Step 23 to GTD Mastery is: I attend a weekly productivity group centered around the GTD methods.

Image: Ted Patrick

Or not…. The number of people I’ve talked to about GTD can be counted on two hands (not including the readers here at GearFire who I’m grateful for sticking around despite another vanishing act on my part).

Edit: Feel free to join the Google group here: http://groups.google.com/group/gtdweekly

Step 15 to GTD Mastery is: I have a paper file system which is fun and fast to use, perhaps using an automatic labeler.

A couple of months ago, I put out a call for help to our readers for the creation of my paper file system. Many of the responses advocated a paperless system. After weighing my options, I chose the Fujitsu ScanSnap S510 scanner (Mac version here). The S300, a lower-end model is also available (comparison chart here). The factors that swayed my decision were the inclusion of Acrobat Standard and the carrier sheet support which helps with the scanning of my odd-shaped newspaper/magazine clippings. The S510 also scans over twice as fast and you can feed it 50 pages compared to 10 pages with the S300. This lets me use the S510 as my inbox.

First Impressions
Upon opening, I couldn’t believe how small the S510 was. Its footprint is less than a standard piece of letter-size paper.

Setup
Step-by-step instructions are provided in the manual and are easy to understand. The first step was to install the ScanSnap’s drivers and software and Acrobat (Windows 2000, XP, and Vista compatible). Everything went smoothly and, despite the software spanning 3 CDs, I only had to restart the computer once. The ScanSnap itself connects via USB and is run off of DC power.

Testing
I tested out the ScanSnap with a pamphlet I received from school. You can take a look at the resulting PDF here.

At this point in the review, I should be writing about how great a product the ScanSnap is and how it has simplified and revolutionzed my paper workflow. However, I’m going to outsource this part of my life, Tim Ferriss style. Ryan Norbauer over at 43 Folders shares my love for the ScanSnap.

Here’s the premise: the SnanSnap is the first consumer scanner (that I’ve used anyway) to truly be about information storage. It’s not for ultra high-resolution photo scanning; it’s all about documents and speed. Firstly, you initiate scans by piling your documents into the stacker and simply pressing the one big button on the face of the device. It then rapidly (and I mean damn fast) gobbles up your papers and spits them out at the bottom. Fujitsu says up to 36 pages/minute in duplex mode, and that sounds about right. The resulting digital document gets dumped right onto your hard drive in searchable PDF format, which every OS seems to understand natively these days. It automatically corrects for mis-aligned papers, auto-detects whether the document is color or monochrome, scans in duplex if it detects a back side to the page being scanned, and detects the size of the paper being scanned and intelligently crops the digital version to the right size. You can mix and match document types liberally and it stitches them all together into one PDF with each page automatically adjusted to its own parameters. I love that there is just one operative button: you just tell it to go to town, and it gets out of your way and makes smart guesses based on what you give it.

Carrier Sheet
I pulled out an old magazine clipping to test out the carrier sheet. Needless to say the ScanSnap came through again. You can find the resulting PDF here.

CardMinder
You can also scan any business cards you may receive.

The ScanSnap includes the CardMinder software for managing your business cards. Unfortunately, it only supports the reading of the contact’s name, company name, one phone number, email address. In the future, I hope that it will support address info, multiple phone numbers, and website. You can export the card info to Outlook or Outlook Express. If you use a different email client, CardMinder also allows you to export the info to a CSV file. I use Gmail and it supports the importing of CSV files.

Gmail correctly identifies the “name” and “email” fields from CardMinder’s CSV. However, the “phone” and “company” are placed in the contact’s notes under “more information.”

Final Thoughts
Being a student with a budget, I had my reservations about the ScanSnap’s price tag. However, in the long run, the ScanSnap will be cheaper than filing cabinets, file folders, a labeler, and labeller refills. I purchased mine from ATS Systems here in Canada with free shipping on orders over $99. There’s also a $50 rebate on all S510s purchased from January 1 to March 31. You can download the rebate here. The total cost of my ScanSnap came to $450 CAD. Amazon and eBay are currently selling them for ~$400 US (plus shipping). If you’re on a tighter budget, the S300 is listed for $260 CAD at ATS Systems. If you don’t need the carrier sheet and don’t mind slightly slower scan times, I would save your money and buy the S300. If space is a concern, the S300 is half the depth of the S510.

Step 22 to GTD Mastery is: My computer files are set up for maximum productivity.

Above is a screenshot of all my files. Even with nearly 50,000 files spanning multiple computers, managing my digital data is painless.

Organizing
The first step is to establish a folder hierarchy. If you have multiple computers, I recommend using the same structure on each to allow for easy synchronization. The exact structure will vary for each user and there is no one solution. The only criteria I have is that I’m able to quickly locate required files. Below is a mindmap of my “My Documents” directory.

