Nozbe - a tool for Getting Things Done
I’ve tried a bunch of project/time management tools in the past, but like a hungry man at a buffet, I tend to take too much on my plate at once. Then I find the flaws in my system. A little while back I read the popular book Getting Things Done by David Allen. I’ve been using his system, on and off, since then and generally I like it.
Now, history aside, lately I’ve been getting pissed off at Basecamp. Since I have a lot of projects, that means I have to pay more, or try and stuff them into the 3 projects allowed in my current account. Furthermore since I don’t have a problem thinking out many of the little steps involved in an individual project, I have a tendency to make long to-do lists, but very few of them are actually “actionable” at a given time. Maybe 10%. So the result is a tremendously long to-do list that is very daunting, and when I want to do something I have to pick through it and try and find the things I can actually do - this to me is very stressful.
Enter Nozbe - a Getting Things Done system for the web. Its still in beta, but looks very promising. Its star feature for now is the ability to flag to-do items as ‘next actions’ and then present all next actions on a single screen. Now, if I have 15 minutes that I can use at my discretion, I can flip to that page and look at the time estimates, and try and knock something off.
Its definitely worth a try if you’re familiar with David Allen’s system, and if you’re not I still argue its worth a try. You’ll get the basics presented (the site tips are true to the book) and should find the site very intuitive.