, you’re not limited to just youraccount@gmail.com.
• all of your mail is automatically archived, just in case. Never lose an email again. And, because it’s all online, it takes up zero space on your own computer.
• there are plenty of helpful features (and extensions, via Google Labs) to manage your mail effectively, from labels to stars to filters and more.
• it runs out of your browser, so you don’t have to have yet another program running, taking up screen real estate, system memory, or time to download new messages. Translation: it’s faster.
• thinking of getting a new computer, ever? No more migration hassles; just log on from you new machine—or any machine, for that matter—and all your stuff is right where you left it. Translation: no fear of ever losing your stuff.

In Dave’s article, he said that everyone he talks to who actually gives it a shot ends up loving it within a week. It only took me a day.

Once I had embraced the “computing in the cloud” concept with GMail, I was curious to see what else was out there that would supplant my previous on-my-machine solutions. Next up…

Task Management.

Here is one place I’d been trying out all kinds of solutions for years, with never a clear winner emerging. I’ll spare you the exhaustive rundown, but the last program I was using to manage my projects and to-do’s was Things. Things rocks. I’m not a GTD’er, and Things is flexible enough to let me keep my projects managed how I wanted.

But again, I wanted something that was stored/synced automatically online, so I wouldn’t ever lose data. And, at the same time, I was examining how I stored the information related to my projects, and tangential snippets of stuff that invariably surface while working on a project. Saving everything to files, folders, and browser bookmarks just didn’t seem like the way to go, not when so much savvier solutions are out there.

And then I found a program that could handle my task management AND my incessant exploration of the web, all synced online, and all free. I danced my everloving jig, bowed in gratitude to the universe, and promptly fell in love with Evernote.

Evernote allows you to capture notes, screenshots and images, and URLs of anything, anywhere, anytime. It works on Macs and Windows, it works on iPhones and mobile devices, and it automatically syncs with a web-based version. It’s simple and intuitive to use, allows you to tag entries, create multiple “notebooks”, and search easily.

And, get this: it even scans the images you put in, and any words that are in the images will also be searched. Daaaay-ang, that’s sweet.

Here’s how I use Evernote:

• I have a Design notebook that’s my default, and as I browse the web and learn new tricks related to my webdesign business, I grab screenshots and the address of the page for later. No more saving webpages in overstuffed folders on my hard drive, no more endless browser bookmarks, no more “I know I saw a solution for that once… where was that/what did I do with it?” This alone saves me hours. Hours.
• Each note that I make from something online contains a screenshot, for easier visual browsing and memory-jogging. I also make sure to take advantage of Evernote’s tagging and url-linking feature, so I can easily find notes later, and jump to the site I got it from when I need more info (I sometimes save big chunks of code, but typically just save a snippet of the original to save time and stay in the flow of what I’m doing).
• I make a new notebook for each of my design clients, and while I often create individual notes within it to store various chunks of info, there’s one “master” note in each one where I keep lists of what needs to be done. I use sections to keep everything organized, and label them @Next, @Questions, @Waiting, and @Launch. Once glance and I know exactly what’s next for each client.

I can’t imagine working without Evernote, it’s that universal for me. And, sometimes I lose track of how all my projects need to be managed and what’s next. Rather than go through each notebook one at a time, I rely on Remember the Milk.

Remember the Milk (RTM) is another online, free-to-use service that excels at to-do list management. It can be used via the web and/or mobile devices, but my two favs are the Mac Dashboard Widget and the Google Mail add-on. My RTM list, made up of the top “@ Next” items from my projects, shows up in the right sidebar of my Gmail page, so not only do I see it every time I’m in Gmail, but I can also easily add tasks that come up as a result of communicating with people.

Update: As cool as RTM is, I found that I was still waffling a little when it came to knowing exactly what task to do next. It’s that tendency to re-evaluate every time you look at your list that does you in, I believe… so when I heard about Now Do This, I said, “Hallelujah!” It’s a to-do list at its simplest, and finest.

Oh, and appointments? I ditched iCal, too, in favor of Google Calendar. No more Address Book, either; Gcal stores contact information, too. It’ll even pull data straight from those that email me… I rarely even have to enter anyone’s information in manually.

See the theme emerging, here?

