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I use a notebook, and a nice Pilot G-2 pen with a Mont-Blanc cartridge in it (a hack). That's all. Everything goes into the notebook. I plan each day the day be

I use a notebook, and a nice Pilot G-2 pen with a Mont-Blanc cartridge in it (a hack). That's all. Everything goes into the notebook. I plan each day the day before, and next week on Friday. I have monthly goals (flexible) that are defined at the start of last month (meaning that my March goals where defined on the start of February). The same for tri-mesters, and years. I also have a five year plan, but its mostly a simple statement of where I'd like to be. Here is an example: Today at 5:00 pm, I will sit down and write what I have to do tomorrow in order to get to my weekly goal. Say: build tests, finish writing some class, deploy to server, etc. That way, when I start tomorrow morning at 9:00 am sharp, I simply start doing whats on the list. No need to get settled. Just log in and code.

dictum 14y ago
Thanks for your reply! Your method is simple enough to work well without becoming tiring over time, but I wonder: would you want to change it somehow? Would you use software (specifically, a web app) instead of paper? How do you keep goals "coordinated" (for lack of a better metaphor in a paper-based system) between days, weeks, months and trimesters? For instance, if something new appears or if something doesn't happen as expected, does it interfere in your project? Do you just rip the page off and start writing a new one, or is it as simple as striking stuff that's no longer valid? Do you have any difficulty to know what tasks you should write down for the next day, or for the week? Do you work on multiple projects at a time?
- orangethirty 14y ago
  0. No, I would not change it. At this point, I'e tried everything, and this works for me. 1. I tried software. It does not work for me because the act of writing down the plan helps me think about it. 2. I keep them coordinated by visiting my longer term goals every week. 3. I always plan from a negative point of view. Meaning that I work as if the worst case scenario is the most likely thing to happen. 4. I never rip pages. Everything I write can be useful for future plans. I actually have notebooks dating back to more than 5 years. Full of business lessons and plans from back then. They are worth their weight in gold. :) 5. I dont have a difficulty picking over tasks. Planning with the worst case scenario as the default makes that easy. 6. Yes. Right now I'm working on a professional project for a client (really huge project), and Nuuton (personal project). I also do business development consulting.

dictum 14y ago

Thanks for your reply! Your method is simple enough to work well without becoming tiring over time, but I wonder: would you want to change it somehow? Would you use software (specifically, a web app) instead of paper? How do you keep goals "coordinated" (for lack of a better metaphor in a paper-based system) between days, weeks, months and trimesters? For instance, if something new appears or if something doesn't happen as expected, does it interfere in your project? Do you just rip the page off and start writing a new one, or is it as simple as striking stuff that's no longer valid? Do you have any difficulty to know what tasks you should write down for the next day, or for the week? Do you work on multiple projects at a time?

orangethirty 14y ago
0. No, I would not change it. At this point, I'e tried everything, and this works for me. 1. I tried software. It does not work for me because the act of writing down the plan helps me think about it. 2. I keep them coordinated by visiting my longer term goals every week. 3. I always plan from a negative point of view. Meaning that I work as if the worst case scenario is the most likely thing to happen. 4. I never rip pages. Everything I write can be useful for future plans. I actually have notebooks dating back to more than 5 years. Full of business lessons and plans from back then. They are worth their weight in gold. :) 5. I dont have a difficulty picking over tasks. Planning with the worst case scenario as the default makes that easy. 6. Yes. Right now I'm working on a professional project for a client (really huge project), and Nuuton (personal project). I also do business development consulting.