After spending several months flirting with all manner of web applications, notebooks and the like, I think I’ve finally settled on my GTD implementation of choce. Backpack, a product by the venerable 37 Signals (makers of Basecamp), is simply fantastic.

When considering my previous idea about the two types of web-based GTD systems, Backpack is as close to a perfect marriage of the two that I’ve come across. I bet you’re probably wondering why I say this…

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I’ll tell you right now, I rarely get enough sleep (assuming “enough” sleep is 8 hours per night). On the average night, I’ll get 5-6 hours of sleep, and sometimes it’s less than that. And It’s not because I can’t sleep – I hardly ever have trouble falling asleep. No, whenever I stay up past [...]

A big part (perhaps the biggest part) of many peoples’ lives is being a parent. Some of you are probably seasoned parents, some new parents and some not even thinking about that sort of thing yet. Well, for the latter two groups, I have a few things you might like to know. But first, you [...]

(Disclosure: Behance is a sponsor of Cranking Widgets – but that doesn’t mean I am obligated to give anything but my honest opinion regarding their products. The following review is comprised of my untrammeled thoughts and reactions – nothing more, nothing less) The first thing I noticed about the sample product I received from Behance [...]

I have a confession to make. I get way too enamored with new and fancy ways of getting my crap in order. Which means I’m regularly transitioning between GTD implementations (and this frustrates me to no end, I assure you). I’m not kidding – when a new GTD app shows up on my radar, I’m [...]

If you asked 100 people what keeps them from accomplishing their goals, completing tasks at the office, etc., I imagine you’d hear answers like “procrastination”, “interruptions” and the like. And while those things are definitely formidable foes in their own right, I believe there’s a single object that, for all the benefits it brings, hampers [...]

As I’ve been wandering down the merry path of the GTD/Productivity blogosphere, I’ve made a few friends along the way. One such person is a fellow named Glen who happens to run the uber-awesome LifeDev.net productivity blog (and I’m sure all of you are already subscribers). Glen and I have plans to collaborate on several [...]

I’ve had several requests come my way for some tips on how to implement GTD on the super cheap. After all, not everybody can afford a super-fancy PDA or even a spiffy Moleskine notebook – especially college students. So, after doing a little research, I’ve figured out a way to make your very own GTD [...]

(This post is part of a series called The Mind of GTD where I examine the thought processes and attitudes that make up a “mind like water”) Obviously, your support system is the heart and soul of GTD as you see it. It houses all of your information, tracks all of your objectives and dutifully [...]

Of all the possible uses for a computer, email is probably the most pervasive (perhaps second only to regular web browsing). From Bill Gates to your Aunt Betsy, everybody’s got an email account these days, possibly multiple accounts. It takes very little effort or know-how to get an email address, and there are literally hundreds [...]