One of my favorite movies, The Princess Bride, has a character who says dozens of times:

“My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.”

Inigo has had a single purpose since a child: to find the man who killed his father and left him with two scars, and kill him. In pursuit of that goal, he has learned to be an amazing sword fighter, and traveled the world seeking the six-fingered man who killed his father.

Talk about a life purpose.

Even in the midst of drunken stupors, he remembers. Even when bleeding from multiple wounds, he remembers, and it spurs him on, giving him strength and focus.

And then it is accomplished. The six-fingered man is dead.

As I was watching the movie recently, I was left wondering two questions: What Has Inigo Missed? and What Will He Do Now?

It seems to me that in his single-minded pursuit of his goal, Inigo has cut himself off from other life experiences. Sure, he has traveled, but he spent the time looking for the six-fingered man. Did he really experience what was offered to him? I doubt it.

And then when the six-fingered man is dead, Inigo is left at loose ends. What will he do? His whole life has been spent in pursuit of one goal, and once the goal was accomplished, he had no other things to fall back on. Sure, he could spend the rest of his days drifting from assignment to assignment as a hired blade. Or perhaps he could become the Dread Pirate Roberts. But there is nothing planned.

I think there is are productivity lessons to be learned here: do not allow your goals to cut you off from experiencing your life; and always have a plan of what to do next.

Photo by floodllama

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The software blew me away.

What is Swift?

Swift To-do List is task management software. It allows you to track tasks in whatever organization fashion you wish. You can have lists, sub-lists, and notes all jumbled together.

• Download: www.dextronet.com/swift-to-do-list-software
• Company: Dextronet
• Platforms: Windows 7, Vista, XP and 2000.
• Editions: Standard and Professional
• Pricing: Starting at $44.95
• Other: 30 day free trial, 90 day money back guarantee

The Main Interface

This software is amazingly straightforward. On the main screen there are four areas, three of which show by default. The left-hand side is the to-do list tree. This acts as your navigation bar between different lists. The second area, at the top of the right-hand side, is the task view, showing the tasks in each to-do list. On the bottom of that section is the notes area for the current task. You can turn the notes off, and also show the Info panel, which shows how many tasks are due today, and how many tomorrow.

Adding a List

The first thing you will want to do is add a list. You have full flexibility to add it as a task or a memo (yes, store notes right there!), and to customize it with one of 144 colorful icons.

Adding a Task

This is a really cool feature. First, everything is on the screen. No more entering a task, then having to go back into the task to add things to it. Second, you control what you show on the screen. If there is a field you don’t use, take it off. One you do? Show it.

The Features of Swift

• Multiple Databases. You can store multiple lists in this software. You could divide work and personal, or keep a separate someday list.
• Multiple computers. One license of Swift gives you the ability to use it on three computers. That is generous.
• USB Deployment. One of my first thoughts was, “well, I’m sure it can’t be run from USB.” Imagine my surprise when I looked in the File menu and saw the deployment to USB option. It cost me another licensing fee to get Bonsai to do that, and here it is, included with Swift!
• Purge/Archive. Built in to the software is the ability to purge or archive completed tasks. If you archive them, you can see them and get them back if you need to!
• Reminders. This task manager will actually remind you when something is due.
• Encryption. The program comes with the ability to encrypt your database. This is a great feature when linked withe USB deployment.
• Flexible Emailing. You can email yourself (or anyone else) a task. Here’s the best part: the email template is customizable. With very little help, I was able to set up an email template to send a task to Remember the Milk.
• Dragging. It should be a feature of every list software out there, but sadly is not. Swift does allow you to drag tasks between lists, and to reorder things.

Notes About the Software

I just have to throw this in here…I am a software developer, and I can be very critical of software implementation. So often software just doesn’t live up to the mark. Swift is a solid program. I was unable to make it crash…and I tried. The user interface is clean, and everything is accessible by keyboard as well as mouse. It is a well-designed and well-programmed piece of software.

My Wish List

Swift isn’t perfect for me, I’ll admit. Right now I would love to see the ability to tag each task in multiple ways, so that I could slice-and-dice tasks. And without an iPod application to go with the software, I will still be using RTM on the go.