Searching

Vista has Instant Search, Mac has Spotlight, Linux has Beagle. I’m using XP and use Google Desktop for my desktop search. While it isn’t perfect, it is much more efficient than manually point-and-clicking.

Backup
Nothing is a bigger productivity killer than losing your data (not to mention grade killer when that term paper is due the next day). There are different levels of backup that you can take to protect your data.

Level 1: Create a separate partition for your documents
For Linux and Mac, this means you should have a separate partition for your “home” directory. For Windows, this means your “My Documents” should not be on your C: drive. Instead, you should have a separate partition (e.g. X: drive) where you place your documents.

If you already have a spare partition, you can move your documents by right clicking on “My Documents” and selecting properties.

If the C: drive got corrupted, you can simply reinstall Windows and point your “My Documents” back to that other partition. If you don’t have a separate partition, you can resize your C: drive to create a new partition. If you’re doing a re-install you can create your partitions during the installation. An introduction to “partitions” can be found here. A search for “your OS and hard drive partition” should provide guides for your specific OS.

Level 2: Backup to a separate hard drive
The next level is to backup your files to either an external hard drive or a dedicated server. I use SyncToy to synchronize and backup all my files. My laptop is backed up to my server at home. My server is then backed up to external hard drives.

Level 3: Off-site backup
The final level is to backup your files either to a computer outside your neighbourhood or through an online solution. This is the only way of protecting your data from a natural disaster (e.g. fire/flood). If you have friends/family who are willing to run a backup server and who you trust to respect the privacy of your files, re-imbursing them for the electricity costs will generally be cheaper than an online solution. This depends on the size of your data. There are many free online backup solutions that offer a few gigabytes of storage. However, if you’re data needs are larger, check out our partner, Carbonite, who provides unlimited, automated online backups for only $50/year. Computers are disposable, your data isn’t.

How do you organize, search, and backup your files?

Step 21 to GTD Mastery is: I have a mobile office space set up, if needed.

As a student, it is definitely needed. Utilizing the time inbetween classes, events, and extracurriculars is crucial. This alone can make or break your academic success. This semester I was fortunate enough to schedule my classes with no gaps. I like hard transitions during my day (e.g. classes to studying to recreation). However, this is a personal preference as many students simply can’t sit in lectures for hours upon hours. In addition, your schedule may simply force large gaps upon you.

Like any other workspace, your mobile office has two requirements: a productive environment and supplies. Since we have already discussed the school supplies you need, this post will focus on choosing an effective study space.

The Golden Rule

When buying real estate, it comes down to location, location, location (says Donald Trump anyways). When choosing a study space, it comes down to isolation, isolation, isolation. This, above all other factors, is the key component for student productivity. The only faces you should see are those in your textbook (not your roommates, not that cute girl/guy, not your favourite celebrity’s poster). The only noise you should hear is what you want to hear (your thoughts, your writing, your keyboard, your music).

Examples

The first location that should come to mind is a library. However, not all libraries satisfy the need for isolation. In my high school, we had a tiny library, roughly the size of two classrooms. There was a set of cubicles in one corner for “quiet study,” but this was rendered useless by the flow of students twenty feet away, without any effective sound barriers. Fortunately, there was a public library accessible in a two-minute walk. There was also a book store in the nearby mall which had a Starbucks. The customer base was non-students and quiet during my study hours. I would sit at a table facing the wall. My final study spot was the upstairs floor of the pizza store. It was only busy during my lunch hour. During my study hours it was a ghost town.

In university, my library has designated “quiet study” floors. In addition, you are allowed to book breakout rooms, complete with stone walls and a door. Perfect silence. Another option is lesser-used buildings on campus.

Other Criteria
While isolation is the key, it isn’t enough. Study spaces should have good lighting. This reduces eye strain and keeps the body from unconsciously moving to a sleep mentality. The study space should be large enough to comfortably layout your study materials. My final requirement is that I’m able to eat at my study space. Being able to refuel your energy is important. If you’re at a library, pick a spot where a librarian can’t see you.

Depending on the individual, it may be necessary to have more than one study space. Using the same study space daily can grow tiresome and actually decrease productivity as you start dreading the “walk to work.” Always be looking for new study spaces because, come crunch time, there may not be a seat for you at the library.

Step 20 to GTD Mastery is: I have all the office supplies I need (p. 92)

Page 92 in Getting Things Done refers to a list of tools for your work space.

Paper-holding trays (at least three)
A stack of plain letter-size paper
A pen/pencil
Post-its (3X3s)
Paper clips
Binder clips
A stapler and staples
Scotch tape
Rubber bands
An automatic labeler
File folders
A calendar
Wastebasket/recycling bins

You can see my paper-holding trays (with blank paper), writing tools, and post-its on my workspace.

