CONTACTS 

SUBJECTS
Action Items To Do List of Pending Tasks
Allen, David Getting Things Done Software Program Has Ideas and Capa
Action Items To Do List of Pending Tasks Gary Wants to Incorporate D
Allen Study Franklin Covey Get It Right Information Technologies to
Study Allen Get It Right Franklin Covey Information Technologies to
Action Items To Do List of Pending Tasks Gary Wants to Incorporate D

0808 -
0808 -    ..
0809 - Summary/Objective
0810 -
081001 - Follow up ref SDS 9 0000.
081002 -
081003 - Gary recently worked on an important use case for applying SDS, based
081004 - on research last year reviewing David Allen's ideas for follow up.
081005 - Gary's research does not discuss the SDS "Typical Day Scenario" (TDS),
081006 - and so at a convenient time, we should try to work on this toward
081007 - refining the presentation and strengthening SDS. ref SDS 0 GU8N  Gary
081008 - has an immediate goal to maintain visibility of books to read, and
081009 - feels SDS does not offer an immediate solution that fits what he has
081010 - in mind. ref SDS 0 PR9W  There are several ways this kind of task can
081011 - be accomplished in SDS, but none of them may be adequate.
081012 -
081013 -
081014 -
081015 -
081017 -  ..
0811 -
0812 -
0813 - Progress
0814 -
081401 - To Do List Support for David Allen's Scope and Reading Books
081402 -
081403 - On 040403 Gary did some analysis and planning on improving SDS to
081404 - support David Allen's ideas on "getting things done." ref SDS 7 0001
081406 -  ..
081407 - Gary sets a goal with the observation....
081408 -
081409 -    [SDS] works very well for follow-on actions and simple reminders.
081410 -    It works less well for a ToDo list where the list may involve
081411 -    multiple areas. As the "single in-box" that David Allen recommends,
081412 -    030925, ref SDS 2 PI6H, as shown in his record on 040403.
081413 -    ref SDS 7 8P5K
081414 -
081416 -  ..
081417 - Gary's record on 030925 says in part....
081419 -     ..
081420 -    Single In-Box
081421 -
081422 -    Follow up ref SDS 9 SS8H.
081423 -
081424 -    [David Allen] has an objective of creating a single in-box from
081425 -    which all incoming information is processed. ref SDS 2 PI6H
081426 -
081428 -  ..
081429 - Gary then notes further on 030925 ideas on developing an objective for
081430 - a "To Do" list system...
081432 -     ..
081433 -    Since this is not possible directly, [David Allen] has several
081434 -    segments which feed the in-box:, ref SDS 2 PI6H
081436 -            ..
081437 -        •  A true in-box at home and at work, ref SDS 2 PI71
081439 -            ..
081440 -        •  A colored plastic file folder for use as a travelling
081441 -           in-box. ref SDS 2 PI74
081443 -            ..
081444 -        •  Portable notepads. He has a wallet with a tear-off pad and
081445 -           pen. Some people use file cards or small pads. This is
081446 -           personal and always with him. ref SDS 2 PI77
081448 -            ..
081449 -        •  Business pad. This is a tear-off 5x7 spiral notebook.  He
081450 -           finds 5x7 easier to manage in small spaces than 85.x11.
081451 -           ref SDS 2 PI82
081453 -            ..
081454 -        •  Mini legal pads near phones for taking notes directly.
081455 -           ref SDS 2 PI86
081457 -            ..
081458 -        •  PDA -- No data on what applications. Since he needs only
081459 -           relatively simple lists of next actions and a few contexts,
081460 -           nearly any application would work. He uses paper for most
081461 -           notes because that is far faster, especially for simple
081462 -           action items. ref SDS 2 PI89
081464 -            ..
081465 -        •  Digital recorder for specialized uses. ref SDS 2 PI95
081467 -            ..
081468 -        •  Voice mail. Transfer messages to paper an put in-box.
081469 -           ref SDS 2 PI9X
081471 -            ..
081472 -        •  Email - treat as an in-box and process. Can print out for
081473 -           paper filing. Can use email folders as another set of
081474 -           processing folders. ref SDS 2 PI4Q
081475 -
081476 -
081478 -  ..
081479 - Typical Day Scenario Strives to Improve Traditional Practice
081480 -
081481 - Follow up ref SDS 9 FI99.
081482 -
081483 - SDS Typical Day Scenario (TDS) says in part...
081484 -
081485 -        Good Management Practice, ref OF 9 5003
081487 -         ..
081488 -        The first thing people do each day is ask.....
081490 -         ..
081491 -        What needs to be done today?
081493 -         ..
081494 -        Bill Gates, Lou Gerstner, Andy Grove, as well as Tom Edison,
081495 -        George Washington John Rockefeller, Woodrow Wilson, Tom Watson,
081496 -        Alfred Sloan, Lee Iaccoca, ... all of these knowledge workers
081497 -        have asked this same question. ref OF 9 00VV
081499 -         ..
081500 -        So the first thing the Schedule Diary System (SDS) does is
081501 -        show....
081503 -         ..
081504 -        What needs to be done today? ref OF 9 009L
081506 -         ..
081507 -        What is coming up tomorrow and the day after...
081509 -         ..
081510 -        SDS extends the conventional use of personal scheduling by
081511 -        showing everything that needs to be done rather than only
081512 -        appointments. ref OF 9 005Q
081514 -  ..