Summary

This software is actually making me think about leaving Bonsai behind. It’s going to be a fantastic amount of work for me to transfer, which is why I never considered it before. But then, I never met a piece of software that would make it worth my while before, either.

Swift To-do List is solid task management software. Its many features and solid programming make it a great tool.

If you want another opinion on the software, Softpedia gave it 5 stars in their review.

Contest Announcement

Following on the heels of this post is the official contest announcement. To sum it up, you have a chance to win one of three professional licenses for Swift To-do List. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post telling how you would use it. Get a second entry by posting about this review post on your own blog. See the official contest announcement for the rules, etc.

Disclosure

Dextronet provided me with a copy of the Professional Edition of Swift To-Do List in order to do my review. I receive no affiliation fees from the sale of the software.

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The method of focusing multiple things at a time is called multitasking. The theory is that multitasking allows you to do more than one thing at a time. Sounds like the perfect answer to productivity woes, doesn’t it? This week I am going to focus on multitasking and how it actually complicates our lives and makes us less productive and ultimately less peaceful. In this article I will tackle some specific strategies on how not to multitask.

Over at Zen Habits, Leo posted an article (How NOT to Multitask – Work Simpler and Saner) on how to get around multi-tasking. The top part of the article has a great section on the whys of not multitasking:

1. Multi-tasking is less efficient, due to the need to switch gears for each new task, and the switch back again.
2. Multi-tasking is more complicated, and thus more prone to stress and errors.
3. Multi-tasking can be crazy, and in this already chaotic world, we need to reign in the terror and find a little oasis of sanity and calm.

While I think Leo has some great ideas on general work strategies, I think that not multitasking requires less steps. Here is my method on how not to multitask:

1. Decide how long you can focus on a task

When you first start single-tasking, it is going to be very difficult to focus without getting distracted. Start small and decide how long you will focus on a task. I like 15 minutes; you can do anything for 15 minutes, and it is long enough to make progress while being short enough to not seem like you are neglecting other tasks. Use a timer so that checking the clock does not become the secondary task.

2. Figure out what exactly you are trying to do.

If you are writing an article, the task at hand is to write the article, not file or research. By figuring out exactly what it is you need to do ahead of time, you will have an easier time realizing when you have slipped into multitasking.

3. Stay on track

Once you have set the timer, start working. Let the phone calls go to voice mail and don’t check email. If a thought comes to you and you are afraid of losing it, write it down quickly and return gently, but immediately, to the task at hand. When the timer goes off, stop working and assess what you have done.

I believe that with practice, we can all slow down and stop multitasking. And as we stop multitasking, our lives will become calmer and more peaceful.

Photo by eflon

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The method of focusing multiple things at a time is called multitasking. The theory is that multitasking allows you to do more than one thing at a time.

Sounds like the perfect answer to productivity woes, doesn’t it? This week I am going to focus on multitasking and how it actually complicates our lives and makes us less productive.

As a programmer, I learned many years ago that computers don’t truly multitask. They split their processing capability between all the things that are requested at a given point.

If you open a huge spreadsheet and then launch a big file in a word processor, then send an email while you are waiting for the sheet to load, the overall speed of the computer is slowed down as the processor swaps between the simultaneous requests. If you wait and allow the computer to complete one task before starting another, everything actually runs faster overall. [Note: I am referring to older computers, with single processors; modern computers with multiple processors and tons of memory do not show this as readily, although they can be loaded to demonstrate this behavior.]

I think our brains are very much the same way.

If we have multiple things that require our attention, the best we can do is to slice our attention up and give partial attention to everything. As we shift between the tasks, part of our brain is occupied with the shift itself, causing a lag. This lag time is dependent on the person, and also on the complexity of the tasks at hand. It takes more time for our brain to wrap itself around detailed complex tasks than it does around simpler tasks.

The difference between a computer switching tasks and the human brain switching tasks is that the computer circuits are more adept at handling the change, and the circuits are not dependent on biological factors such as fatigue, hydration and nutrition.

