Mike Vardy's Blog, page 122

Focus on OmniFocus with OmniFocus Premium Posts

I’m tremendously excited for the opportunity to be part of The OmniFocus Setup at the end of this month in San Francisco – and now that fellow Mikes on Mics co-host Michael Schechter will be in on the proceedings as well, it makes the event all the better. But Schechter isn’t the only recent addition to the day – Thanh Pham from Asian Efficiency will also be on hand. He’s a great addition too…because he and his Asian Efficiency cohort Aaron Lynn know a thing or two about OmniFocus.

And today they’ve released a product that aims to helps you get as much out of OmniFocus as they do.

It’s called OmniFocus Premium Posts, and it’s a comprehensive written program (with bonus audio) that covers OmniFocus from pillar to post. Here’s what they have to say about it:

We often get asked on how to use OmniFocus the right way and make it work for you (instead of you mindlessly fiddling with it). While we have released a ton of content on the blog already, this product will have all of our cutting edge and new stuff wrapped in one product to help you use OmniFocus better, faster and more effectively.

Whether you’re new to the application or a seasoned OmniFocus veteran, you’ll get a lot out of this package. Both the authors go over their own OmniFocus setups, and also dive into how other apps can integrate with this incredibly powerful task management app. And that’s only a small offering of what OmniFocus Premium Posts offers.

The written material clocks in at over 250 pages, and you’ll also get the following materials in this package:

Bonus Post: The Inner Game of Task ManagementBonus OmniFocus Custom Themes (although I still prefer to use these)Over 45 minutes of bonus audio

You’ll get all of this for only $67.1 Couple this package along with David Sparks’s excellent screencasts and you’ll have plenty of resources to improve your overall usage of OmniFocus. And that means you’ll improve your overall productivity – and you can’t put a price on that.

1 Although I do mention this on my Start Here page as a blanket statement, I am an affiliate for this program. Just so you’re aware.

Want to start the year you want anytime you want? Pick up my new e-book published by Diversion Books The Front Nine: How to Start the Year You Want Anytime You Want for just $4.99 today!

Related Posts:All the Focus on OmniFocusA Return to OmniFocusExit Vardy.me. Enter Productivityist.com!The Apps on My Launch Center Pro Wish ListA Case for Getting Personal with Productivity
Related StoriesThe Productivityist OmniFocus ThemesHow My Minutes Fits Into My WorkflowA Case for Getting Personal with Productivity

How I Use Notebooks

Despite the fact that I do use several apps in my productivity workflow, I have a tendency to use paper a lot as well. As a matter of fact, paper is often my first method of capture for a variety of reasons, such as:

It doesn’t require recharging, so it never runs low on juice.There are far fewer limitations to paper; whereas apps on a device do.I can have multiple notebooks available to me (one on my nightstand, one in my jacket, one in my travel case, etc.), which isn’t the case for my devices.

But I don’t use them as a means to keep a to-do list. Instead, I use them to ensure that I get the right things done. Paper helps me connect – it has that ever-present feeling about it that gives me the knowledge that capture is just a few pen or pencil strokes away.

Here is what I use notebooks for:

Capturing ideas for posts and projectsDoing quick brain dumpsOutliningMind mapping

Ultimately, however, I use notebooks to connect myself with the things that are most important to me on a daily basis. I keep them handy because I don’t want to lose sight of what I really want to accomplish, so my mind stays clearer knowing that I have quick access to a tool that can essentially obliterate any distractions that enter my mind – be they ideas, thoughts, or similar.

I tend to keep either a stack of Frictionless Capture Cards or a smaller notebook (like a Field Notes notebook, for example) with me for when I’m out and about, and I use my Pilot Coleto multi-pen to write down anything in it. Why a multi-pen? Because I use the different colours to represent different things. Right now I’m using green for Productivityist.com-based items, I use red for personal items, I use blue for other professional work, and I use black for anything that doesn’t fall into those categories. That way I have a visual trigger whenever I look at the notebook – I know what item is for what category.

Again, the colours create a firmer connection for me.

