Monthly Archives: May 2006

Blog

GTD Notes: Using Containers

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Basically a container is anything you collect information with. Here’s the basic natural ones: email inbox, voicemail, mailbox, etc. Then I’ve got all kinds of other ones: scraps of paper, physical inbox, planner, calendar, my hand, on my blog, etc. Having too many containers is a bad thing. The thing is you need as few containers as possible and you need to fully trust in your containers. You need to trust in your system so that you can get things out of your head and into your containers and trust they’ll be taken care of so you don’t have to think about them anymore. You need fewer containers so that you don’t forget things or lose them (like I do with my scraps of paper).
The other thing is you have to go through your containers daily, otherwise it doesn’t work. You can’t let your stuff pile up in your inbox. This is going to be tougher and I’m hoping to learn better how to do this as I read. I’ll post more when I figure it out.

So here’s what my containers will be at home (and similar at work):

  • physical inbox
  • email
  • voicemail
  • planner
Blog

Notes on GTD (Getting Things Done)

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So, I’ve had a desire to be more organized and I’ve come across (online and at my mom’s recommendation) David Allen’s Getting Things Done.
It seems like he has a really good system so I’m reading the book right now. My hope is that my notes will be simple and straightforward enough to you and me so that I don’t have to go back and reread the book. For now I’d suggest checking the book out of the library or if you have to get it on Amazon.
Getting Things Done : The Art of Stress-Free Productivity

Blog

The Go-Getter: a book review

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The Go-Getter is a short book written in 1921. I heard Dave Ramsey mention it as one of three books he requires his staff to read (also QBQ! and another one).
I read it in about an hour and a half this morning. Good to read a book in one sitting, and not entirely difficult (though it’s not Les Mis). The whole thing reads like a really long email forward. It’s nothing fancy, just something that exemplifies the “Go-Getter” attitude and uplifts those values in ones work.

I think I’m just reviewing this cause I’m guessing a few people will run across it when they search for Dave Ramsey’s book suggestions. Well, here it is brief and to the point.

Would I recommend it? I’d rather just encourage you to be a ‘Go-Getter.’
The Go-Getter: A Story That Tells You How To Be One

Blog

Gift Bags

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In the past I’ve brought up the idea that we should be more giving and not use the excuse of what happens on the receiving end to justify our lack of giving. The response, not unexpected, that folks don’t want to give a person money because they might spend it on booze or drugs. Instead folks would like to give something else. Well, since I can’t convince them otherwise, I figured I should offer a more agreeable suggestion.

A sweet guy from Nashville gave a great suggestion about what to put in a gift bag you might give to a homeless person. Basically he suggests a paper bag with:

  • new or clean socks
  • nail clippers
  • a comb
  • tooth paste
  • tooth brush
  • deodorant
  • bar of soap
  • gloves (when it’s cold)
  • disposable razor
  • small candies
  • personal note or decorate the bag

From
The Homeless Guy: Gift Bags

Sometimes they will try to make you feel guilty so they can get more out of you. Be polite but firm. If you set, and hold to your limits, they will respect you for it. This is a great way of giving. I have received such packages myself – they’ve always been a blessing.

I’d like to add one final suggestion to thise gift bag idea. I still think you should put a few bucks in the bag. Money is a very useful and tangible resource, you can get whatever you might need with it. Take a couple dollars or maybe a five and put it in an envelope and seal it. Then write a note on the envelope. Write whatever it might be that you would like to say to a person about being wise about what they use their money for.

What would you write on the envelope?

Money & Stewardship

Ditching Dave Ramsey is all the rage

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So a little while back I wrote a short little piece about why I ditched Dave Ramsey. Basically, all I wanted to say was that I felt bad that he was encouraging a women away from her desire to be a good steward and on to living large (my summary).
Currently, the post has 21 comments and about only one of them related to what I was originally writing about. It turns out there are a few people with some strong opinions about Dave Ramsey. Dave got out of debt himself and now he’s making a buck telling others how to do the same thing. Some have a problem with his plan, others with him making a buck, others are die hard fans of him.

Me, I just want to encourage people to be wise and sacrificial stewards with their finances.

Blog

Chris Lugo for State Senator

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Chris Lugo
I figure any guy with dreadlocks seems like a good canidate for state senator in my book. The truth is I met Chris at a Peace Coalition meeting at NPJC back in the fall. I feel like his platform is worth a look and I’d suggest you check out what he has to say:

I am a resident of East Nashville and have been living in Tennessee for ten years. I am 36 years old and have been working in the community as a peace activist for ten years, with the Nashville Peace Coalition, Nashville Peace and Justice Center and Middle Tennessee Green Party.

I have put together this web site to tell you why I think I should be your next Senator and why you should vote for peace.

The war in Iraq is entering its third year with no end in sight. We have lost many thousands of people to this war and our international reputation and our ethical and moral standing in the world have been severely compromised. I believe it is time to end this immoral, unethical and illegal war.

Read more at his website.

Blog

Looking for some software advice

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I’m looking for something that would help me take a series of data and look at it from a variety of angles. I want to be able to input a bunch of information: student names, grades, teacher names, subjects, etc. Then I’d love to be able to group and graph things a bunch of different ways: average grade by student, average grade by teacher, average grade by subject, etc. I can’t figure out how to do this smoothly and quickly in excel, and I’m wondering if there are other programs that would be better.

Any programming geniuses out there that might be of some help?

Blog

Cover the Uninsured Week

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I didn’t realize it till now, but this is Cover the Uninsured Week. This might be somewhat of a controversial issue, but I think it’s something we need to seriously consider. Rather then spewing my own unintelligent thoughts about this, I’d like to direct you to my brilliant wife’s words:

Healthcare. Is it a right? Is it a priviledge?

No matter where you stand on this issue it is absolutely horrendous that in a country where we have the means to address the health of every individual many go without the healthcare that could preserve or greatly improve their wellbeing.

Health is something that we all have in common. Good or bad, we all have health; and this is a leveling factor. Disease knows some discrimation (as far as affecting on a greater level those of lower socioeconomic status due to the lower qualities of sanitation or higher levels of pollution in certain areas of the United States) but on a large scale the diseases that are plauging citizens of the United States have a higher correlation with life-style and access to primary care than at any other time in history. No longer are we treating infectious disease as a number one killer, but we are addressing cardiovascular health, preventative cancer screenings, and screening for diabetes.

Read the rest of the article at The Fine Print.