All systems go

For the three people or so who actually read this, prepare to be amazed ;) I've dumped my very nice little system (and it is a good setup, using the KS apps, with a linked memo to easily access all your lists.) I've been using a nice Apica notebook as my systems notebook. In it, I review what I'm using and thing of ways it could be better. I've noticed that, about every four weeks, I express a desire to use Life Balance again. It usually passes and I move on. Well, my focus this week is goal setting. I've been trying to hammer this out for the last few weeks. I really feel like I'm drifting. I used a "roadmap" (basically a mind map) this year, that hangs next to my computer. I've been working on a new one. And I've found that my current, sort of plain vanilla system isn't working to keep those goals in front of me.

I wrote this in the notebook on the 26th: What I want from my system is

• ease of use,
• enough built in fun that I don't get bored,
• focus on my goals and list of intentions,
• the ability to work at the desktop.

That nice, simplified system had me bored and unfocused. I felt drawn to hack my Life Balance setup and really got it whipped into shape. I incorporated all my list of intentions, into those tasks designed to keep the TLI from coming into the outline. While most people wouldn't consider LB to be easy to use, I've got a couple years experience with it. It was pretty simple to restructure my old file to work with the goals I have today. I still have some work to do, adding in all those someday/maybe goals and a few new ones that aren't in there yet. It's the closest I've been to a full blown weekly review in a long time.

I don't think I'll ever be happy with a plain, memo based system. I wish I could articulate why. I just want everything into one app, with just one place to look. I'll continue to have reference stuff in memos and in Mac Note Taker. It's like coming back to an old friend, to use LB again.

To make life even more interesting, I found the Moleskine 2005 pocket diary for 50% off. So I bought one. I don't think it will replace my Apica notebook, but it will give me an idea of why these things are so popular.