I’ll use a junior legal pad or a larger notebook on my desk, which is what I’ll use for outlining, brain dumps, or mind mapping. I won’t transfer stuff from the smaller paper products to these larger ones – those items go directly into my digital task manager (at which point they become part of the larger productivity workflow I use). There are times when I feel “stuck” that I’ll bring some of the items in my task manager onto the larger paper pad/notebook in order to get a good view at what I’ve got on tap for the day, and I’ll evaluate those items in tandem with other factors (energy level, whether it is a heavy-lifting or a light-lifting day, etc.) just to give me a better chance to push through it.

When a smaller notebook is used up, I’ll recycle it. The larger ones get kept because they often have a much longer shelf life (i.e. they aren’t used simply for quick capture).

I’m a notebook fan. Always have been, always will be. I’ve gotten a handle on how to use them best for my workflow. No matter how you choose to use them, it’s a good idea to do so. You just never know when you’ll need to get something out of your head, and notebooks give you the most accessible way to make sure you can.

Want to start the year you want anytime you want? Pick up my new e-book published by Diversion Books The Front Nine: How to Start the Year You Want Anytime You Want for just $4.99 today!

Related Posts:The Pen is MightyWhy Paper WorksHow to Use 30/30 Like The Emergent Task PlannerHow to Get Unstuck: The Big Paper ExerciseMulti-Penmanship
 
CommentsI love the use of a multi pen – this is genius! You've ... by olivergearingI love your posts, Mike.  I too love paper for rapid captures ... by Summer Coley WardMakes sense, and sometimes there's something satisfying about ... by braincutleryRelated StoriesHow My Minutes Fits Into My WorkflowHow to Use 30/30 Like The Emergent Task PlannerEverything in Evernote

Achieving Clearance

This week is the first time in a while that I haven’t provided daily posts here. After having a great time at this year’s New Media Expo, I needed to not only recharge the batteries – I needed to achieve clearance.

Clearance isn’t the same as clarity. Since I spend January as a month of rest and rejuvenation, I have time to get clear (or gain clarity) on several fronts. Things like projects I want to undertake, the direction I want to go in with my work, and fostering new ideas. But without clearance, I can’t get close to clarity on anything, let alone some things.

I’d go as far to suggest that clearance is an absolute must before you can hope to even approach clarity. That’s why capture is so essential. It is one of the habits that brings you closer to achieving clearance. Then it’s the curation of what you capture that brings you even closer to that clearance. But capture and curation don’t bring you closer to clarity on their own; they need to be done in succession – and consistently at that.

What really brings you closest to clarity is taking the time to look at what’s best, not just what’s next. Sometimes what’s best might be next, but what’s next isn’t always what’s best. Clarity helps you make more of the next things the best things. But to get there, you have to have clearance first.

NMX was great. I spent a lot of time in the New Media Lounge, on the exhibit floor, and talking with fellow speakers and attendees. I didn’t take in too many sessions – I find that much of the best moments at events like these take place in between sessions– but I do have the “virtual ticket” and will be taking the time to look at many of the ones I missed. But I won’t be doing that next, because that’s not best for me right now. After all, going to events like this also can play havoc with routine, which definitely clutters up the view ahead for a little while.

With that in mind, you can probably guess that what’s next for me is to achieve clearance. That way the next thing will be the best thing.

Want to start the year you want anytime you want? Pick up my new e-book published by Diversion Books The Front Nine: How to Start the Year You Want Anytime You Want for just $4.99 today!

Related Posts:A Different Take on Boxing DayEverything in Evernote: All OutGetting Better Done3 Things for the Next 3 DaysMore Better
Related StoriesThinking AheadThe Tower, The Village, The Path, and The WayGetting Better Done

Turn Inaction into Action with The Ready Retreat Workbooks

The blog has been dark over the weekend as I traveled and prepared for today’s panel discussion at New Media Expo in Las Vegas. I’m excited to be part of the Productivity Power Panel, featuring Craig Jarrow (Time Management Ninja), Brett Kelly (author of Evernote Essentials), and Leo Widrich (Buffer).

Those of you that can’t be at NMX to see the panel discussion live can pick up a virtual pass – which also gets you more talks that I’m not part of – via the NMX site. I’ll be doing a bit of a recap here later this week, but I’m also taking the opportunity today to launch something here that has been exclusive to the Kickstart the Year bundle1 until now: The Ready Retreat Digital Workbooks.