Over at Life Optimizer, an article examines this very thing. It has been shown that it is faster to process things one at a time than to try and multitask the items, and the suggestion put forth that programmers should not be asked to do more than one thing at once.

Donald asks if the condition applies to our lives: “Is it always better to do one thing until it completes before moving to the next thing ?” (sic) Given the evidence, it is probably faster to process things sequentially, and will result in less mental stress as well as yielding a better end result.

I think there is a bit more to it. If your task at hand is to write a novel, it would be impossible for you to sit down and write that novel without doing anything else in the meantime. Life doesn’t allow for single processing for extended periods of time.

At the same time, if I am handed a dozen things to do at once, I can feel my brain get bogged down as I try and keep track of where everything is. The more I try to do at a given time, the more stress I feel, the more my energy goes down, and the more likely I am to make mistakes. It is the quickest way I know to go from feeling calm and peaceful to being harried and stressed out. By simplifying what I am doing at any one time and focusing on the task at hand, I can hang on to the inner core of serenity much longer.

There is a bit more to it, though. Extended working on a single item is not always possible or desirable; multitasking at a rapid rate is harmful. There must be a middle point where we can focus on a task for a set period of time, then move onto another task without suffering too much from the lag of the brain shift, yet remain calm and productive.

Let me know what you think. Are you a single-tasking? Multi-tasker? A combination? Why? Does it depend on what you are doing?

Photo by ciokkolata_farabutto_never_loved_berlusconi

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I have always found that a task list that I can see is better for me to get things done. I love electronics, but since they’re not in my face constantly, I have a tendency to ignore them.

I’ve used many planners, and tried many systems, and have been designing forms that work for me. My weekly planner was my last attempt at a tracking sheet; it gave room for appointments as well as tasks.

There was something missing, though. I wanted to be able to track targets for my week as well as the details. I know that if I don’t set goals, I will end up making no progress on the stuff that I feel is important. I will remain stuck in the petty details of day-to-day life and miss the big picture.

So I created a new form. (You can download it directly (pdf) or from the freebies page.)

How The Sheet is Constructed

Click on the pictures to enlarge.

This sheet is meant to be printed front and back on one sheet of paper. There is a target section that can be folded to be viewed from either side. For each day there is a section of lines for appointments, and a bigger section for tasks (I have very little on the schedule).

The form is constructed so that the target section can be folded in, and the days be folded to reveal a two-day span. (The reason the back of the sheet is reversed is so that you can fold over Thursday and still see what is coming for Friday.)

How I Use It

Click on the pictures to enlarge.

On Sunday evening or Monday morning, I sit down with the form and fill in my calendar events for the entire week. This gives me a general idea of the work load.

Next I look at my current project list and decide what I want to focus on this week. This is generally a combination of things that are coming due and things that are important to me. I put these in the Targets area, and list the goals I want to accomplish for each one.

With my task list at hand, I fill in the week’s tasks. I put the target-related tasks from my task list at the top of the list, and starting from the bottom, fill in the mundane tasks. I can then look and see if I can work on any of my targets that day.

If my schedule is so busy that week that I cannot find time to do work on my targets, I start cleaning out the mundane tasks.

I’ve been using this sheet for about two months, and I like the flexibility it gives me. I can balance my days and make progress on the big projects, as well as keep on top of the mundane tasks.

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It’s become a buzzword: sustainability.

Mostly it applies to living life in a way that doesn’t overuse resources. Don’t use trees faster than they can grow. Don’t use more water than is available. The list goes on and on; but it all comes down to the concept of don’t deplete your resources to dangerous levels.

Sustainability In Life

Sustainability practices need to be applied to what we do in life. As I indicated earlier in the week, regular breaks are necessary to sustain productivity. Here are three ways to make sure your life is sustainable:

Rest

We all need rest, yet few of us actually get what we need. Take some time not only to get enough sleep, but also to have some down time each day.

Re-creation

The word recreation can be broken into the two parts Re- and -creation. This is to remind us that we need to take time to recreate ourselves. Take time to play, be creative, sing, dance, or whatever moves you.

