Comments on: Filing vs. Piling

By: Matt

Matt — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 16:06:51 +0000

I used Outlook for years and it was very effective for me. I don’t much recommend the GTD add-in; I found it much more useful to customize Outlook myself. That forced me to learn it really well, and I was able to make it flex and adapt to what I needed.

Thus, I recommend the white paper over at David Allen’s site that goes into how to do all of that: http://www.davidco.com/store/catalog/Learning-Tools-and-Whitepapers-p-1-c-263.php.

By: Vermon

Vermon — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 21:46:03 +0000

What productivity tools would you recommend for Windows users? Is the GTD Outlook add-in helpful?

By: Matt

Matt — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 19:40:03 +0000

Angela: Great, great example of the wider application of the principles involved in getting your email inbox to zero! The ideas and concepts work for your desk as well, not only email. Great thinking!

I do something very similar with my desk as well, and it serves me very well.

Glad you’re enjoying the blog!

By: Matt

Matt — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 19:36:19 +0000

Mikey: Yes, absolutely there are other objects that may need to be piled. The same principles can be applied.

For example, all “DVDs to return” can go in a pile until it is time to return them (assuming that’s not a week or such). Clothes that need to be folded. Even a books to read pile. This concept can be extended in many ways.

By: Angela

Angela — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 17:34:10 +0000

Thanks for this post! After applying your post on getting your inbox to zero, I decided to try out the same system with my desk at work (which was so covered with piles that I couldn’t see it anymore!). I created working files that correspond to the working folders in my inbox, plus a few additions. The categories are: Read, Hold, Answer, Projects (for short-term projects), File (for items to be filed – I hate doing this, and so I save it all up for once a day filing) and Action Item (for various papers corresponding to items on my to-do list). It’s worked wonderfully; it allows me to process things as they come across my desk (including mail) without interrupting the task I’m currently working on. And I have no new piles on my desk – it’s so refreshing to come in to work every day with a clean desk! Thanks for your work on this blog, Matt!

By: Mikey Lynch

Mikey Lynch — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 21:20:08 +0000

There are also larger objects that may need to be piled, surely? Clothes, books; DVDs to return and so on?

By: Matt

Matt — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 22:39:38 +0000

Bryce: Glad you are enjoying the blog. I would highly recommend OmniFocus as a productivity tool. I have not used Things, but gave it a quick look back when I was deciding what app to use. A friend of mine speaks highly of it, and it looked pretty good to me from a distance.

The main difference between OmniFocus and Things, it appears to me, is that OmniFocus has a bit more horsepower.

Now, that causes some people to prefer Things, actually — they find OmniFocus to be too much. Which is fine.

I create a bunch of different levels in my productivity system — next actions, projects, goals, responsibilities, and someday/maybe. OmniFocus easily enabled me to do that because you can create a folder hierarchy if you desire. I didn’t see a comparable functionality in Things (although I could be wrong), which is why I went with OmniFocus.

Hope that helps.

A free online app I’ve also heard good things about (with less horsepower than Things, though) is Remember the Milk.

By: Bryce

Bryce — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 19:49:56 +0000

Hey Matt, I’ve been reading your blog for a few weeks now and have really appreciated your productivity tips. You mentioned OmniFocus in this post, which brought up a question I’ve been wondering about: are there any applications you particularly recommend for task management/productivity? Maybe more specifically, since you already mentioned that you use OmniFocus, do you have any thoughts on how it compares to Things (price-wise, things costs about 50% less…)? Thanks!