These self-paced digital workbooks are downloadable PDF files that allow you to get a real jumpstart on making progress on several important aspects that will need your attention to boost efficiency and effectiveness. They are ideal if you can’t attend a live Ready Retreat workshop in person – or simply can’t wait for the webinars I’m releasing in the future.

You can learn more about the Ready Retreats here.

The current series of workbooks can be purchased individually for the introductory price of $9.99 each using the links below, or you can buy all 4 workbooks as one package for an introductory price of $29.99 until February 1, 2013. As of February 2, 2013 the price for each workbook will be $14.99 and the package of 4 will be $39.99.

Ready Retreat Workbook: Email Management - $14.99 $9.99 until 2/1/13Ready Retreat Workbook: Idea Management - $14.99 $9.99 until 2/1/13Ready Retreat Workbook: Task Management - $14.99 $9.99 until 2/1/13Ready Retreat Workbook: Time Management - $14.99 $9.99 until 2/1/13Ready Retreat Workbook: The Complete Series - $39.99 $29.99 until 2/1/13

Keep in mind that when you buy a Ready Retreat Workbook, you’ll be eligible to receive the second editions of that workbook for free upon its release.

I’ll be wrapped up in NMX until mid-week, and will offer my thoughts on the conference by the end of the week. Stay tuned…

1 The bundle is on sale as of this writing, but wraps up on 1/9/13.

Want to start the year you want anytime you want? Pick up my new e-book published by Diversion Books The Front Nine: How to Start the Year You Want Anytime You Want for just $4.99 today!

Related Posts:It’s Time to Kickstart the Year…Now!Introducing…The Ready Retreat Series(PRE)PRODUCTIVITYIST: the bookKeynoting at WordCamp Victoria 2012Evernote Essentials 2.0
Related StoriesIntroducing…The Ready Retreat SeriesBuilding a Thing to Build a Bigger ThingGetting Better Done

Designs on Life

I’ve heard many people say that life is meant to be lived, and I completely agree with that notion. Heck, it’s why I do what I do now instead of doing what I’ve done in the past.

But after reading the first bit of Nick Wynja’s new book, Coffee Shop Contemplations, I think I’ve found a kindred spirit in the idea of designing a life first, then going out and living it. (Among other things.)1

Nick (the writer behind Hack/Make)writes a lot about design in the first portion of the book, and what he writes makes a ton of sense. As for my thoughts on the matter, in order to have the best life to live you do need to spend some time designing it first. That may mean using specific tools to help you with said design process, but it still means that design comes first.

Let’s look at the place you live. If it doesn’t meet your standards as-is, you take steps to design it so that it can. That can be as small as some organizational shifts ot a fresh coat of paint. It can be big, like adding a whole new floor or knocking down walls to open things up. Regardless, in order to make it the place you feel comfortable calling home, you need to spend some time on design first.

I do think you can spend too much time on design, though. I think that if you’re constantly designing your life then you truly aren’t living it – or making anything with it. The idea isn’t to design for the sake of designing, it’s to design for the sake of giving yourself what you need to do something great with your life.

The details aren’t always in the design, but without spending time on design, the details may never be visible at all. That’s because they’ll be buried behind a whole lot of things that get in the way.

Good design allows for form and function to work together and not against each other. That doesn’t just go for the gadgets on your person. It also goes for you.

1I may be wrong, but Nick’ll straighten me out if he thinks so.

Want to start the year you want anytime you want? Pick up my new e-book published by Diversion Books The Front Nine: How to Start the Year You Want Anytime You Want for just $4.99 today!

Related Posts:4 Paragraphs on The 4-Hour ChefIt’s True: Amazing Things Will HappenThe Power of The Impact EquationThe 2012 Persons of InternetOn Turning Pro
Related StoriesThinking AheadTodayRespect Your Time

Thinking Ahead

I’m watching Steve Jobs: The Lost Interview right now — for the first time.

And as I write this he is talking about how the web is going to change things. We’ll be buying things we used to buy in catalogs online instead. He goes on to talk about how the human race builds things that make us better – better than what we should be able to do innately.

I look at him and I see him processing. Continuously processing. Being thoughtful.

Thinking ahead.

