Edgy Idea #5 – Swipe time management ideas from wherever you can find them

Others say: Don’t deviate from this system”
Time Management 2.0 says: “Experiment and try new ideas from every source you can find”

Looking for ideas to upgrade your time management system might sound more daunting than it really is.  There are lots of gurus out there who have put together excellent systems for personal productivity.  Some are well known, while others are more obscure.

The good news is that there are quite a few gurus who have put together good systems, but the chances of any of them being compatible with your current habit pattern are small.  After all, they based their system on what worked for them, and then found that it worked with others, but they probably didn’t get around to consulting YOU!

They know that their system works, and they can’t imagine that you can use it in a way that’s different, and therefore they urge users to stick to the habits and practices that they prescribe.

I remember one guru who insisted that his unique lexicon was essential to making the system work, including a pretty unique definition of the word “Now.”

If you’re lucky, you might be one of the few who are already using habits that are similar to the gurus, therefore making the change a relatively easy one.  However, you might be like many users who aren’t interested in walking lock-step with someone else’s ideas and practices.  You sense that the guru’s ideas probably do work quite well for the guru, but that your life is different.

You need something that’s customized for your needs, personality, career, idiosyncrasies, lifestyle, age and culture.

You probably also want to have the ability to change the guru’s ideas as you see fit, and to use the ideas from as many sources as you can, regardless of the name of the author or trainer.  I have found that taking a bit from one source and then another has been the best approach, giving me a system that’s all mine but works well for me.

You probably want the same thing.

I know the gurus are smart guys, but I don’t think that any of them is perfect.  We are all better off mashing together a time management system of our own, and being open to the next new idea so that we can incorporate it into our routine.

What Time Management 2.0 explores are the principles, or fundamentals of time management. When we understand them, we can easily take ideas from here and there as we become aware of them, and continually improve our productivity.

A few years ago, I learned how to build PC’s, and since then I have been able to custom-build my own, and repair them, simply because I have that skill.  I’m just grateful that there were lots of people who were willing to teach the principles of computer building and repairing so that I could understand it.

Not too long ago, users dared not open their computers for fear of damaging them, as they lacked the basic knowledge necessary.  They simply could not do much with them.

In the world of Time Management 2.0 I want to leave you with the ability to enhance your own productivity whenever you want or need to, and to show you how to incorporate the very latest ideas and technologies as soon as they become available.

For example, recently GMail released a new feature called Priority Inbox.  I analyzed it using Time Management 2.0 principles (see the article in the Further Resources appendix to this chapter)  and found that it didn’t deliver on its promises to save time and ease email overload.

It’s the kind of analysis that’s easy to do once you know the principles, and I’m now applying it to a quest I’m on to see if adopting a smartphone will enhance or diminish my overall productivity.  You’ll be able to do the same thing on your own once you learn how to use Time Management 2.0.

In this world, it’s too easy to run after the sexiest new technology, only to end up with unproductive habits like texting while driving — endangering other people’s lives — which is very unproductive!

Here are the links to all the pages in this report:

Introduction

Summary: The 8 Edgy Ideas

Edgy Idea #1

Edgy Idea #2

Edgy Idea #3

Edgy Idea #4

Edgy Idea #5

Edgy Idea #6

Edgy Idea #7

Edgy Idea #8

Thanks and Links

This is an excerpt from the Special Report:  8 Edgy Ideas from Time Management 2.0, offered by Francis Wade of Framework Consulting.  We offer the MyTimeDesign online training.