Balance

The key to ongoing sustainability is to balance what we are putting out with what we are taking in. I’m not talking about the elusive concept of work-life balance here, but rather making sure that we don’t deplete ourselves too far.

What are your thoughts on sustainability? Share them below.

Photo by paul (dex)

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A lot of personal development advice seems to revolve around the concept of improving areas of your life that are completely messed up. If you are incredibly disorganized, stressed out, and unhealthy then it makes sense to try to improve these areas.

However, focusing solely on those trouble spots ignores what I think has the greatest potential for amazing progress.

When you’ve started improving those trouble spots in your life, how do you act? If you’re anything like me, chances are you begin to backslide.

I’m in the middle of a training program in preparation for a half-marathon race. I’ve been sticking to the program very well for the past couple weeks and everything is progressing nicely. Instead of redoubling my efforts and staying focused, I realized that I’m letting a very dangerous mindset take over.

Where’s That Killer Instinct?

Let me know if this sounds familiar, “I’ve been running a lot this week so it doesn’t really matter if I eat ice cream for the third day in a row.” Or this: “I’ve been so productive at work recently it doesn’t matter if I let my organizational system fall apart.”

I’m sure you have an area in your own life where you’ve made impressive improvement and, as a consequence, have let something else slide.

My own realization came as I tried to run a 5K training run this morning. This is one of the shortest runs I do and it shouldn’t pose too much of a problem. My running has been going well so I decided to run this distance much faster than I have in the past. That all makes sense, except for the fact that I drank a Coke and ate two doughnuts for breakfast while not drinking any water. In my mind, I figured that since the distance was short and I had been doing so well with longer runs, it didn’t matter that I hadn’t taken care of myself properly.

I was wrong.

The Difference Between Pretty Good and World Class

What sets world-class athletes, CEO’s of huge companies, the best teacher in your school or the most productive person apart from us “mere mortals” is how they approach success. Success is not something they attain once and then lock up in a closet. Success is a never-ending journey that is constantly evolving and growing as they evolve and grow.

If you’ve found yourself stuck on one speed or even regressing in some aspect of your life that is important to you, try one of these tips:

1. Change something, anything, up: Maybe you are beginning to slack because you are bored. You’ve mastered the basics and now it’s time to try something new. Learn some new techniques, change up your training schedule, or find something new and exciting to explore. Much of the time changing things up is exactly what you need to continue your forward progress.
2. Revisit your goals: If your reasons for doing something have become hazy it’s easy to lose the focus you need to do it well. Clarify, in writing, why you are trying to improve some area of your life. Seeing it in front of you in physical form challenges you to take it seriously. Maybe your motivation has changed since starting your endeavor and the real reason you’re stuck in neutral is because it no longer resonates with you. Either way, you have to figure out why you’re doing what you’re doing.
3. 30 Day Challenge yourself where you are slacking: As I’ve improved my running I’ve let my nutrition slack off. It has been easy to justify eating whatever I want when I’m burning so many calories. However, that is not the mindset I want to have if I’m trying to become a much more fit person. Doing a 30 Day Challenge of not eating fast food or eating as cleanly as possible will be a good way to realign my actions with my motivation.

When everything is going well is the time to redouble your efforts and truly do something awesome. Most people settle for average, for mediocrity. You’ve already got the momentum behind you, why not keep it going and really challenge yourself to do more, be more, and live more?

Sam Spurlin writes about simplicity, living consciously, and personal development at The Simpler Life. Come join him on his journey to live as meaningfully as possible!

Photo by AdamSelwood

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This wasn’t the article I had planned for today.

The fact is, I’ve been struggling for the last few weeks, trying hard to fill out the editorial calendar. But the words wouldn’t come.

It wasn’t until I was in the middle of my yearly retreat, sitting under a tree during unscheduled time, that the truth hit me: I needed a break. Looking back on the years I have been blogging, I have only taken two breaks. That’s too few.

I gave myself the rest of the week off last week, telling myself that I would be better for it. And the truth is, the words are coming easier today.

It isn’t good to keep working at something all the time. We all need time to sit back, regenerate ourselves, and regroup. It doesn’t just apply to work, or everyday life, but to the things we love to do.

