December 2011
4 posts
4 tags
Day One | Daily Journaling Made Pretty
DayOne is a magnificently designed daily journaling application for Mac OS X and iOS. It’s simple and beautiful interface makes it a pleasure to keep a personal journal, take notes, write 750 words or just add little snippets from your mind, and it’s Dropbox sync feature makes it easy to keep your journal in sync across all your devices. Both the iOS and Mac app feature lock-out...
Index Cards | Incoherent Mumblings →
tsilcheters:
Why do people still laugh at me when they want my number, my address (email or otherwise), or a reminder to do something at a certain time, and I pull out an index card and start writing? In the last couple of days, I was able to:
Provide my phone number and address to a new friend when he…
A post I wrote in defence of 3” x 5” index cards, a productivity tool...
3 tags
JumpCut | Simple Clipboarding for your Mac →
JumpCut is a free and simple way to give yourself access to previous items you’ve copied to your Mac’s clipboard via a menubar accessible menu. Great for anything from copying chunks of text between two documents, to recovering the URL you copied just before you had to copy some login data for another service.
2 tags
My Setup | Lachlan Harman →
My setup, as can be seen via the community page of The Setup
November 2011
1 post
LifeHacker Readers:
Are you becoming a little tired of the new, sub-par standards of writing/reporting over there?
September 2011
1 post
5 tags
How I Use Things
Things for me is a great combination of iOS and Mac software designed to let you organise all the stuff you’ve got in your mind and store it in a safe, reliable system. That’s great. I love it. I know a lot of people who use Things on their Mac for all their input and sorting needs and refer to their iOS device througout the day to know when they need to get things done.
I...
June 2011
2 posts
2 tags
Paper GTD
Something I’m becoming more and more of a fan of is using paper task lists and organisers. Currently, I’m using a legal pad for my inbox and next actions, stored inside a compendium, with a single index card acting as my projects list. The extendible mobile system, in case I don’t have the compendium on me, is a stack of index cards and a binder clip in my pockets, where anything I’ve written on...
Wunderlist - A Cloud Syncing, Cross Platform Task... →
Currently using it with two classmates to collaborate on an assessment task.
Did I mention it has list sharing via Cloud.app and email? And the customisable backgrounds?
It’s well worth the download onto your PC/Mac/iOS Device, even just to try it out.
May 2011
1 post
2 tags
Pomodoro Timer for iOS →
Simple, elegant, and cheap. Recommended.
April 2011
3 posts
1 tag
Simple Solutions
I want to talk to you about Simplicity. No, not “that desk is simple”, but about looking for simplicity in the solutions to your problems.
The simple solutions to problems share many characteristics: they almost always require less effort, time, money and resources to implement, and they’re almost always obvious, or at least considered to be “right under your nose”....
1 tag
Beware of the non-work
I felt really productive yesterday. I’d spent about an hour and a bit doing work, and I really felt as though I had accomplished something. I felt a level of satisfaction that meant I could spend an hour or so playing games, or writing poems, or talking to a friend.
The feeling soon subsided.
I took a look back over what I’d done, and the feeling of satisfaction turned to a feeling...
3 tags
Tip:
The best tip I think I can personally provide: Never, ever start a project you can’t see through to the end.
February 2011
4 posts
4 tags
Keep it Simple - Task Lists and GTD
Simplicity is useful in many places. Your task list management and GTD system are just two of those places.
When you start to get insanely complicated with task lists and your general GTD system, you’re going to start going numb to the system. When it takes five minutes of tagging, list sorting and brainstorming to jot down a single task in your task list application of choice,...
Music as a Distraction:
A lot of people have opinions on music’s place in the productivity formula, with opinions ranging from it having an integral role in the process of getting things done, to those who think that listening to music whilst trying to do something is something of a cardinal sin.
I’m going to refrain from weighing in (despite many pleas that I do) beyond saying that it’s up to you to...
5 tags
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Consider This:
Which of the following is going to make you think something is more urgent:
20/02/2011
Sunday the 20th of February, 2011
Honestly, this is important. For example, I find that I will process dates faster if I use the latter format, because I can process weekday names faster than I can process numbers.
