In this article I’m going to discuss how I moved from Omnifocus to OneNote for implementing the Getting Things Done methodology.
OneNote is a great cross platform general purpose digital notebook application from Microsoft. The cross platform nature of OneNote suits me really well since I have an Android, Mac and iPad and am constantly switching between each.
This doesn’t represent the only way to implement GTD. Customize it to suit your particular way of working (and share what you did in the comments!).
OneNote organizes content in Notebooks, Sections and Pages.
Understand the fundamental GTD best practices - Optimally configure Things in the way we have found works best for GTD - Integrate your actionable email - Create project, next actions, waiting for, and someday/maybe lists in Things - Manage useful reference lists - Use tags effectively. This especially helps with the implementation of the “Clarify” portion of the GTD method. OmniFocus is the perfect GTD app for those who use Mac and iOS devices. OmniFocus is one of the most beautifully designed GTD apps on the market, and it’s a favorite among GTD fans. Applications for task management based on Getting Things Done (GTD), the productivity method by David Allen. It includes apps for iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac and Windows.
Best Gtd App 2020
My basic setup consists of the following.
- A single Notebook labeled GTD
- Multiple Sections as follows
- Collection
- Project List
- Next Actions
- Someday or Maybe
- Checklists
Each of those has one or more pages within each section. I’ll talk about each of these in turn.
A note about OneNote. Hyperlinks are your friend. I link individual project pages to my Project list. I also link out to Dropbox folders for things I have stored digitally. It saves a few seconds every time I need those items.
Collection
The Collection section consists of a single page labeled Inbox. When I’m in a flow state and an idea pops in my head I can quickly get it into my Inbox using a number of methods.
Getting Stuff into the Inbox
I wanted a way to get things into a single inbox in no matter where I am or what I’m doing. What I settled on is building out some workflows using the service Zapier and the OneNote API.
Zapier connects applications to each other via their application programming interfaces (APIs). With Zapier and the OneNote API I could easily append items on a page.
It’s the glue that makes my collection process easy. I’ll show you each of the workflows I’m using below.
Getting stuff into my inbox via Email is handled using the “New inbound Email” trigger and the “One Note” action within Zapier. It’s setup as follows.
- Create a new Zap
- Set the Trigger to “New inbound Email”
This will create a unique email address that you can use to send content into Zapier.
Now, connect it to OneNote
- Add a OneNote action to Zapier
- Select the “Append Note” action, it might be listed under “less common options”
- Give Zapier permission to access your OneNote account
- Setup the template that maps the email content to OneNote
- Set the note book to the name of your GTD notebook
- Set the Section to “Collection”
- Set the Page/Note to “Inbox”
- Set the Content Type to Text
- Set the Content to the email subject line. I actually append the text “Handle email” before the subject so it shows up in the Inbox in a nicer form.
I then add the Zapier email address to my address book so it’s available everywhere. When I receive an email that I need to take action on I just forward it to my inbox. I can then process it during my review.
Google Assistant
I want to be able to use the “Take a note” function on my Android to append a note to my inbox. Unfortunately, while OneNote supports “Take a note” it can only create a new page. This isn’t exactly what I want to do.
Instead, I rely on using Trello as an intermediary with Zapier.
I have a Zap setup that will Append a Trello card to my Inbox whenever a new card is created on a board. It’s pretty hacky but it works. You can follow a process similar to the one above but replace the New Inbound Email trigger with a New Card in Trello trigger.
Alfred
Alfred is a killer productivity app that lets you work more efficiently by giving you the ability to control actions on your Mac with the keyboard. One great feature is the ability to trigger automated workflows. This feature allows me to quickly capture ideas into my trusted system without interrupting my flow.
To get this to work, I use the Zapier for Alfred workflow developed by the gang at Zapier. You can follow the instructions on that link to learn how to get it running.
Once it’s running you can add things into your system by tapping a key and typing
onenote This is an item for my inbox
It’s a game changer for me because it keeps me out of the rabbit hole I often fall into when I break flow and enter another application.
Project Lists
David Allen defines projects “as any desired result that can be accomplished within a year that requires more than one action step.” Those projects should go on a project list. Within OneNote I have a section labeled “Project List.” This section has a number of pages.
At the top, is a page titled Projects. This page lists all of the projects that have multiple next actions. Then, I have a series of pages for projects that contain my project support material. Each of those is hyperlinked into the main project list.
Not every project in my Projects List needs a project support page but for the more complicated projects it’s handy to have everything linked up in one place. Autopano giga 4 0 download free.
