TEOTWAWKIAIFF

To stay on top of things with my now-hectic life, I have been doing some life organizational things. I’ve been keeping lists in Evernote of all the stuff that needs to get done. Every night before I leave work I gather a few of these tasks together and make sure they get done before I screw around.I mix things up between tasks related to prepping, home maintenance, home improvement, organization, cleaning, etc. so I have a varied diet of tasks, but over the course of a week a lot of stuff gets done.For example here is my list of stuff to do tonight:

1. Replace security light in the back yard (15min)
2. Vacuum den & kitchen (15 min)
3. Mount USB hub. (30min) (I have a USB hub on my desk, I’m reducing clutter by mounting it with velcro and re-running the wires.)
4. Vacuum dust bunnies while under computer desk (5 min)
5. Strip the 3 dead pc’s for parts – recycle the plastic and metal cases (30 min)
6. Collect all tax documents together (15min)
7. Measure kitchen cabinet for plate rack. (5 min)
8. Find the %&%^@# solar power book! (? hours)

I’ll bang these out after my workout, and fix myself some dinner while doing them. Not all of these tasks are the most critical. I pull a mix of tasks to keep banging through all lists, and I try to do a lot of the smaller items during the week. After I do as many of these as I can, then I study for an hour or so for my exams. then I goof off playing games or watching TV for an hour before I hit the rack.

For the weekend, I focus on fewer, but longer duration tasks. Like for Saturday, I have been putting off some car maintenance, but it looks like we are getting snow. If I can’t hit the scrapyard and fix the jeep, then I’ll have a list of other items to tackle, and schedule the jeep stuff for next week.

I have read not to beat yourself up for not getting all your tasks done, but to move them to the next day’s list. Likewise, if you can’t do a task, then it goes back in the bucket for later.Kindof like if you miss a workout, don’t moan about it, just do it the next day you can.

A friend reccomended making three lists of stuff to do, in lists A, B and C. the A list is the stuff you really want to do, and C is the stuff you have to, but don’t want to. What he does is he can’t do an A list item until he does 3 B list items, and he can’t do a B list item unless he does a C list item first. His A list is leisure stuff –watch a movie, or buy a gizmo he wants, or play Skyrim for an hour. His C list is stuff like pay bills or scrub his toilet. I don’t thenk the ABC list system will work for me, but I figured I’d share it in case you guys might like it. He also varies the ratios depending on how much stuff he needs to do.

I’m finding the trick to this is to have a good idea of what a task is. Recently, I completed a series of drawers and cabinets to store all the accessories, parts, and bits for my routers (woodworking, not network) and found I was making my tasks too big. Most of us would have task#34 “build router table” on their list when in reality I had to break it up into more manageable parts, like this:

• Rummage through the workshop and collect every router-related item
• Measure space under table saw for router dust collection, determine how to run dust collection
• Figure out remaining space, and where I can tie into for support
• Measure router bits and all accessories for drawer dimensions
• Draw plans in Sketchup
• Buy supplies (drawer slides, knobs, PVC fittings – dust collection, wax, 1/4″ ply)
• Build bottom drawers carcass – for accessories
• Build bottom drawers & mount with drawer slides
• Build bit drawer carcass
• Build bit drawers & wax runners
• Build top tray drawer carcass
• Build top tray drawers & wax runners
• Load all the stuff into their new home

Originally, I estimated two hours for this task, but the project took well over eight. don’t get me wrong, this is a really nice storage item for the workshop, and my router bits are all in one spot and are no longer getting ruined by banging into each other and chipping the carbide. The point is that you should organize things into tasks and projects. Projects are then broken out into many tasks. This way while I was waiting for my drawer slides to ship, I could switch gears and work on other tasks around the house.By dividing bigger items into projects of many tasks, you can also get a better estimate of how long the whole thing is going to take, and you can plan your time more effectively.

I have created a project called “cleaning the house” where I list all the weekly stuff that has to get done around the house, and make sure I schedule them. I’m also making a list of the monthly items and make sure I get them all done during the month, fitting them in as time and weather allow. I probably make a list of the quarterly items we always forget to do and get them done as well. We are all guilty of forgetting to test the smoke and CO detectors, replace furnace filters, clean the dryer ducts, gutters, and so on and so forth. If it’s on a list then it will get done. Maintaining momentum has been critical for me.

I’m finding that interruptions are a major time sink for me. Entering a 5 minute task to do later in Evernote is kind of pointless, as it takes a few minutes to enter a task. I keep a post-it note handy, and jot things down as they pop in my head, but keep working on whatever I was doing. Then later when I am done with whatever I was working on, then I go over the list and bang them out right then and there. On my post-it note I have the following from this morning:

• Call XXXX to schedule site visit
• learn how to make potato pancakes (like chili’s used to make)
• buy CA glue
• Watch the Thinapp webinar
• Call scrapyard to see how late they are open
• buy whey protein
• call XXXX and see if she is happy with Database fix
• order vitamins
• call XXXXX to talk VMware View for the labs
• Add “fix sheet goods caddy” to tasks
• build a coat rack w/ shelf for gloves & hats
• order rare earth magnets
• call in a favor from XXXXX to fix electrical
• send email to XXXXX
• fill out timecard
• make reoccurring appointment reminder for timecard, and meds
• dial into XXXXXX and check their event logs
• send note to XXXXX to see if application slowness fixed

After I’m done with my next post I’ll go through these little items and bang them out. Then take a 5 minute walk and grab some grub. Once done w/ lunch I’ll take another task off of a list and work on that, sidelining interruptions onto the post-it note for later.