He knew what he liked. He knew what he ultimately wanted.He thought about things so much that he thought ahead nearly all of the time. I think his to-do list was there, but it was certainly guided by things he had thought about way ahead of time. The things that he really wanted out of what he was doing.

The best thing we can do on a daily basis is take time to think ahead. When we start doing that, we gain more time as a result. With that time, we can get to do the things that are well beyond the day-to-day to-do lists.

And those are the things that really move us forward.

Want to start the year you want anytime you want? Pick up my new e-book published by Diversion Books The Front Nine: How to Start the Year You Want Anytime You Want for just $4.99 today!

Related Posts:ResolveSteve, Jack and AndyDyscultured: Jobs, Jack and HPTake an iBow, Mr. JobsHow I Say No
Related StoriesMind Your TimeResolveGetting Better Done

The Apps and Services I Need to Use More in 2013

I’ve tested a lot of apps and services over the past few years, and there are some that I’ve given more attention to than others. Some I’ve given more than a fair chance, and they’ve either become a part of my digital life or they didn’t. Maybe that’d because they didn’t fill a gap or perhaps it’s because they tried to shoehorn their way into an already-filled gap.

But there are also apps and services that I’ve bought, signed up for, or taken a quick look at that deserve more of my attention in the year ahead. These are apps and services that I am going to spend a bit more time in so I can see if they can find a true place in my digital life, or if it’s time to cut the cord and let them go.

Pinboard: I’ve signed up for Pinboard, but have barely used it. I’ll be digging into it more this year to see where it fits.Lift: I don’t think I’ve given this app as much of a look as I should. I’ll spend some more time with it – especially now with its recent update.TextExpander: There is so much mroe I can do with this app – especially on the mobile version. I’ll be giving this app far more attention in 2013.Keyboard Maestro: Last year I was going to dedicate my “Journey to…” series to this app. I didn’t. This year I’ll be taking that journey.Reddit: I’ll spend more time in here to see what value it can add. I really need to learn how to use it first, though.Quotebook: I will be using this app a lot more in 2013.EasilyDo: Another new app that is intriguing. I’ve spent a bit of time in and I like what I see.ThisLife: I need to manage my photos better in 2013, and ThisLife may very well be the ticket to doing that.Soulver: There’s way more I could use this app for than I do. And I’ve already started to see what it can do in terms of calculating income, so that’s a step in the right direction.DollyDrive and iDolly: Another service I need to invest some time in.Alfred: This is a big one. A really big one.Hazel: There is so much that Hazel can do – if only I let it. This year, I will.

There are other apps that I’ve not listed here, but the ones above I believe are most critical – and I’ve listed 12 of them for a reason. I’ll be diving into each of them and reporting back once per month on one of them – and letting you know how (or if) they fit into my digital life.

Let the exploring – and experimenting – begin.

Want to start the year you want anytime you want? Pick up my new e-book published by Diversion Books The Front Nine: How to Start the Year You Want Anytime You Want for just $4.99 today!

Related Posts:Super Mac Team Up: David Sparks and Brett Terpstra Deliver…Looking at Best PracticesThe Black Friday Plan for The ProductivityistFinding Time for Everything in bloom*My Daily Routine

Today

Today is important. Not because it gives you a chance to get closer to where you want to be tomorrow, but because if gives you a chance to shape a better tomorrow.

Today is fresh. It’s a clean slate. A blank piece of paper. What you do with it will determine whether the days to come are just as fresh – or run the risk of being stale.

Today is unique. It wasn’t like yesterday. It won’t be like tomorrow. How it will rank in your weeks, months, and years down the road will be fashioned more by how you treat it, not by how it treats you.

Today is powerful. It can make or break you…if you let it.

Today is now. You’re not getting another day exactly like it, so make it count.

Make today matter. Make it matter the way you want it to matter — it’s not for anyone else to do that. Don’t settle for anything less from today…because you deserve the most of what today has to offer.

Want to start the year you want anytime you want? Pick up my new e-book published by Diversion Books The Front Nine: How to Start the Year You Want Anytime You Want for just $4.99 today!

Related Posts:Totally CoveredA Different Take on Boxing DayA Very Merry Christmas Indeed: The Front Nine is Now…Happy Birthday, Gracie!On Not Writing
Related Stories2012: My Year in ReviewResolve3 Things for the Next 3 Days

2013: My Year in Preview

As this piece goes live, some of you around the world will have already finished ringing in the new year while others will be still waiting for it to arrive. Regardless, I wish each and every one of you a happy and prosperous 2013.

As I mentioned yesterday, 2012 has been a banner year for me. There have been lots of things that I am grateful for, including good friends, good times, and a fantastic family. Sure, there were some setbacks this year – as there are every year – they were far away by all the goodness that came my way over the past twelve months.

(It’s funny… I have a scar on my right hand that will never go away. It will serve as a reminder of this past year. The thing is, I should look at it as more of a setback and anything else – I mean, my right hand will never be the same as it was before the fire. But instead it serves as a reminder how lucky I truly am. It is a bookmark for the year. A touchstone. Sure, the fire left its mark… but I sure as hell left my mark in 2012 as well.)

Now it’s time to take a look at the year ahead. Time for some forward thinking, rather than looking back in time. I don’t consider these resolutions – I consider them more like chapters that are yet to be written. Some of these things I already had mapped out before this post. After all, I don’t generally subscribe to the notion that you need to (or should) start your year in January.

Nonetheless, here’s my 2013 year in preview…

I will write another book. But only one…a much bigger one.I will dive deeper into making more things for people to use to help them be more productive.I will get a keyboard or piano and learn to play it.I will go to less events…but make more of an impact at them.I will play a lot more guitar – and get better at it.I will read at least 36 books, and at least 9 of them will be works of fiction.I’ll do at least one webinar. Probably more.My wife and I will begin exercising together. It will help create some in-person accountability and help me get back into shape that I deserve to be in.I will do a lot more cooking. And Basil will help me with that.I will work less, but do more with my work time.I will spend a lot more time with my kids.I will spend a lot more time with my wife — and talk less about work during that time.I will get more acquainted with Camera+.I will spend more time outdoors.I will run. A lot.I will cycle. Also a lot.My wife and I will decrease our debt in half.I’ll buy a new iPad. (The version I buy is still up for debate.)I will remain connected to my audience both with my writing and with my interactions.I will keep comments “on” here for the duration of the year.I will have yet another banner year.

Thanks to everyone for following me here – and elsewhere – over the past year. I really appreciate all the feedback and exchanges we have here and on various social networking platforms.

If you’ve bought any of my books, thank you so much.

If you’ve subscribed to the Mike Techniques newsletter, thank you so much.

If you’ve been listening to Mikes on Mics, thank you so much.

If you’re fairly new to Productivityist.com, thank you so much for your time — and I recommend you start here if you’re interested in looking at some of my best stuff.

Finally, if any of my work has helped you in any way, thank you so much. That’s one of the main reasons why I write.

Happy New Year! May 2013 be a banner year for you as well.

Want to start the year you want anytime you want? Pick up my new e-book published by Diversion Books The Front Nine: How to Start the Year You Want Anytime You Want for just $4.99 today!

Related Posts:The Black Friday Plan for The ProductivityistComing Christmas Day: The Front NineMy Daily RoutineFinding Time for Everything in bloom*Super Mac Team Up: David Sparks and Brett Terpstra Deliver…
Related Stories2012: My Year in ReviewResolveA Case for Getting Personal with Productivity

2012: My Year in Review

Last year I offered up a year in review post, and i’m doing it again this year. Only this time I can actually tell you what I did and didn’t accomplish in the year gone by that I’d set out to do – and I can also add to the list what I did accomplish beyond what I’d “previewed”.

