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Getting Things Done [with PODCAST]
Technology 18 years ago No Comments

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contributed by James Ledoux [IT training consultant / travel enthusiast / dancing machine] 


EDITOR’S NOTE: In his continuous quest for the cutting edge, regular contributor James Ledoux has shoved us (albeit lovingly and willingly) into the new digital audio age. gettingthingsdone.gifThe result” PLiNTH & CHiNTZ’s inaugural podcast, which promises to be the first of many. The irony is that we’re employing this new-fangled technology to address and solve the age-old creativity stumbling blocks of procrastination, self-starting, and follow-through. So read (and listen) on to experience James’ virtual interview with self-proclaimed Life Hacker Merlin Mann, the quick-witted cyberstar who certainly knows how to get things done.

Muse And The Mann

Have you ever figured something out that was so helpful that you wish you could go back in time and tell yourself about it” I know the idea sounds like a Michael J. Fox movie, but the thought has to have crossed your mind: “If only someone had told me this years ago, I’d be so much further ahead in life!”

It was this idea that led me to interview writer and life hacker Merlin Mann for the first-ever PLiNTH & CHiNTZ podcast. Merlin is a San Francisco-based writer that you may know from his popular website about personal productivity called 43Folders.com, his interview in Wired magazine, or his ultra-clever and entertaining site of lists, 5ives.com. He was kind enough to chat with me via phone to ponder creativity, the personal organization system Getting Things Done, his website, and how his solutions will help our resourceful readers.


iPod Not Required

Before we go any further, however, let me introduce the uninitiated to the concept of PODCASTING. We assure you that it’s not as frightening as it sounds. It is merely the method of distributing multimedia files, such as audio programs or music videos, over the Internet for playback on personal computers and mobile devices (such as .mp3 players and iPods). If you’ve ever downloaded a .PDF file or saved a digital photo from a friend’s email to your hard drive, you can handle downloading a podcast.

Much like the term “radio,” the term can be used to refer to both the content and the method of distribution. A podcast is simply personal portable content. Just like music, it’s perfect on-the-go listening material for use while working out, commuting, cleaning, traveling, gardening, etc. A podcast can often convey the energy, humor, and overall subject tone that a written piece cannot. Just listen once and you’ll understand. Now let’s get started.


It’s Not All Or Nothing

We’re giving you the option to listen to the interview in its entirety or to listen to shorter snippets regarding specific topics. Need a pick-me-up during your lackluster 30-minute drive into work or while dominating the elliptical trainer” Then download the whole shebang, upload (copy) it to your .mp3 player or iPod, and safely multitask while on the road or in the gym.

Click here to hear the entire interview via Odeo.com. [29:15 minutes – 11.7MB]

However, for those of you not quite ready to digest such a large file, I’ve included parts of the interview transcript here so that you can pick and choose from the topics and decide what you want to listen to first. Not sure about this whole podcast thing” Then check out one of these smaller segments as a “trial size”. If you like it, try the other segments individually or download the whole thing. Again, you have the option of listening on your personal computer or transferring these smaller files to your portable listening device for information on-the-go. You decide what works for you.


Not All Tasks Are Created Equal

James: I wanted to talk to you about your website (43Folders.com), Getting Things Done, and how those could help out many of the PLiNTH & CHiNTZ readers. Because as you know many of them are recent grads, design students, and design enthusiasts, so I thought you could share some of your learning over the last few years that you wish someone had sat you down and told you when you were just starting out your career.

Merlin: Save your money is one! The other one is I wish someone had sat me down early on and talked about the way priorities work on a technical level. Not just the strategic up in the trees “I want to be a fireman when I grow up”, but the really specific kinds of ground level decisions you have to make from day to day…

Click here to hear Part 1 of this interview via Odeo.com. [5:49 minutes – 2.3MB]


Everyone Needs A System That Works For Them

James: As a self-employed person over the last five years I noticed that my work projects would always be on time, but yet almost at the expense of my personal life. I wanted you to talk a little bit about how putting in some sort of personal organization system like Getting Things Done – which you write about a lot on your site – or some other method can help you balance out your life. Not only are your clients serviced on time, but your taxes are filed on time and you’re not running out in the middle of the night for groceries for Easter dinner.

