Black Belt Productivity

As I posted earlier, I am beginning to work with a BlackBerry Pearl as a smartphone device. My inital impressions were muted. I wanted something low profile, but functional. The non-QWERTY keyboard concerned me, but not anymore. BlackBerry has developed “Suretype” technology that is surprisingly reliable. So typing with this keyboard is almost as quick as a true QWERTY. I rarely have to correct “Suretype”.

From a GTD standpoint, this device is doing a very good thing for me. It is forcing be to return to the basics of workflow managment. The David has often said that for GTD, a PDA really only needs to be a good list manager. I am now finding that to be true.

I now have a list of projects, my next actions go into my hard landscape as either all day appointments (for things that just have to get done that day), or a conventional appointment (for things that are either time specific, or things that I need to block off time to accomplish).

I am still working to figure out a way that I could possibly create folders of lists. This is because I want my workflow management stuff in one place, while my information lists (logon ids & passwords, account numbers, and other reference lists) can be found in another folder. Not sure the capability is there, but I will keep working to figure it out.

I have even recently found a few of my days so scattered and crazy that I have started occasionally building a “Today” list. The only function for this practice is to get all of my N/As for that day in one place to make sure nothing slips through the cracks. Some GTDers would shriek in horror at the very thought. “Oh NO. You are using daily to do list!?!” It works for me. So what can I say?

One thing all of these lists go for me is that it is beginning to take away that urge to depend on desktop solutions that I do not always have access to. Those solutions are good, but they are not always accessible when I need them. If they are not always at my fingertips, I eventually just stop using them altogether. With my system literally always at my hip, it allows me to truly check on potential N/As in any context. It also helps my mind to be more relaxed now that I can depend on a reminder for anything, and it is always within reach.

For those that have an “on the hip” solution, hi tech or low tech, you understand what I am speaking of.

Since I will be carry-on traveling this weekend, I have already taken a few minutes to finalize a packing list for my trip to New York. Now packing should be a relaxed exercise, not wondering if I am forgetting something.

In the past, I had always thought a smartphone was a little over the top…a status symbol…something to show how “important” someone was. Now that I have one on my hip, I am beginning to wonder how I held my system together without it.

- Jason