I'm running a couple of electives at a children's ministry conference next month.
One is about using music with kids.
I need some help.
1. A list of good songs to use with kids. Any ideas?
2. Your opinion. I hate getting kids to sing along to a cd player. Really hate it. Is this just a silly hangup I have or is there something in it?
Thursday, April 7, 2011
poetry and piety
That which is of infinitely more moment than the spirit of poetry, is the spirit of piety. And I trust, all persons of real judgment will find this breathing through the whole Collection. It is in this view chiefly, that I would recommend it to every truly pious reader, as a means of raising or quickening the spirit of devotion; of confirming his faith; of enlivening his hope; and of kindling and increasing his love to God and man. When Poetry thus keeps its place, as the handmaid of Piety, it shall attain, not a poor perishable wreath, but a crown that fadeth not away.
JOHN WESLEY. London, Oct. 20, 1779. From the Preface to the Methodist Hymn Book.
JOHN WESLEY. London, Oct. 20, 1779. From the Preface to the Methodist Hymn Book.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
happiness
Tonight I read Nathan and Joel the story of Aragorn and Arwen, found in an appendix at the end of LOTR.
We were all sad together.
We were all sad together.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
give up adjectives for Lent
Go on. Do it.
Today I'm listening to Gary Millar speak at QTC.
Right now I'm in a lecture on preaching OT narrative. Gary says that we need to make people feel the story. Okay folks. Listen up. If you want to make people feel a story, don't throw adjectives at them. Tell them the story well, then they won't be able to help but feel it.
That's all.
Today I'm listening to Gary Millar speak at QTC.
Right now I'm in a lecture on preaching OT narrative. Gary says that we need to make people feel the story. Okay folks. Listen up. If you want to make people feel a story, don't throw adjectives at them. Tell them the story well, then they won't be able to help but feel it.
That's all.
Monday, April 4, 2011
GTD chapter 4 - It's all about the automatic Brother Labeller.
David Allen really finds his groove in this chapter. He gets down to the nitty gritty and tells us what we need to buy and do. Details are not in short supply. Here are some gems.
- Manilla folders. You'll need lots of them. Order more when you only have 100 left.
- A Brother automatic labeller is key. It needs to have white tape and print black letters. Buy one that comes with an AC adaptor. Don't share your labeller with anyone else. Get your own and keep it close at all times.
- Label your manilla folders with the Brother. Don't hand write on them. Having files with printed labels changes your relationship to them. They'll look at home on the board room table... and you'll feel like a legend carrying them around.
- Arrange your files alphabetically
- Don't use multi coloured manilla folders.
- Don't use hanging files. Just stand up your plain coloured, brother labelled manilla folders and squash them in with the back plate.
- Don't skimp on your filing cabinet. It needs to run smooth...
- You need a big stack of letter sized paper.
- You need a desk and filing system set up at work with a replica system (maybe smaller) at home, and a micro in-transit office to carry with you where-ever you go. (I have a macbook. It does all of this.)
I don't have any automatic labeller, let alone a Brother with an AC adaptor. I don't have a stock of manilla folders either or a smooth rolling filing cabinet or a stack of letter-sized paper. And yet, somehow...
- Manilla folders. You'll need lots of them. Order more when you only have 100 left.
- A Brother automatic labeller is key. It needs to have white tape and print black letters. Buy one that comes with an AC adaptor. Don't share your labeller with anyone else. Get your own and keep it close at all times.
- Label your manilla folders with the Brother. Don't hand write on them. Having files with printed labels changes your relationship to them. They'll look at home on the board room table... and you'll feel like a legend carrying them around.
- Arrange your files alphabetically
- Don't use multi coloured manilla folders.
- Don't use hanging files. Just stand up your plain coloured, brother labelled manilla folders and squash them in with the back plate.
- Don't skimp on your filing cabinet. It needs to run smooth...
- You need a big stack of letter sized paper.