Online, backed-up, accessible from anywhere, one less program running… all these simplifications mean less “mental overhead” for me, faster computer performance, and the peace of mind that I’m not going to lose my data if my machine breaks. I breathe regular sighs of relief, believe me.

Now, it’s possible, I suppose, to lose my data if Google’s/RTM’s/Evernote’s servers were to somehow all crash. But which is more likely… that I’ll mess something up, or they will? Besides, if I was ever really concerned about it, I could always sync their machines with mine, and keep local copies. Ultimately, that’s a great idea, I just haven’t gotten around to it yet (pray that those aren’t famous last words!).

I do, by the way, use an automatic data backup service, too: Mozy. Pre-crash, I used to backup all kinds of stuff. Now, post-crash, I’ve realized that most things I can put on cd’s or dvd’s and back them up myself; it ties up less internet bandwidth that way. But I do backup my applications settings, passwords, keychains, and such through Mozy, because those are the essential bits of information that will allow me to reconstruct my system easily, should a problem arise. And because I’m constantly using, revising, and changing that information, an auto-backup setup is ideal for keeping my backups up-to-date, whereas I can backup photos once a month and still be pretty well-protected.

Your Mileage May Vary

I realize, of course, that these solutions aren’t for everyone. And, I may never have made some of these changes if I weren’t forced to by my crash. In that way, the crash was one of the better things that happened to me this summer.

I’d whole-heartedly recommend that you examine the way you work, and see if any of the kinds of solutions I’ve come up with here could help you be more productive or more at peace. Who knows, moving webward may be one of the better moves of your life.

Image by CaptPiper.

© Adam for Adam Kayce, 2008. | Permalink | 12 comments

So, why am I writing this series?

Because when I talk with people about how I manage information, their jaws drop. They’re shocked that I only have three physical file folders to my name. That my desk is spartanly clean, all the time. That 95% of the time, I have no files cluttering up my computer desktop, no email messages in my inbox awaiting attention, and I can find any information I need in about seven seconds, on average.

And, lest you think I was born this way, my mother will attest that I used to be a slob. I wasn’t always like this. I used to be buried under papers, unanswered emails, and lost in a sea of confusion about what to do next. And so, I got organized. I listened to the gurus and bought my labelers, file folders, palm pilots, planners, and productivity tools, and set to work. It worked, too.

But, I found that while I was organized, it took a lot of mental energy to maintain such a system. And if I fell off the wagon for any length of time, it was hell trying to catch up again. So, I gradually allowed myself to refine the systems I’d assimilated, trust my intuitive tendencies, and let myself find a way of working that was natural to me.

I would not give a fig for the simplicity on this side of complexity, but I would give my life for the simplicity on the other side of complexity. – Oliver Wendell Holmes

And I found it. I found a way of working that allowed me to keep everything—and I mean everything—organized, accessible, and lean. And, gloriously calm in the process. My system tamed the infamous "monkey mind" state of disorder and disarray that plagues you when you aren’t clear about what you should be focusing on.

As I see it, the goal of all productivity measures, efficiency initiatives, and organizational efforts should be Thought Management. If you’re focused on time management, or managing the amount of information you encounter primarily, you’ll miss the mark. Just as Tim Ferris likes to say, "Money is useless without time," time- and information-efficiency can easily spiral into a situation where you may be handling a lot more, but you’re spent from doing it. Rather than make your situation better, you’ve only compounded the problem by adding more in a smaller window of time. Therefore, the premium commodity here is truly your mindset.

The core of Thought Management is this: you want to be efficient and streamlined with your thoughts. No wasted thoughts on stuff that:

• you don’t need to think about,
• don’t need to think about more than once,

Which frees you to

• only think about something when you need to think about it.

Think about that.

To facilitate this, let’s look at how information comes at you, so you know how to deal with it, and get it where it’s supposed to go.

When it comes to incoming information, it essentially comes to you in two ways:

• There’s what is sent to you, via email, feeds, phone calls, meetings, snail mail, etc.
• And then there’s what you go out and find, via the ‘net, books, magazines, movies, tv, whatever.

In this article, we’ll look at "what is sent", and save the "what you find" for a later article.

