Whether you’re an acolyte of GTD or just want to get things done, we could all use some help in being more productive. Following are some useful websites to help boost your productivity and some software and web tools to help you along the way.
Websites
Zen Habits is a blog about setting and achieving goals. Topics include Productivity and organization, Finance and family, Happiness, Health and Simplicity. Site author Leo Babauta has taken David Allen’s GTD (Getting Things Done) system and created his own, more minimal system known as ZTD Zen to Done. A sample:
1) GTD is a series of habit changes. This is the main reason why people fall off the GTD system — it’s a bunch of habit changes that are attempted all at once. If you’ve read Zen Habits long enough, you know that focusing on one habit at a time is best, and guarantees the most success. In addition, GTDers don’t apply proven habit-change methods (the ones I talk about on this site) to change their habits.
Solution: ZTD focuses on one habit at a time. You don’t have to try to adopt the entire system at once — it’s overwhelming and it’s too hard to focus on your habit changes if you do too many at a time. Instead, focus on one at a time, and adopt the system in phases. Use proven habit-changing methods (30-day challenge, commitment, rewards, motivation hacks, etc.) to successfully adopt each new habit.
is a blog about Andrew Mason’s personal experience following the strategies laid out in David Allen’s GTD.
Lifehack.org bills itself as a “daily digest digest [with] pointers on productivity, getting things done and lifehacks.” It covers a broad spectrum of topics from eating healthy on the cheap to starting a fitness regime. Recent posts include: “Beat blank page syndrome: 10 tricks to getting your writing started,” “Five ways to pick up the exercise habit again,” and “12 steps closer to your ideal work day.” Topics covered are productivity, communication, lifestyle, money, technology and management.
Lifehacker covers “tech tricks, tips and downloads for getting things done.” An excellent resource for getting the most out of technology, Lifehacker features posts on downloads for Mac OS or Windows–what’s out there, how to use it, whether it’s worth getting as well as how to stories such as how to clean your computer and how to keep it clean.
Getting Things Done is another blog about David Allen’s method written by someone calling himself gtdfrk.
Dumb Little Man offers weekly tips to increase your productivity, save money “or simply keep you sane.” The offerings cover a wide variety of topics from getting ahead in your career to losing weight. Recent posts include: “14 simple steps to convert your sedentary lifestyle,’ “I was passed up for a promotion … what’s next?” and “35 things to avoid at your job interview.” Many seem like common sense, but everyone knows common sense isn’t all too common.
LifeClever offers tips for design and life. Non-designers can appreciate posts such as “The seven deadly sins of resume design”–avoid “fancy paper,” Times New Roman and excessive decoration. Posts on parallel parking, dressing like a Mac–the guy in the commercial–and “5 ways to instantly find cheap gas” make this a helpful site for anyone.
Black Belt Productivity is a blog focused on productivity, beginning with a primer on David Allen’s Getting Things Done.
Web Worker Daily offers tips and advice for people who use the web for work, which covers just about everyone these days. Subjects include hacks, software apps, tips & tricks, workplace trends and personal organization.
Life coaches blog bills itself as a personal development blog that offers strategies for living.
43 Folders covers “productivity and time management tips, life hacks to improve efficiency, ideas about ways to improve your life and reduce stress and shortcuts that make life a bit easier.” It’s a little bit of this and a little bit of that. A series, Inbox Zero, looked at “the skills, tools, and attitude needed to empty your email inbox — and then keep it that way.”
Is too much stuff getting you down? Unclutterer has the answer. This blog is not just “for the helplessly disorganized who would lose their head if it wasn’t attached to them, and pack rats looking to put their stashes on a diet, but also for obsessive compulsive neat freaks looking to squeeze even more order into their lives. We hope we can make getting and staying organized fun and informative.” The site features an uncluttered workspace of the week, a weekly look at ludicrous single-use items (a dedicated pizza oven, anyone?) in addition to tips on organizing your home, office or home/office.
Productivity tools
Before you go any further, check out the comparison of many of the productivity software available. Here are some other tools:
- Ta-da list is an online resource for making lists. You make a list, you check off items as they’re completed, you share the lists with others. Pretty basic.
- GTDTiddlyWiki gives users a single repository for their GTD lists and support materials so they can create/edit lists, and then print directly to 3×5 cards
- Remember the Milk is a little more complex. You can schedule reminders, map out your chores, collaborate and tag your chores.
- Nozbe allows you to create simple lists, upload lists from applications like excel, organize lists into projects, attach files and collaborate with others.
- GTD Inbox is a Firefox extension for Gmail that allows you to apply GTD labels: Contexts, status, projects and references; review outstanding tasks; save specialized searches; compose tasks and references and send them to your inbox; and print tasks to cards.
- EverNote allows you to take notes and create to-do lists. You can also save images, webclips and mobile phone shots.
- Scrybe is an online calendar/organizer. It’s currently only available to beta users but if you know such a user you can sign up by being asked to share his or her calendars, to do lists or thoughtstreams.
- Tasktoy is a listmaker based on GTD principles which gives you a homepage with a Google search box and customizable links. It allows you to add to the current list with one click. Two clicks to add to a different list and offers a screen that allows you to paste several items at once.
- Joe’s Goals allows you to set up and track daily goals. Add as many goals as you want and update them all from a single interface.
- Tudumo allows you to tag your tasks; filter tasks by tag, heading, date or any other combination; search-as-you-type; and create printable to do lists.
