I listen now Stephen R. Covey's audio book "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People". And I am little bit shocked how well it integrates with the David Allen's GTD process, it complements it and shows some other areas where your software could develop. Especially at the end of the Chapter 6 where Steve talks about Quadrant 2 activities (personal relationship and life purpose improvement).
Quoting that chapter's ideas: Daily planning limits the vision, focuses on "now", it helps to order activities, but doesn't question their essential importance in the first place: roles and goals. No tools to manage in the balanced way, taking into account life values, life priorities, etc. We need to start things by seeing where they lead and end. Focus just on activity causes strain in relationship, and doesn't help to build relationship.
Good planning tool needs to help you develop coherence - harmony, unity and integrity between your Vision, Mission, Roles, Goals, Priorities and Plans, Desires, Discipline. There needs to be a place for your Mission statement, a place for short term and long term goals (at work, in family, for personal development, etc.).
In my opinion recently announced application Things has one small advantage at this point - it's section called AREAS. It's taken directly from the David Allen's lectures about the "flights" at different altitudes:
Runway-10k feet: Daily tasks,
20k feet: Focus Areas,
30k feet: Short Term Goals,
40k feet: Life Vision.
Could OmniFocus also focus more attention to the whole balanced life planning? Add Mission Statement at the very top of the Projects list, above the Inbox. Add Roles section, add Areas of Focus, Goals.
According to Covey's book, there could be another view mode: Weekly view. It's important to see all my tasks and activities in some time context. Week is a good period of time to plan something. I could see all my Due tasks for each day, and if I could attach color to the Areas of Focus actions, those could be in different color, to help me visualise how much time I've scheduled for my family, how much for work and how much for community services. That would lift up OmniFocus to the whole new level! It wouldn't be just get this done, get that done, but would set all those tasks in the context of different areas of my life.
What are your opinions about these ideas?
Quoting that chapter's ideas: Daily planning limits the vision, focuses on "now", it helps to order activities, but doesn't question their essential importance in the first place: roles and goals. No tools to manage in the balanced way, taking into account life values, life priorities, etc. We need to start things by seeing where they lead and end. Focus just on activity causes strain in relationship, and doesn't help to build relationship.
Good planning tool needs to help you develop coherence - harmony, unity and integrity between your Vision, Mission, Roles, Goals, Priorities and Plans, Desires, Discipline. There needs to be a place for your Mission statement, a place for short term and long term goals (at work, in family, for personal development, etc.).
In my opinion recently announced application Things has one small advantage at this point - it's section called AREAS. It's taken directly from the David Allen's lectures about the "flights" at different altitudes:
Runway-10k feet: Daily tasks,
20k feet: Focus Areas,
30k feet: Short Term Goals,
40k feet: Life Vision.
Could OmniFocus also focus more attention to the whole balanced life planning? Add Mission Statement at the very top of the Projects list, above the Inbox. Add Roles section, add Areas of Focus, Goals.
According to Covey's book, there could be another view mode: Weekly view. It's important to see all my tasks and activities in some time context. Week is a good period of time to plan something. I could see all my Due tasks for each day, and if I could attach color to the Areas of Focus actions, those could be in different color, to help me visualise how much time I've scheduled for my family, how much for work and how much for community services. That would lift up OmniFocus to the whole new level! It wouldn't be just get this done, get that done, but would set all those tasks in the context of different areas of my life.
What are your opinions about these ideas?
Last edited by Guntis; 2009-02-02 at 09:00 AM..
Threaded Mode