Garrett Gee

In 2002, David Allen pushed a book called Getting Things Done. In this book he introduced his action management system, which you can read more about on wikipedia. While his system is useful to some, many found that they were modifying the workflow to fit into their own unique style.

I tried many software approaches to organizing things to do, but none gave me the flexibility and portability of index cards. Probably the most widely used or referenced index card system is the Hipster PDA, from the DIY Planner folks.

Out of all the Hipster PDA templates, I only use the action item list one. There is one major tweak that I made to the card though. Not every item on the list will have a square box next to it. If there is a box next to each item, how do you know which one is of higher priority? Perhaps you put a number or some marking on it. But then what happens if you accomplish that task, and are wondering what is next? To reorganize your priorities will require cross outs or other new markings, and overall make a mess of the card. You would have to rewrite the whole card over if you want to quickly and easily identify what is next.

So how do I know what is a priority? I draw a box for the highest priority of that day. And once that is accomplished, put an X mark inside it. For things of lower priority that don’t get boxes, if they get done simply put an X mark beside it. With this workflow, you can easily see what is the high priority that isn’t done yet (box without an X), tasks that are complete (anything with an X), and lower priority items (empty space next to the item).

One implementation trick I have with the actionable index card system is to create a new card each Monday and Friday. The Monday card will be from Monday through Thursday, and Friday’s card will be through Sunday. I found that creating a new card each day just wastes time. I do keep records on when I accomplish major tasks, but I have no need to record the exact date of when it was done. But more on that system later.

Hopefully this gave you some insight into how I manage my work. Are you already a student of getting things done? What are some of your techniques on the system you use?

So what is a lifehack? Lifehack.org defines a lifehack by any hack, tip, or trick that gets things done quickly by automating, increasing productivity, and organizing. Lifehacker.com defines a lifehack by any tip, shortcut, or download to help you get things done smarter and more efficiently. From the two definitions, the theme is to get things done quicker.

I like Lifehacker’s definition better, because it mentions getting things done smarter and more efficiently. But my definition of a lifehack is any method that enhances your producitivity to get things done. To me that covers both definitions, in a smaller package.

The migration from ggee.org to Garrett Gee.com is complete. All articles from ggee.org should successfully be redirected to the version on GarrettGee.com. And for those that read my posts through a blog reader, that should properly ber redirected as well. If it didn’t work, here is the GarrettGee.com feed.

Welcome to my personal blog. For some odd reason, both my RSA and USENIX badges showed this url, and not Infosec Events. I only recently created an information security only blog at Infosec Events, so perhaps registration didn’t get my update in time. There is still some interesting security posts on this blog, but all the new stuff will be at Infosec Events. Sorry for the confusion.

As you may have noticed, I have a new theme for this site. And while I was upgrading the system, I noticed that a majority of posts were related to information security. Which isn’t much of a surprise, since I love and work in that field. But my tagline was always ‘confessions of an information addict’. And I rarely posted on that subject!

So I decided to start a new blog just for the information security stuff - Infosec Events. The new blog is already in the Security Bloggers Network, and I just removed this blog from it. If you are here only for the infosec stuff, please subscribe to the Infosec Events feed.

What does it mean for ggee.org? This blog will be more about lifehacks and how to survive information overload. If you want to unsubscribe, I understand and wont be mad. But stick around and you might find the subject interesting.

Today there was news that Southwest Airlines had been operating several planes that hadn’t passed inspection, and are now grounded. This news wasn’t that much of a shock to me, because I had an interesting experience on my last trip to Las Vegas.

So here is my story on trying to get home from Vegas. Everyone boarded the plane, and we left the gates, ready to depart. But then a passenger noticed that there was a bolt loose on one of the wings! Eventually he got the attention of the pilot, who then confirmed the issue. How the heck can someone visually miss a bolt loose on the wing?! Did anyone even inspect the plane before it left the gates?

The pilot told us that there is a chance it could be repaired, so the plane moved back towards the gates, and we sat there for 30 minutes or so while the maintenance crew inspected the plane. Eventually they determined that the bolt wasn’t something they could easily just put back in, so we had to all exit the plane and find a new plane. Another hour later, we finally got a new plane and headed home safely.

I wonder if that bolt was loose for some time or it just happened recently. I wonder if there are any other stories like mine out there. I hope the FAA throws down the hammer to them. Or will it take a major incident before they start paying attention? Crazy huh?