Make the right choice and format due dates accordingly. It can make a difference.
January 2011
14 posts
2 tags
Enough - The Minimal Mac Podcast →
Speaking of podcasts you should be listening to, Patrick Rhone of Minimal Mac is starting up Enough, a podcast which is pretty much what it says on the label. I cannot speak highly enough of this man, this site, and this podcast.
Back to Work | 5by5.tv →
I can tell that this podcast, with Dan Benjamin of 5by5 and Merlin Mann of 43folders, is going to be great.
Download. Listen. Enjoy.
The forgotten cost of features | Patrick Rhone →
I believe I’ve linked to this before, but I believe it’s worth linking to again.
4 tags
6 tags
The School Work Conundrum
When it comes to working in high school, the general perception is that there’s only one way to edit and organise your work, and that’s work books. The reality is, there are limitless options with regards to your work, and you’re free to choose whatever you want for your personal system.
However, whether you be into using workbooks, manilla/lever arch folders or legal pads,...
3 tags
The Traps of "Miscellaneous"
Whenever you decide to label something as “miscellaneous”, you’re falling into a trap of sorts. Whenever you tell yourself that you “can’t find anywhere this should be filed”, you’re falling into the same trap.
The traps that come with “miscellaneous” are many. A “miscellaneous” folder on your computer or in your filing cabinet is...
3 tags
Resumed Posting
I have returned from a lengthy holiday with my father to my primary workspace, which shall bring with it some MiM posts about MY personal GTD/Org-Fü journey to prepare myself for 2011.
Posting should be detailed and regular throughout January, and I hope you’re looking forward to it!
- Lachlan
1 tag
Daily Tip
makeitmanageable:
Today’s Tip - Keeping things is often the way to go. I may be into minimalism, but when you get down to it, getting rid of stuff isn’t always the answer. Instead, refine what you have, make it better, rediscover its uses, and make the redundant important again. It’ll work well for you in the long run.
Old daily tip, still incredibly useful and important, particularly every...
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Notifications - Solving The Whole Problem
One of the greatest problems I’ve seen people face with regards to their work is that they often don’t know what they have to do. A task list or a calendar can solve part of this problem, but there’s another part of the problem which needs to be solved as well.
You need to be constantly notified of the fact that your task list has things on it you need to be doing. You need to...
3 tags
Project Org-Fü/GTD: TooShéy Edition - Aftermath
Yesterday, I walked over to the home of a good friend of mine in order to help him overcome the clutter and disorganisation that was his room, in order to help him prepare for a new school year (one which is much more important than the last). Before I arrived, his room was horribly messy and insanely disorganised.
This was all to change. When I got there, he had already done a fair bit of...
3 tags
Concepts
I’m taking a new approach to developing organisational and productive systems, in the form of concepts. Simply put, a concept is an idea which can be implemented system wide, as a system component, or other integrated “cog” which should improve the system as a whole.
For example, one of the first concepts for Project Org-Fü/GTD (TooShéy Edition) is the “Plain View...
December 2010
3 posts
2 tags
Dragon Dictation for iPhone
Dragon Dictation is a brilliant dictation application for your iOS device, which allows you to dictate tweets, Facebook updates, emails, text messages, and plain copyable text for your every need.
It’s shown me the greatest accuracy of any dictation app I’ve tried, and I can’t recommend it enough for people who need an app like this. (Universal, Free)
4 tags
Project Org-Fü/GTD: TooShéy Edition
One of my great personal friends, known on Tumblr as TooShéy, is joining me in 2011 as a senior high school student, and will also be joining me in our efforts to remain productive, organised and on top of our schooling.
Therefore, as curator of Make it Manageable, I will be aiding him in his personal goal of making his school life manageable, by initiating Project Org-Fü/GTD (TooShéy Edition)....
1 tag
Dropbox Reaches 1.0
One of the many tools that I’ve installed on my devices has recently reached a milestone; the popular cloud syncing service Dropbox has made it out of beta with a 1.0 release.
Rather than bore you to death with the details (which include selective sync, hooray!), let me say this; I never once knew it was in beta, and nothing had ever led me to believe that it was an unfinished product. It’s...
