The Cranking Widgets Blog

Over all of the previous iterations of my GTD system, Google Calendar has always been a common thread. While all my other tools moved toward paper-based solutions, I always stuck with Google Calendar because it was (almost) as “always-on” as my paper tools. I could add events and get alerts from my cell phone, from anywhere. It also offered several other capabilities that I only utilized occasionally (the ability to add guests to events, automatically map locations, etc.). It was easy to use and a very slick tool, but Google Calendar didn’t meet two hard-and-fast criteria I have for my GTD tools (which I’ve managed to successfully apply to the remainder of my selection of tools):

• Fast, Fast, Fast – I like knowing that, at any moment, I’m capable of writing something down or writing something in my calendar. Keying “Saturday 8am-9am Meet Bob for Donuts” into my cell phone ends up taking me quite awhile, especially considering how fast I can write it down. The calendar was quick, but handwriting in a paper calendar is quicker (at least, for me).
• Always Available – Granted, there hasn’t been a time in recent memory that my cell phone hasn’t been available for manipulating my calendar. But, the more I think about GTD and what the methodology is trying to accomplish, the more I realize that digital solutions simple aren’t as well suited for the job as paper tools. My hipster PDA and moleskine calendar won’t ever run out of batteries and are far more durable than a PDA.

So, in conclusion, another run-down of my (now moleskine-ridden) GTD toolset:

• Moleskine Memo Pocket (Wallet/Hipster PDA)
• Moleskine Large Notebook (Project Lists)
• Moleskine Pocket Calendar
• Fisher Space Pen, Pilot G-2 Mini
• Filing Cabinet/Folders for Reference and Support Materials

Did I mention that I make my living as a computer programmer? I spend more time in front of a computer on a given day than the vast majority of people, and I’ve still chosen NOT to base my GTD system on technology. I think that’s something of a testament to the quality and scalability of paper-based systems, don’t you?

Technorati Tags: gtd, moleskine, productivity, google calendar, analog gtd