What Is Sent : Email

Email is a commonly-talked about topic, because its use and abuse are so ubiquitous. Over the years, I’ve become indoctrinated into the "an empty inbox is a happy inbox" philosophy, and I recommend it to everyone. Why?

Because an inbox is like the entryway to a house. It’s where you greet someone, but not where you sit to have dinner or ask them to sleep when the night comes. If you leave email in your inbox after you get it, you’re violating Rule #2 of Thought Management ("don’t think about something more than once").

I used to subscribe to the idea of having multiple sub-folders, where email gets filed for storage. But that’s like stuffing houseguests in the coat closet until dinner is ready. Instead, I now only one sub-folder, called "Bills." Let me explain why.

What you want to do with incoming email is (and this should look familiar):

• delete it,
• reply to it, or
• print/copy-and-paste it to wherever the information really belongs.

Because savable information that comes to you via email is meant to be used somewhere else. If you got a magazine in the mail that you wanted to keep, would you store it in your mailbox? Of course not, that’s ridiculous. But so is storing email in your email program. It’s only a mailbox. Repeat to yourself, "it’s only a mailbox… it’s only a mailbox…"

Here’s where your frontal cortex comes in handy: Ask yourself, "When I need this information in the future, what will I be doing?" If it’s a project, put it in your project folder. If it’s working with a client, put it in the client’s folder (we’ll be talking more about organizing folders in a future episode, never fear). Because that’s where it becomes useful. Not in your mailbox.

(So, you ask, why do I have a "Bills" folder? Because there is information that my email program is the only logical place for, and that’s the storage of time-sensitive links. When bill-paying time comes around, I just go down the list and click the outgoing links to pay my bills online. And, of course, I use automatic email filtering to put those bill notices directly into the Bills folder, so I don’t have to ever see them in my inbox. Simple.)

"But, I don’t have time to reply to all my email right then!" Well you know what? You shouldn’t be checking your email then! You should only check your email when you have the time to do so. It needs to be a part of your schedule (another item we’ll get into in more detail soon), not something you sandwich between working on "important" projects. If The Four Hour Work Week hasn’t yet converted you over to the idea of not checking your email more than twice a day, then go re-read it.

"What if I need something later?" Chances are, you won’t. I once switched email programs cold turkey, and I only once had to go back to the old program and look for something (Sean D’Souza of Psychotactics has said that he even deletes everything in his Trash once every six months). But hey, if you do need something, it’ll probably be sitting in your Trash waiting for you to search and find it. And if you’re a Gmail user, you’ve got enough storage space never to delete anything.

What Is Sent : RSS Feeds

The beauty of RSS feeds is that it’s like having a bookstore at your disposal; all that information doesn’t land in your inbox, it waits for you when you’re ready to go there. (If you’re not familiar with RSS, click here to see how RSS can help you simplify your information streams.)

What? You get RSS in your email? Madre de dios, stop now!

Why? Because RSS isn’t email. RSS-based-information (90% of the time) isn’t stuff that you use in the same way that use email. It’s "optional" information; enriching, sure, but not something that requires your reply. Of course, there are feeds that do contain information that’s similar to email, and if you want to keep those feeds coming into your email, that’s probably a good idea. But for all the "newsletter"-like feeds you subscribe to, use an online reader. The reasons for this will become evident as we go, but for now, it makes if only considering one factor: finite local storage capacity (whereas online storage capacity is close enough to infinite to just call it infinite).

My favorite is Google Reader; simple, free. If you haven’t tried it, try it. Like the other Google Apps, its beauty is in its simplicity and effectiveness. Yes, other options do exist, and if you have one that you like, go for it. As for me, I’m sticking with my Reader.

What Is Sent : Phone calls, meetings, snail mail, etc.

Here you have an interesting situation… you’re away from your computer (most likely), and you learn something fascinating/helpful/useful/necessary. You want to remember it for later, so you whip out your moleskine/Post-It pad/Chinese food restaurant receipt, scribble your note, and tuck it away for later.

