Re: Bonsai & GTD hel

Jenifer,

Before you get in too deeply, you might want to check this out:

http://www.markforster.net/autofocus-system/

You are heading down the same path I did and I soon hit the rocks.  I too
read the books, made lists, agonized over contexts, fussed trying to find
the right software, switched back and forth between this and that, etc.
What a waste of time it was for me.

The AutoFocus system is so dead simple that you can be up and running as
soon as you find a pen and a notebook of some kind.  In six or eight minutes
you'll be DOING THINGS rather than fussing with the SYSTEM to do things.
And that is the whole point of a task management system, is it not?

The only problem you might encounter is that the system seems to easy to
really work.  Many people initially think that but as you work the system
you'll be amazed at how effective those simple handfull of rules about
working on a page, dismissing old items, etc. really work to keep you moving
and flush out those things that you are really not going to do any time
soon.

Of course, if you read the discussion forum over there, you'll see that some
love complexity and can't abide not messing around with systems ;-)

Anyway, just a thought if you have not comitted yourself to all kinds of
hardware and software and a convoluted, overly complex system yet.

On Thu, Mar 19, 2009 at 1:35 PM, Jenifer Nelson
<jenmkconsultant-/[email protected]>wrote:

> Hi.. my husband & i have decided we like Bonsai and are anxious to get
> started organizing things.  I have listened to the GTD book on CD & also
> actually physically read some chapters over.
>  I thought i had a pretty good idea of the thought on taking everything out
> of your mind & put on 'paper' or a system.  I've started to do some in Excel
> spreadsheet, anxious to put it on the computer- finally settling on using
> Bonsai.  I saw the screen shots on Natara's website & thought it would be
> pretty easy/self explanitory.  I have read a few people's websites w/tips
> and downloaded this manual:
> http://www.simpleproductivityblog.com/files/Using_Bonsai_with_GTD.pdf
>
> Now i'm a little confused.  I thought the basics were to set up contexts
> which i thought are like categories?  In my mind, I thought i would just be
> creating 'lists' under the different contexts/categories. Then i start
> reading the SimpleProductivity manual & look at Bonsai... and you have to
> start off with an Outline?  SimpleProductivity also uses Focus Areas. (which
> i like the idea because i do like merging Franklin Covey with GTD)
>
> My questions:
> -What is the outline part on the left side of the screen?  ...how do you
> set this up/organize?
> -any suggestions for just starting off w/Bonsai & how to start off?
>  --i have about 9 context/categories (the traditional "@" contexts plus a
> couple additional ones mostly used to distinguish contacts.
>  -I want to use Bonsai for everything.. keeping track of customers i want
> to call, Spring Cleaning checklist, books to read, DVDs to watch, household
> projects.. just about everything :-)
> -anyone have any good templates? or screen shots?  :-)
>
> thanks for any help!



-- 
Cheers,
Mike


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