081515 - TDS continues noting...
081516 -
081517 -    To identify what needs to be done today, a worker must examine
081518 -    three things:  what is...
081519 -
081520 -        1.  Scheduled.
081521 -        2.  Pending that should be scheduled.
081522 -        3.  New that requires scheduling.
081524 -     ..
081525 -    It is not a requirement to make this review.  No one will go to
081526 -    jail, and the SDS program will not explode, if these things are not
081527 -    accomplished.  SDS just makes it easier, and more rewarding, to do
081528 -    them. ref OF 9 00ER
081530 -     ..
081531 -    Electronic In-box
081533 -  ..
081534 - The scope for SDS set out in the TDS strives to extend traditional
081535 - methods for getting things done correctly, on time and within budget.
081536 - ref SDS 0 FI99  Gary feels David Allen can contribute, per analysis on
081537 - 030925, per above. ref SDS 9 UF4I
081539 -  ..
081540 - At a convenient time, Gary should try to comment on the TDS....
081541 -
081542 -    What objectives and capabilities does TDS present that can be
081543 -    implemented better with improvements to SDS that Gary draws from
081544 -    experience using David Allen's technology and methods?
081545 -
081546 -    What additional use cases would be helpful to explain in TDS?
081548 -     ..
081549 -    The Schedule provides a place to enter tasks for specific dates,
081550 -    and the SAA record can list tasks that are not yet scheduled for a
081551 -    specific date.  Tasks with a date in the Schedule, and capable of
081552 -    rolling forward to provide continuing visibility, and tasks without
081553 -    a date, that have slightly reduced visibility, but still
081554 -    instantaneously visibility when time permits, nominally cover all
081555 -    the tasks in the world.
081557 -  ..
081558 - Gary's record on 040403 shows important ideas for strengthening this
081559 - support. ref SDS 9 PQ6Y
081561 -  ..
081562 - Gary gives an example of a particular use case for improving SDS....
081563 -
081565 -     ..
081566 -    Reading List Example
081567 -
081568 -    Follow up ref SDS 9 QS5Q, ref SDS 7 YI6I.
081570 -     ..
081571 -    Given a list of books that I want to read, I would like to have the
081572 -    list in one place. I could make a record or a segment per book and
081573 -    then use Subjects to manage them, but that moves toward a record
081574 -    per book and involves a search every time I want to deal with the
081575 -    list. ref SDS 7 YI6I
081577 -     ..
081578 -    I don't want to maintain a book inventory in SDS, and particularly
081579 -    not in Subjects. Having a Subject entry for each book actually
081580 -    analyzed makes sense, but not for every book read, much less owned.
081581 -    ref SDS 7 HT7G
081583 -  ..
081584 - SDS has worked well for expanding literacy applied to reading,
081585 - comprehension, and applying important ideas in books and other
081586 - professional works, illustrated by the list on 950204. ref SDS 1 7499
081588 -  ..
081589 - SDS provides a variety of ways to develop and maintain a list of books
081590 - to read and to support the actual reading, plus any ideas that might
081591 - be rolled over into writing....
081592 -
081593 -        1.  Create a subject for each book separately in the Subject
081594 -            Index.
081596 -             ..
081597 -            Gary feels this is more effort than the task merits,
081598 -            because it requires calling a subject report which takes
081599 -            about 1 or 2 seconds after calling the report. ref SDS 7
081600 -            YI6I
081602 -             ..
081603 -        2.  List all books in a single SDS record, and use the Subject
081604 -            Index to find it, if the date is forgotten.  If the record
081605 -            is used regularly, typically, the location of the record
081606 -            can be found almost instantly.
081608 -             ..
081609 -        3.  Make an inventory file, like a traditional bibliography and
081610 -            file it as a small project, then use the Subject Index to
081611 -            find the record where the list was developed, and place a
081612 -            link in the record into the bibliography.
081614 -             ..
081615 -            This might be a duplication in part from option 2.
081617 -             ..
081618 -        4.  Use option 2 or 3 and print the record or the bibliography
081619 -            file, and place it on the wall on in a desk drawer, in a
081620 -            conventional in-box on the desk where it will regularly fall
081621 -            within span of attention.
081622 -
081624 -  ..
081625 - When there are many ways to do the same thing, tension arises about
081626 - which is the most effective, which only experience can resolve.
081628 -  ..
081629 - Gary notes in the letter to the M&S group on 040402 that so far, SDS
081630 - has only been applied on the job mostly for keeping a record of
081631 - meetings. ref SDS 6 3O5V
081633 -  ..
081634 - Gary's record on 040403 discussing tracking To Do lists, ref SDS 9
081635 - UF4I, and managing a reading list for books, per above, ref SDS 9
081636 - PR9W, follows up on planning in the letter to M&S on 040402 to begin
081637 - applying SDS for more daily tasks, beyond tracking meetings.
081639 -  ..
081640 - Keeping a bibliography of books to read, books read, etc. is a good
081641 - use case for developing ways to apply SDS.
081643 -  ..
081644 - Gary's experience working out a solution over the next few years can
081645 - help refine the Typical Day Scenario on how SDS is applied to improve
081646 - traditional practices.
081647 -
081648 -
081649 -
081650 -
081651 -
081652 -
081653 -
081654 -
081655 -
081656 -
0817 -