How I’m Getting Things Done (Part 1)
Stacks by Salerie
Until recently, I let a large number of posts slide by me in my feed reader, just because they had ‘Getting Things Done’ or ‘GTD’ in the title. At that stage, Getting Things Done just seemed like some productivity cult or fad that a few people had picked up on and couldn’t stop banging on about. This was the same stage as when my idea of organisation at work was the ‘Sunflower’ method, ie. a ring of yellow Post-It notes around my monitor, each with a to-do on it, or something else I needed to remember. Filing was done in piles on my desk, which were sometimes literally taller than I was when sitting in front of them. I had years worth of work and paper on my desk and kept trying to find new surfaces to put more piles on. Not to mention my email inbox, which could easily number into the high hundreds on any given day.
It was apparent to everyone but myself that this was an issue. My work was reactive, in that it took prompting before I’d remember to do something. I’d rely on what emails came in to dictate what I had to do. Deadlines became problems and then slipped to not even being attainable goals. Every performance review I had was fine, but ended up in the same direction: the need to improve my organisation and initiative. Not that I took heed of this. It wasn’t until we moved office and I was able to start with a fresh space did it occur to me that not only could I change the way I worked, I would have to if I wanted to keep working. That’s when I started thinking about GTD again, this time a bit more seriously…
(link to part 2)
(link to part 3)
Google Remote sign out fixes wrong problem
Google now offers a way to track where you are logged in to your account from and also gives you the option of remotely logging out of Google services. I can’t say this has ever been a problem, as my main concern at the moment is trying to stay logged in to Google Reader for more than 15 minutes at a time.
Having to log back in and reread items is frustrating and a waste of time. This was the reason I ditched iGoogle for Netvibes and it’s making me think of going back to Bloglines. Most other sites seem to be fine, but for some reason, Google keeps turfing me out.
Anyone have any ideas on staying logged in?
Firefox 3 released
Firefox 3 is available from today, so what are you waiting for? Go get it!
Better yet, get it today and help them break the record for software downloads in a day.
Conversation with the Commonwealth Bank
I wanted to set up my credit card with a PIN so that I can use that instead of a signature, all part of the new ‘Pen or PIN‘ system. So I checked the Commonwealth Bank’s information site on the matter, which says to either visit a branch or call them to have one mailed out. It’s not easy getting to and waiting in a branch these days, so I decide to call and eventually get put through to ‘John’. The following conversation then ensues:
Me: Hi, I would like a PIN for my credit card mailed out please.
John: Sure, but it would be quicker to go into a branch.
Me: Ok, but I would prefer it to be mailed out.
John: Are you sure? Some of our branches are open on weekends now.
Me: I’m sure, please mail it out.
John: I’ll just check which weekend branches are near you (5 minutes while he finds list of these, discusses where I live and work and finds none which are particularly close to where I am).
John: How about X Shopping Center?
Me: No, that’s a way off.
John: Surely that’s only a few minutes drive?
Me: Not on public transport.
John: What about Y Shopping Center?
Me: No, that’s even further. Can you please mail out the PIN?
John: It really would be quicker to go into a branch.
Me: But I can’t get to a branch while I’m working or on the weekend. It really would be easier to have it mailed out.
John: Still it would only take 5 minutes to go into a branch, it’s up to 10 days to mail it out.
Me: That’s ok, I can wait, please mail it out.
John: What about Z branch near work?
Me, completely fed up: Just forget about it.
John: Ok, thanks for calling.
This doesn’t count as customer service. It should be a 2 minute call to have the thing sent out and 2 minutes for me to open the letter and read the PIN. Total of 4 minutes. This is more convenient for me than a 20 minute walk to the branch near work, god knows how long a wait in the queue (conservative estimate, 20 minutes), 10 minutes to explain what I want and get it and a 20 minute walk back. Total of 70 minutes. The 10 days to send it out doesn’t count, it’s the time out of my life that does.
Commonwealth Bank, you still repulse me and I continually wonder why I continue to keep money in you. This is the bank that gives a $0.03 interest payment on the same day it deducts a $2.00 ATM access fee. As soon as I find a decent alternative, my money and I are gone. I’m certainly not only on this one.
And John? You’re a tool.
