Managing Info Overload ...

The daily struggle to keep up with reading and info may have finally met its match ... after years of trying to get to a good system, I think I have gotten to a workable solution for my needs ... let me highlight the use of several products that are now in the arsenal ...

I start with Evernote as my basic capture and store mechanism because of the speed and ease .... by using the universal clipper that resides on my windows tray, I can call up the clipper function and create a new note with whatever I am reading ... this is the start of the process and can sometimes be the only capture necessary ... the notes are completely hypertexted so I can call up any and all things that are related simply by typing in a broad topic ... the clipper allows you to capture either the full screen or area as defined by you or I like to highlight text from a window and then just hit the clipper button to nicely put the info including the links right in the searchable note ...

The second item is my print of the note to OneNote .. I like to back the info up to a second location for reference later ... actually, this is the place that I go to when I have downtime or on trips while travelling ... it is a storehouse of tips and processes that I like to reference time and time again ... by using the print to onenote function, I easily put the note now in onenote ... I also use the onenote pages to annotate (by annotating and highlighting in color the emphasis is easily shared with others) and further flag for putting together papers or ideas when I am researching something ... my onenote and Evernote are backed up to my X61t through Foldershare so I have current info always when I leave to go out or travel ...

I will sometimes also use my onenote notes then after annotation and highlighting by printing to a pdf file for sending out to my colleagues .... this system works well and is super fast ... by simply storing in evernote and then sending info to onenote later, your flow is barely interuppted and you can make sure you always keep your info available ... works for me ....

More Productivity, Less Hassle ...

In a recent thread I showed how I am using Remember the Milk items (one of the best web apps) to create a todo list right on my gmail interface ... Kevin over at jkOnTheRun picked up on this and continued the thread (I have them on my RSS feeds and read diligently EVERY day .. a must read for all) ...

Well Kevin found another great tip today ... to add the gCal to the sidebar on Firefox ... well that is one that I also use, but I do keep the two items separate, the todo or task list and appts, and that seems to work best for me .... so I looked at the writeup and it indeed is sweet and quick so that got me thinking .... I started using a great app, StartAid, which is simply a web based bookmark system ... quick digression, the other thing I need is basically a real time synch so when I go out with my X61t I will always be good to go (I previously discussed how I use Foldershare as it keeps all my work files up to date on both computers in basically real time) ... anyway, startaid gave me a basically updated bookmark system that I find far easier to use than other schemes I have been trying, so I was thinking what if I took the insrtuctions and just modified the use to startaid ... first pic is of the startaid side bar that pops up ... I just dragged the link to the bar and voila ... I bookmarked it ... now when I hit the bookmark .... drumroll please .... an agenda and quick way to add events, etc .... this is really slick and quick ... thanks all, this was where I was trying to get to ... I like the igoogle page, but my calendar and tasks seem to lose their focus when surrounded, these tricks really allow you to focus, post, and get back to where you were ... keys to better productivity ...

Variations on a Theme ....

In thinking through where I started, I have come back to the notion that mobile can also mean being able to not only move in physical space ... the idea that work can be done practically while at your desk, but your presence is in cyberspace and with the interactions there has always been of interest ...

We have been thinking of implementing a collaborative workspace ... the first thought was of wikis or spaces on the net, then I happened on the concept of a meeting place in Second Life ... this configuration in a virtual world gave rise to an entirely difference experience and opened a new world for possible collaborations. I use LinkedIn and put out a question that was answered by Dave Elchoness, CEO of VRWorkplace ... see the linked press release. Dave has been instrumental in opening my eyes and accelerating the process. It is an incredibly rich operating environment where interactions take on a similarity to physical interactions and where the lines tend to blur as you go into the virtual environment. There you will find a whole microcosm of opportunities that are rapidly being embraced and furthered.

We started exploring and here are a couple of screenshots from his virual offices ... this is a mind opening direction that I feel is being embraced throughout many large enterprises who are gaining utility from this form of collaboration and exchange. Explore the avenue, as I think with the rise of the younger, more savvy, workforce .. this sort of interchange and utility is second nature and a normal extension of the real world. A new variation on a theme ....

Associative Thinking and Flow ....

I earlier promised a followup to using the Brain and its amazing paradigm that enables associative thinking for a more natural flow or thought processing ... ie the naming as The Brain for the software package (it is pricey, but there are download demos and a free edition) explore the website as there are fascinating examples and the actual navigation of the site really gives you a glimpse into the power.

