Expert: Bruce Keener

Expert: Bruce Keener

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Time Management

• A Face Lift for Your Task List

  As to whether you should prioritize your tasks and assign dates to them, practicioners of Franlin-Covey(FC)techniques have very different views than practicioners of the Getting Things Done(Gtd)camp. I’ll weigh in on that in a later article, but, regardless of which of time management philosophy you use, there is one Gtd technique you can apply that will give you a tremendous boost in your productivity. The technique is simply this: ensure that each task that you have is a True Next Action.
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• A Strange DST Glitch ???

  I have a recurring appointment to give heartworm pills to my dogs, set for every 4 weeks on Saturday at 3:30pm. But, despite the fact that my Outlook Calendar is showing the time correctly, and that my Pocket PC shows the time correctly for Future appointments (NOT for this upcoming Saturday), it is showing for this Saturday as being at 4:30pm instead of 3:30pm. This is what shows on my Today screen, and what shows when I view it in the actual calendar.

  Interesting thing is that when I select this Saturday's appointment to edit it, it shows up as being set for 3:30pm. What in the world is going on here? Note that it only seems to impact the nearest Recurring appointment, and has no impact on non-repeating events.

  I have never had this happen before and it occurs to me that it is an oddity that is due to the DST (daylight savings time) patch from Microsoft. Yes, I did install their most recent patch on March 10 just to ensure that I had their latest DST patch.

  Really odd. I also have a Palm TX that I have been playing with the past few weeks and it shows the appointment correctly for this Saturday (3:30pm). Of course I also applied Palm's DST patch.

  Anyone else having any oddities after applying the DST patch?

  
• Customizing "Getting Things Done"

  Over the five years that I have been implementing David Allen's Getting Things Done techniques on my PDAs, I've found a couple of ways of customizing the system so that it works better for me. One customization deals with how to prioritize items and the other deals with how to handle timed tasks.

  ]more

  
• eBook on Time Management for Technology Users

  Too busy to find time to browse through the self-help books in your local bookstore, to see if there is a good book on managing your time? Wish you could find a bunch of tips on how to use your Windows Mobile device to manage your time better?

  Problem solved: you can download my free eBook entitled Time Management for Technology Users. It is currently available in three formats: MobiPocket Reader, iSilo, and the popular PDF format. It covers the following topics:

  • Introduction
  • The Big Picture
  • Getting Started
  • Setting Priorities
  • How to Manage Your Tasks
  • How to Manage Your Projects
  • How to Do Weekly Planning
  • Problem Solving and Decision Making
  • Overcoming Procrastination
  • Succeed in Life Through Goal Setting
  • Valuable Insights from the Greats
  • Keeping Useful Lists
  • Concise and Effective Writing
  • Saving Time with Macros
  • Using Mindmaps for Goal Setting and Time Management
  • Recommended Software
  • Using the Outlook GTD Add-in
  • Using the PlanPlus Plugin for Outlook
  • Timesaving Software for Macs

  This is the same guidance I have provided on my Keen PDA website, which has been providing time management advice and tips since 2001.

  Of course, like any sensible person, I appreciate donations from all who benefit from this eBook. However, it is free and I won't send anyone after you if you do not donate and it will not expire after 30 days (or 30 years). Now that I am retired, so that my time left is shorter than it is for most of you, I am glad to be able to help my fellow human beings save some of their precious time.

  Take care. See you next time.

  
• Getting It Together with Pocket Mindmap

  For the first time in long while, I am actually excited about a software product. Two products actually: Pocket Mindmap, for your Pocket PC, and MindManager 6 Pro for your PC.

  I am personally excited about these because they are the tools I’ve been looking for to help me manage my retirement, which starts in just a few months. I’m not talking about finances – that sort of stuff is pretty straightforward. I’m talking about deciding what I want to do when I grow up: it’s a lot harder to do when you are 57 than when you are 7 or 17. I’ll get more into this in a bit, but first let’s answer the questions: why would you be interested in such software and what in the world does it have to with time management?

  Both of these questions can really be answered by noting that much of life is about defining projects and then managing the projects, executing them one task at a time. Any of you who have read David Allen’s popular Getting Things Done (Gtd) book already have a handle on this. But, in reading various Gtd forums on the web, one sees time and time again questions come up about managing projects, and especially about how to keep the big picture in mind while you’re executing the tasks (that is, remembering why you’re doing the task in the first place and what relevance it has to the project). Well these mindmapping tools will let you do that and more.
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• Giving yourself a recalibration

  It's been a while since I've talked about any time-management-related activities, so I decided to post on this topic today.