I have decided on a paperless filing system thanks to the help of Marina Martin at Sufficient Thrust. A post will follow when my Fujitsu ScanSnap arrives. This eliminates the labeler and file folders.

My calendar is my cell phone. Currently, I need to buy some more staples.

The rest of the list can be seen in the picture below. I place the supplies in my desk drawers to avoid the clutter of bulky desktop storage. The garbage and recycling bins are within swivel distance of my desk.

And yes, my recycling bin is an Eggo Waffles box. I used to eat them religiously when I was younger.

Step 19 to GTD Mastery is: I have a dedicated physical office space set up.

GTD Mastery 100 returns after a couple of weeks off. GearFire has added a few more writers to the team and I hope you are enjoying the fresh content.

Above, you can see my office setup on display. It’s not terribly exciting, but it gets the job done. You can click on the image which will take you to an interactive image on Flickr.

On the far left is my inbox discussed previously in the series. In front of it is my change holder. It automatically sorts my coins and has a holder for coin wrappers.

My supplies holder is at the centre (in black). It holds writing materials and a hole-puncher. To the right is a scratchpad and a document holder (in green). To the left is a dragon carving (my Chinese zodiac), a birthday card (given to me by my grandparents), and a Mickey Mouse woodblock (from a time when I didn’t know what GTD was).

My laptop and mouse are a Dell Latitude D630 and a Logitech VX Revolution respectively. I run dual screen with my laptop and external monitor. The Easy-Read book holder (review here) is stored on the top of my monitor and also serves as a document holder.

At the top is my bulletin board. I post inspirational articles on it. The GTD Mastery 100 checklist is on the bottom-right three papers.

Check out more workspaces courtesy of the Unclutterer Flickr group.

It’s almost a guarantee, no matter what your major, that your classes will eventually begin to overlap and build on each other. That is why it is so important to take full advantage of the work you’ve already put into past classes.

REUSING PAST PROJECTS

An important aspect of this system is the direct reuse of past projects. For example I remember taking an English class in which I needed to write a persuasive essay, in writing this essay I spent hours and hours researching a specific topic (in my case Nuclear Energy) and ended up doing very well on the paper. As a naive first year college student I discarded the paper once I received it back from the teacher. The next semester I needed to make a persuasive speech on a topic of my choice, and it hit me: I had already researched a topic (Nuclear Energy) the past semester and that there was no need to do it all over again. Fortunately, even though I had thrown away the paper, I had not deleted the file from my computer and was able to find it. Reusing the information I had previously found saved me hours of research and increased my confidence in the project because the original grade ensured the quality of my research.

REUSING PAST CLASSES AS A WHOLE

A chilling realization is taking a sequential class, such as calculus II, and discovering that you’ve forgotten most of calculus I. Fortunately, there is a very simple and effective way to avoid this problem and it consists of three steps:

1. Make sure you keep all of the tests/classwork/homework throughout a semester.
2. As you have each test in class, keep the relevant classwork/homework with that test and file it away.
3. At the end of the semester take each test and it’s appropriate classwork/homework and put it in a manila folder labeled for that class.

If you follow these three easy steps it saves an incredible amount of time backtracking in future classes, and makes reviewing entire classes worth of work organized and simple.

REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF WORK YOU SAVE

In the above step 2. I make it a point to keep the relevant work only. This is where the reducing part of this system comes into play. If you end up with a huge unordered pile of paper and just file it all away, you’ll likely waste a substantial amount of time sorting through to find what you want in the future. Reducing the clutter to only what is absolutely necessary for understanding is crucial in streamlining the entire process so that you can spend the most time concentrating on the class you’re actually taking.

Step 18 to GTD Mastery is: I maintain a “Someday/Maybe list,” and regularly review and update this list during daily and weekly reviews.

Last week we talked about the weekly review in Step 17. One of the items on my weekly review checklist is to review my Someday/Maybe list. This involves two steps:

1) Transferring active projects to your project list. Did you find some time over the holidays to start brainstorming for your Great American Novel? If so, you should have a new item on your projects list. The same can be said for any project you’ve set in motion.

2) Deleting unwanted items. Has someone already written and published what you thought was the next Great American Novel? If so, it’s time to delete it from your Someday/Maybe list and go back to the drawing, or writing board, as the case may be.

When I started practising GTD, I would usually just skim over my Someday/Maybe list without any deep thought about the items stored there. This lead to the graveyard that is my first blog, ttGTD.

Today, writing for GearFire is proof of a fresh and inspiring Someday/Maybe list.