Review: Bonsai

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Originally published 8 Mar 2006, Updated 5/19/2007

Summary

Bonsai, by Natara Software, is an outline program. This is the workhorse of my GTD system - it is where my lists live. Within the various outlines, I have my projects, someday/maybes, next actions, an archive of completed stuff, and outlines of things I do on a regular basis.

Overview

Manufacturer: Natara Software
Platform: Palm and Windows
Current Version: Palm: 4.0.3; Windows: 4.0.3

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Easy to use Palm application
• Easy to use Windows application
• Windows application is full-featured; I can do everything on Windows I can do on the PDA
• Both platforms allow you to link to to-dos and contacts
• Both Palm and Windows application supports back linking

Cons

• I don’t find it as easy to edit on the Palm as on Windows
• The Windows application could use some more keyboard shortcuts, like ones to jump between the notes and outline windows.
• The windows application doesn’t allow linking to calendar events like the Palm does
• Linking between tasks/contacts/calendar occurs only on Hotsync

Why Did I Download/Buy This?

I looked for a long time for an outline program. When I am doing planning, I have a tendency to brainstorm a bunch of steps, then I want to be able to arrange them in a tree with branches, if necessary. I used the free Progect for a while, but the lack of desktop interface slowed me down. The end products that went head to head, Bonsai and Shadowplan, ended up being a contest of Windows applications. At the time I evaluated them, Bonsai won, hands down.

My philosophy is that any program I am going to be using a lot needs to have a strong desktop component, because data entry will go much faster there. I am a much faster typist than graffiti-ist.

How I Use This?

As I said above, Bonsai is my workhorse. I have two main outlines: one for completed projects, and one for current projects and someday/maybes. I use the categories to distinguish between runway levels (@Areas of Focus, for example), project classification (Project, Project Details, Someday) and the contexts for my NAs (Calls, Home, Internet, Errands, etc). Filters allow me to quickly do a weekly review. [Note: I will have to do a separate series of articles on my Bonsai implementation].

There are numerous smaller outlines, each containing groups of branches that could be copied into the main outline for tasks that are periodic. After my last Palm death, I realized I also needed to have an outline for the tasks that I rely on Redo to remind me about, so my backup reminders are in their own little outline.

Update 5/19/2006

Bonsai is still the center point of my productivity system. Recently I published a series of articles on how I use Bonsai on this blog. Look to them for detailed descriptions of my current system.