- You need a desk and filing system set up at work with a replica system (maybe smaller) at home, and a micro in-transit office to carry with you where-ever you go. (I have a macbook. It does all of this.)
I don't have any automatic labeller, let alone a Brother with an AC adaptor. I don't have a stock of manilla folders either or a smooth rolling filing cabinet or a stack of letter-sized paper. And yet, somehow...
Saturday, April 2, 2011
church involvement makes you fat
So says the study.
Not surprising, really.
1. At church, food is always around. There's great homemade goodies at every event. To not eat cake and bikkies takes heaps of self control.
2. Eating together is such a social thing. To sip your water while everyone is having a lamington feels wrong.
3. At church we try not to judge each other by how we look, so the pressure to be supermodel thin is off a little.
4. We believe that this life and this body isn't all there is. So we relax more about our health now.
5. Obesity tends to be a community thing. The fatter our friends are, the fatter we let ourselves get. In a group like a church, obesity can spread.
What to do about it?
1. If you're rostered on for church or bible study morning tea or supper, leave out 70% of the junk you usually bring. Carrot and cucumber sticks instead.
2. Decide before a church event how much you need to eat and pace yourself.
3. Sometimes I kid myself that baking is a virtuous activity. Really, it's just an excuse to nibble on choc chips and lick the beaters.
But who cares anyway? On average, we still live longer!
Other thoughts?
Not surprising, really.
1. At church, food is always around. There's great homemade goodies at every event. To not eat cake and bikkies takes heaps of self control.
2. Eating together is such a social thing. To sip your water while everyone is having a lamington feels wrong.
3. At church we try not to judge each other by how we look, so the pressure to be supermodel thin is off a little.
4. We believe that this life and this body isn't all there is. So we relax more about our health now.
5. Obesity tends to be a community thing. The fatter our friends are, the fatter we let ourselves get. In a group like a church, obesity can spread.
What to do about it?
1. If you're rostered on for church or bible study morning tea or supper, leave out 70% of the junk you usually bring. Carrot and cucumber sticks instead.
2. Decide before a church event how much you need to eat and pace yourself.
3. Sometimes I kid myself that baking is a virtuous activity. Really, it's just an excuse to nibble on choc chips and lick the beaters.
But who cares anyway? On average, we still live longer!
Other thoughts?
Thursday, March 31, 2011
what faith looks like
Imagine a rough and dangerous, ocean with little old me in it getting tossed around. Not much fun, but there's a rope coming down from the far east. It's secured to something pretty solid in the far distance. I hold onto the rope. However big the waves get, I can stay above water. I even use the rope to pull myself closer to whatever's holding it.
Faith is the rope. It joins us to Jesus. If we hold onto it, we won't go under and will eventually reach the shore.
Faith is the rope. It joins us to Jesus. If we hold onto it, we won't go under and will eventually reach the shore.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
GTD chapter 3 - vertical focus
Took me a while to understand what he was getting at here.
Horizontal focus is where you think about moving the project forward towards its goal. Next steps etc. It's apparently all that's needed in most situations. Seeing the form on the table in front of you. Picking up a pen. Signing it at the bottom.
Vertical focus takes things deeper. It's needed in more complex situations. Finding creative solutions to problems. I'm all for vertical focus. This is where the fun is to be found. More of it.
Allen starts by talking about back-of-the-envelope planning. You're sitting in a coffee shop and dream up an idea (he talks about hashing out an agenda for a sales presentation - probably the equivalent to my dreaming up an idea) and jot it down on any bit of paper you can find. He says this tends to be the most productive kind of planning and this natural planning model is what we need to aim at. Excellent! I'm with him here, 100%. Back-of-the-envelope planning is what I do!
Natural planning has a vision for where we want to end up. We use it for many things - getting dressed in the morning, choosing a restaurant for dinner... Unfortunately, we tend not to use it at times when we really should. We're reactive and just try to get ourselves out of the crisis at hand.
Natural planning is natural, he argues, but not normal. Most people don't stand back and look at the big picture. They just try to untangle the mess in front of them. I see his point.
From here, the chapter went on in painstaking, boring detail, to explain how to do natural planning. Step by step. How to define purpose. How to brainstorm. Blah blah blah.
I think this chapter has a lot going for it. We need to think big picture.
But this is the world I live in. Whenever I do anything, I see the end product in HD. I know exactly how I want my Sunday School curriculum to look. Right down to the fonts on the page. I know exactly how I want the set set up. I know how the unit hangs together. I can see all that right from the start - in fact I can't start doing anything on it before I see the end product. [Which, incidently, is why I'm such a beast to work with. I'm told that my choir has to wear long, elastic waisted blue trousers. What?!? My choir doesn't dress like that!]
If someone is already a big picture person, giving them instructions on how to see a vision is laughably pointless. It's like giving me a five step method for breathing! I can't help but do it!
But you tell me. If someone's not naturally a 'visionary'[!], can they learn to be?
Horizontal focus is where you think about moving the project forward towards its goal. Next steps etc. It's apparently all that's needed in most situations. Seeing the form on the table in front of you. Picking up a pen. Signing it at the bottom.
Vertical focus takes things deeper. It's needed in more complex situations. Finding creative solutions to problems. I'm all for vertical focus. This is where the fun is to be found. More of it.
Allen starts by talking about back-of-the-envelope planning. You're sitting in a coffee shop and dream up an idea (he talks about hashing out an agenda for a sales presentation - probably the equivalent to my dreaming up an idea) and jot it down on any bit of paper you can find. He says this tends to be the most productive kind of planning and this natural planning model is what we need to aim at. Excellent! I'm with him here, 100%. Back-of-the-envelope planning is what I do!
But then he goes on to break up natural planning into 5 stages! No no no. No no no no no! Something stimulating and creative and wonderful is about to become tedious.
The natural planning model
1. Defining purposes and principles
2. Outcome visioning
3. Brainstorming
4. Organising
5. Identifying next action
AAAARRRGGGGHHH!
Natural planning is natural, he argues, but not normal. Most people don't stand back and look at the big picture. They just try to untangle the mess in front of them. I see his point.
From here, the chapter went on in painstaking, boring detail, to explain how to do natural planning. Step by step. How to define purpose. How to brainstorm. Blah blah blah.
I think this chapter has a lot going for it. We need to think big picture.
But this is the world I live in. Whenever I do anything, I see the end product in HD. I know exactly how I want my Sunday School curriculum to look. Right down to the fonts on the page. I know exactly how I want the set set up. I know how the unit hangs together. I can see all that right from the start - in fact I can't start doing anything on it before I see the end product. [Which, incidently, is why I'm such a beast to work with. I'm told that my choir has to wear long, elastic waisted blue trousers. What?!? My choir doesn't dress like that!]
If someone is already a big picture person, giving them instructions on how to see a vision is laughably pointless. It's like giving me a five step method for breathing! I can't help but do it!
But you tell me. If someone's not naturally a 'visionary'[!], can they learn to be?
GTD advice for anon
Anon - if the puke would take less than 2 minutes, you should do it right now. Otherwise, work out if you need to DEFER or DELEGATE the puke. Are you the best person to do this? If so, you need to work out when the best time to puke would be and set up a hole proof system where you'll be reminded to do it.
ps. I'm bored too.
ps. I'm bored too.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
The difference between an average RE lesson and a good RE lesson
A little bit of preparation. Just 15 minutes more makes a big difference.
We are coming to the close of our 'stuff God like' series.
According to us (and the bible), God likes people (Gen 1), righteousness (Gen 3), mercy (prodigal son) and humility (pharisee and tax collector). All these things come together in Jesus.
