About 3 months ago I was really looking forward to upgrading my iBook to a MacBook Pro. I was really feeling the sluggishness of my old computer and was really getting frustrated with it. I was spending a lot of my time on photo edits and photoshop is not the lightest program out there.
The only thing that stopped me from running out and buying one was the rumor mill keeps whispering about a new update to the apple laptops coming this fall. I decided to wait.
But then my laptop died. I took it to the apple store and got a quote for around $325 to fix it. I had the money, but if I was soon to get a new one, why not wait? So I spent 2 weeks without a computer. I got by with borrowing a friends from time to time, but that soon got frustrating. Especially since I was beginning to learn Objective C and Cocoa. I needed my own computer. I decided to borrow my mom’s iMac.
It has been ages since I have had a desktop so I wasn’t used to being stuck in one place. So this began my desktop experiment.
It has been over 2 months since I get the iMac and I have found that having a desktop is not that bad. They are more powerful out of the box then a laptop and they are relatively less expencive. And I didn’t even mind being stuck at home. Well, at least at first. But now I’m getting antsy. I miss the freedom the laptop gave me. I miss taking it to coffeeshops to work. I still spend time at coffeeshops, but that means my computer work is beginning to pile up and I’m running out if non-computer work.
So I’m beginning to think about a laptop again. I will, of course, wait till Apple releases the new ones in the fall, but I may break down and get my laptop fixed in the mean time.
And when I do get a new laptop, I will have a decision to make:
- do I get a MacBook Pro or get an air?
The air is much less powerful but is a whole lot lighter and easier to carry around. I have learned over the past month that I can gain access to a powerful computer when I need one. And I’m also hoping to keep the iMac. So do I really need the portable power?I’m not sure I do.
What my laptop needs to do:
- run Xcode and all related development programs.
- surf the web
- run keynote presentations.
All other things are much lighter in resource use, so if can do those things, It can do everything I need it to.
Now if only the iPhone would do those things.
In my last Slow Progress post, we looked at how a task you don’t like can be a road block to productivity. In this post (#2 of the series), we will look at how planning effects productivity and discuss planning in relation to the EP planner.
If you don’t have any sort of plan, you will get somewhere very slowly because you are not directed and driven.
In order to effectively accomplish something, you will need to plan out each goal that you have.
What’s In Your Plan (And What Isn’t)
To plan out a goal, start by imagining the goal completed. What does it consist of? If it is a physical or digital object, what parts does it have? If it is more of an action or skill, what will doing it or having it consist of?
Brainstorm This
Work on your brainstormer material down into a list, grouping similar things if there are any. Number this list. If you can, try to make your list have less than 10 groups or items on it. This will help you to reduce the project to its core components and give you direction on where your next actions are leading.
You now may be tempted to write out due dates for each part, but refrain from doing it. Although it is helpful to answer this set of questions:
- When would I like this goal to be completed?
- About how much total work do I have on this project?
- How much would I then need to do per week to get done?
Use this number when thinking of your next actions for this goal, but don’t hold your self fast to this or you may get overwhelmed by the amount. The goal is being productive, not putting ourselves on deadlines.
So don’t set deadlines or put your goals on your calendar. (You can schedule work time, but not for a specific goal.)
Using Your Plan
So now you have a list of what your goal will ultimately consist of. You can now use this as your plan.
Start by reordering your list in a logical order for you to work towards. Then when working on that goal work only towards the first item on the list until it’s completed.
This kind of plan gives you both a destination and a road map to get there. Use these plans when determining your next action.
This is a follow up to my Elementary Productivity Planner post.
If you put the Elementary Productivity Planner in place, you may still find that you’re having trouble accomplishing the tasks because you don’t have them well defined. That is where the Elementary Productivity Planner part 2 come in.
A Look At What We Have
Using the EP Planner we have set up a work schedule that allows us to work towards all of our goals and dreams on a regular basis. The result looks like this. 
Enter “Getting Things Done”
If you haven’t read David Allen’s book, I highly recommend going out and getting a copy. One essential point in GTD is the idea of the “Next Action.” When you make a to-do list, do you put general tasks on it, like “work on business plan”? Allen suggests that instead of doing that, we should instead think through each item until you get it down to the very next thing you can do on that task. For the Business Plan example, your next action might be “write a description of the physical property.” This is a manageable task, which makes me much more likely to do something than just “work on plan.” This next action list will make your Elementary Productivity Planner much more useful.
Setting Up Your Next Action List
You already have a list of all your projects, which you used to fill in the EPP. Now, go down that list and number each project.
Start a list for your next actions using the number of the goal to categorize an action. Be sure that your task is actionable and small enough to be an accomplishment in one sitting. If it isn’t, rework or break down the task until it is.
Also, place a context at the front of the entry (after the number) in the form @context. This will help you know quickly if you are able to perform an action at any given time.
Using the List
The next action list breaks down tasks so you have no question what to do next in a given goal. Here’s how to use the list with your EP Planner:
- Do all 2 minute tasks - Are there any next actions that will take less than two minutes? Get those done!
- Write the Next Action as soon as you complete one - This keeps your project rolling.
- If you can’t act on a goal, it’s usually because you are waiting on something - If this is the case, use @wait before the item you are waiting on and put it in your list. I usually underline the @wait, so it’s very clear.
- All goals should be represented on the Next Actions list at all times - They could either be a Next Action or an @wait item.
- Use the EP Planner’s schedule to pick a task - Start with the next action for the top item for today in the EP Planner. Once you complete that task, you can move on to next action for the second goal on the list. I always get the top item completed daily, if at all possible, as that means I am moving towards my goals.
If you missed the EP Planner post, click here to find out how to download a copy of the planner.
Welcome to RunKittyRun, my new Productivity, Apple, and Life blog. I have spent years studying productivity and would like to share my findings and my own struggles with you. Here’s the kind of stuff you will see here:
5 Item Lists - Five is a good number… Not too many, but not too few either. The 5 item list will be the daily feature here. I will write lists about productivity, money, Mac, and life in general. Hope you enjoy!
Longer Posts - I will write longer posts less often that go deeper into my own systems of productivity. Here is where I share the nitty gritty of productivity and using a Mac.
Link Posts - Although these will also be done in the 5 item list format, they will appear regularly with the best 5 articles since the last link post.
And for those of you wondering about the name of the blog, it came from a poem I liked in middle school. I would read it before working to get in a productive mood. The poem is quoted below:
Run Kitten Run
The dew’s still on the meadow
The day has just begun
Run kitten, run kitten, run kitten run
It’s time you were astir
To greet the rising sun
Run kitten, run kitten, run kitten run
The day is all too short
There’s so much to be done
Run kitten, run kitten, run kitten run
The mice are in the kitchen
There are battles to be won
Run kitten, run kitten, run kitten run
The rats are in the corncrib
Hurry, kill them every one
Run kitten, run kitten, run kitten run
Oh speed thee gallant little friend
You’ll be missing all the fun
Run kitten, run kitten, run run, run, run, run