Merlin: There is a metaphor by Joel Spolksy, who writes a lot about software development. He has a metaphor that I have reused a lot. The basic idea is to think about your time as a crate or a box. And that box can have so many blocks. Those blocks represent your different tasks and the amount of time, effort, and focus they take…

Click here to hear Part 2 of this interview. [5:15 minutes – 2.1MB]


Do Organizational Systems Stifle Creativity”

James: One of the preconceptions or misconceptions that is out there is that organization or really planning things out stifles creativity…

Merlin: …it is very common for people when they get into something like Getting Things Done. One of the theories about why procrastination happens or why it “works” – or by that I mean it doesn’t work – is that we tend to reward ourselves for having gotten away with things.

Click here to hear Part 3 of this interview. [1:40 minutes – 687KB]


Why Are People Into Getting Things Done And 43Folders”

James: Though many of the 43folders readers may be more tech-focused than PLiNTH & CHiNTZ readers, there is a big crossover with the Mac community and the whole idea of people that are doing their work at a keyboard or in a design studio.

Merlin: 43Folders first started catching on with geeks but it turned out people are not into because they are geeks. They were into it, I believe, because they had to manage themselves. Whether you are a designer, a programmer, or a writer you have to make a lot of decisions about what you are doing each day. The geeks are just the canaries in the coalmine…

Click here to hear Part 4 of this interview. [3:18 minutes – 1.32MB]


The Hipster PDA And Capturing Ideas

Merlin: For many people the problem is they don’t remember to remember. That is where something like the Hipster PDA can be helpful. The Hipster PDA can be really useful as adjunct memory for your brain…

Click here to hear Part 5 of this interview. [7:31 minutes – 3MB]


The Sh*tty First Draft

James: I write all the time for work and it becomes very mundane robotic. But when I try to step out of that mode and go into creative mode, I really do have to get into a context where I am just writing and later on I’ll go back and edit.

Merlin: One guaranteed way to be artistically constipated is to over judge what you are doing. Anne Lamott talks about a concept she calls the “sh*tty first draft.” Which is the idea that your job as a writer before you can edit anything is to get something out there.

Click here to hear Part 6 of this interview. [2:24 minutes – 986KB]


A Practical Application Of GTD And Life Hacking: Marriage

James: Merlin, we have talked a lot about philosophical things, theories, and we have mentioned a lot of author’s books which I will capture in the show notes. One of the things I wanted to talk to you about is a practical application of Getting Things Done, life hacking, and something that is near and dear to your heart: your recent proposal – and now marriage – to your wife. How did you approach that” Did you put a list of next actions down on a list of To Dos”

Merlin: (Laughing) That is a really embarrassing question. But I kind of did. Not quite as nerdily as you describe it, but I sort of did. We knew we were going to elope which made it a lot easier. But weddings are the ultimate crazy project. But to tell you the truth we used a Backpack™ page and a lot of back-of-the-envelope planning. But I don’t think there is any limit to how you can use some of this stuff.

Click here to hear Part 7 of this interview. [3:55 minutes – 1.56MB]


Show Notes

The following books, authors, sites, and topics came up during the interview with Merlin. Some of them are only mentioned in the podcast, and some are mentioned here in the partial transcript. (Remember – shop with Amazon or Barnes & Noble through PLiNTH & CHiNTZ and we get a tiny little amount that helps fund our site!)

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43Folders.com

Merlin’s site about personal productivity, life hacks, and simple ways to make your life a little better.

Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity

An amazing book by David Allen on improving your productivity and reducing stress. A must-read for anyone who wants to get more things done. More information about David Allen is available on his website, DavidCo.com.

Hipster PDA

What do you get when you combine a binder clip, some index cards, and a slick name” Merlin’s old school, lo-fi, and ultra-flexible alternative to the bulky, costly, and high-tech PDA (personal digital assistant).

A Whack on the Side of the Head: How You Can Be More Creative

The great book by Roger von Oech that discusses the four modes for being creative.

Joel Spolsky

Merlin paraphrased Joel’s metaphor about time and breaking projects down into small blocks to maximize the number of things you do.

Anne Lamott

Favorite author of Merlin’s who advocates that an artist should give themselves the freedom to have a terrible first draft. Then the real work can begin.

The Now Habit: A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free Play

Helpful book by Neil Fiore about breaking the procrastination habit and addressing serial procrastination issues.

Brain Rain

James’ pet term for taking 10 minutes each day to think creatively.

Curiosity Cosby

Obscure reference by James from House of Cosbys hosted on Waxy Links.

Wasabi potato chips

James’ big idea for the best potato chip in the world. Should you be able to make one or know of one that exists, email him @ james.ledoux@gmail.com.