MYN-ClearContext IMS Software Features

Save Time: As a TWC book reader, and new MYN system user, you can save time over doing manual configurations in the book. Nearly all the book configurations are installed with this software. This includes the basic TaskPad and To-Do Bar configurations (Lesson 3), the e-mail filing views (Lesson 8) and nearly all advanced configurations (Lessons 11 and 12). More details on that below.
Access Add-on MYN Shortcut Tools: The software will give you access to many powerful shortcut tools that greatly support the TWC Manage-Your-Now! Outlook system. Tools like the Task button, the Schedule button, and more, all directly benefit your use of the TWC-MYN system by making standard system workflow operations easier. This software is the only way to get these; you cannot add them yourself manually. More on these tools below.
Add Useful Outlook Tools: A large number of very useful extra tools are added to Outlook by this software, tools that while not directly part of MYN system, will greatly help your productivity. For example, you will find e-mail color coding based on contact prioritization an immensely useful feature. More below.

Here are details of these features.

1. Save Time: Take Advantage of the Built-In Manage-Your-Now! System Configurations

Basic TaskPad and To-Do Bar Configurations

As taught in the book, the TaskPad (2002-2003) and To-Do Bar (2007) will be your main control panel for to-do’s and converted e-mails. In Lesson 3 of the book you make those configurations manually and that takes about 20 minutes. That won’t be needed if you install the MYN-ClearContext IMS software. Here is how those task lists look once configured against the MYN task management theory (see book Lesson 1 for what the labels mean).

E-mail Filing Views

As taught in Lessons 5 and 8 of the book, I highly recommend using category or topic tagging of your e-mail as one way to file mail. If after reading Lessons 5 and 8 you find this meets your needs, you will greatly benefit by adding custom Outlook views that group mail by Category or by ClearContext Topic. Those views have been added to the MYN-ClearContext software. Specifically:

Outlook 2002 & 2003 users will want to add the Categories column to your Inbox. Three new Inbox views are added that do that and more.
Once using the Processed Mail folder per Lesson 5 to store old mail, you will want a view that groups mail by filed category or topic. The MYN-ClearContext IMS software comes with views that do that for you (and that actually go beyond what is offered in the book).

Advanced TWC-MYN Configurations

As taught in Lessons 11 and 12 of the book, there are a number of optional Tasks folder views you can build in Outlook that will enhance your experience with the MYN system. Nearly all of those are included pre-built in the TWC-ClearContext IMS software. Here are what some of these views accomplish:

Two views that help you determine how much work is on your plate in the week ahead.
Project and Goal management views that link tasks with higher level projects and goals.
A view that reviews tasks you have placed in your future Defer-to-Review list (from Lesson 9).
A view that shows all future Now-Tasks, so you can plan ahead.
A Recently Completed Tasks view that helps with status reports and tasks folder cleanup.

All of these have been designed with MYN task management principles in mind.

2. Add-on MYN Shortcut Tools: Speed and Improve Your MYN System Usage

Task Button:There are two ways to convert e-mails to tasks in out-of-the-box Outlook, and neither produces an ideal result. The Task button added by ClearContext does produce an ideal result: a task item with both the e-mail text and the e-mail attached as a file item, the latter allowing easy reply or attachment review. Furthermore, this Task button is accessible from within the open e-mail itself, which saves steps when creating tasks.

Followup Msg Button Creating follow-up tasks from messages is a best practice I encourage in Lesson 7. The steps to do that are a bit slow in unaltered Outlook. The software adds a simple button that automates this.

Schedule Button Like the Tasks button, this facilitates conversion of e-mails, with both text and e-mail file copy attached.

Topic / Category Tagging Tagging e-mail is an MYN best practice for filing mail. ClearContext has a large number of tools built in to make tagging easier and more automatic.

Rules (AutoAssign) One of the tools ClearContext includes to improve tagging is a rules engine for automatically setting topics and categories. I like it better than the Outlook rules engine, and it does not have the Exchange rules limit.

3. Additional, Useful Tools added to Outlook (not part of MYN)

E-mail Color-coding based on Contact Prioritization This feature is by far ClearContext IMS’s most prominent feature, and was one of the primary intents of the original software. It can help you gain control of your Inbox by highlighting mail from important people. Read more about it here.

Related View and Dashboard How often have you seen an e-mail and wished you could easily review the other e-mails, tasks, and calendar items associated with that topic? Well these tools give you a way to do that.

Alerts This powerful feature does a number of things, but the one that stands out is the clever ability to alert you when mail from a certain individual or topic has not been read in a reasonable length of time. In other words, it tells you if skipped an important mail. Apply this to your important clients and you’ll never miss an important e-mail again.

Do Not Disturb In my latest book I recommend that you seriously consider turning off all e-mail notifications and instead read e-mail on your own schedule. Research shows micro interruptions repeatedly throughout the day are very detrimental to productivity. Turning of notification in Outlook is surprisingly hard. This ClearContext button makes it easy, and enables a variably timed “off” period; after that period notifications return.

Unsubscribe Button Use this button to automatically hide all future messages in a particular thread.

Defer Button Using this button I do not agree with, but many users like it. It causes the selected e-mail to disappear from your Inbox, and reappear at a later time. I think converting to a task is a better solution, but as I say, many people love this feature; you may too. It is deactivated in the default MYN-ClearContext IMS software delivery, but you can turn it back on with these instructions.

Automatic Filing into Multiple Folders This is another feature I do not encourage, but if you like multiple folders, you will like this filing feature. The toolbar access to this is deactivated in the default MYN-ClearContext IMS software delivery, but you can turn it back on with these instructions.

That’s the list of features, and reasons why a TWC book reader should consider getting this software. If you are ready to try the software, use the links above left to download or buy now.