The New 2009: Dealing with Commitments
Blogs and Discussions Best Picks for December/ January
In this edition, our featured bloggers and discussion groups share their thoughts on this year’s upcoming challenges.
Regarding careers and job advice, bloggers wrote on the benefits of setting mantras in leadership. The Harvard Business Review blogs stressed that leaders must make more effort to engage and involve employees. They researched what coaching can do for your career and how this emerging industry could improve in coming years (full research published in the January edition of the Harvard Business Review).
In Personal Effectiveness, bloggers gave solid advice on getting started with 2009. From timeless tips at the Positivity Blog, to simple time management advice at Dumb Little Man, to learning “the Art of Radical Exclusion,” a key theme of 2009 seems to be simplifying and reducing commitments, while increasing present quality.
Mark Forster also launched his new time management system, Autofocus, and has blogged his insights and early user feedbacks as he tests Autofocus out with the beta test group.
Think Simple Now ran a popular article on “How To Design Your Ideal Life,” telling readers not to live by default but by intentional design. A running series of articles on Stepcase Lifehack looks at a renewed vision for productivity, together with a new revelation: Productivity is a tool for empowerment. Its purpose is not to increase output, but happiness.
Our Top Five Career Effectiveness Picks
All Things Workplace
Harvard Business Publishing
10 Mantras for Emerging Leaders Iin 2009
Management Issues
Slacker Managerment
What Produces Your Best Results?
Our Top Five Personal Effectiveness Picks
Creating A Better Life
The #1 Single Biggest Mistake People Make on January 1st
Get Everything Done
The Positivity Blog
How to Create a Kick-Ass 2009: My Top 10 Favourite Timeless Tips
The Art of Nonconformity
Work. Life. Creativity. Blog
Our Top Five Personal Productivity Picks
Pick The Brain
Personal Growth Iin 2009 & Beyond
Think Simple Now
Stepcase Lifehack
Toward a New Vision of Productivity, Part 1: Transformation
Simple Productivity Blog
Our Top Five Online Discussions Picks
Do It Tomorrow (Yahoo! Group) and Get Everything Done Forums
One of the biggest announcements in time management’s biggest announcements for 2009 was Mark Forster’s beta testing for his new time management system, “Autofocus. “. Responses and feedback came in rapidly through the discussion groups (please see the blog section of this article for more details). Most of the users found the system uncomplicated, easy to use and intuitivecommonsensical. Some members took time to clarify issues such aslike choosing tasks (which this system does, in this system, is done through tasks that intuitively “stand out” for the user) and how to organise the list (e.g. working on immediate tasks immediately). Generally, the feedback so far early feedback is very positive, andwhere users found the system to increased productivity and creativity while eliminating procrastination. The eMonitor will be tracking all the pertinent feedback for this system in the coming weeks.
Getting Things Done Yahoo! Group
If the initial reactions to David Allen’s new book are anything to go by, “Making It All Work” restates key principles in Allen’s earlier “Getting Things Done,” with a few thoughtful insights into the GTD system. Reviews from the forums are mixed – some members see it as a blatant GTD rehash with scant new material; others as an insightful look at the GTD fundamentals. Some members felt the key takeaways from the book were the in-depth discussions on gaining perspective and control of one’s life.
Ready4Anything Yahoo! Groups
The Ready4Anything group at Yahoo has taken on an ambitious project: to cover the 52 essays from David Allen’s “Ready For Anything” book and implement it over the 52 weeks of the year. Under the “Clearing Out Deadwood” discussion, members contributed what they felt was missing from their “weekly reviews,” an important concept in the Getting Things Done system which helps GTD users get current and conscious about their projects. Some suggested being more honest and rigorous with their reviewing, and others felt that focusing time to work on the review was highly important. Members also talked about the digital and non-digital implements they used to keep track of their tasks. Popular tools were Windows Mobile phones, Microsoft Outlook, Blackberries, as well as the simple-yet-trusty pen and paper system.
The Now Habit Yahoo! Group
With a flurry of new posts for the New Year, members at The Now Habit group began posting their wishes for 2009. Some also took the chance to review 2008 by implementing the principles in Dr. Fiore’s book. While the book was found generally useful, some members had trouble using the “unschedule” concept, a method used by Dr. Fiore to get people to plan ahead and schedule guilt-free play. In response to that and others in the thread, Dr. Fiore posted the following tips on starting the New Year:
1) Set the ultimate goal (a place you’d like to be and how you’d like to feel in the future).
2) Choose and commit to a path that leads toward that goal.
3) Give your brain and body a functional goal that tells you when, where, and what to start.
Work.Life.Creativity Forums
Continuing on from the “Are You A Switchtasker” post (also one of our picks in this edition under “Personal Effectiveness”), the community discussed the impact of “switchtasking,” a term coined by Dave Crenshaw in his book “The Myth of Multitasking.” Many members in the thread discussed their methods of overcoming their multitasking habits, including turning their statuses on instant messaging applications to “busy” and keeping one task in front of them at any one time. Dave Crenshaw also posted on the thread, mentioning the productive benefits of “background tasking,” which he described in greater length in his book.
Life Design Wiki: Do It Tomorrow (DIT); Productivity Systems
If you enjoyed the article "The New 2009: Dealing with Commitments " - why don't you read more about the Whakate Way.
Become productive
Get to know yourself
Related Posts:
Do you want to discuss the article "The New 2009: Dealing with Commitments" with your fellow club members? Join the Club forum discussions or leave your comment below: