Tracking processing tasks and questions

I'm using Gmail to track quick tasks and questions I have from reading, class, or seminars. I came up with my method independently of Cal Newport but it is basically the same as described in his blog entry. To summarize:

1. Create a Gmail label.
   
2. Decide on an email address to go along with it. I use username+p@gmail.com for process tasks and username+q@gmail.com for questions.
   
3. Create a filter that will archive all email sent to those addresses to the appropriate label. For example, all emails to username+p@gmail.com will be labelled "process" and archived.
   
4. Create an email shortcut in all your email programs for these addresses. I type a single letter "p" in Pine and it fills in the address username+p@gmail.com.
   
5. Pick one day out of the week where you will go through your process and questions labels. I think it's best to do this on your all-administration day.

How do I decide what tasks to send to my process label? They are basically some kind administration (downloading a paper and putting it into my Jabref database, looking at some funny video someone sent me, a reminder to do something at home that I can't do right now because I'm at my office, etc). They might be a task that I can't do right now because I'm in the wrong context. Or they might be a task that is relatively short but longer than the two minutes that David Allen recommends (2 minutes < t < 15 minutes). If the task takes too long, I get distracted from my real wrok. I prefer using a Gmail queue to keep track of little tasks because they are too trivial to put into a GTD system like todo.txt. Also, I want to get them out of the way. If they sit around for more than two weeks, then it becomes less and less likely that I will do them.

The reason I use a Gmail queue to keep track of questions is so that I have a natural way to check them off. Also, since I check my Gmail account all the time, I'm constantly nagged to follow up on my questions.

Some new productivity things I'm trying

First, I'm going back to an old-fashioned idea: time cards. I use grid-lined index cards (available from Levenger). I write down the times of day in 15-minute blocks, going from 12 midnight to 11:45 am on one side and 12 noon to 11:45 pm on the other side. At the end of each day, I recorded the number of hours spent on various activities such as sleeping, hygiene, meals, research, teaching, homework, classroom, sports, exercise, administration, errands, news reading, internet surfing, etc. I'm hoping this will help me be more efficient.

Second, I have a bad habit of checking email whenever I'm bored, so now I'm limiting myself to checking my work account twice a day and my non-work account and Facebook once a day. Of course, there will be exceptions if I'm expecting something. I sent up a reminder for myself in Yahoo Calendar telling me when I can check my email. The reminder goes to my Yahoo email account which is not publicly available and only serves as an organization hub for todo items.

I'll report back on if any of these schemes work.

qmechanic's favorite productivity tricks

Thanks to Merlin Mann and Steve Pavlina for many of the ideas listed here.

Staying on task

• Do a procrastination dash and/or try the "(10+2)*5" hack.
  
• Break down a major project into microtasks.
  
• Script the first few tasks of your day.
  
• Design and use a productivity scaffold.

Organization

• Use Merlin's top 5 ways to improve your organization skills.
  
• Efficiently use your interstitial time.
  
• Become an email ninja. Here's my strategy and Merlin Mann's advice on writing sensible email messages and email productivity. The key idea to attain inbox zero. I also reduced the number of email folders I have (another method is the "trusted trio").
  
• Organize your files in a logical system. I use a hierachy of folders while Lifehacker recommends this system
  
• Batch similar tasks as much as you can.

Life hacks

• Make checklists for infrequent, but complicated tasks like packing for travel.
  
• Track your life with a daily checklist. I also keep a sleep log since I have trouble going to bed and waking up on a regular schedule.
  
• Use a box to keep items you need to remember before leaving the house.
  
• Keep notes in text and use descriptive filenames.
  
• Make a starting homepage with searchable links.
  
• Create a backup system and learn how to rescue your data.

Develop your mind

• Use a "30 day trial" to create an new, enduring habit.
  
• Learn to become mindful.
  
• Learn to live consciously.
  
• Learn how to cope with and protect yourself from difficult people who wear you down.
  
• Have good intentions and think positively. Here is a list of some intentions I made a while back.

If everything seems screwed up, remember you can always reboot!

For some other opinions, see these two articles from Productivity501 -- Interview: Becoming Effective and Interview: Biggest Time Waster.

The plan: qmechanic's productivity scaffold

Morning routine

1. Wake up at 5 am.
   
2. Eat breakfast while reading the news.
   
3. Personal hygiene, wash dishes, prepare for work.
   
4. Get to work by 6:30 am.

Pre-work scaffold

1. Review todo.txt
   
2. Write journal entry about what I plan to do today. Maybe break a larger task into microtasks.
   
3. Review journal entry and visualize success.
   
4. Take a moment to meditate: take a walk, look out the window, play with hockey stick. Basically clear your head and get excited about the day.
   
5. Play upbeat music.

Post-work scaffold

1. Clean up office.
   
2. Write journal entry about what I accomplished, what I need to do better, and plan for tomorrow.
   
3. Go home!!!! (leave work around 3-4 pm)

Post work routine

1. On weekdays, go to gym.
   
2. Enjoy the evening.

Daily checklist updated

A year ago, I mentioned that I was filling out a daily checklist. I was hoping that I'd get a joyful feeling of success every time I colored in a box with my pencil. Paper proved to be too cumbersome and not easily backed up, so I switched to a digital version of the same system in January. Currently, I use a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet as a template and for each month, I fill in the cells with colored boxes when something is completed. It sure looks a lot prettier than pencil gray. Here's an example:

Some of my GTD implementations

First, I try to write down personal productivity ideas in a moleskine. It's color coded so that I can identify different categories quickly.



I also have a shoebox cover that I use as a tray for stuff I should take with me when I leave home.



Finally, I have a checklist for things I should be doing daily. These range from my work to health issues (e.g. going to the gym, eating fruit). I also record the fun things I do. If I see that I've spent my last week's free time on video games, I might try to do something different the next week.