certain issues were fixed few weeks ago and we have just performed irregular maintenance. It was successful, but still if you experience strange behavior, please feel free to post it into discussion here on blog or write a Jabber message to giorno@jabber.sk. We apologize for any inconvenience caused by our actions.

Your monkeys

]]> http://blog.gtdtab.com/2010/05/whats-better-to-focus-on-present-or-past/feed/ http://blog.gtdtab.com/2010/01/bugfix-016-for-gmail-issue/ http://blog.gtdtab.com/2010/01/bugfix-016-for-gmail-issue/#comments Wed, 06 Jan 2010 11:20:51 +0000 Giorno http://blog.gtdtab.com/?p=231 User Blaž has reported serious bug in underlying libraries used for our GTD service, which was causing not displaying system generated messages in Gmail and perhaps also in other e-mail clients. Bug was fixed today, but we encourage you to report any odd behavior.

Resources

• Discussion in this article

New features

1. Higher level of security in the case of forgotten password. Instead sending former password a new one is generated in two steps.
2. Indication of moving into Archive and deleting from Archive. Very useful when slow line or batch removing.
3. Indication of removing contacts from the Address Book.
4. Indication of removing Contexts from Stuff and Address Book.
5. Indication of saving the contact in Address Book.

Fixes

1. Fix of sudden disappearing of caption in Lifegoals cloud.
2. Fix of wrong rendering of buttons in WebKit browsers (Safari, Konqueror, Google Chrome).
3. Setting focus onto top input line in editor form for Collecting Stuff.

No not forget: GTDtab.com is Perpetual Beta.

In the year 1453 the city of Constantinople was captured by Ottoman empire and this day is considered the end of Middle Ages. New version of our online GTD application is codenamed after this event, numbered 0.1.4.

New features

• Presets for effective time setting in collect/process form. Options are from 3 to 7 and they are computed from most used times.
• Anchors for effective date setting in the form. Today and Tomorrow can be set, also next three months calendar is available.

Fixes

• Fixed Life goals cloud (after deleting the Lifegoal Context cloud remained same).
• Breaking of text rows at new lines
• Correct displaying of strings after switching language in account settings.

Open issues

There are still at horizon:

1. Extend options for entering dates and times for tasks.
2. Fix for buttons texts in WebKit base browsers.

Remember: Release early, release often!

David Allen uses  two terms: Context or Category. Both of them stand for the short text description, also called meta-information, with which we label Things to keep them categorized according to the way of their processing, or according to the thing they are associated with. Here are examples of typical categories we should use:

1. Calls
2. E-mail
3. At Computer
4. At Work
5. At Home
6. Lifegoals
7. Shopping
8. Read/See
9. Errand’s
10. Meetings

These are only suggestions, everyone could make his own Contexts. Do not think it is very complicated, because you’ll find out, that some Contexts are useless for you, and in the course of time you’ll have to add some new ones, which you miss. It is not very good to have too much, or too few Contexts. I am using 11 Contexts right now.

Physical Contexts

As we will use along with the virtual Inbox also carton Inbox for real-world things and documents, we should similarly prepare contexts/markers to label Things. Sufficient  solution is to use:

1. Post-it stickers or bookmarks, , the best will be colourful with the hand-written despription
2. Marker, for example  Centropen or the marker for the writing on CD/DVD
3. Colourful pegs for the hang out the washing- suitable only for documents
4. Ink seals – rather expensive, but really useful for documents (if the „damaging“ of this document is ok)
5. Electronic  labeler – quite expensive  solution too, but universal, and recommended by David Allen

The cheapest solutions are represented by points 1 and 2. For my personal GTDtab system points 1 and 2 equipment is adequate, as I have most Things online.

Contexts in GTDtab.com

In the online application the situation is much easier, the Context can be created and assigned to Things very easily. On the tab Contexts you click on Create new context, and you’ll see very simple form for creating the Context. Add Display name to your Context, for example Calls, then Description (not required), and choose Color scheme for your Context. Then click the Save the context button, and the new label is made.

All Context stickers are at your disposal in forms for the Collecting and Processing the Stuff. By using many different colour schemes for Contexts, you will be able to quickly and effectively identify and select your Things in boxes.

