Systems

I put together a quick YouTube video this morning to capture what my work area looks like, and to give a brief glimpse into the tools and systems I use to keep track of everything. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMAnx1mQCrs I think the most important thing to keep in mind when looking for any sort of system for communication and productivity, particularly if it is an add-on to the systems you already have, is to consider what you're going to need to do in order to maintain that system. How much work are you going to need to put into checking it, adjusting the information within it, and monitoring input and output? Email is a good example. I have a work email and a personal email. I used to have two personal email addresses, so that I could use one to manage online newsletter and email blast subscriptions. But why? Why have two email addresses when I'm checking the same net number of emails? Also, I used to have a hard-copy to do list for the day and my lists on Wunderlist (available across all my electronic platforms). Again, why have a manual list? I've discussed the challenges around maintaining a hard-copy version of to do lists and the limitations with being able to prioritize and add/remove items. So now I just use Wunderlist. And if I'm unable to get an idea or list item into Wunderlist, I write it down and then I transcribe those handwritten items into my Wunderlist inbox as soon as possible. I get rid of what I have written down because I'm trying to train myself to just make Wunderlist the go-to. The exception, as I discuss in the YouTube clip, is when I'm in a meeting and I don't want to use an electronic device for fear of the distraction that it inevitably causes me. So that's it. Systems have to be realistic to maintain on a daily basis and we all need to remember that these are often the systems we impose on ourselves - meaning we are ultimately in charge of how often we interface with these systems. The danger to actively avoid at all costs is becoming a slave of these systems and feeling like they're running things. YOU'RE running things. Always remember that, and if the systems aren't working then it is always an option to re-evaluate.

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