‘Don’t count the days. Make the days count’
©Jeroen Van den Bosch - 5 June 2020.
Link to my profile
Why do most productivity tools not cut it for Academic work? Is there a mismatch between the tools and nature of such work? Is there too much variation in the Academic work flow for tools that are too generic? Or are those few optimal tools that exist too specific to be linked into one system, so they end up fragmenting your workflow and you lose oversight?
Or is it not the tools themselves, but our mismatched expectations of how they can and should tame our workflow?
Below, I might not give those answers that cater only to your personal needs.
But, I do my best to ask the right questions, so you can better choices for yourself.
'Getting Things Done' (GTD) the organizing system by David Allen is the golden standard for managing workflows - and will remain so for the foreseeable future (until we get brain plugins with total recall). In this essay, I want to highlight that the method itself is universal enough, but that the productivity tools designed on this model are seldom a perfect match for Academic work.
Mr. Allen remains hesitant to endorse any particular digital tools, and after rereading parts of his 2015 (revised) edition, any App-loving millennial cannot but stare with sneering incredulity at his boomer-worthy, barely veiled distrust for non-paper tools. Still, the man changed the lives of multitudes, so he's perfectly entitled to any Luddite quirks, if he so chooses. Use all the binders you want, Mr. Allen! We remain grateful.
[DISCLAIMER 1- In this essay I mention various Apps, organizational methods, and devices, but do not receive any remuneration or benefits for promoting any of them] - maybe I should? - hint hint.
[DISCLAIMER 2- My focus is solely on Academic work here and this is not meant to show off Academia as a unique, more valuable or "better class" of job. Although it is a privilege to work in the sector and many fight hard to get in. No, this is rather an essay about managing your workflow in this (often) competitive environment, and at all times I encourage to pursue a healthy work-life balance, meaning: building out a sustainable and amiable relation with your work.] - OK. This being clear, let's now take out our ukuleles and sing kumbaya ...
Anyway, this essay is not about his system (GTD). Here, I am going to to highlight some problems that might arise when you adapt generic productivity tools without pondering your individual needs as a researcher, teacher, tutor, project manager, and whatever other roles you juggle while working in Academia. Also, I recommend certain categories of productivity tools (your pick what you like) and bring up some observations how to tweak (or correct) existing productivity mantras.
I am not going to explain here what GTD is and how its works - if you are really oblivious to its existence, just follow the links (and have your world rocked) - but better still read the book - it is quite sensible and its goal is to become more productive, but still obtain a healthy life-work balance and reduce stress.
Stress-free productivity: GETTING THINGS DONE by David Allen
These latter are valuable goals often abandoned by straying productivity fanatics who instead abuse the system in order to chase Utopian immortality projects. (We all stray at one point, don't we? )
Before I start, let me just bring up one of GTD's key components, which are easily overlooked in the organizational tools themselves that are so ubiquitously peddled in a competitive market of productivity appliances. And that is:
Keep your Archive, Task Management and Calendar separate.
With separate, I do not mean "use different apps for all these three things," but rather keep them categorically "pure." If the content of these three elements starts blurring into one another, your workflow will just get messy real quick, usually your life follows. Let me clarify: