OmniFocus Continues to Thoughtfully Enhance Life: Release by Release
By Erik | May 21, 2008 
Updates, OmniFocus, Focus, GTD
On May 14th, I upgraded to Omnifocus 1.0.2 and this particular release caused an inner-nostalgia for the days of yore, when OmniFocus was a tiny Alpha (try a few months ago). This was mostly because of the time sync updates with iCal and the code signing for Leopard. The updates that lit my fire are: Interface:
Misc
- The code used in OmniFocus is now signed for Leopard’s benefit. (For more information, see Leopard’s code signing release notes.)
- Focusing on a project now saves any edits that are in progress.
- When synchronizing with iCal, we now set an appropriate local time to incoming dates without times. This should help solve synchronization issues for people in New Zealand who are using daylight savings time (where the local date differs from London’s date when it’s noon in London). It also means that we’ll apply the default due time setting from Data Preferences to items created in iCal. (VERY HAPPY ABOUT THIS ONE)
- The online help now correctly indicates that you hold down Option to copy a file rather than linking to it when dragging.
- Added logging to the Mail Rule processing script so that it’s easier to for users to determine whether or not it’s getting called by Mail.
Lastly, the release mentions in it’s overview that:
“Over the last few months, most of our attention has been focused on OmniFocus 1.1, where we’ve been adding support for synchronization, and on writing OmniFocus for the iPhone. We plan to release both OmniFocus 1.1 and OmniFocus for the iPhone in late June (if they’re ready!).”
Note: I think I may be making the jump to the iPhone (once they’re ready).
No Comments »The OmniFocus tickler context
By Erik | December 8, 2007 Tips, OmniFocus, GTD, Lifehacks
I have successfully been using my tickler file for months. (for those of you who aren’t familiar with the tickler, check out 43 folders). I have noticed that more and more, my tickler file has been filled with index cards or little reminders, causing me to plow through index cards more aggressively than a political telemarketer.
Solution: OmniFocus (once again!)
By creating a context called Tickler, I can leave little digital notes to myself and assign them specific due dates. Then, thanks to perspectives, the notes disappear until the day I need the information. So far this system has worked immaculately and it’s good for the environment.
Update: I’ve just started tinkering with the idea of sending the tickle to iCal for a Tickler list… more on that in the future
A quick tip to save paper and stress is to create
As David Allen metnions in Getting Things Done, it’s a good practice to keep a Next Actions list, or reminders of the very next physical actions you can do on any given project.
One of the joys of using OmniFocus is the easy to set due dates.
No Comments »A great post on improving your concentration
By Erik | November 27, 2007 Meditation, Focus, Notables, Spirituality, Productivity
I thought this post did an excellent job of addressing key elements surrounding enhanced focus.
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In concentration we marshal all our dispersed energies into focusing on just one thing. When mastered, concentration can be of unimaginable benefit in our life; through concentration we can increase our productivity and give ourselves greater peace of mind. These are some suggestions for improving your concentration.
One-Pointedness
Concentration means that we can focus on one thing, to the exclusion of all else. Our concentration may involve writing or working on a particular problem. Whatever our activity the most important criteria is to give all our focus, concentration and attention solely to the activity at hand. Concentration becomes hopeless when we get distracted by several different things at the same time; to improve our concentration we must stop trying to do several things at once. If you are writing an article, don’t be thinking about what to say to your boss later in the day. If we can develop one-pointedness we will develop a tremendous intensity that enables us to achieve our tasks much quicker.
Learn to Control Your Thoughts
The main stumbling block to concentration is the inevitable distraction we get from our own thoughts. It is random, uninvited thoughts that distract us from achieving pure concentration. The only solution is learning to control and quieten our thoughts. The first thing to be aware of is that we do have the choice to welcome or reject thoughts; we should not feel a helpless victim of our own mind. The second thing is we need to consciously watch our thoughts and prevent ourselves following any train of thought that detracts from our concentration. If we casually begin a project, it is easy to begin daydreaming and lose focus; what we need to do is be very determined to concentrate without distracting thoughts. When we have this intention and determination it becomes much easier to concentrate.
Practice
Concentration is an activity like any other. Clearly the more we practice, the better our concentration will become. We wouldn’t expect to be a strong runner without doing some training. Similarly, concentration is like a muscle, the more we exercise the stronger it becomes. There are specific concentration exercises we can do, such as focusing on a small point of an object; but life itself presents innumerable opportunities to sharpen your concentration. The key is to always take opportunities to heighten our powers of concentration.
Meditation
The practice of meditation will definitely improve our powers of concentration. Actually, when we try to meditate, it is concentration that is the first thing we need to master. A daily period of meditation gives us the chance to specifically work on concentration techniques. This can involve concentrating on a candle or just concentrating on our breathing. These exercises are simple but effective.
Change is as Good as a Rest
It is difficult to concentrate on one thing for an extended time period. Sometimes, the best solution is to give ourselves frequent change. If we concentrate on one task for an hour, we can then move onto something different. This change in activity enables us to use different qualities, therefore, we can maintain our powers of concentration without becoming tired of one activity.
Physical Alertness
The powers of our concentration depends a lot upon our physical well-being. If we are tired, unhealthy and afflicted by numerous minor ailments, concentration will be more difficult. Of course, concentration is still possible; it is just more difficult. However, we have to try to make life easy for ourselves; we need to give a high priority to our physical health - getting sufficient sleep, staying physically fit. Undertaking exercise will help develop our concentration. It will help if we lose weight, clear the mind and create a sense of dynamism. If you struggle to concentrate, we need to think of a holistic solution; good physical health and fitness will definitely help develop our powers of concentration.
