Work more productively with Getting Things Done

Getting Things Done - Productivity method

Earlier this week I wrote a guest post over at Campfire Chic, all about productivity and a method I use call Getting Things Done. Kam writes about organisation and productivity and her readers found it a very useful post.

A number of questions were asked so over the coming weeks I’m going to be answering some of them. Questions from how do I organise my “stuff”, questions about my (very pretty) filofax and questions about using online apps to manage your “stuff”.

If you have any questions that you’d like answered then please let me know and I will include them in my upcoming posts. Keep an eye out for the posts and I will be discussing it on Twitter as well.

Project Life – Week 4

I’m still keeping up with this project and even through a slight hitch with photo printing I am still really enjoying it. It is really forcing me to look at what is special to me on a day to day basis.

This week included a real mix of things. I went to a roller derby bootcamp, which included a bout (a game) and that is represented by the programme cover and some journaling. I love finding different ways to use the different layouts that I have. I kept it simple this week, mainly because I was busy when I put it all together and I’d just tidied up my scrapbooking supplies and I didn’t want to mess up my drawers!

The Mr has started some new shift patterns at work. This week was the first week of him on lates, meaning he left the house at 11am and didn’t get back till 11pm. It meant that I got little texts from him throughout the morning, it also meant that I didn’t really see him all week! I made this little ‘I love you’ card and every morning and evening we’d move it somewhere different around the house. In the layout this week I included a text from him (which is blurred out) and I wrote some journaling which I’ve taken out of the photos for personal reasons (hence the big white space!).


I also got my first Studio Calico scrapbooking kit, which I LOVE! It had a little card in saying who hand packed my box, which reminded a lot of Lush cosmetics.I also included part of a Nando’s napkin from when Donna and I went out for dinner.

Are you doing project life? How are you finding staying on top of it, are you staying on top or are you struggling?

See all of my project life posts in the archive.

My favourite iPhone Apps

I’ve been an iPhone owner for just over 2 years now and have got into a fairly good routine now of my “go-to” apps for different things. These are my apps that I use every single day, ones that I think other people need to know about. I use quite a few of the standard Apple apps, Safari, Mail etc. but these are those extra ones that I find better or ones that Apple hasn’t quite figured out yet.

Here are my top 5 apps:

TwitterI tried all types of different Twitter apps before settling on the standard Twitter one. I used to be an avid Tweetdeck user but then the interface changed and I couldn’t get on with it. Twitter does everything that I want and does it with efficiency and ease, what more could I ask for? Find me on Twitter @MacGeek87.

Camera+ I use this as my main camera app on my iPhone, I find it is much more precise and customisable than the standard camera app. I can change the settings so I can take my photo the way I want in the first place, rather than doing a lot of post processing. It also has some nifty effects that I can add to my photos. Only downside is that it doesn’t interact with the camera roll so any photos that I want to download to my computer I have to save separately. I talk more about this process in my photo organisation post.

InstagramThis was one of the first apps I downloaded when I got my iPhone but I’ve only really started using it in the last couple of months and I have to say, I love it! It takes a photo, applies a filter to give it an effect and then you can chose it share it with other people who “follow” you. It gives you a real insight into other peoples outlooks and view on life. I usually take the photo with camera+ and then import it into my photo stream and then into Instagram. I find that this means I can get a better slightly quality photo and I don’t lose my original unedited photo. I love the social media side of it and when Kam posted a tutorial about tagging your photos in Instagram it opened up a whole new possibility to me, now I search it regularly, it’s great for Project Life.

Day OneI’ve only just started using this app, but I’m loving it. It’s essentially a journaling app that will sync across your iPhone, iPad and Mac, there’s not a windows version available. You just open it and start journaling, it will save it and you can then view it via a calendar or as a list, it then syncs via dropbox or iCloud and across your apps. I use it for my daily journaling, I have it set to remind me each evening, it pops up on my desktop and I can then type a couple of sentences about my day.

ShopShopPossibly one of my most useful apps, it’s a shopping list, plain and simple! I use it every week, at least twice, and I love it because it remembers what I regularly add to my shopping list. Simple tap the item to cross it off the list then shake it to clear all crossed off items from my list, and if I remember something I need in the middle of my shop, I can just add it there and then.

There are many more apps that I use regularly but these are just my favourite and most used. There’s more posts like this planned for the future.

What apps would you recommend?

Project Life Week 3

Week 3 of project life is done! I didn’t have as much to go in here so there’s a couple of “filler” cards but I don’t mind. I’m getting more creative using scrapbook paper, embellishments and other things and I am really enjoying it, even the Mr is interested now!

There weren’t any major events in this week so I just went through the everyday stuff. I really enjoyed working with the design on the right with mainly 3×4 slots. It meant I had to get creative in how I display stuff, but I think I did OK.

The m&m wrapper is from a trip to London last October, we finally finished our m&m’s! I just glued down onto some scrapbook paper and then did some journaling behind it. There are three alphas on the bottom right photo RRD for Rebellion Roller Derby, they arrived in my massive scrapbook stash which is on the left. I’ve got to find somewhere to put all the stuff that arrived!

The ‘april’ is done in thickers, once I figured out which letters were which! There’s a lot of journalling on this side of the layout. Meg, my cat, is being a right tearaway at the moment and plays Tom & Jerry with me when I go to work and have to shut her in the kitchen! As I type this it is still raining, 10 days later, April definitely lived up to it’s April showers mantra this year! I also used my new label maker on the bottom left, I love it, and I bought it from Etsy, turns out the buyer lives 2 miles down the road!