Last week we saw that God became a person in Jesus. In today's lesson, Jesus was tested and proved righteous. Here's how the lesson went.
1. We sang our stuff God likes song. We've been writing it week by week. It's not a complicated (or even good) song. The kids sing it well because they had a hand in making it up.
Stuff God likes
Stuff God likes
Is it chocolate, icecream
cars or bikes
What is the stuff God likes?
People yeah
People yeah
With arms and legs and brains and hair
People yeah
Righteouness yeah
Righteouness yeah
Following God, being awesomely fair
Righteouness yeah
Mercy
Mercy
Forgiving you
Forgiving me
Mercy
Humility
Humility
I won't be proud and boast about me
Humility
2. Andrew ran a following instructions game where one lucky contestant was blind folded and had to follow his instructions to get through an obstacle course. Would they pass or fail the test?
3. I told the story. In the bible God tests his people to see if they are righteous. In previous weeks we've defined righteous as following God's instructions. Need to believe that he knows what's best and he cares about us. Test #1 - Adam and Eve - retell story, stick FAIL sign over pic representing Adam and Eve. Test #2 - God's people in desert - tell story - God rescued them from Egypt has promised to look after them, promised land etc. How would they God when faced with no food problem? FAIL. Would they follow God's instructions and only collect enough manna for one day? FAIL. Test #3 - Jesus - Matt 4 - Tell story about Jesus' testing. First test - would Jesus trust God to provide food for him like Israel should have? Yes. Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word of God - He followed God's instructions, unlike Israel. Second Test - Would Jesus put God to the test in order to show everyone his power? Third Test - Would Jesus bow down to Satan - No. Adam and Eve, Israel and us, epic fail at righteousness. Jesus, epic success.
4. Song we're learning 'So Great Is Jesus' Love' - Point out line about Jesus being guiltless.
5. Silly song. This week Time to fumigate, to tune of I'm Yours - Jason Mraz.
We are coming to the close of our 'stuff God like' series.
According to us (and the bible), God likes people (Gen 1), righteousness (Gen 3), mercy (prodigal son) and humility (pharisee and tax collector). All these things come together in Jesus.
Last week we saw that God became a person in Jesus. In today's lesson, Jesus was tested and proved righteous. Here's how the lesson went.
1. We sang our stuff God likes song. We've been writing it week by week. It's not a complicated (or even good) song. The kids sing it well because they had a hand in making it up.
Stuff God likes
Stuff God likes
Is it chocolate, icecream
cars or bikes
What is the stuff God likes?
People yeah
People yeah
With arms and legs and brains and hair
People yeah
Righteouness yeah
Righteouness yeah
Following God, being awesomely fair
Righteouness yeah
Mercy
Mercy
Forgiving you
Forgiving me
Mercy
Humility
Humility
I won't be proud and boast about me
Humility
2. Andrew ran a following instructions game where one lucky contestant was blind folded and had to follow his instructions to get through an obstacle course. Would they pass or fail the test?
3. I told the story. In the bible God tests his people to see if they are righteous. In previous weeks we've defined righteous as following God's instructions. Need to believe that he knows what's best and he cares about us. Test #1 - Adam and Eve - retell story, stick FAIL sign over pic representing Adam and Eve. Test #2 - God's people in desert - tell story - God rescued them from Egypt has promised to look after them, promised land etc. How would they God when faced with no food problem? FAIL. Would they follow God's instructions and only collect enough manna for one day? FAIL. Test #3 - Jesus - Matt 4 - Tell story about Jesus' testing. First test - would Jesus trust God to provide food for him like Israel should have? Yes. Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word of God - He followed God's instructions, unlike Israel. Second Test - Would Jesus put God to the test in order to show everyone his power? Third Test - Would Jesus bow down to Satan - No. Adam and Eve, Israel and us, epic fail at righteousness. Jesus, epic success.
