Vertical Management  
So there needs to be a mechanism that keeps all of the "projects" in line. There has to be happy medium between the TDDD (to do doing done) version of a project that is very large. And the David whatshisname's Anything from "solving world hunger" to "Whiping your ass clean" ok well that last one I made up.

There is a line in the sand. I don't think it really matters where a person draws it, but that they do draw it. I need to decide what makes it out of strictly horizontal (my whole life) into a veritcal "bin" that is a "project".

OK so by that definition I would class "Solve world hunger" and "Whip Terrorism" as needing some serious vertical management. (The last one there is GWB's not mine). I think I can handle "use toilet tissue properly" without even the planner. I do have a projects list (only its a map with categories, ok so I love software). I need to revamp my weekly planning to hitting these things and time activating (a great concept from TDDD) next actions (come to think of it TDDD does have "next action" they just like to get more ahead of the game and have a list of these suckers rather than just ONE...)?

So a mechanism... hmm. I'll go look into this. I need to look at the map and think about how to move them along.

More on GTD  
OK so I got to give the guy one more. The next action concept is a little diffrent (his only contribution I think, some of it is a direct rip off of 7 habits). The next action makes sense at the end of meetings. It's not a new idea, he credits someone with it, but come on. Seems like Ben Franklin had it at some level. So what is the next action? To be fair I'm listening to the B side of tape 2 again because I was so fired up that I wasn't listening to well. I'll keep the comments coming.

The Play  
So I agreed to do a teeny role in a kid's school play that is really an adult male role. I'm the mayor in bye bye birdie. I have exactly 3 lines. I'm not in the curtain call (my choice) so that I can leave. This covers several governing values. Creatvity, charity, outspoken, business development (meeting people and an add in the program)

Don't fuck with sheky, because...  
Sheky will fuck you up.

Keep it in mind.

 
More upside

If you can imagine after that post that I have something positive to say about GTD. Here it is: "It has inspired me to do things the way I know is better than that book". So I'm back to the planner and defining and goal setting much more. One of those items is to post here as a way to keep on myself to keep up with these things.

Things underutized in my planner:

1. Master Task Lists
2. Index Page
3. Information records. (This is the biggie)

I need to work on the vertical as well as the horizontal.

If you don't take your chances, then someone else will. -- see on a poster in a school.

 
Getting Things Done?!? CONS

So I started listening to "Getting Things Done" (GTD) by David somebody. I say somebody only to replace the word "yutz" as his last name. So lets start with the idiocy in this book. (Bear with the negativity for a moment as there is something of value in the time I've spent on this tape). His core concepts are not to prioritize and plan, but rather to decide only the very next action needed form something and then review. He opens with a direct attack on the Franklin Planner. His attack centers on the fact that he himself believes that to some degree you must be reactive in this world (my words not his). So he slamms planning by saying as soon as your boss comes in and says "jump" your plan is shot.

Imagine me driving down the road steering with my knee and both hands up on my forehead making a big W for "whackjob"

So no planning. What do you do? You first collect all of your "stuff" (I will call it shit because I want to) into one box an "inbox". If you don't have a piece of paper for it? No problem waste a whole 8.5x11 sheet on this one thing. Write it on there and shove it in. No sorting. Just shove. Keep doing this til you can't find or think of anything else. OK there is some merit here to do a bulk capture, but his method is fucked. Flashlight needs batteries? Put *it* in your in box. It won't fit? No problem dig out another sheet of printer paper. (notice it isn't typing paper anymore, same shit diffrent year.)

Now process it. Ok cool. He's talked about needing to centralize. He's talked about needing to keep track of everything. (oh a side slam he made on FP. is that he does NOT prioritize these things because then they won't get tracked. This is bullshit. FP says track everything, but know what's most important).

Now we go through, top to bottom, no cheating and handle each thing. If it takes longer than 2 mins then defer it. Here he does key on the "pitch it" if you don't need it, but not exactly a new idea. My favorite screw up here is simply if you have delegated it or you are waiting for it you put a sticky on it with "pending" and what you're waiting on and shove it in a new stack called pending. Holy shit you asshole now I'm managing a stack! How can that follow me? Whack Job.

