Rhoneisms

Merlin Mann once again drops the mad science on how to get prepared from the upcoming release of OmniFocus which I have mentioned here before. That being said, the tips he gives not only apply to OmniFocus, but can apply whenever you are in the process of switching to a new application for your productivity system. Here is Merlin’s take…

“Moving your world of action into a new application is like moving into a new house (and can be almost as stressful). This is your chance to throw away crap, rethink how you’ve been doing things, and just give yourself a fresh start. So before you ever fire up OmniFocus for that first time, do yourself a favor and get sorted out with your current system first. Believe me, you’re much more likely to handle this well before the temptation of having the app in your hands sends you diving into using it full-time.”

I have been preaching this sermon for a long time. An application can help to support a robust productivity system but, at the end of the day, the only thing that matters is finding a system that works for you. When your system stops working, gets a little stale or no longer inspires – treat it as an opportunity to refresh and recharge. While I don’t recommend always looking for “the perfect GTD application”, sometimes switching out the tools gives you the inspiration and excitement you need to get back into the game. It has for me at least.