It came back to me for the umpteenth time as I sat listening to an acapella vocalist: the music is as much about the spaces as it is about the notes. There’s a reason, I believe, the planned lack of sound in a musical piece is called a rest.

Photo by e-magic

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There’s an old wives’ tale that if you drop a frog in a pot of boiling water he will jump out, but if you put a frog in a pot of cool water and slowly raise it to boiling the frog will allow himself to be boiled to death.

The “temperature” of our lives is our stress level, and we react the same way.

If we have a sudden onslaught of stress, where everything goes to heck in a handbasket all at once, we know we’re under stress. Our bodies react to it, and we manifest all sorts of physical and mental symptoms that we are aware of because of their suddenness.

Yet if the stress level gradually increases, we get used to it, and don’t realize how much stress we’re under until we have a breakdown of some sort. We get used to the tension in our backs, not sleeping well, or any of the other manifestations.

The moral of the story is that stress, like heat, can build gradually, and can get to alarming points without our really being aware of it. Be aware of your temperature, and take steps to lower it if it is getting to warm!

Photo by indi.ca

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Do you ever find yourself bored at work? Most jobs have some down time between projects or assignments. How do you pass the slow spells? Do you log into Facebook? Play online games? Chat with your coworkers?

Though there’s nothing wrong with any of those, how about maximizing that down time by being fully productive and really accomplishing something? Here are some ideas:

Take an online class.

How about improving your skills or learning something new by enrolling in an online class? You can work at your own pace without ever stepping foot in a classroom. Depending on the subject matter, your employer might even pay for it. Need some ideas? How about a foreign language, a computer programming language, writing (creative, grant, résumé), or personal finance?

Update your résumé.

If you’re looking for a new job, or even if you aren’t, use your free time to make your résumé current. If it has been awhile since your last job change, you probably have a lot of information you could add to your résumé. You never know when you may see an ad for your ideal job.

Read some interesting/informative blogs.

Forget Facebook. You’re not learning much by reading about your friends’ status updates or how many points they scored in Mafia Wars. Read some useful blogs (like the one you’re reading now). There are blogs on every topic imaginable. You never know what you may learn.

Clean out your e-mail inbox.

Do you have 500 unread e-mails? How about outdated e-mails about projects or events that are long past? This is the perfect time to purge that inbox! If you’re feeling overwhelmed, here is an article that might help: 10 Steps to Become an E-mail Ninja

Plan your meals for the upcoming week.

Have you ever gone home at the end of the day, overwhelmed by the thought of preparing dinner? Make a menu for the upcoming week so you don’t have to deal with thinking about food preparation when you’re tired and hungry. Try one of the many recipe sites online to find some fresh ideas for quick, easy, and nutritious meals. One of my favorite of such sites is AllRecipes.com.

Make a shopping list.

While you’re planning your meals, why not make a shopping list? Keep it handy and add to it as items come to mind throughout the day or week.

Clean out your purse, wallet, bag or briefcase.

It’s easy to accumulate clutter over time in a bag or briefcase: outdated documents, candy wrappers, shopping lists, receipts, etc. How about using this time to unclutter? Throw out all nonessential items to keep your bag/case roomy and lightweight.

Pay your bills.

Is your power bill sitting on your kitchen counter at home waiting to be paid? Use a spare minute or two to go ahead and pay that bill while at work. This will free up valuable time at home that you can use for other chores.

Review and update your calendar/planner for the upcoming week or month.

Is there an important event coming up that you need to remember? Mark it on your calendar. Trying to remember what activities or events the next week holds? Check your planner. Reviewing your calendar often will keep you from missing an important event or deadline.

Examine (or reexamine) your goals.

While you’re looking at your calendar/planner, why not look ahead at your goals? If you don’t have a written list of goals, now might be the time to start one. Spend some time thinking about where you’re going in life. Are you on the right path? What do you want to accomplish this month, this week, or this year?

Do any other ideas come to mind? Please share in the comments!

Rachel Vidrine is a librarian, web designer, and blogger. In addition to her blog, she runs a site dedicated to English grammar and usage.

Photo by normalityrelief

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