  Whether you use a PDA or paper or both to help you manage your time, good time management always boils down to whether you are working on the right things. In that regard, I have found it helpful over the years to periodically "recalibrate myself" by asking the following questions:

  * What am I doing that is working?
  * What am I doing that is not working?
  * What do I need to do More of?
  * What do I need to do Less of?
  * What am I not doing that I should give a try?

  I did this again recently, and Investing about 30 minutes in working through these questions gave me some very helpful answers. I might have subconsciously realized the answers to these questions, but it sure helps to have them written down.

  Perhaps the very most successful people have these questions running as a background script through their minds throughout the day. For me, looks like I need a reminder to ask them of myself periodically. Maybe monthly or quarterly.

  Do you ask yourself these questions often enough?

  Are there other questions that should be added to this list?

  
• Great Today Plugin in Public Beta

  One of my favorite Today Screen plugins, PocketBreeze, has a significant update in public beta.

  With this plugin I can see my day at a glance (or week at a glance) as soon as I turn on my Pocket PC, without having to open any applications. With a tap I can see my Next Actions by category (as shown below for my @Computer category of Next Actions) and with another tap I can see my Notes (as shown in the second screenshot). A new feature provided in this beta is that I can also tap to see my Contacts listing and can use PocketBreeze to quickly look up any of my Contacts.

  If you are looking for a Today Screen plugin that will help you manage your time, you should give PocketBreeze a try.

  

  

  
• How to Sync With an iMac

  Because I have been so pleased with how well The Missing Sync connects my Windows Mobile 5 iPAQ 4700 to my new iMac, I decided to blog on it. Fellow Mac users will definitely want to check it out, especially those who have WM5 devices, as it is currently the only software that enables syncing between WM5 devices (handhelds and Smartphones) and Macs.

  Setting up this award-winning product is easy. The following snapshot shows the several types of items that one can sync, along with the ones I have selected. Since I am not using Entourage (not yet, anyway), I sync with the built-in Mac apps of iCal and Address Book. Also note that I am not currently syncing Music and Photos, although I tried the Music sync and it did a great job of syncing the non-protected (mp3) files in my iTunes My Favorites playlist. Although I don't really plan on using the Music and Photos sync option (because I use my iPod for music and already have a ton of photos on my 4700), this sync option is a really great feature. Note, also, that one could use the Mount feature to copy Music or Photos (or any files) to a Pocket PC, but I have been advised by experts that the sync option is the best way to go.
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• Keeping Information At Hand

  One of the key ingredients for successful time management is using techniques and tools that enable you to keep the information you need at hand when you need it. The Pocket PC is a great tool for this and there is some very useful software that makes it an even better tool in this regard.
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• More Timesaving Tips for the New Year

  In this second in a series of articles on key timesaving/time-management principles/techniques, we discuss the value of doing a mindsweep. This simple activity is very powerful, in that it will help you ensure you capture all of those hidden tasks and projects that are "running around in your head," but that are not written down anywhere.

  You can use a Pocket PC or Smartphone to help you do your mindsweep, if desired, although the simplest thing to do is to just grab a pad of paper and start writing down what comes to mind. Some folks, such as David Allen, recommend that you play some relaxing music in the background. I have not found this helpful myself, and in fact find it to be a distraction because I love music so much. But, you do want to be in a state of mind that will let the stuff that's in your head flow onto the pad of paper. (ASIDE: Some people may do better using a laptop instead of a pad of paper: use your judgment as to what works best for you - the real key is that you want to be able to quickly capture what comes up in your mind.)

  I have personally found it helpful to do these mindsweeps about every other month, or sooner, with the latter being driven by whether I begin to feel that's there's tasks running around in my head that I haven't captured on paper. I also find that it sometimes takes a few stabs at this to get it completely done. For example, I did a mindsweep last Saturday, and then decided to do another one today because I just didn't feel I got everything out of my head that needed to come out. As a result of these two mindsweeps I've added about twenty new tasks/projects to my ToDo list. You might say: "That's stupid, Keener! Why would you want to create more work for yourself?" The fact is, I am not actually creating new work for myself ... the stuff I captured was stuff I was already thinking about doing and would eventually do, if I didn't forget about it (perhaps after it Should have been done). There are also another dozen or so Someday/Maybe items that are now on my list that weren't there before. I may or may not do these, but at least I have them written down and they're not cluttering up my head, keeping me from focusing on what I need to be focusing on.

  This is an extremely powerful time management tool and I highly recommend you add it to your arsenal.