Tejvan Pettinger lives in Oxford, where he works as an economics teacher. He is a member of the Sri Chinmoy Meditation Centre and offers meditation classes to the general public. He enjoys writing on topics of self improvement and personal development and updates a blog Sri Chinmoy Inspiration.
Originally posted at lifehack.org
No Comments »Turkey with a side of improvement
By Erik | November 20, 2007 Implemtation, Perspective, GTD
As previously mentioned, I’m an organizer for a group on meetup.com creatively called DC-GTD. In my pre-Thanksgiving update to the group, I included this aside:
Friendly Tip: During the holiday’s, try to keep a journal of event-related actions & projects, specifically as they relate to planning & processes. I find that having written documentation of your experiences can help you both analyze and criticize your process from a more objective perspective, thus allowing you to increase productivity, forecast disaster and reduce stress in similar scenarios.
I’ve always held that tracking and review are one of the best ways to jump-start improvement but never in the context of holiday planning. As a result, I’ve decided to put my money where my mouth is and begin a lifelong holiday enhancement experiment.
The Assignment
Diligently write down:
- Anything that causes serious stress (e.g. having to use the old “burnt turkey is a delicacy in some places” excuse)
- Anything that went extremely well (e.g. not running out of chips before half-time)
- Any other note-worthy event (e.g. an overly abundant “I had a great time” comment surplus from guests)
For each of the above, I’ll mark the date & time (if applicable) as well as anything else mentionable that contributed to or resulted from the event. This way, I can review my notes at a later date and leave myself reminders for next year, ensuring I leave Thanksgiving with something more than leftovers.
1 Comment »19 Hacks to Stay Healthy When Working
By Erik | November 13, 2007 Lifehacks, Productivity
As someone who’s workstation revolves around a computer and spends most of his day in a chair, I thought this was a great post on how to stay healthy while at the computer.
- Take regular breaks
- Proper keyboard, monitor and mouse positioning
- Discard Qwerty and Azerty
- Arrange your PC parts properly
- Do some desk exercises
- Use an adjustable chair
- Adjust your workstation to your stature
- Discard the Headset for a mic
- Proper Lighting
- Warm up
- Avoid the coffee
- Take a cold bath
- Listen to your body
- Maintain an optimum temperature
- Use the necessary supports for your body
- Avoid pounding on the keyboard
- Use your laptop effectively
- Do some deep breathing
- Don’t stop the music
Diet Hack (click here to read the full article)
No Comments »
Productivity Lists III: Project Planning Triggers
By Erik | November 12, 2007 Checklists, Triggers, GTD, Lifehacks
David Allen, author of Getting Things Done, prepared a project mangement trigger list for Project Kickstart Software. In the article David writes:
Talking to corporate executives across the country, I often find that project planning is an issue. I developed this Trigger List to scan possible ideas to be considered in your projects. It is especially good when you’re just brainstorming, and giving yourself permission to capture any and all ideas that pop into your head.
In keeping up with the previous lists, I’ve included a .doc (courtesy of Project Kickstart), .oo3, and .txt version of this list.
- Microsoft Word: projectplanning_triggers.doc
- Omni Outliner: projectplanning_triggers.oo3
- TextEdit: projectplanning_triggers.txt
Resources
- Whose input do we need?
- Whose input could we use?
- Has anything like this been done before?
- What mistakes can we learn from?
- What successes can we learn from?
- What resources do we have?
- What resources might we need?
Executive issues
- How does this relate to the strategic plan?
- How does it relate to other priorities, directions, goals?
- How will this affect our competitive position?
Administration
- Who’s accountable for this project’s success?
- Lines of communication
- Methods of reporting
- What structures do we need?
- What planning is still likely to be required?
- What re-grouping will we need? How often?
- What people do we need?
- Current staffing?
- Hiring?
- Subcontractors?
- Consultants?
- How do we get involvement?
- What skills are required?
- Who needs to know how to do what?
- What training do we need?
- How do we get it?
- What other communication do we need?
- Who needs to be informed as we go along?
- What policies/procedures affected? What needed?
- What about morale? Fun?
- Staffing?
Finance
- What will this cost?
- How do we get it?
- What might affect the cost?
- Might we need additional $?
- What are the potential payoffs ($)?
- Who signs the checks?
Operations
- What is the timing?
- Hard deadlines?
- What might affect timing?
- Who’s going to do the work?
- How do we ensure complete delivery?
Quality
- How will we monitor our progress?
- How will we know if we’re on course?
- What data do we need, when?
- What reports, to whom, when?
Politics
- Whose buy-in do you need?
- How can you get it?
Stakeholders - Considerations?
- Board
- Stockholders
- Employees
- Suppliers
- Customers
- Community
Legal
- Issues?
- Regulations?
Space/Facilities/Equipment
- What requires room?
- How do you get it?
- What tools do we need? When?
- Phones
- Computers
Research
- What might you need to know?
Public Relations
- Is there value in others knowing about this?
- How do we do that?
Risks
- What could happen?
- Could we handle it?
Creative thinking…
- Who would have concern about the success of this project?
- What would they say, ask, or input, that you haven’t yet?
- What’s the worst idea you can imagine, about doing this project?
- (What is therefore the best idea, which is its opposite?)
- What is the most outrageous thing you can think of, about this project?
- How would a 12-year-old kid relate to this project?
- What would make this project particularly unique?
- What the worst that could happen?
- How could we deal with that?
- What’s the best that could happen?
- Are we ready to deal with that?
- How do we feel about this project?
Are you living life or being lived?
By Erik | November 10, 2007 Perspective, Quotes, Tutorials, Ramblings, Uncategorized
From Michael Gerbers, The E-Myth Manager:
No Comments »Only when a man makes use of his power of self-awareness does he attain to the level of a person, to the level of freedom. At that moment he is living, not being lived.
-E.F. Shumacher
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