Michael Linenberger's Blog

Nov 4, 2011

Just a quick reminder on how to use start dates when entering new tasks in MYN. Set the start date of the task to the day you want to first see the task on your list. For most new tasks you’ll use a start date of today because you probably want to get to it as soon as you can. But in some cases you want to put a future start date on the task. In the MYN settings (both in Outlook and in ToodleDo), the task is hidden until the start date arrives; on that day it pops to the top of your list. This is called Defer to Do; you Defer the task until you intend to Do it.

Here is a fine point on using Defer to Do: you may want to set the start date a few days before the true action date for the task so that you can see it coming and start making time in your schedule to get it done. That way you don’t need to look ahead to see what tasks are coming due tomorrow; the ones that need preliminary attention will appear on your list ahead of time.In general, set the start date to the day you want to do the task, or to the day you want to first start thinking about the task.

Using start dates on all tasks is the key difference between MYN and 1MTD. It makes MYN much more powerful than 1MTD as a way to manage tasks (but it takes a bit more thought and setup). To read more about the differences, go to this link.

Michael

Oct 30, 2011

I have never found a great solution for sending attachments in Outlook that are larger than my e-mail server limit. Sure, I can create a link by using YouSendIt, or DropBox, or load the file up onto my Web server and create a link; but each of those takes a few steps to get the link established—the one I copy in my e-mail.

Well, SugarSync, a DropBox competitor, now has a solution for Outlook users. It’s a plug-in that you install in Outlook, and it causes Outlook to automatically replace an attached file in outgoing messages with a link to the file on the SugarSync server. It create the link and uploads the file all automatically. You don’t even have to think about it—it just does it for you after you confirm a pop-up box that asks you if you want a link instead of the actual file.

It seems to work great.

Some fine points: Continue reading →

October 29, 2011

I first looked at the Ultimate To-Do List for Android a year ago and couldn’t recommend it for our MYN task system because it lacked a reverse sort on start date. But two days ago the company released version 1.6, which has added reverse start date sorting. Since that was the only thing lacking, the software is now suitable for MYN and has been added to our recommended list for Android/ToodleDo, right next to Pocket Informant Android (both use ToodleDo as the task server). Remember, if you have Outlook/Exchange as your task server, I recommend TouchDown for Android).

Also, at some point in the revisions since last year, the company greatly improved the user interface—the look and feel—and I have to say, it’s really nice now. One of these days I’ll write up the instructions for how to configure the software for MYN. In the meantime, if you don’t mind tinkering a bit, get a copy of Ultimate To-Do List, and then figure out how to sort on Priority, then subsort on Start Date reverse (called Latest First in this software), then filter out future start dated tasks, and you’re all set.

I want to thank Ralph Bednarski in Germany for writing us and pointing out that Ultimate To-Do List now works for MYN. Thanks Ralph!

Michael

Oct 20, 2011

We’ve also just put up a page that describes the difference between 1MTD and MYN. Go to this link. Here’s the full url: http://www.michaellinenberger.com/1MTDvsMYN.html.

As you can see, this is supporting our new focus: beginners should consider first starting with 1MTD (The One Minute To-Do List book) and only after that advance to MYN (via the Outlook book or training). More experienced or technically savvy can jump right into MYN.

Best,
Michael

Oct 20, 2011

We just put up a new home page on my website (michaellinenberger.com) which is now more aligned with the new direction we’re going with the release of The One Minute To-Do List book. We’ve started to modify the back pages as well. This is all to integrate our new focus, which is this: beginners should consider first starting with 1MTD (The One Minute To-Do List book) and only after that advance to MYN (via the Outlook book or training). More experienced or technically savvy can jump right into MYN. Check out the new home page!

Michael

Oct 19, 2011

I haven’t studied it fully yet, but so far the new Task functionality in iOS 5 looks nifty, but not something to be used with MYN. Why? Because you cannot set up the MYN view. So if you are using Outlook/Exchange, I’d stick with TaskTask on the iPhone or iPad. And use ToodleDo for the non-Exchange world.

Nifty? Well if you use reminders on tasks and use Outlook/Exchange, the new iOS 5 Tasks feature will sync those with the phone (TaskTask does that too by the way). The new iOS Tasks feature also has location awareness. While TaskTask may not have that yet (?), if you are using ToodleDo, their iOS app has had location awareness for a while.

And again, I’d rather you use the MYN views, and this new iOS 5 Tasks app is just too basic to do that.

Here’s an article about the iOS 5 Tasks app:

http://www.macworld.com/article/162991/2011/10/up_close_with_ios_5_reminders.html

Michael

Oct 14, 2011

Siri, the voice control for the new iPhone 4S, is the main new thing on that phone and getting great reviews. I really do see the day when things like this will make smartphones even greater sources of productivity gains for us all. The seconds and minutes many people spend fumbling with their smartphone to do simple tasks add up over the day. Maybe you’ll get a half hour per day back? Who knows, but it can’t hurt.

Well, if you like the idea but still prefer Android, here is an article that lists ways to do nearly the same thing as Siri on your Android:

http://www.extremetech.com/computing/99685-5-siri-for-android-alternatives

Michael

Oct 12, 2011

I have a brand-new book that has just been released called The One Minute To-Do List. In some ways, I’m more excited about this book than any other book I’ve written. Why? Because it’s a book for the masses. It’s a quick yet thorough introduction on how to manage a to-do list using my urgency zone approach. And at the end of the book I give a nice quick lesson on MYN. All in just 116 pages. Which brings me to my point…

If you are already an MYN user then you don’t need this new book! Please don’t buy it and then complain that it is a rehash of what you learned before. Okay? I want only great reviews of this book. So if you’ve read my other books, or taken my classes, and are actively using an MYN task list either on Outlook, ToodleDo, or paper, you don’t need this book!

A Book for Beginners, and for “Re-starters”

That said, if you are new to MYN, or if you’ve tried to start the MYN material a few times and failed, then yes get the book; this book is exactly what you need to get started or restarted. That’s because it’s a short and quick getting-started guide that focuses entirely on creating a powerful to-do list quickly. It provides a very simple explanation of the urgency zone theory and approach, and it works really well. So if you struggled to get started with MYN before, this book is the answer. It’s easy to read, short, and simple.

Instead Download the Complete PDF eBook Free

You don’t even need to buy it. Continue reading →

October 7, 2011

You’ve probably heard the expression that the only truly limited resource is time. But I think in reality the most limited resource is your attention. Your attention is the most valuable thing in the world, which is why, for example, advertisers pay so much money to try to get it. Why children clamor for it. Why friends and lovers long for it.

That brings me to my thought for today, which is this: whenever you write down a task you should identify its attention requirement. You should immediately ask yourself, “when do I next need to attend to it?” You can’t attend to everything at once—you can’t “do it all” now—so you need to spread out, appropriately, when you attend to your list of tasks and only focus right now on those things that need your attention.

That’s what the MYN urgency zone approach is all about. When you write down a task, ask yourself “Do I need to attend to it and get it done today? If so, it goes in the Critical Now urgency zone. Do you need to attend to it in the next couple days or say a week? Then you put it in the Opportunity Now section. Or can it wait more than 10 days to put your attention on it? If so, you put it in the Over the Horizon urgency zone. MYN is all about identifying the attention requirements of tasks, and acting accordingly.

Michael

Sep 16, 2011

I’ve got an eye on Gmail’s growth in the corporate world, and here is an article about that, one that shows Gartner research, whose opinion I greatly respect.

http://memeburn.com/2011/09/gmail-fast-becoming-a-viable-alternative-to-outlook-for-big-business/

In a nutshell, while Gamil is still only at around 1% of the corporate market, it is growing fast. And of course it is huge in the personal and big in  the small business world.

As you know, all the MYN methodology can be implemented if you use Gmail. Just follow all my work on ToodleDo.

Michael