4. Song we're learning 'So Great Is Jesus' Love' - Point out line about Jesus being guiltless.
5. Silly song. This week Time to fumigate, to tune of I'm Yours - Jason Mraz.
GTD chapter 2
David Allen teaches a 5 stage system for managing workflow:
1. We collect things that command our attention
2. We process what they mean and what to do about them
3. We organise the results, which
4. We review as options for what we do
5. We do the work.
Chapter 2 explains each of these phases in pain staking detail.
The focus of the collect stage is that we get everything in hole-proof buckets out of our heads. Processing is the emptying the collection buckets: chucking stuff, filing information for later, doing short (<2minute) tasks immediately, and delegating or deferring longer tasks. In the organising stage we set up lists of renewable reminders, 'incubating projects' blah blah blah. Lists. Next-action categories. Calenders. Appointments. And my favourite - 'Tickler' files. Then we review everything. Daily, weekly, monthly, annually... Then #5. We do stuff.
I read this chapter a week ago. The thing that stuck in my mind that I have put into practice is the 2 minute rule. If a task takes less than 2 minutes, do it now. I can put up with most forms of torture for 2 minutes. So I won't put this task off. I'll get it out of the way. I'll fill in that school permission form.
The rest of the chapter contained some good ideas (which I'm unlikely to use), but too much is made of the whole process of getting ready for work. People who spend so much time collecting and processing and organising and reviewing stuff sometimes convince themselves they've actually achieved something when they haven't really. In my particular job, I think we'd achieve much more if #5 was focussed on rather than #1-4.
Thoughts?
1. We collect things that command our attention
2. We process what they mean and what to do about them
3. We organise the results, which
4. We review as options for what we do
5. We do the work.
Chapter 2 explains each of these phases in pain staking detail.
The focus of the collect stage is that we get everything in hole-proof buckets out of our heads. Processing is the emptying the collection buckets: chucking stuff, filing information for later, doing short (<2minute) tasks immediately, and delegating or deferring longer tasks. In the organising stage we set up lists of renewable reminders, 'incubating projects' blah blah blah. Lists. Next-action categories. Calenders. Appointments. And my favourite - 'Tickler' files. Then we review everything. Daily, weekly, monthly, annually... Then #5. We do stuff.
I read this chapter a week ago. The thing that stuck in my mind that I have put into practice is the 2 minute rule. If a task takes less than 2 minutes, do it now. I can put up with most forms of torture for 2 minutes. So I won't put this task off. I'll get it out of the way. I'll fill in that school permission form.
The rest of the chapter contained some good ideas (which I'm unlikely to use), but too much is made of the whole process of getting ready for work. People who spend so much time collecting and processing and organising and reviewing stuff sometimes convince themselves they've actually achieved something when they haven't really. In my particular job, I think we'd achieve much more if #5 was focussed on rather than #1-4.
Thoughts?
Monday, March 28, 2011
things I hate #546
Excuses. Even good ones. Especially good ones.
If you really wanted it, you would find a way.
If you really wanted it, you would find a way.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Saturday, March 26, 2011
lines have to be drawn
We will not eat dinner in front of the election coverage unless we voted in the election.
love election coverage
Watching.
Even though it's not my state and the outcome was pretty clear from the start.
Even though it's not my state and the outcome was pretty clear from the start.
Unless...
... I stop finding wee on the toilet seat, rim and lid, everyone will be sitting down from now on. No exceptions.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Beyond Horizons (again!)
This song is now on it's 4th tune and 6th lyric. We're starting to feel positive about it. Its current tune is unusual but kind of compelling. Perhaps, just possibly, the song could go somewhere. Still too early to tell.
I've put more theological thought into this one than most. And its closer to the edge of orthodoxy than most. It is meant to be about faith. Does it give a decent picture of faith? What do you think? I'd prefer theological critique pre-publication...
Beyond Horizons
I've put more theological thought into this one than most. And its closer to the edge of orthodoxy than most. It is meant to be about faith. Does it give a decent picture of faith? What do you think? I'd prefer theological critique pre-publication...