Lets talk office space. So he says you need an inbox and a place to "Process Paper". Just what I want to be doing. "So J.R. what do you do?"... "I process paper", fuck you. OK so he wants a dupliate office space at home an inbox and a writing surface. You travel? Well you need an inbox to take with you. What about my "pending stack", asswhipe?

Plan what plan?

So the extent of his planning is calculating the next physical action some "project" needs. A project by his definition is anything you can't do in 2 mins or less. No priority. No steps. Just the next physical action. Like "arm cut off by lawnmower". Next action? Call 9. (we have to wait to figure out 11 until after the dialtone and 9 has registered, nevermind I bled out, next step? die.) Ok its not that bad but you get my point. Again all I have for him on this one is, "well its nice to come up with the next physical action and I think there is some merit there, but please go play "hide and go fuck yourself, k?"

Project Lists
This actually belongs in pro's but I need to fill it in so my next in my seemingly endless complaints has some base. He makes lists of projects. He includes what the project is (Begin with the end in mind, nothing new there) and the next physical action. No priority. He doesn't just leave it out he says "no priority" unless I misunderstood, but I doubt I did based on the repetiviness of his writing. Like mine. I keep saying "asswhipe".

Reviewing
He doesn't plan he reviews. He reviews his stacks his next actions and his project lists. If he puts something on his calendar dammit it better get done or else. So I guess he runs around all day tring to pick at these project lists. Looking for something that can be done right now and doing and when it's done figuring out what the next action is. If he ever read this (doubtful) he would at least be pleased that I keep repeating it like he did. Luser. David, if you do read this send me some mail I'd like to discuss your system with you. So no talkabout urgent vs. important, just next actions.

OK so what made it worth it?
One thing. (I may add more later) The idea of managing horizontally and vertically. Its a good concept, but his execution is screwed. So a project (not his definition, mine) is a vertical thing to be managed and your life is the horizontal component or big picture to be managed. He talked about various zoom levels of life, but he never really gave any detail as to how to go about or when to use such things. Of course he didn't give me any tools to build on this, I have to make the tools to do it. So I guess thats my next action. Think about what tools will let me manage vertical because his tools are antiquated and useless.

 
Max Plans

Max and I made a prioritized task list for him yesterday afternoon as he had a lot to get done in a short time we prioritized it. It went very well. It's early now and he wants to do it again for today. Perhapps I've created an addict....

 
Got it going on now...

Inner peace. That feeling you get when you have everything done that can be done, right now. I feel so good and the funny part is, the day has not gone that well. I had a client fall through as I followed up with him, I was applying to become a reseller of a product and I was rejected.

There is always an upside. I don't have to keep following up with the client, it's known. So I'm not a reseller of a product? I stop pluggin it.

My free photo shoot the other day? It turned into a full blown professional portrait day. I dropped off order forms today. I just need to secure a website to do some proofing on and the project is in the can.

The great thing about planning is, even if you didn't plan yesterday, you still get a huge benifit from planning today and tomorrow. So you forget for a while and then come back to it? so what? It's still worth it. You simply do not lose what you invested in planning before.

New Books on Order

I ordered jump start your biz brain and "Getting Things Done" on audio. I'm looking forward to drive my business to actually paying me this year. What a strange goal....

 
What is the most important thing?

If you want to be a magician you do magic tricks for people. If you want to be a photographer you take pictures. Period.

I have a photoshoot today. It's free, but hey its taking pictures. There is a little bit of publicity.

I'm working on a couple of other shoots around.

 
And we're back...

So the holidays... ya we went to Canada. We flew. It was fun. Not the waiting, but the arriving. Oh I got to drive an excursion all around town. It was a blast. That thing just rocks. Maybe I'll get one to make the expedition feel small...

OK no I won't. It's gonna be a black bug. I'm gonna decal it with some kind of photo...

I'm back on the planning, back on the effectiveness. Projects Projects everywhere...