Here are a couple of shots of my brain that I have set up in about a month of hard use ... you create the ideas and link it to as much or as little of the rest of your brain, the more associations the better so you can see how one thought leads to another and the path to one can come from many sources. This is associative recall that a linear package does not have, I have used it now extensively in meeting situations to call up bits and pieces that I needed almost instantly. The first shot is of a lightly expanded look at interlinked ideas, folders, docs, appts ...etc ... looks complicated, but actually it is this chaotic look at knowledge that makes sense ... all of your significant thoughts have come from so many sources and them from the same, it is this picture that mirrors associations of thoughts that we actually use.

The second shot is of the folder that I had in the lower left corner of my brain "plex" as it is called. I clicked on the work folder which is actually my main work folder on my computer, the program instantly created the sub folders for me, which is the regular folder structure in the work system, you can click on any and the list of files comes up that you can then click and work on ... this really quick and intuitive, but only a glimpse of the power ...

One last example, I went into meetings to present a proposal ... before going, I linked the people who were to be in attendance, the background papers, etc ... while in the meeting, a question arose and I simply pulled the main item up in the plex and the associated thoughts took me right to the information that I needed ... like anything else that is valuable, it is your insights and work that leads to the value of a tool like this ... I urge you to play with this application and explore situations where it may be of value to you ... constructed properly, it becomes a second brain that will not forget thoughts or items, devoid of senior moments, unlike my standard issue that has a tendency to lapse into them more frequently now ... ;-)

Visual Impact to Creative Thinking ....

I have recently been using Mindmanager for quick brainstorming sessions that have led to viable concepts or projects ... the ease of manipulation once a framework is set is extremely valueable for keeping the idea flowing. I have come to believe that the flow is the key to creativity and the visual mapping process is the key to maintaining the flow ...

This is an example of a recent project that started as an exploration of a great concept ... Vertical Farming ... in this process, you would farm in an enclosed building within urban environments to produce food and process waste from populations concentrated in cities. Having the fresh and nutritious produce sourced in close proximity to the population and treating of waste both from the food processing and from population are critical pluses to the system. Add to that the ability to grow crops year round and not to use any more land than is under the building makes for a very attractive alternative.

So I started on the thought and quickly built out this map ... I have highlighted how the idea evolves and once the main thoughts are laid out it was a simply process to fill more and more thoughts into the map. As I did more research and found other ideas and sources, I simply added to the map and used links to ensure none of the info was lost (serving as a knowledge management system for the project). I will usually then start formulating marketing pieces, with this done, I would make sure the documents were then tied into branches ... by following this evolving project, you would never lose sight of where it came from and the overriding concepts, but you would also have the minutest of details at your fingertips as you create your project and proposal. The other value is being able to see the whole framework in a quick glance and go to wherever you need to in the map. I have used similar processes to flesh out many concepts and products.

So to recap, simply start with the main concept ... flesh out the details radially and continue to add to the structure as work progresses. This method will allow you to come back to your work and never skip a beat as you add more and more detail .... visual impact to creative thinking ...

Couple of Productivity Tips ....

Wow ... almost a month since the last post ... have been busy, but that is really no excuse, so here goes .... let me qualify some of this as I am using the Firefox 3 Beta 2 version of the Firefox browser and so far have had good success with it ...

I happened on this tip in Lifehacker and now use it effectively throughout my day. This will add a side window on gmail (also my now default email client) ... the screenshot shows my gmail window with the sidebar ... whenever you open an email, one of the further actions on the pulldown meny is create a task .. once you do that the email will appear on the list as an item today ... you can mouseover the item and change dates and title ... once that is accomplised I ususally archive the actual email ... when the date occurs, you mouseover the task and you will see the email icon in the upper right corner ... hit that and voila you are right back in the archived email and can send a followup .... it is extra slick and takes care of an immense amount of clutter I had in my inbox ... this is how I use it, but I'm sure there will be many resourceful users who create their path (click on the Lifehacker article to get the plug in link).

The second new animal is UberNote ... a simple list and note taking utility that has some extremely useful features ... again, as I kinda use gmail as my online dashboard, having a good way to create items that can then be put on my with more extensive documentation. Research notes, ideas, screen captures, links ... all viable items that can be posted to your big note and then emailed to your box (see the little email icon ... just hit that and the note goes flying to your inbox) ... further use then with the remember the milk sidebar or even then using the actual Remember the Milk web based client to further refine the storage or categorization of the note. The utility of this is the open ended chain for reminder or information processing ... having the web note open and ready to store research or thoughts spontaneously helps to not interrupt the flow of an idea ... all goes a long way to higher productivity ...