Beyond Horizons
1. Beyond horizons faith can see
Into a distant land
Across the ocean waits for me
My home, my promised land.
Looking past today
To a world away
The eyes of faith can see
CHORUS:
Beyond horizons, across the oceans
There is more than life today
A flowing river, a shining city
where all our tears are wiped away
So in faith we take our cross and bear
All things for joy will meet us there
Beyond horizons.
2. Beyond horizons Jesus saw
A land of pure delight
And for its sake he gave up all
His throne, his name, his life
Knowing God would save
Him from the grave
His eyes of faith could see…
3. Beyond horizons we will see
That faith was not in vain
For every promise Christ will keep
And every glory claim
With his word our guide,
Our vision, light
Our eyes of faith can see…
sar 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Beyond Horizons
1. Beyond horizons faith can see
Into a distant land
Across the ocean waits for me
My home, my promised land
My eyes look only on today
But faith can see a world away
2. The faithful old of long ago
Glimpsed from afar her shores
They longed for her as for a home
That they had known before
So faithfully their footsteps trod
Still searching for the land of God
Chorus:
Beyond horizons, across the oceans
Faith sees more than life today
By faith we know that a land is waiting
Where all tears are wiped away
So today we take our cross and bare
All things for joy will meet us there.
Beyond horizons.
3. Beyond horizons Jesus saw
A land of pure delight
And for its sake he gave up all
For us in sacrifice
In faith he knew that God would save
His soul, his body from the grave.
sar 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Lady Dressed in White
I discovered this song cruising around you-tube. I can only find one recording of it. Can't find where I can buy it. I want it for my year 1-3 choir. It's beautiful. Anyone know it?
UPDATE: Found it!
Lady Dressed In White - Lin Marsh
Along the castle walls she walks.
As if she's floating through the air.
She never smiles she never talks.
Her sorrow seems to great to bear.
UPDATE: Found it!
Lady Dressed In White - Lin Marsh
Along the castle walls she walks.
As if she's floating through the air.
She never smiles she never talks.
Her sorrow seems to great to bear.
Oh lady dressed in white
are you waiting for your love?
He will come again to find you.
Oh lady dressed in white
are you doomed to walk these walls?
Must the spell forever bind you?
are you waiting for your love?
He will come again to find you.
Oh lady dressed in white
are you doomed to walk these walls?
Must the spell forever bind you?
The mist it swirls around her feet.
Alone she paces to and fro.
Her trembling hands her sorrow show.
And as the morning light appears
she turns her head as if to go.
Her lovely face is streaked with tears.
Her story we will never know.
Oh lady dressed in white
are you waiting for your love?
He will come again to find you.
Oh lady dressed in white
are you doomed to walk these walls?
Must the spell forever bind you?
She will weep all alone.
So she leaves with a broken heart.
Her story we will never know.
Alone she paces to and fro.
Her trembling hands her sorrow show.
And as the morning light appears
she turns her head as if to go.
Her lovely face is streaked with tears.
Her story we will never know.
Oh lady dressed in white
are you waiting for your love?
He will come again to find you.
Oh lady dressed in white
are you doomed to walk these walls?
Must the spell forever bind you?
She will weep all alone.
So she leaves with a broken heart.
Her story we will never know.
Monday, March 21, 2011
you will fit in this square box, yes you will!
I feel like an overbearing parent forcing a thuggish son to do ballet.
I'm meant to be writing a song on faith.
The song doesn't want to be about faith. It's determined to be about heaven. I'm determined that it be about faith.
Who will win?
My guess, neither of us.
I'm meant to be writing a song on faith.
The song doesn't want to be about faith. It's determined to be about heaven. I'm determined that it be about faith.
Who will win?
My guess, neither of us.
Bill Grogan's Goat
Bill Grogan's goat
was feeling fine
ate three red shirts
from off the line.
