Doug, this is very nice work.

When I first learned about the GTD system a few months ago, I looked at the DIY planner as one possibility for implementation - and didn’t use it because I was wanting a 3x5 version. The existence of the DIY planner was an inspiration to keep looking, which eventually lead me to the hipster.

So now I’m curious: What (else) do you carry in yours? What blanks you carry around? How do you divide your stack? And, (yes, this is projecting a bit), how much time do you really save by tweaking the system?

Thanks again,

Tait

Argh. I am almost sorry to be bringing this up, but it is “cachet” (a characteristic feature or quality conferring prestige) not “cache” (a hiding place especially for concealing and preserving provisions or implements) nor “caché” (not an English word, but the Spanish equivalent of “cache”).

Nice Doug.. But what options does it save by you using this system and tweaking it? What are the differences?

the question of filing permanently sparked my brain into gear while reading. Once you’ve got a group of cards to file you could just stick them on a photocopier and instantly have a “6-up” copy to file away.

That might work for people.

I’ve read 43 Folders since it’s inception, and find myself using paper-based To-Do lists. I want to go completely paper-based - I find the Outlook/iCal/Palm solutions convoluted, ineffecient, non-scalable, and lack subtle visual cues and signals that, say, a particular worn index card or the particular way I scribbled a phone number might have. I can’t bring myself to do a Hipster PDA project though, because I have bosses that I need to show Task Lists and Project Lists to. They want MS Project files and Excel spreadsheets of milestones and contacts and other hooey, so that they can go to their higher-ups and say “look how efficient and focused and productive my worker bees are!” How about some tips/workflow ideas on paper-based systems where reporting/accounting for your time that won’t entail typing up or data-entrying everything you just took the trouble to organize in your paper-based system?

I realize that a completely based paper-system simply won’t work when electronic-based accountability is demanded, but there’s got to be a happy middle ground, right? …right?

…I like my Tungsten T5 just fine, but—the pleasures of reverse snobbery aside ;)—there’s still something comforting about putting pen to paper.

One thing you could do for repeating task lists (like weekly household chores) to save paper and time and cut down on clutter: laminate and use a wipe-off pen. That way, you go through your periodic checklist and just “clear” when you’re ready to start again. Add extra lines at the bottom for non-repeating tasks.

Tait, I still use my 5.5”x8.5” DIY Planner as my main organisational system, but it has become my… uh… “docking station.” When I’m running around —unless I know I’m going to be needing the full planner— I now tote a Hipster PDA. Ideal cards (double-sided) in order are:

1. Cover, backed with GTD diagram (going to get this laminated)
2. Monthly “flip-it” version, this month and next
3. 3 Next Actions (@Career, @Home, @Errands)
4. Agendas card
5. Waiting For (will mostly be transferred later)
6. Green divider card
7. A few cards for various projects
8. Blue divider card
9. 2 Checklists (these are very useful!)
10. 2 lined Notes, 1 grid Notes
11. 1 blank Project Card
12. 1 blank Contacts card
13. 1 Shopping card (@Career one side, @Home on the other)
14. Pinkish divider card
15. 4 blank cards
16. Yearly calendar

28 cards in total. The trick for me, I think, is to ensure that I am “syncing” at the end of each day with my main planner (the regular size 5.5”x8.5” planner for me, or Outlook, or Evolution, or whatever, for others). That half-hour also becomes a valuable review time.

As for the time I save, well… I haven’t felt like I’ve wasted any time, so that’s probably a good indication that the system is working.

all my best, dj

Doug, way to put together common sense and project fulfillment in a single solution.

As a sufferer of ADD, I’ve been using index cards forever to help me maintain focus on what needs to be done today. However, it never dawned on me to use some standard cards and dividers, I just kept a couple of blank cards to prep for tomorrow. I tried the daytimers, palm pilots, etc…. but found them getting in my way more than anything else, so I’ve always come back to my back pocket planner.

I really like the laminated card solutions and will be “deploying that solution” tomorrow.

I’ve also have my son who suffers from ADD using cards, and will work this system into his plan.

Thanks again,

Not sure if anyone else has mentioned this, but even though the HipsterPDA is excellent for notetaking etc., it really is a waste of paper!

“My notes and to dos are NOT a waste” I hear you cry. But that’s not what I’m referring to. I’m referring to using ONE index card for writing a phone number, or an address, or a task. When this information is then transferred to the necessary electronic or paper area, the card is thrown in the trash - what a waste!

I apologise to those of you who recycle your cards, but from the many articles, comments I’ve read re: HipsterPDA, most people just trash the card and that’s it.

I’m not a great fan of the digital world, but this disrespect for paper (and ultimately the rainforests) is just not on.

dj — thanks for posting your own ideal solution. i’m trying out a similar one. since you use yours as an extension of your own other organization methods, do you only add your next immediate actions to each next-action list if you are away from your main planner?

Also, it sounds like (with the exception of the cover card) you don’t print double-sided. any reason?

for everyone else, i’m wondering what the ideal configuration would be for those of us who plan to use it as our main planner. I’ll probably figure this out after a few months of using it, but it would be nice to hear from someone who already does just this.

thanks in advance!

Senor P,

I see my NA cards as short-term, just those things I can get done today, in contexts I’ll experience. My planner’s NA lists, however, take into account several day’s worth of activities in many different contexts. For example, I have several work-related context NA lists in the planner, and I’ll simply run through them and copy the relevant items into a @Work card. It’s sort of like a five-minute mini-review, and a good kick-start, I find.

So the planner lists are the “canonical” ones, and the cards are an extension for me; I treat them as aide-memoires away from the main planner. This is not to say that I don’t think the Hipster PDA is great standalone, but I personally need access to more information than I can feasably carry (and index) in it. I do carry a few cards in the planner as well, such as the GTD/Covey references, a shopping card, a few checklists, and a few note cards, ready to detach and deploy.

Ultimately, I want to make sure there is a “master” of my information, lest I wind up with the “bits and pieces” problem I experienced endlessly when utilising various technologies. Such a simple concept and so straightforward to implement, but yet so easy to overlook.

I do print double-sided, usually the same back and front. No need to waste space (and paper… gotta preserve them rainforests ;-) ).

all my best, dj

Who needs to waste paper? there is NO excuse for not recycling. I’m not sure that most people do trash paper! not of the younger generation anyway…

whatawaste are you forgetting the large areas of forested area being cleared over mining for material for microchips (not to mention endangered gorillas habitat being destroyed.)

If you really feel guilty over using paper, why not add “plant a tree” on your to do list?

Anonymous polemical activist formerly known as “whatawaste”:

I’m totally with Anne Lamott on this one:

• use assloads of paper
• recycle everything
• give money to a tree-loving charity of your choice

As long as we’re at it, I somehow suspect that the environment can handle my ~500 recycled index cards a year much more economically than it can tolerate the thousands (millions?) of PDAs (and batteries batteries batteries) people will throw into their trash this year.

Excellent — thanks for the response!

p.s. I’m not sure about everyone else, but because my hand writing is not the greatest, these pre-printed cards help me save a lot of paper space. It makes it easier to both read and write smaller text.

all the best.

Well, I finally got the DIY Hipster forms to print on 3x5 cards. That was WAY harder thatn I thought it’d be. I still can only print on one side though; the card jams when I flip it over and try to run it again. The space between the rollers in the printer (HP 4000) is about exactly 5” so if there is the slightest slipage the next roller doesn’t pick up the card. If this solution workds for me I’ll probably do it on 4x6 and cut them down to size. I already have ideas for other cards: phone message, trouble ticket(I’m a professional computer geek), and a photo card (I stuck a picture of my daughter in my deck to brighten my day while I’m flipping through). So far I’ve had a Plam Pilot, Daytimer, HP48 calulator, Newton 2000, iPaq 3870, a Miquelrius notebook, and now the hipster. The method that I seem to naturally revert to is post-its everywhere and my memory… hopefully this helps.

The Canon PIXMA series prints 3x5 perfectly (they can fit about 20 cards in the manual feed tray), and they are amazing printers as well. I have the ip4000 and think it’s great. They’re only a little over $100, as well.

Has anyone created a print stylesheet for GTDTW that will print cards identical to DIYHPDA’s format? If not, I’ll get to work…

I’m certainly NOT an activist.

Come on though guys and gals, ONE index card to write down ONE phone number, and then trashing it afterwards - even if it is in a recycle bin it’s still an incredible WASTE in the first place.

I’ve read many blogs of people using this HipsterPDA and many blogs saying that they use in the way I describe above.

I’m not saying either that electronics is any better. My argument is that if you’re going to use this HipsterPDA method, then just make sure it’s used responsibly.

When looking at Douglas Johnston’s DIY hipster templates, I was having a really hard time with the concept of printing out and having on hand/in pocket all of these different card versions. What if I ran out of one particular card that I needed? Even if I am sitting at my desk I have to print out another of that specific even though I have plenty of the other types sitting right there already printed. Then yesterday, when I saw the new Meta-line organizer from John Norris, I realized that you could use his system in combination with Douglas Johnston’s version to create just one card that you could print out many copies of and fill in the bubble when you decide what type of “blank” you need. I print these on the backs of graph paper index cards so that I don’t waste valuable ink. This way there is always a blank sitting on top of your pile that has a header bar, a notes section, a checklist for next actions, shopping, projects, someday maybe etc… And on the other side there is always handy graph paper. Just fill in the “someday maybe” bubble and it becomes a “someday maybe” card. For the @home and @work labeling style, I added a top box and a very similar side labeling box.

Click my name link below to view it. Remember to save it or force it larger if your explorer automatically reduces it to a level that is unreadable.

Whatawaste: I really would rather take this someplace more appropriate (it would actually make an excellent topic on the Google Group, for example), but I have zero pang over using and recycling index cards. In terms of net net effect, I just can’t believe that even a tremendous spike in the number of people blowing through index cards has a fraction of the impact of, say, one big-city newspaper. The numbers just aren’t there (500 index cards=1.8 lbs; 1 single Sunday New York Times weighs over 2lbs.).

I get it as a personal desire to be thrifty and share an interest in not being wasteful, but there’s some much more lucrative targets than someone using (maybe, maybe) four pounds of recycled paper a year.

Merlin: appreciate your thoughts, but if we all thought like you with regards to this issue, then we really would be in trouble. I will cease writing any further comments.

DIY Planner Hipster PDA Edition

It is exciting news that Douglas Johnston from a million monkeys typing has released DIY Planner 2 Hipster PDA Edition which has over 30 organisational and planning templates for index card. It includes:

* A cover, including an “if lost, ple...

DIY Planner 2 Hipster PDA

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