DIY Planner - Any David Seah Printable CEO fans? - Comments

Regular visitor

Rebecca — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 09:54:05 -0400

I regularly visit David Seah's site for ideas and inspiration. I tried using the printable CEO for a while, but the more complicated the system I use, the more burried I feel.

I do, however, like his daily lists idea. I've started using it with my weekly planner pages - listing in order the things I want to get done (and stressing less when they're not done "on time and in order").

That's for sure

jonglass — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 02:10:21 -0400

but I find it a little difficult to navigate for some reason. And I haven't found any organizational forms of obvious relevance to the work I do.

Like you, I found David's site difficult to navigate. It is a blog, after all, but he has multiple, similar posts spread out, and his PCEO "page" doesn't do the greatest job of aggregating--rather aggravating. ;-)

Also, like you, for me, most forms are not helpful, but the one that is, most absolutely _is_ helpful! If you are looking for a way to make time tangible, I would recommend looking for the Emergent Task Planner, the Emergent Task Timer, and the electronic version, which chimes every 15 minutes (that's great for keeping me on-task--although, if I'm too involved, I don't hear it--a good thing.) Also, there is the procrastinator's clock, which constantly changes time from either 10 or 15 minutes too slow to 10 or 15 minutes too fast. I don't need it, but I could see it being useful for some people. Lastly, there is a form of the Emergent Task Timer, that is more like a game, the Task Progress Tracker. These are really useful for making time _really_ tangible. ;-) Here is the main page to go to to find all of the above: The Printable CEO Series

-Jon

Printable CEO

CathMac — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 22:39:32 -0400

Patrickg,
I have visited Seah's site several times and it is interesting and thought provoking but I find it a little difficult to navigate for some reason. And I haven't found any organizational forms of obvious relevance to the work I do.

However, I think one of the editable forms ("Worth Doing"??) might be useful for my sister's job hunt and project planning so I have referred her to the site.

Also, I just finished Julie Morgenstern's book: "Organizing From The Inside Out" and I am intrigued by the concept of making time tangible. I think some of Seah's forms would be good for this so I think I'll check in once in awhile to give them another look and see how I might apply them to my personal organization, if not my 9 to 5 job.

Thanks for reminding me about the site.
~Cath

Yup!

jonglass — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 16:03:52 -0400

My main daily tool is the ETP (Emergent Task Planner) printed out on A5 (approx. half-letter). It is a fabulous tool for focusing, and quantitizing my time. I like the trick of slashing a quarter-hour slot if I get distracted--and it can be depressing to see them during the day. It becomes a positive reinforcement, seeing both the solid blacks and slashes add up, and helps me focus. Granted, most "slashes" are disruptions via phone calls or drop-ins, and I don't feel guilty for those. I wish I could think of another way to mark them--although, sometimes, I just fill in a block as if I _had_ worked it full, when the interruption is short enough. I also like the ETP because of the "What Else is going on Today" part of the page. I write in tasks that need to be done, as well as comments from phone calls, etc. It's my inbox, so I can throw it down on paper, and get back to work.

The biggest help, as you stated, is that 15 minute clock chiming away every 15 minutes. It certainly helps me stay on task! I read something the other day--maybe Hawkwings.net, about multitasking, that it takes about 15-30 minutes for the average worker to get his mind back "in the groove" after an interruption like a phone call, but with the ETP and the "Electronic Time Tracker" (as I call the Flash version), I've noticed that I can get back much quicker.

So, combining that with several other DIYPlanner forms in a PocketMod format, I've got about what I need right now. Yes, I'm not a person in meetings, etc. all that often, so these tools really help me a lot.

-Jon

d'oh!

patrickg — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 15:36:41 -0400

I feel like a doofus... I thought I was logged in, but wasn't; the above forum topic is mine.

Any David Seah Printable CEO fans?

Tue, 27 Mar 2007 15:29:33 -0400

When it comes to time management, I'll admit to being a newbie. I have never it seems, been able to find a system and stick to it whole-heartedly. I am trying though!

David Seah is a pretty articulate blogger, and while his posts are long they are thorough and still engaging to read. He is intelligent without being a jerk about it :-)

I run my own web hosting and colocation company and often have time focusing on what is "important" vs. "urgent".

http://davidseah.com/the-printable-ceo

I have found the "Emergent Task Timer" to be amazingly effective in tracking my focus over the course of a day. Tracking time in 15-minute increments is easy using the tool (either online or via the PDF he has for download), and revealing to me is how much time I waste over the course of the day.

For instance, yesterday I worked on 2 client jobs, one that had me working from home (no travel) and one that required an on-site visit. Though I thought I pulled out all the stops and was busy, the ETT showed that a "full day's work" for me meant only 5 hours of billable time! It was a shocking revelation.

Anyone else deriving use from David's tools? (They are all free PDFs that work on both laser and inkjet printers).