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43Folders.com is Merlin Mann’s website about finding the time and attention to do your best creative work.

The wow factor

Hi folders,

I don't mind about being a bit controversial and maybe I don't get it yet because I am just starting with GTD, but I really don't get it the way Merlin wants to work. I am glad that it works for him and I am not criticizing, but it doesn't appeal to me.

I don't like QuickSilver at all; to me it is a more modern way of using the command-line interface we Mac users hate.

If I would have a black screen with only a cursor on it, nothing tempts me to get started with GTD. The success is totally dependant on my personal drive to get something useful started.

GTD seems pretty exiting, but why is it wrapped up in such a boring office-like interface like kGTD or iGTD offer? Where is the wow-factor we contemporary Mac users love?

The GTD-system I dream of is much more like Apple's FrontRow, or the interface of the Apple TV. Huge simple icons invite you to Collect, Process, Organize, Review or Do. If one is chosen, its icon whooshes to a corner, clearing the screen for menu items to invite me to the next step. Inviting me to do next actions, showing me all files related to a project, syncing with iCal, you name it.

I know I should train myself to daily empty the in-box, bring up the tickler file, view the calendar, etcetera, but why couldn't my GTD application bring that up daily?

Being male, I am familiar with the seductive power of beauty. It can be very distractive. For that reason, I understand Merlin Mann in choosing an entirely black screen to avoid distraction. But I believe we also can use the seductive power of beauty to get things done.

I am a graphic designer and I would love to team up with programmers to cooperate in such a project, to build a 2007 worthy, next generation GTD app.

Terry

TerryVog's picture

You are right

Linda;9238 wrote:
Terry,

Just an observation, since I'm not sure you realize how stridently your initial message came across, especially as a first time poster (so we don't have any previous experience with you to temper the apparent tone of your initial point.)

Sorry for the unsolicited comment from the penut gallery :cool:

You are totally right, Linda. I was just frustrated that the GTD tools I tried didn't seem to help me. They felt more like an extra hurdle.

Actually I still haven't found 'my' tool. Until 'maybe someday' I have written my own or found someone to team up with me, I stick to a paper solution. I made forms that ask me the right questions and glued them together as a blocknote.

After the first replies I knew that those harsh things I wrote distracted from the message I was trying to communicate. So the next time I post something, I will send it to you first :p

 
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