But in the past few years, as task-management software has increased its footprint on the Mac, the one app which has stayed in active development and which continues to grow and improve is OmniFocus.Įveryone in the GTD fraternity knows how easy it is to incessantly fiddle with our systems yet never actually work. Many task-management apps have come and gone (some of us have tried them all). But, if, like me, you feel as though you are trying to demolish a house every day, then perhaps you too are in want of a better hammer… In Praise of Sledgehammersįinding the right tool to keep track of your projects sometimes feels more like a journey than a destination.
It is amazing how easy it is, in a moment of feeling un-focused, to simply check Twitter or email real quick for anything new (this is why Inbox Zero is not about email).Īnd so, admittedly, reading in great detail about my sledgehammer of choice will not make you a better worker. And so my greatest hindrance for living focused is staying away from the multitude of available distractions. For the most part I have my “system” down. And you need both feet to run the marathon.įor me, the biggest hinderance to staying focused and productive has never been the tools I use. Productivity as a vehicle for getting things done is more like a pair of running shoes: on your left foot is your system and tools, and on your right foot is time management. OmniFocus is something I can talk to and tell what I need to get done, and then it assists me in doing that task.īut the tools and systems are just one side of living a focused life. Task lists are not your boss they are more like your assistant. When contemplating the minutia of a task management app it’s important to root out the false notion that a task list in and of itself will make you more productive. I lean towards the feature rich, powerful task managers because it is an area where I am in need of a sledgehammer. For that sort of work you need a sledgehammer.Īnd this is why a powerful task-management tool such as Things or OmniFocus is so helpful to me. A “minimalist” would not do demolition work to their home using a small, lightweight hammer. Simplicity is not just about whitespace or having the least amount of features possible. But when you are responsible for additional projects which don’t excite you, you need help keeping on track. When a project is the top idea in your mind you don’t need help thinking about it and staying on top of its priorities. Of the several projects I am personally managing at any given time, usually only two or three are truly exciting to me. Often my time is spent thinking things through, having meetings and conversations, or doing research before the project is ready for the team to take it on in Basecamp. However, I personally spend very little time in Basecamp. At any given time we have as many as 40 active projects - some are print, some web, some editing, and some are all of the above. In many ways, my work is like a giant puzzle I get to solve, and the end results are things like a well-run office, clear pieces of information, and non-complicated designs. I also enjoy taking nebulous ideas and turning them into clearly defined goals. One of the things I love about my job is taking complex and/or broken systems and simplifying them. Some of these are personal projects (slowly advancing our approach towards communication and design) and some are group projects (like a website re-design). In my role as Marketing Director at the International House of Prayer I am personally managing and working on upwards of a dozen projects at any given time. Unfortunately, low-fi task management is a luxury I cannot afford. And simply having a to-do list is not the same as doing things. Many a weekend I hand write my to-do list onto a sticky note and place it on the fridge or next to my keyboard.īecause the tools - in and of themselves - are not what make me productive. I would rather keep my running to-do list inside of Simplenote. Despite popular opinion, I do not prefer ultra-powerful task-management tools.
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