Bill took a stick
gave him a whack
and tied him to
the railway track.
The whistle blew
the train drew nigh
Bill Grogan's goat
would surely die.
He gave a groan
of awful pain
coughed up the shirt
and flagged the train.
trad.
I taught this to my year 1-3 choir today. Worked.
was feeling fine
ate three red shirts
from off the line.
Bill took a stick
gave him a whack
and tied him to
the railway track.
The whistle blew
the train drew nigh
Bill Grogan's goat
would surely die.
He gave a groan
of awful pain
coughed up the shirt
and flagged the train.
trad.
I taught this to my year 1-3 choir today. Worked.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
who has an incredible husband?
I do.
Andrew ran in a race this afternoon. 10km in 45 minutes. I think he was in the first 100 out of 2000. Fastest runner did 32 minutes.
Andrew ran in a race this afternoon. 10km in 45 minutes. I think he was in the first 100 out of 2000. Fastest runner did 32 minutes.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
This is me being patient.
Okay. So there's this bluetack that you've coloured with a significant amount of red biro ink, worked into a ball, and left in the sun for a couple of months. You come back to play with it and find it's become really sticky. It gets all over your fingers. You try to wash it off but water doesn't remove it. What do you do?
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Getting Things Done #2 - Thoughts on Chapter One
1. I don't think I'm the intended audience for this book. Its opening sentence reads:
"It's possible for a person to have an overwhelming number of things to do and still function with a clear head and a positive sense of relaxed control."
I think the intention was for the reader to doubt that such a happy state was possible. (Andrew wondered if it is technically possible for anyone to be faced with an overwhelming number of things to do and not feel overwhelmed. But we'll let that one go.) I don't doubt it for myself. I don't think that I feel the problem that the book is addressing.
2. David Allen likes alliteration. Elevated levels of effectiveness and efficiency. ... tools, tips, techniques and tricks...
3. GTD identifies the problem as the new demands of this new millennium. He thinks the old methods of organisation are insufficient, as are the new programs and gadgets that are coming onto the market - Microsoft Outlook and Palm PDAs.
Perhaps this new millennium is more stressy than the last. I wouldn't want to make a call on that. But he clearly doesn't have my nice little macbook or an iphone.
4. His main thrust seems that you need to be able to efficiently capture all the things that need to get done, file them efficiently (outside your head) and identify the next step needed to push each project forward. Okay. I'll see where this goes.
5. The idea of capturing stuff outside our heads is so that we can achieve a 'mind like water' state where our heads are clear of worries and stress so that we can logically think about and do one thing at a time. I've got a few issues with this. It's not always necessary to capture everything externally to achieve a clear mind. I can achieve it geographically. (I go to a coffee shop.) Or I can just decide that some things aren't going to haunt me. (If I have some outstanding paperwork, I calculate how much not filling in the form is going to cost me and decide to absorb that cost.) And bigger things that cloud our minds and limit our productivity often aren't of the kind that can be 'captured' in an organisational system and filed away with a 'next step' instruction for later. Big time productivity killers like relationship breakdowns, griefs, addictions and insecurities aren't, I suspect, going to be helped much by a GTD capture system. (Though I find that capturing such things in a poem or song quite helpful.)
6. We need to have a system that we trust in order to get things out of our heads. I guess the rest of the book will spell out his system as the solution we need.
7. This section of the book is called The Art of Getting Things Done. I'd question if art is the right word to use here.
Okay. Over to you. What did you think?
"It's possible for a person to have an overwhelming number of things to do and still function with a clear head and a positive sense of relaxed control."
I think the intention was for the reader to doubt that such a happy state was possible. (Andrew wondered if it is technically possible for anyone to be faced with an overwhelming number of things to do and not feel overwhelmed. But we'll let that one go.) I don't doubt it for myself. I don't think that I feel the problem that the book is addressing.