  Best wishes.

  
• My Hat's Off To Lifehacker

  On a typical day I spend maybe an hour, max, surfing the web. Yesterday was different, though, because I visited the site Lifehacker for the first time in a few months and now I think I am addicted to it. The site impressed me so much that I spent at least three hours paging through its tips (and putting many of them in place). Gina and her partners do a fantastic job of scouring the net for hacks that save time and take great advantage of available technology. I was so impressed with all of the tips I read (and continue to read) that I went out this morning and bought the Lifehacker book at my local Barnes and Noble. Although all of the book's tips are available on the Lifehacker website, I decided to buy the book to support the author and to have a convenient reference to her favorite 88 hacks. I have quickly skimmed through it and there is a lot of good info in it.

  I highly recommend that you visit Lifehacker: you'll find a lot of great tips there.

  
• NewsBreak: Great for News Reading and Pod/VidCasts

  The newsreader NewsBreak has been updated to version 2.0, which adds a lot of new features:

  - Full support for audio, video, image, and attachment podcasts: Listen to your favorite podcasts, watch vidcasts, and view attached files and images
  - Individual download criteria for each channel that supports podcasts: Schedule podcasts to download when and how you want them to -Built-in support for Microsoft Live Search helps you find all the channels you're interested in
  - Save podcasts for later use
  - Schedule when and how to download podcasts separately from channel updates
  - Choose the maximum memory usage for podcast storage
  - Store podcasts in main memory or on a storage card
  - Improved menus for one-handed navigation
  - Set the maximum number of channels to save
  - New keyword icons plus 6 additional icons and an updated appearance

  It is available for both Smartphones and Windows Mobile devices.

  Below are a few screenshots. I especially love the podcast and vidcast features.
  ]more

  
• Organizing Your Notes

  After seeing a post within the David Allen Getting Things Done forum questioning how one can organize Notes on a Pocket PC, I thought it might be good to revisit this subject. (I first touched on it in a September 2006 blog herein.)

  In the previous blog article, I talked about the built-in Pocket PC Notes application and also about PhatNotes. I'll do the same here, although with a few additional points.

  One of the things I most like about PhatNotes is that it lets me organize my Pocket PC Notes by Category, as indicated below:

  

  ]more

  
• Organizing Your Programs

  If you have installed several apps on your Pocket PC but have not organized them in anyway, or do not have an app launcher, then you are probably frustrated when you go to run a program because you have to scroll through a list of program icons to find the one you want. There are a couple of ways around this. You can install a program launcher that can help you organize your list of programs so you can quickly launch any of them you want to. Or, you can actually organize the programs yourself.

  If your Pocket PC normally has a lot of available memory, you may very well want a program launcher. Otherwise, you may want to organize the programs yourself, as program launchers can take up a good bit of memory. I'll show you both options, because I use both: I use a launcher on my Dell x51v, but I organize the programs myself on my Windows Mobile 5 upgraded iPAQ 4700. I chose to organize programs on my 4700 because it doesn't behave as well when programs are installed to its main memory (instead of an SD Card), and program launchers are generally supposed to be installed to main memory (because they typically launch at startup).

  ]more

  
• Passing of Textware Founder

  Pocket PC Thoughts has reported that Jean Ichbiah, founder of Textware Solutions (makers of FITALY) passed away on January 26, 2007.

  FITALY is one of my all-time favorite text entry tools. It reflects genius in its concept and implementation, paying a bit of a tribute to Jean's genius.

  I trust you will join me in putting Jean and his family in your prayers and thoughts. He will be missed.

  
• PI 2007 Rev 3 in Public Beta

  Pocket Informant Rev 3 is now in public beta. The enhancements include the addition of a Today plugin (which works great!), a reworking of the Contacts displays (a very nice reworking: I like the displays much better), 400 high quality icons, and much more. When combined with all of the new features added in PI 2007 (see my November blog entry), PI 2007 is the perfect tool for managing your time.

  
• Pocket Informant

  For years, Pocket Informant has been a great tool for implementing the Franklin-Covey (FC) time management techniques on Pocket PCs. Pocket Informant 2007 takes this ability even farther by integrating nicely with the FC PlanPlus plugin for Outlook 4.0 through ActiveSync. Fans of PlanPlus for Outlook will like that the 4.0 version comes with a free copy of PI 2007.

  The key new features of PI 2007 that have make it nicely compatible with the PlanPlus Outlook plugin are in the areas of Tasks, Projects, and Daily Notes.