6 tags
Wunderlist
(Windows, OS X, iOS) Wunderlist is a beautiful, functional and free task management application for Windows, Mac OS X and iOS. It combines a simple interface and a great feature list with elegance and beauty to give you a brilliant user experience.
If you register for an account, your tasks will sync wirelessly across all your devices and across all platforms, which is all too important these...
November 2010
5 posts
4 tags
MiM Tip
(OS X) You’ve all probably wanted to make an outline at one point in your life, for various reasons. You’ve probably also done a quick Google search for good (free) outlining software for your Mac, to make the job easy.
Well, did you know that you’ve already got a pretty good outline creator installed?
You do. By pressing option+tab in TextEdit, you create a list, which is...
4 tags
MiM Pick of the Week
This weeks MiM Pick is Mac task manager Anxiety (free, donation supported). Simple and elegant, Anxiety allows you to enter and check off tasks, and nothing more. The tasks will sync to either iCal or Mail, and the app can be set to be as obtrusive or inobtrusive as possible.
Good choice for those looking for a simple to-do list option for their Mac.
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You might need to get organised if...
I was just reading a post on the Internet about ‘how to identify the less-obvious signs that you need to get organised’. I posit that if you haven’t noticed them, then they’re not signs that your productivity is being compromised. I also posit that these signs are far more important to notice;
If you can’t see your desk under paperwork, you might need to get organised.
If you can’t find a...
4 tags
Thank you, thank you...
First of all, I would just like to apologise for the horrendous lack of posts, reblogs, links and the like. Secondly, I’d like to tell you about my biggest MiM experiment ever; the Apple iPad.
In brief, for I have not long to update you and so much to update you with, I start with this introduction; although the iPad is a great tool for productivity, it really is designed for those with a...
October 2010
5 posts
3 tags
Working with Music - A Tip
If you like to listen to music while you work, try this; turn it down. There’s no need to be having a rave-party-esque level of music to sing and dance along to while you’re trying to compile quarterly reports, or study Geography.
Music is okay, but make sure your brain can think over the sound of your choice of music (which should be something like David Bowie, but that’s up...
12 Tips To Organize Your Home-Based Office…And... →
4 tags
N-1, saying "No" and ending the compromise
I was reading a small post (only two paragraphs) over at Seth Godin’s blog about something called N+1; the idea behind it was based on someone’s ability to always find time & resources to add one more thing (to anything).
He then posits that an alternative could be explored, called N-1, where rather than constantly adding one more thing, we repeatedly remove one more thing.
...
3 tags
Small Desks - Some Tips
One of the many downsides to a small house is that, in general, you can’t fit a very big desk in a small house. I’ve experienced this over the last couple of months, with my father now living in a small rental townhouse, so I’ve decided that it’s time I compiled a list of things you can do to make your smaller-than-you’d-like workspace work for you.
1) Make good use...
4 tags
Writer for iPad
I know I’m a little late to the game on this, but if you’re looking for a really decent text editor for the iPad, that’s good with eliminating distractions, then Writer could be what you’re looking for.
It uses a nice, custom monospace font for writing, which both looks nice and doesn’t distract from what you’re actually writing.
“Focus mode” is...
September 2010
10 posts
Just got my ZenToDone beta key
http://zentodoneapp.com
Excited :)
“The greatest of works have come not from sudden inspiration, but from the...”
– Anonymous - This is why I will always carry with me a journal and a pen, and why you should do the same (or something similar)
My exams are over
So you can expect a swarm of posts in the next two weeks.
If all goes to plan, at least :)
Forgot to mention
I’m on exams for the next couple of days, and have been studying for awhile now.
Just so you know why there’s a lack of posts here at the moment.
The Endlessly Versatile Binder Clip | LifeHacker →
It’s so true; these things are amazing.
Tip
A little something I use to make work enjoyable; every now and then, mix things up and work somewhere different to where you normally work. At the moment, I’m writing this at the dining table in my house’s well-lit family room, as opposed to my considereably larger, distraction-filled desk in my room. It’s a nice change, and you can work just as well at a desk in one room as you...
