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December 06, 2006
Nifty capture tool
You may have noticed that I'm a big proponent of capturing everything out of your head with a capture tool. If you were looking closely at my home office setup, you might have noticed that I use my own version of David's Notetaker wallet. I've also been known to say everyone should have a post-it cube for capturing in their car.
It appears the Post-It folks have outdone me with this high-tech Auto Message Center. You record your thoughts into the tape recorder, then once you are parked you can jot them down on the post-it notes. (Thanks Erik!)
So why am I such a fan of capturing?
Believe it or not, it's more than just a geeky love of gadgets that keeps me interested in collection, the first step in the 5 Phases of Mastering Workflow. I actually have found that mastering the Collection step can increase my ability and agility with other phases down the line. Once I have everything out of my head and on paper, part of the subconscious kicks. I feel an instant sense of trust in my GTD system just knowing that all of my fresh ideas and commitments are "out there" somewhere, ready to be manipulated and shuffled around however I see fit. Collecting also forces me to think about processing. As my inbox gets taller with the collected material, my internal radar triggers me to set aside time to process the stack back to zero. Which of course leads me to organize the information into a system that needs to be clean and clear (otherwise why organize it in the first place?). So if you're new to GTD, or just want to get back in the game: Collect. There are lots of ways to get started:
- Do a mindsweep
- Use a trigger list for your mindsweep
- Walk around your home / office capturing as you go
- Get a capture tool for your wallet or purse
- Put some junior sized legal pads by every phone in your home or office
- Add that post-it cube gadget to your wish list
- Gather up everything in your line of site that could potentially be actionable and put it in your inbox, right now!
The only means of strengthening one's intellect is to make up one's mind about nothing - to let the mind be a thoroughfare for all thoughts. - John Keats
Posted by Lisa at December 6, 2006 10:38 AM
Comments
Lisa, great post and thanks for the links.
Re: collection tools...I did one better for a collection tool in the shower that you linked to earlier. I bought a 5x7 "note pad" from a scuba diving store a couple years ago. It is designed for divers to write on under water. It has a pencil attached and works great, even under the stream in the shower. I get a lot of ideas in the shower...so I note my idea and then, later, transfer it to the appropriate list. The unit stays in the shower...just above the faucet, right below the shampoo.
Seriously.
If you are interested, I'll send you a photo and a link on where to get these.
Joe (and I can't even swim!!)
--> Thanks, Joe! I am in the market for something like this, believe it or not. -LP
Posted by: Joe Ely at December 7, 2006 01:47 PM
Lisa
The site for the post it device says you can only buy in increments of 12. Where do you buy one?
Tom
-->Hi Tom. Seems totally bizarre to me, too, that Post It only offers them as corporate gifts. It might not be too hard to get together 11 friends who want one. Cheers, LP
Posted by: Tom Sparks at December 8, 2006 01:43 AM
I use the memo feature on my cell phone (Motorola Q, but almost all of them have it) for voice capture. I empty it regularly as another inbox That way I always have it with me, and all of my voice memos are in one place.
Posted by: Tony Pisani at January 3, 2007 07:27 PM