But what do you do with it when you get back to your office? If you say, "put in it a file", listen to me: don’t. Don’t ever file it. Once you file it, it’s dead to you. Why? Because when you’re in the flow of working on your project, you won’t remember that you have it tucked away in that, "great ideas for later" file. And even if you do, having it in a remote storage situation means it’s less handy (and thus more of an interruption to retrieve) than if it was stored on your computer. Ideally, everything you need to access should be at a fingertips’ length away, without being in your face until you need it (recall Rule #3: only think about something when you need to think about it). Only electronic resources can do that.

And, if none of these reasons convinces you (try to ignore that voice in your head saying, "He doesn’t know me; I’m different!"), stashing notes into file folders violates our Rule #2 (only think about things once).

So, what do you do with the Chinese-restaurant-receipt note? Put it in an inbox? Heavens, no… the last thing you need is another place to store something before dealing with it. When you get into your office, toss it right on top of your desk, where you can’t miss it. Then you’ll be forced to deal with it when you sit down. You’ll copy the note into whatever electronic resource makes sense for what the idea is, and then recycle the paper. Done. No fuss, no mess, and your zen-like space stays honored.

Can you see the system being created here?

Can you feel the simplicity? It applies just the same when it comes to creating paper, too…

• If you’re at your computer and the urge strikes to reach for paper, ask yourself, "Is this the best place for me to put this thought?" Because if you’re going to have to re-type it, save yourself the time and reinforce the habit of putting it, first time around, where it belongs.
• If you’re about to print something, ask yourself, "Do I need to print this? What will I do with it after I read it? Will it only add to my pile of things to sort through, my recycling load, and create more to manage?" (You’re right, it will… so read it on your screen instead.)

Is This A Bit Extreme?

Perhaps for some, it will be. The underlying intention, of course, is not to restrict you, it’s to free you. Free you from creating more to manage. Free you from the tyranny of inappropriately placed information. Free you from managing information, and allow your mind to flow with the creativity that comes from being unfettered by trivialities and muddle.

Action Steps

Obviously, this is a progression; something you want to ease into. Or, not. Sometimes (depending on your character), taking a big leap is what does the trick.

Anything can be achieved in small, deliberate steps. But there are times you need the courage to take a great leap; you can’t cross a chasm in two small jumps. -David Lloyd George

Case in point: email. Paring through all your folders, saved garbage, etc. may take too much time, and too much effort to escape the gravity of all that inertia you have moving in the wrong direction. You may find, as I did, that it can be easier to just switch email programs and start with a clean slate (about a year ago, I started using Thunderbird, and didn’t import any data from Eudora — best move I ever made).

So, here are some actions you can take to start simplifying your intake:

Email:

• empty out any subfolders you have, and delete them.
• if you keep any, ensure that filters (or "rules") are established to automate what goes into that folder.

When you check email:

• delete it,
• reply to it, or
• print/copy-and-paste it to wherever the information really belongs.

And:

• unsubscribe to extraneous information sources that are no longer serving you, and
• transfer as many "newsletters" to RSS as possible.

Assimilating "outside" information:

• as soon as that info hits your desk, put it in an unavoidable place.
• as soon as you sit down, transfer it to where it (electronically) belongs, and recycle the source.

As you put these measures into place, I guarantee you that you’ll start to notice a greater sense of calm and emptiness in your mind. "Thought Management" will start making sense even more, and you’ll no doubt find other ways to start emptying, simplifying, and streamlining your processes.

If you have tips to add, resources to share, or stories of your process, feel free to share them in the comments!

Image by notic.

© Adam for Adam Kayce, 2008. | Permalink | 12 comments

I know, I know, you’ve either absorbed Tim’s book already, or you’re resisting it out of complete stubbornness. But here’s the thing:

• if you’ve read his book, you’re already converted.
• if you haven’t (or if you’ve been living under a rock for the last year and haven’t heard of him yet), then go get his manifesto (it’s free) on ChangeThis on information overload.

If you don’t see yourself in the picture he paints in that 16-page pdf, I’ll eat my socks.

Video

And here’s a talk that Tim Ferriss did at DivX, which is a great summary of the essential principles in his book… if you haven’t read it, this may whet your appetite enough to get off your hump and get it. And if you have read it, the video is a great refresher.

Enjoy…

If you aren\'t seeing the embedded video, click here to view.

Image © Tim Ferriss.

© Adam for Adam Kayce, 2008. | Permalink | No comment