A Project Support page uses the following template:
Page Title is the Project Name, I use the same name that appears in the Project List
Then I have the following sections
- Purpose / Principals
- Outcome
- Brainstorming – where I keep notes
- Next Actions – where I keep a running list of next actions, this is helpful if I think of a bunch of tasks during brainstorming
- Notes – a place to keep miscellaneous notes related to the project
Next Actions
This sections consists of a series of pages for each of the Categories or Contexts that I care about. Here’s my list but feel free to create your own.
- Computer
- Read
- Errands
- Calls
- Home
- Waiting For
- Thinking
Someday Maybes
I keep my Someday Maybe list in its own section. I do this in case I want to keep more than one page for Someday / Maybes.
Checklists
Finally, I have a set of checklists that I use to help keep me on task. I’ve always loved using checklists. If you haven’t read the Checklist Manifesto, I recommend checking it out.
Here’s my current set of checklists
- Morning Review
- Weekly Review
- Monthly Review
- Mental Sweep Checklist
Morning Review
I like to keep my system in check so every morning, I do the following:
- Process my email inbox
- Review my calendar
- Review my GTD inbox
- Review my Next Actions
- Review my Projects List
- Review my tickler file
Doing this everyday gets me ready for the day and makes my weekly review easier.
Weekly Review
My weekly review checklist is an expanded version of the Morning Review. I basically follow the process outlined in the book to get Clear, Current and Creative. The only variation is the things I check when I’m “getting clear.” I’ve described that below.
Getting Clear
- I’ll look around my office for any loose paper or things that don’t belong and stick them into my inbox.
- I then follow the mental sweep list to get a bunch of things out of my head. I don’t like to do this at the computer because I tend to get distracted. Instead, I’ll grab my iPad and jot things using the Notes app.
- I then go through my various inboxes and process them.
- I’ll check my various email accounts, and process them.
- I’ll check my physical inbox and clear that out
- I’ll check my OneNote inbox and move things to projects and next actions
- I’ll clean out my Mac Downloads folder
- I’ll also clean out a special folder on Dropbox called 1Scans. This folder contains content I’ve scanned in but haven’t filed in my digital system yet.
I’ve mentioned that I use Zapier to get my stuff into my system. How do I deal with handling things while I’m on the go? I’m using a Google Pixel phone and the OneNote application. OneNote for Android lets me create shortcuts to specific pages right on my home screen.
I’ve created a link to my Errands page so I can easily check it whenever I’m out. There’s also a link to my Inbox which gives me another way to get things into my system.
Are you interested in using OneNote for implementing GTD? If so, you can download my GTD Template.
If you have your own tips for using OneNote for Getting Things Done I would love to hear them in the comments. Pins 1 8 2 – simple and elegant bookmark manager.
Posted in Productivity2 Comments
Jasonon November 19, 2018 at 7:01 amHi Joe, Nice blog post. Saw your link on the GTD page on Reddit. I like the way you organize your project lists. It can be tough to get things done as a new engineer without some kind of good system. This was helpful for me. Can you share a little bit about what you review with your checklists? Thanks for sharing!
ReplyJoe Cotelleseon November 19, 2018 at 7:38 amBest Android Gtd App
Thanks for the feedback Jason. I just updated the post with my Weekly Review Checklist. My 1Scans folder is probably a blog post on it’s own.
I actually started GTDing years ago when I was an engineer too. It definitely helped me get my head around things. It’s probably going to take you time to sort out how to deal with your own project lists plus things in your Issue tracking system.
One way you can deal with that is just add a “Check JIRA” task to your Morning Review checklist.
Windows Gtd App
ReplyPlease share your thoughts.
Joe CotelleseDoylestown,PAMy first professional job involved playing video games for 9 hours a day. After experiencing early signs of brain rot, I decided to teach myself how to write software.
Best Gtd Android App
My entire career is characterized by this “why not?” attitude.
I'm currently applying my experience at product development to help early to mid-stage companies develop a “product first” mindset.
You can also find him at the links below.
Affiliate Disclosure
On blog posts where I discuss products I may include affiliate links. If you click on one of these links and buy something then I get a teeny-tiny commission. As of this writing I think I make enough to buy a cup of coffee once every couple of months.
I don't get any paid compensation directly to write product reviews. I think that's pretty scammy.
Outlook continues to hold its own as the workplace email program of choice.
Outlook has a number of integrated features designed to help you save time and stay organized, as well as a host of plugins and add-ons that add capabilities and integrate other features within the basic Outlook services.
However, it’s not always easy or intuitive to use a productivity system like Getting Things Done (GTD) with Outlook, because Outlook is designed for people who work, manage time, and manage emails in a particular way.
