
Get Things Done Like a Zen Master - sscheper
http://howtogetfocused.com/chapters/how-to-get-things-done-like-a-zen-master/
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gruseom
Could there be a more laughable distortion of a thing into its opposite than
Zen as tips-and-tricks for the achieving self?

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cgs
Insightful comments like the above are one of the reasons I love HN.

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pvdm
You forgot the next step: why do you need to get anything done in the first
place ?

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techiferous
I came here to say this.

Most people's problem isn't that they have too much to do and therefore need
to find out how to get it all done, it's that many of the things they have to
do aren't ultimately worth doing in the first place.

And then Zen, as I understand it, isn't about doing, it's about being.
Activity in Zen is an effortless extension of being, of acceptance.

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floodfx
similar advice from Marc Andreessen: [http://pmarca-archive.posterous.com/the-
pmarca-guide-to-pers...](http://pmarca-archive.posterous.com/the-pmarca-guide-
to-personal-productivity)

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sscheper
Floodfx -- Amazing article. Thanks. I've never seen that, but I am a big fan
of GTD (who he mentions).

Thanks a lot. Bookmarked.

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pvdm
Marc is not a big fan of GTD, which is the point of the article.

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chriskjennings
I've been using a similar system for awhile now. The offline approach is
extremely effective, however, I find it even more effective when combined with
ideas from The Pomodoro Technique.

I have the same type of weekly planner (the author calls it a To-do planner)
and a sticky note on my desk for the day that lists 3 to-do items. I draw a
series of squares beneath each item.

The Pomodoro Technique simply recommends focusing on a single for 25 minutes,
followed by a 5 minute break. The squares I draw below my to-do items
represent the number of 25 minute intervals I anticipate the task to take. I
cross them off each time my timer rings. If I underestimate the intervals of a
task, I add a circle for each unexpected interval. This allows me to see
patterns in my planning and works as a mechanic to finish things as scheduled.

Once the day is over, I remove the sticky note from my desk and "archive" it
by re-sticking it on that day in my planner.

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aymeric
The two main reasons why I prefer to stick with an online tool:

I don't have to carry an extra notepad+pen with me. I can easily copy and
paste long urls and click on them

When I am not in front of the computer, I use my iphone to write down ideas
and tasks and I update my online tool when I am back on the computer.

For those who want to stick to paper and stay minimalist:
<http://www.pocketmod.com/>

For those who want an online weekly planner: <http://weekplan.net> (my own
tool based on the 7 habits)

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kadavy
I like the idea of writing three things down on a post-it note before you go
to your computer. If you don't open up your laptop with a few goals in mind
first, you're fucked.

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holeykermoley
tl;dr have a to-do list and always carry a pen or pencil.

(Pen seems better since there's less chance of putting holes in clothing or
stabbing oneself.)

Not that I would recommend it. If I'm truly into my work then I'll have
sufficient integrity and memory to operate intuitively, from a rapidly
evolving _mental_ to-do list.

If I want to achieve, better would be to have a _to-don't_ list. It might
include things like don't drink too much, eat too much, consume too much
entertainment, porn, etc. This is what focus means: to gently _exclude_ stuff.

That way vitality and creativity will flow into my work. Any other approach is
implicitly enacting the theory that work/learning is painful. Which is false.
Nobody is taking my cookies away; I'm switching to a different flavour. (They
say a Zen master can see and feel the beauty in everything. That must include
creative work.)

It seems to me that alcoholics, the obese, etc, have a certain thing in common
with brilliant, creative achievers -- they know that the fun has to be _here
and now_. We say to addicts who promise to quit soon that "tomorrow never
comes". Why don't we say it to people who show us lists of goals? In reality
the concepts of procrastination, time management, memory management, rewards,
rule-based living, etc, aren't very helpful.

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sovande
I just bought the Focuslist program referenced in the blog as I thought it was
a good idea and since my OmniFocus list is choked. Just a warning though, the
Focuslist program requires Adobe Air to run. That is a major drag and for my
part I'm with Steve Jobs w/r to anything flash and I do not want to install
that just to run a window with 3 checkboxes.

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synnik
He is still making it too complicated.

I use Notepad. I edit a file called todo.txt. I've been editing this same file
for many years.

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apower
Org-mode is my zen master.

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asimjalis
Especially useful around tax season.