2. David Allen likes alliteration. Elevated levels of effectiveness and efficiency. ... tools, tips, techniques and tricks...
3. GTD identifies the problem as the new demands of this new millennium. He thinks the old methods of organisation are insufficient, as are the new programs and gadgets that are coming onto the market - Microsoft Outlook and Palm PDAs.
Perhaps this new millennium is more stressy than the last. I wouldn't want to make a call on that. But he clearly doesn't have my nice little macbook or an iphone.
4. His main thrust seems that you need to be able to efficiently capture all the things that need to get done, file them efficiently (outside your head) and identify the next step needed to push each project forward. Okay. I'll see where this goes.
5. The idea of capturing stuff outside our heads is so that we can achieve a 'mind like water' state where our heads are clear of worries and stress so that we can logically think about and do one thing at a time. I've got a few issues with this. It's not always necessary to capture everything externally to achieve a clear mind. I can achieve it geographically. (I go to a coffee shop.) Or I can just decide that some things aren't going to haunt me. (If I have some outstanding paperwork, I calculate how much not filling in the form is going to cost me and decide to absorb that cost.) And bigger things that cloud our minds and limit our productivity often aren't of the kind that can be 'captured' in an organisational system and filed away with a 'next step' instruction for later. Big time productivity killers like relationship breakdowns, griefs, addictions and insecurities aren't, I suspect, going to be helped much by a GTD capture system. (Though I find that capturing such things in a poem or song quite helpful.)
6. We need to have a system that we trust in order to get things out of our heads. I guess the rest of the book will spell out his system as the solution we need.
7. This section of the book is called The Art of Getting Things Done. I'd question if art is the right word to use here.
Okay. Over to you. What did you think?
Getting Things Done #1
But first things first. The cover.
I don't like it. Don't like the tacky gold writing. Don't like the left hand column busyness. Don't like the suit. Don't like that it looks just like a self help book. Don't like that it is a self help book.
But, hey. We all know not to judge a book by its cover.
So I'll read.
Paper bag ready*. Away we go.
* Reading/hearing about organisational systems makes me hyperventilate.
Getting Things Done
Hate the idea of a book that prescribes in detail how I should run my life. Hate hearing about boring organisational systems. Clearing in-trays. Clearing inboxes. [Inboxes! Honestly, why would you do this? An inbox is a ready made, automatic filing system!] I'm not interested in systems or clear desks! I'm interested in ideas and people and fun!
But I've decided to read (at least some of) GTD. I'm going to have a paper bag on hand to help with the hyperventilation issues. And I'll blog about it - because what's the point in doing something unpleasant if you don't share it with others?
For the record, I'm actually pretty good at getting things done. Some imagine that people with my personality type and diary aversion live in constant chaos amidst mess and mayhem. I don't. (Well, the mayhem is there.) My house is a clean as many and tidier than most. I've been described as obsessive about washing up and such things. I don't like clutter (though 'the unclutter' website sends me into a panic (like GTD)) and throw away anything that gets on my nerves. I keep appointments (mostly), I'm generally not late, I work and I do quite a few other things as well. So what am I going to get out of GTD? But I'll read it because GTD evangelists tell me I should.
But I've decided to read (at least some of) GTD. I'm going to have a paper bag on hand to help with the hyperventilation issues. And I'll blog about it - because what's the point in doing something unpleasant if you don't share it with others?
For the record, I'm actually pretty good at getting things done. Some imagine that people with my personality type and diary aversion live in constant chaos amidst mess and mayhem. I don't. (Well, the mayhem is there.) My house is a clean as many and tidier than most. I've been described as obsessive about washing up and such things. I don't like clutter (though 'the unclutter' website sends me into a panic (like GTD)) and throw away anything that gets on my nerves. I keep appointments (mostly), I'm generally not late, I work and I do quite a few other things as well. So what am I going to get out of GTD? But I'll read it because GTD evangelists tell me I should.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
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