  Tasks
  As indicated on the menu in the screenshot below, the Tasks view in PI 2007 now has two new task views: (1)The Master Task List, so you don't have to bother your head with tasks that are already assigned a due date, and (2)The Daily Task List, so you can see the tasks you have scheduled in a given day, along with the priorities you have assigned to them (such as A1, B2, C1). These views are selectable by selecting the View Modes option in the Menu of the Tasks listing.

  

  Of course, the full list of tasks (dated and undated) is also available in a view, which can be sorted in a number of ways, including by category, by date, and by subject. Any changes made to tasks in PI or in the PlanPlus plugin (including additions and deletions of tasks, change of dates or subjects, and so forth) are of course synchronized between PI and PlanPlus.
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• Project Management with Pocket Plan

  Pocket Plan is a neat Pocket PC application for helping you manage and keep up with complex projects. It has many of the features normally found only in high-end desktop project management tools: Gantt Charts, Resource Graphs, Filterng Capabilities, and more.

  The following screenshot shows a Gantt Chart view of a sample project:

  

  You can edit the project directly from this view (by tapping on and holding down on an item until a context menu appears), or you can do the same with the Task View, which is shown in the following screenshot:

  ]more

  
• Reducing Keystrokes

  One way you can help your Pocket PC to help you save time is to set it up so that you can reduce the number of keystrokes you have to enter. This can save you time in taking notes, writing Word documents, entering or modifying tasks or appointments, and more.

  When using the software keyborad to enter text, you have probably noticed that the software will pop up a list of words to choose from after you have entered the first character or two. What you might not have noticed is that you can set, within limits, the number of words that it pops up. The higher you set the number, the more likely the list of words will contain one you are looking for, and you just tap it, and the software fills in the rest of the word for you. You can see what I’m talking about by looking at the following screenshot:
  ]more

  
• Revisiting Windows Mobile Device Center

  Now that I have a bit more experience with Windows Mobile Device Center (WMDC) Beta 3, I thought it appropriate to update my introductory blog on it. Specifically, I have run into a couple of areas where WMDC doesn’t seem do as well as its predecessor, ActiveSync.

  Before getting into those areas, though, one thing that I forgot to mention in my first WMDC blog entry is that WMDC totally replaces ActiveSync within the Vista operating system. In fact, you cannot run ActiveSync within Vista. Once Microsoft rolls out the Vista operating system, WMDC will be built into the core of the operating system: you will not have to separately install it. Ideally, once you install Vista, you can simply plug your Pocket PC or Smartphone into a USB port and have it automatically detected by WMDC (and its “partner” software, SyncCenter). Then, you simply select, as you already do with ActiveSync, what you want to sync (such as files and Outlook Tasks and Appointments and Contacts and Notes). Note that you cannot install WMDC on any machine that is not running Vista: in fact, I think you have to have at least Release Candidate 1 (RC1) of Vista. It is not designed to work on Windows XP or to any other version of Windows.

  Now to the two areas in which WMDC doesn’t seem to do as well as ActiveSync. The first of these in the syncing of files. With ActiveSync, when you elect to sync files, you can select an option to “Not Convert” those files. If you do not select this option, ActiveSync will convert Word files to PocketWord format and Excel files to PocketExcel format. While this may not be a major deal for a lot of people, I have always selected the “No Convert” option because it does a better job of preserving formatting, and I do edit some Word and Excel files on my Pocket PC and like for them to retain as much formatting as possible when they are sync’d back to the desktop. However, WMDC Beta 3 does not have a “No Convert” option and it converts Word and Excel files whether I want it to or not. This is a bit of a disappointment but not a show-stopper.

  The second item is a more serious one, and I do not know if it is peculiar to my machines or if it is a more widespread problem: there is not yet a lot of WMDC operating experience that one can google. The problem is that some changes to Tasks, made on my Pocket PC, are not syncing to my desktop. This seems to be limited to date changes (that is, I change the due date of a task on the Pocket PC and it is not updated on the desktop). Note that this is not a problem going the other way: all changes I make to Tasks on the desktop (within Outlook) are sync’d to the Pocket PC. Just not vice versa.

  Again, I want to emphasize that there could be some peculiarity of my devices that is causing the latter phenomena, even though I did not have the problem when syncing the device to Windows XP with ActiveSync. However, it does point out something else that I did not mention in my first blog on WMDC: WMDC Beta 3 is indeed beta software. It should not be expected to be complete in its feature set (problem 1) and it should not be expected to have all bugs worked out (problem 2). In fact, the purpose of a beta is to broaden the testing audience to help find problems not heretofore identified.

  Take care.

  

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