I just realized I have been doing the zero-inbox steps to all interruptions. Those are:

1. Delete
2. Delegate
3. Respond
4. Defer
5. Do

Interruptions are the time killer, usually it takes longer to get back to what you were doing in the first place after an interruption than it would take to just do whatever bugged you. pay as little mind to them as possible and focus on getting the task done, then deal with them later on. Let that call go to voicemail, turn off e-mail and text message notifications during work. Close the twitter, facebook, and linkedin pages so they don’t draw your attention. Schedule time for e-mail, and going through voicemail. It’s hard to believe, but people can wait an hour for a response. Especially if you take the time to give them 100% attention for that e-mail, rather than half-assing it.

This Evernote app has been very helpful. While on break at work I mark the tasks to be done tonight with the “tonight” tag, then a saved search gives me a list of stuff to do. As I do each item I click the checkbox on my phone, and it’s marked complete.

Getting my brain wired to be more productive is a prep in itself. Not only will this make me a better worker, and help me stay employed with my current employer, this will help me a lot if I can do my own business. I also maximize my time, which allows me to do more with less. We preppers split our lives between what is and what may be. We live in the now, and in the future. We have a lot to get done, and not a lot of time to do it. This mental organization is allowing me to stay on top of my preps (the future) while keeping the present in balance.

I figured I would spend a little time to show some of the tricks I have been working on in order to get myself more organized, and more productive in my work, my prepping, and my personal life.

I’m a big fan of Evernote. This program allows you to make notebooks and pages to keep stuff together. These notebooks are synchronized online, allowing you to have access to updated notes across platforms. I have it installed on my work PC, my personal computer, and my smartphone. Because it uses an external server to sync, I am careful of what I put in there, but for 99% of what I use it for it’s a brilliant piece of software.

I use it for several things. First, I keep track of all the web sites and hard-to-remember commands I use as a computer professional. I have a page where I keep track of what web articles I would like to read later, although I might start using another program ReadItLater for that. I have a Woodworking notebook where I put screenshots of project ideas, and various tips on finishing, tool restoration tips, etc. Another notebook has funny images I’ve collected.

There is a security hole I would be careful of. The data is not encrypted on the server, so if the server is hacked or subpenaed, your data is free for the world to see. The session between the client and the server is SSL encrypted, so man-in-the-middle attacks are not a big threat. I would be careful about what you store on the server, and take backups regularly. Just because the data is not on your computer means the people are backing it up and protecting it properly on their end.  I do not store accounts and passwords for my bank, mail accounts, or this blog on Evernote, my phone, or in e-mail.  Other accounts, like my login to a gaming forum is kept in shorthand. If you use my password scheme (here is the linky) then you can use this shorthand for accounts that are not super-critical. Use the first letter of the password syllable as a refresher. Keep the password syllables in memory, and never commit them to paper or any digital document to keep yourself secure. Also, don’t use the same password syllables for super important sites on your angieslist account or your online subscription to the newspaper.

This is more work-related, but I have started following a zero-inbox policy. This google talk goes over the whole thing in detail, and is worth viewing. The idea is to only check your e-mail on a set schedule, and process everything in your e-mail right then or there. If it is a small task then do it right then and there. If it’s a larger task, then schedule it. Otherwise delegate it to a minion, or trash it. I will be the first to admit this is really, really hard to do. As an IT professional I get between 100 and 200 e-mails a day during the week, and most people want a response right then and there. It is hard to resist the siren’s call, when Outlook has that little popup in the corner begging for attention.

Another thing I do, although not related to organization, is to let the phone go to voicemail when I am focusing on a task. Let it go to VM and deal with it later when your free to be interrupted. So hard to do.

I’ve looked at the “getting things done” system. It’s pretty famous and a few google searches should give you the gory details. I don’t think that will work for me, but I am going to steal the idea for checklists. I’m playing around with a few ideas that might work for me, but the gist of it is this: make a list of stuff you need to do, then do it. Sounds simple, but if it was that easy I wouldn’t be so disorganized.

I started on Thursday, and broght home a short list of stuff I had to get done before I studied for an hour then slacked off for the rest of the night. I did the same for Friday, and I have to say I’m pleased with what I accomplished. For the weekend, I picked a few larger tasks, with a lot of smaller ones and got most of them done. I’m working out the strategy and will update later on.

This Evernote is awesome for these lists. Make a notebook called “stuff to do” and add every item you want to do on it.if you tag these notes with tags for heir function then you can search and organize by these tags. I currently have the following tags: PREPS, HOME MAINTENANCE, WOODWORKING, WORK, CERTIFICATION, and FUN. If you include an estimite of how long it will take then when you make your list for the night or the weekend, then you can tailor your list for how much time you have. By using the “Saved Searches” function in Evernote you can have dynamically created lists… pretty handy. Eventually, I want to organize these to-do lists by importance, and urgency. This way I do the tasks that are most important and urgent first.

This is not the end-all one-size fits all solution for everyone. Heck, some people are naturally organized, but I’m not. As I make improvements I’ll share them so you get some ideas for your own use.