So here goes…

I will write at least one book, but more likely two…or even three. I did indeed accomplish this goal, and delivered two books in 2012 – (PRE)PRODUCTIVITYIST: the book and the recently-released The Front Nine: How to Start the Year You Want Anytime You Want. The latter was published by Diversion Books, which means I published my self and got published in the same year. (You can pick up the books by going here.)I will build an office in my yard with a lot of help from my friends. Didn’t happen. I’m working away in the master bedroom still, and I think that when I do have an office it will wind up being in the confines of my home as opposed to a garden suite.I will turn 38. The office will be my birthday present to myself. I did turn 38. The other thing – as mentioned above – did not occur.I will attend more conferences in a year than ever before. I made this happen in 2012, attending WordCamp Victoria, Northern Voice, IdeaWave, BlogWorld NYC, MacWorld|iWorld, the transmission GLOBAL SUMMIT, and the World Domination Summit.I will think about quitting Facebook thirty-eight times, but will not actually pull the trigger. I did not think about this very much at all, mainly because I didn’t feel it was worth thinking about. (I did quit Foursquare and Instagram, though.)I will do less stuff more better. Including writing. I think I done did that.I’ll get better and spending time with my kids, which is an area that can always be improved upon. I’d like to say I did this, but I don’t think I did. With the writing of the book and in only my second year of full time self-employment, I missed the mark on this. And while I don’t want to kick myself over it, I am even as I write this.I will write a song. Nope.I will do more talks in a year than ever before. I hit this mark, mainly through facilitating my own Ready Retreat workshops. Otherwise I would have equalled 2011’s total.I will work on a script for the first time in a long time. And I will complete a script for the first time ever. The book took precedence, and it won out. No script this year.I will take my wife on a trip. Another thing I’m kicking myself over. But our time will come.I will buy more clothing that does not have the prefix “T” in it. I did buy less t-shirts, and my wardrobe did receive a bit of an upgrade as well. Now I just need to get in better shape!I will read a lot more books. I definitely did. And I have the Goodreads stats to prove it.I will actually read my Instapaper queue regularly. Not so much. That said, I have less in it now than ever before, so there’s that.I will buy better stuff because I’ll buy less stuff. This includes care products, subscriptions, alcohol, food and clothing. I took care of business here as well. I bought some nice bourbons and whiskeys this calendar year, and made sure I followed through on this in other areas as well. (Regarding the bourbon and whiskey, you need only listen to a few Mikes on Mics episodes to hear “proof” of that.)I will buy gifts for others well in advance of the time they are needed. I started off well on this front, but fell flat at the end of the year.I will write at Vardy.me more regularly than ever before and will keep up with my other projects. I kicked this up a notch early in the year and then again when the blog morphed into what you’re reading now – Productivityist.com. I’d say I did my best in this area.I’ll continue to help Lifehack.org grow. I definitely did this up until I left Lifehack at the end of October.I’ll floss daily. I flopped here. I think I need to floss in the shower or something to keep this one going next year.I will cut waaay back on the pop. To almost nothing. I did this…sort of. I received a Sodastream for my birthday and the sugar and caffeine content in the syrups they offer a about one-fifth of those found in what I was drinking. I’ve toned down because of that, but not anywhere near nothing.I will eat better – adopting a slow-carb or Paleo diet is part of that process. I’ve been hit-and-miss here. I can’t really evaluate this on the whole because I haven’t been exercising very much, so I’d say that my eating has been largely better than my physical activity. Much room for improvement on both fronts.I’ll connect with my out-of-province niece and nephews more regularly. I got better with this in 2012, but I can do much better in 2013 and beyond.I’ll keep making friends online, and may even make a few “not-friends” along the way. I definitely made mroe friends online in 2012, and kept the “non-friends” to a minimum (to be honest, I don’t even recall what I meant by that phrase).I’ll have a banner year. Done.

What else did I do in 2012?

I connected with myself a whole lot more.I got better at saying “no” to things I either didn’t have time for or to things that really didn’t resonate with me and what I want to be doing.I killed Eventualism.I became more aware of my “whys” than ever before.I partnered up with Craig Jarrow to assemble the Kickstart the Year bundle.I made things happen – and far more right than wrong.

Speaking of reviewing the year gone by, Michael Schechter and I talk about what each of us does as one year comes to a close and another one is set to begin. You can check out that episode here.

Next up will be my preview for 2013…a year that’s not only around the corner, but a year where I believe I will turn another corner.

How did 2012 treat you? Share your moments and thoughts in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you.

Want to start the year you want anytime you want? Pick up my new e-book published by Diversion Books The Front Nine: How to Start the Year You Want Anytime You Want for just $4.99 today!

Related Posts:2012: My Year in PreviewGratitude…RevisitedThe 2012 Persons of InternetA Very Merry Christmas Indeed: The Front Nine is Now…The 2011 Persons of Internet
Related StoriesBuilding a Thing to Build a Bigger ThingResolveA Case for Getting Personal with Productivity