If you are seeking ways to implement the GTD Outlook method, here are some ways to adjust your Outlook software and your email management practices to be compatible with GTD principles.
44) Sort Action Items From Non-Action Items
1) GTD Outlook Rules and Folders
Outlook has a number of flexible and powerful rules you can use to automatically sort emails into folders without manual review and sorting.
While the initial setup may take some time and tweaking, devising some simple rules for your emails keeps them out of your inbox and clears your mind from unnecessary clutter, freeing you up to Get Things Done.
2) Disable Notifications and Popups
The core of Outlook GTD is to work on one thing at a time without distractions. Disabling features that interrupt or distract you allows you to work with full attention on the item at hand.
Check your GTD email and messages set-up at specific intervals that you have scheduled, so that you manage your own time. It may take some discipline at the beginning, but the increased productivity and reduced stress will pay off later.
3) Getting Things Done Outlook and Your Calendar
Don’t use your calendar as a to-do list or vice versa. The getting things done outlook principles are that only things that are specifically bounded in time should be scheduled in a calendar.
Not only does this keep your calendar more accurate and increase your reliability, but it makes it much easier to shift tasks and priorities as needed. Instead of managing your task list as “what to do on Thursday,” streamline your list down to “what to do next.”
4) Sort Action Items From Non-Action Items
Best Gtd Tool
If an email contains an actionable item, and it takes less than two minutes to do, do it immediately. If it takes longer than two minutes, add it to a task list and get it done according to your priorities.
If an email isn’t actionable, archive it or trash it. Reducing inbox clutter is essential to the GTD Outlook method.
Many Outlook users read an email and then flag it or mark it unread to remind themselves to follow up with it later because it’s a habit developed out of using the software for a long time.
But that habit eventually leads to a cluttered inbox, time lost trying to find items that were flagged, and endless distractions as you scan different messages looking for the one you want.
Unfortunately, even with these systems and practices in place, and a strict following of GTD methods, there are a few things Outlook simply struggles to do well without a good GTD outlook add in or GTD and Outlook app:
- The built-in flagging of emails is an inefficient way to associate specific reminders and action items with emails
- There is a great disparity between “read” emails and “completed” action items, and users have to spend time and cognitive energy distinguishing the two. Preview panes often confuse the issue, leading to things being marked as read when they really weren’t, and vice versa
- It can be difficult to add time-bounding to tasks or emails so that they fit into a schedule. When an email becomes a task, any contextual information or scheduling information has to be annotated separately and can’t be attached
- For project-based work with component tasks and communications, it isn’t simple to a group, categorize, and communicate tasks at a project-level
- It is not easy or intuitive within Outlook to organize tasks by priority and then rapidly change priorities, although that is frequently a necessity at work
While it is possible to compensate for these inherent Outlook weaknesses by creating and tweaking an array of custom rules, filters, and categories, the task of implementing, adjusting, and maintaining that system is time-consuming and complicated, and you spend more time administering Outlook than in getting your work done.
A faster and simpler approach is to adopt a GTD for Outlook tool like Flow-e. Flow-e integrates with Outlookand replaces the Outlook interface with the Flow-e system. Using Flow-e with Outlook makes Getting Things Donbe faster and easier, with:
1) Better management of tasks
If a GTD email system contains an action item, it becomes a task with a simple drag-and-drop. Those action items can be sorted, grouped, categorized, and prioritized visually, and contain comments or additional information.
2) Better management of projects by using GTD in Outlook
Tasks can be easily grouped or categorized into projects, broken into delegable-subtasks, with built-in tools for scheduling, follow-up, and accountability
3) Visualize everything
Flow-e makes it easy to quickly assess next-task priorities and the status of tasks and projects with its visual interface. Flow-e is the perfect GTD app for your Outlook. Wifi check 2 1 2 – scanner test speed tools. Rather than reading a list or opening a calendar, your workload is visible at a glance.
4) Better tracking of completed items
In many workflows, finished tasks just disappear or are moved off a list, while Outlook tends to keep them on the list by default. Tracking of finished tasks is important for many reasons:
- When a project is finished, it may be necessary to review component tasks and completion schedules in order to assess the project as a whole
- When reviewing your own work and productivity, it can be useful to review and acknowledge what you have finished
- Managing completed tasks is emotionally satisfying, and the process of either reviewing them, grouping them, or disposing of them can add a valuable psychological boost to stressful work
Outlook is a powerful tool for workplace email and communication, but it has significant limitations and doesn’t always work well with a productivity system like GTD.
Adopting an additional tool like Flow-e enhances Outlook’snatural capabilities, compensates for its weaknesses, and streamlines your time and inbox management.
Pictures credit: Freepik