What’s next? Let’s start!

We hope, that this time we’ll start for sure. Prepare the basic set of Contexts  you’ll need. You may find an inspiration  in the book Getting Things Done, on the demonstrable picture, or in the short list on the begining of this article.

For users of our GTD app in Czech or Slovak language, there are linked posts from GTD blog written in Slovak.

Almost every month we bring you new version of  online GTD application GTDtab.com. Today it is version 0.1.3 Guadalcanal codenamed after Guadalcanal Campaign, one of most important WWII battles. This big loss of Japanese army had big impact on war development on Pacific theatre.

New features

• Contacts in Address Book can be marked with contexts.
• New design for paging in lists.
• Removal of multiple items from the Archive.
• New color design for box things count on tabs. Color is determined by average priority of box content. Algorithm for computing can be set in Settings.
• Advanced search on new tab All stuff. Also grouping things by contexts.
• Suggestions for zero matches in searching or for empty boxes.

Fixes

• Fixes in Slovak and Czech localization.
• Displaying layout of rounded corners in WebKit browsers.

Open

In very next version we would like to:

1. Extend options for setting date and time for task deadline.
2. Fix flaw in displaying buttons in WebKit browsers.

Motivation board is ideal tool for such a job. It can be made of cork table with photos, sketch on flipchart, Post-it sticked right on the frame of computer display, few words written by permanent marker on your wrist. That is the way! Dirty, but very useful.

My life goals are…

Things suposed to be on motivation board are your life goals. To have true life goals, not just kid wishes, you should make them:

1. Sharp - anybody can (and does) dream about car, house or life mate. These are true life goals, but in most cases we do not give them concrete shape. It will help you so much if you dream little more and virtualy build your future. This vision will navigate you right there.
2. Time definined - you should seriously pursuit your happiness. That is the reason why goal should have deadline or time frame. It is not important if you achieve goal in the time you decided, but having a certain day in the future as the time when you want to have your dream realised is another intuitive source to power and to speed up your actions. Use reasonable time intervals like months or years. Something you can do in few weeks is not a life goal.
3. Big - only small people have small goals. Goal must be so exciting and so huge that it bring you to dreaming every day of your life. Size of your goal is the power for your actions.
4. Few - do not spend all your initiative, time and resources in vain attempt to realize twenty big dreams. You might make them all, but it requires more time. And that may frustrate you so much that under stress you fail. It is recommended to have 3 - 6 life goals, but organize it by yourself.
5. Always on sight - that is the reason for motivation board. Keep your dreams close to you so they may become part of your life.

Motivation diagram

Lets draw example of motivation diagram? Never heard before? Nor did I. I just forged it now to help understand and  measure life goals motivation. Perhaps it can be used also in some other way. You are all welcome to shout your propositions in the discussion.

What is sketched there? Circle  in the center is time clock with non-linear scale. That is becouse more goals we concentrate in nearer future. Distance of each goal from the circle (length of arrow) is measure of importance, position on the time scale is urgency. These two measures are also used in various time-management techniques, e.g. in The Eisenhower Matrix, which we will discuss next time.

Back to present: this kind of diagram you may draw for yourself and stick or pin it up onto your wall, cork table or put it under transparent protection of desk. Just play with pencil and colors. Perhaps someday I publish article about drawing such diagrams so anybody could do it for him/her-self on the computer.

Life goals in GTDtab

We do not underestimate power of motivation, therefore in version 0.1.3 of our online GTD appplication we added new feature to provide small motivation board everywhere where you can use GTDtab. It requires only few steps to complete:

1. If you do not have Context badge for Lifegoals, go into the tab Contexts, click on Create new context and fill the form. Name it Lifegoal, Goal, Objective or whatever else you want to. Try to use bright color scheme for your life goals context.
2. Create your life goals records as ordinary stuff. Click on Collect new thing and fill the form. Use short names for the goals, like Get married or PhD. Do not forget to click on context you have previously created. Save your new stuff.
3. Go to My account and click on Change settings. In the field Life goals choose Context you have created and in next select From all boxes except Archive.
4. After click on button Save settings you should see your goals in the left bottom corner of the page.

It is up to you to find out what happen when you click on life goal in Life goals cloud.