Are you doing Project Life? How are you finding it?

May Plans…

 There’s a lot going on in May:

  • Continuing with Project Life
  • Starting some scrapbook pages with my new supplies (^see above^)
  • Really honing my productivity routine/method
  • Listening to more podcasts
  • A change in our daily routine
  • Lots more roller derby, training and organising
  • Some redecorating and more de-cluttering
  • Getting ready for the dance show
  • Hopefully some more outdoorsy stuff (if the rain and cold weather disappears)
What do you have planned for May?

 

Project Life – Week 2

I was worried that I wouldn’t have enough to go in this week, I had to keep stuff out of it! I am really enjoying this project and loving the fact that it is making me look at everyday things in a different way.

I made myself a title photo using Scrabble pieces, I love it! I’m hoping to use this every week, or at least as many as I can, depending on the size of the pockets. I’m trying not to use too much stuff that is too thick so I don’t fill my album up too quickly!

This week gone my friend (my boyfriends brothers girlfriend, kinda sister in law in waiting) and I headed down to London to see Steps. Steps (for those who don’t know, shame on you!) where a massively successful pop band of the 1990′s. They were the first CD bought, the only band, along with The Spice Girls, that I knew all the words to. They reformed in 2011 and went on tour this spring. This time round, they sang live, and they were fantastic, it felt like I was 10 years old again dancing round my bedroom. I knew all the words still, and the dance routines, even though they brought them into the 21st century. We were 10 rows from the front and that photo of the 5 of them was one I took on my point and shoot, it is crystal clear when you see it. I LOVED it, so of course I had to dedicate a couple of pockets to it, plus I have a scrapbooking page in the pipeline.

We also had the first car show of the year. It was so cold so I only managed to get a few photos so that went in as well. My boyfriend laughs at me when I march through the house during the week holding bits and bobs and his phrase echoes round the house “it’s for the scrapbook”. He’s getting used to me collecting little things to remember times from, such as the label from my new swimming costume or the leaflet from the restaurant. It’s becoming more natural for me just to pick things up and slip them in during the week and I think I have my process working fairly well for me.

I’ve done some more scrapbooking type things in this weeks, using some paper and other bits to emphasize the week I’ve had. I joined up to Studio Calico kit club this week and have really got into traditional 12×12 scrapbooking. More of that to come in a future post though. I’m also using my dSLR more, which is a good thing as it often sits unused for months on end.

I apologise about the bad photos. There was a delay getting my photos printed and these photos were taken at 8pm when there wasn’t much light! I’m still figuring out the best way to photograph them, any tips welcome!

Are you doing project life? How are you finding it?

What I’m currently working on

I’ve got quite a few projects (crafty and non-crafty) on the go at the moment so I though I’d share them with you as I’m so excited about them.

  • 30 Days of Lists – I haven’t finished this yet and that’s OK with me, I would have liked to have finished it in the 30 days but life got in the way, I am still doing the odd list though and I am enjoying it so much.
  • Project Life – I had seen this and thought it wasn’t for me but I took the plunge! I’ve now just ordered my photos for week 2. I am loving it and learning so much from it
  • Scrapbooking – Project Life has ignited my curiosity in “traditional” scrapbooking. I have just signed up to Studio Calico kit and am looking forward to making my first 12×12 layout.
  • Better blogging – I have recently purchased a couple of really good eBooks (more coming soon) about blogging and how to be the blogger you want to be. I’m hoping that by working my way through that this blog will become a place that I really want it to be.
  • Better Organisation – A change in my daily routine and a new job means that I need to adapt my organisation technique. So far it’s working really well for me.
  • Geocaching – Our recent weather has been terrible and I haven’t been able to get out and go geocaching but I’m hoping as the weather improves I’ll get out more.
What projects are you currently working on?

 

Project Life – Week 1

I am so excited to show you all my first week of Project Life. If you missed my title page and intro for my Project Life then go and have a look, I’ll still be here!

I am doing my weeks Saturday-Friday but as it was Easter weekend I started a couple of days early. I was lucky that we had the family weekend and we did quite a bit, I’m really hoping my second week won’t fall flat but I have some good ideas for it.

I feel like I have a good ratio of photos to journaling in my first week and I’m hoping to keep it that way going on. Last week was a year since Grandpa died, we went and put some flowers on his grave. The first journaling I did was on a bifold 6×4 card which I decorated with some Thickers and the date. I also added in a packet of my all time favourite chocolate, seriously, if you can find it, get some!

I included a tweet of the week which I’ll include each week as well. This week was a bit takeaway heavy, due to holidays and me not being able to cook etc. I included the card from our local Indian takeaway and the fortune cookies that we got in our chinese takeaway. My Grandma was looking after my Aunt and Uncles cat (the black one) this week and she is such a curious cat, nothing like my cat which just sleeps all day! I also stole Kam’s idea of using the self timer to get a photo of me making our Canada scrapbook.

I am really loving this project and that it’s getting me to look at things everyday and journal everyday. I’m hoping week 2 will turn out well and I’ve got some things planned for it. I just need to figure out a way to take good photos of the pages and then I’ll be happier, any tips appreciated.

Are you doing Project Life as well?

 

An apology…

Sorry for the lack of posts in the last week or so. I had plans for a number of posts, and some got part written but life got in the way. I was involved in a car accident and was left with (apart from a very damaged sorry looking car) whiplash which has made sitting down uncomfortable. Consequently nothing got done and no blog posts were written or published. I’m hoping to get going again next week as I’m starting to feel back to normal now.

I have a project life update planned for next week along with some roller derby posts for you all.

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