Lloyd Williams

If you are overwhelmed with tasks a todo list can be dangerous. Taming this potential monster and being able to manager the task in our life is important. Web Worker Daily asks:

>How many ways are there to manage your task list? Almost as many as there are people with tasks to do. Here are 20 different ways of tracking your to dos, with examples of each.

>You probably use more than one of these options, depending on what you’re trying to manage and what suits your temperament.

For the complete list [continue reading](http://webworkerdaily.com/2007/01/07/20-different-ways-to-manage-your-to-dos/).

With all the distractions surrounding us in the office, staying focused is difficult. Dave Cheong, entrepreneurial software engineer has a few suggestions.

> Over the years I have worked at many client sites and a variety of office layouts. On one project in particular, we had as many as 80 people in a project team, seated via an open plan arrangement. It was pretty difficult trying to stay focused in an environment like this. These days, the projects I’m on are typically smaller, but there are still a number of distractions which frequently interrupt my working groove. So what are some of the things we can do to minimise such interruptions and distractions?

>Here’s my list of [18 ways to stay focused at work](http://www.davecheong.com/2006/08/14/18-ways-to-stay-focused-at-work/)

Act Two of the [Three Act Planning](http://lloydwilliamsinc.com/2006/11/28/planning-a-three-act-play-2/) process is [Getting Things Done](http://lloydwilliamsinc.com/2005/11/11/getting-things-done/) (GTD) by David Allen. He created the best way to deal with the stuff that fills our lives. Merlin Mann of 43folders starts the new year with a great [recap of the GTD posts](http://www.43folders.com/2007/01/04/gtd-recap-07/) on his site saying,

>I’ve gotten several requests from readers for an updated primer for folks who are getting started (or re-started) with Getting Things Done. I’m happy to oblige with this updated collection of 43 Folders’ most popular, most visited, most-commented-on, and my personal favorite posts about David Allen’s GTD. There should be plenty here to get you rolling. And thanks so much to everyone who wrote to request this.

To see all the links the tools including 8-episode podcast with Merlin Mann and David Allen do not miss the [Recap Page](http://www.43folders.com/2007/01/04/gtd-recap-07/).

*Have you found a great GTD resource? If so, take a moment and share it in a comment with the rest of us.*

With all the activities that can occupy your day, where do you spend your time? Are you doing what you value the most? These questions occurred one evening and I sat down with pen and paper to discover the answers for myself. The following is a simple exercise you can do to answer the questions for yourself.

continue reading…

The following are blogs I value and visit on a regular basis:

43 Folders - Productivity
http://www.43folders.com

Life Hacker - Productivity
http://www.lifehacker.com/

Working Smart - Tools and Technology for Business
http://michaelhyatt.blogs.com/workingsmart/

The Daily Rotation - Technology Headlines from Around the World
http://www.dailyrotation.com/

Round the Rock - Kayak Circumnavigation of Newfoundland
http://www.cackletv.com/wendykilloran/

If you have a favorite blog please comment below.

Being on the road for the past several weeks, I appreciate the value of a good book to refocus my efforts and energies. Planning comes in two varieties: top-down explained in Steven Covey’s book First Things First and bottom-up illustrated by David Allen’s book Getting Things Done. While everyone would like to start at the top and work our way down, many times the messes in our life are suffocating us. It is in times like these that we must first put in place the tools necessary to clear the decks of our current projects. This is Allen’s great secret, getting through the mess to give us the freedom to look ahead. Read Getting Things Done today.

They are a community of people who see the value of paper as a medium for planning, productivity, creative expression, and exploring ideas. They encourage visitors to share advice and inspiration, and they love to see submissions for templates, kit images and story articles. They are also the official home of the free D*I*Y Planner kits. For more information go to www.diyplanner.com