Getting things done planning vs. doing

[shutterbug55]

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about how to turn plans into actions. It seems I can plan anything, organize anything, and I am able to start a project with great enthusiasm.

Finishing the the project/task/to do… not so much so.

I started looking around and at other aspects of my life, most notably my work. Getting projects complete is simple: Do the planning, hand it of to the dev team and POOF! the project is finished.  When I look at the individual projects, they get done using a Project Management Methodology called Agile SCRUM.

I started breaking down my tasks and to-do list into mini-projects and posting them on the sliding glass door to my back yard. So, my future Project Managers… Read up on Agile and see if it doesn’t work for getting your things done.

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[Scattybird]

Hi shutterbug55 – nice post. Coincidentally I just discovered Trello which might be similar.  I’m currently trying it out – but I have tried out many ideas which generally fall by the wayside…..not because the system doesn’t work, but just because it’s me using it……

What I like about Trello is one can create cards (a bit like virtual index cards) and break down a project into its component parts. That means instead of seeing “write paper X” on my to do list, I can create a card and break it down into its component parts as I see fit. I can then estimate the time it will take for each part and set deadlines if I wish. A component can be moved from the ‘do’ section to the ‘doing’ section or the ‘done’ section. Apparently it has sharing capabilities too. So you can use a card for your tax returns, import in material and share with your accountant (not that I use it for that). My problem is still turning that system into something that means I get a task finished. So I still have to ring fence time in my diary and get motivated enough to do it.

I think even the linears amongst us have time management issues. One of my work colleagues says she doesn’t use a to do list – instead everything is given a slot in her diary. I tried that for three days and by day 4 everything from days 1-3 that hadn’t been done ended up being accumulated into day 4. Aaaahhha  – brain freeze time.

I came across the terms below which have been given to ways of working – I wasn’t sure what SCRUM meant and coincidentally an essay on the Trello site defined the terms. I’m going to use the Trello plus diary method combined and the Kaban and Scrum methods (defined below) and see how it goes. But I’ll also check out the Agile SCRUM too…… I’m guessing each system will be similar but have bits that might suit different people.

Taken from the Trello newsletter:

1. Kanban
The kanban method encourages focus on just the work that’s actively in progress. Once a task is complete, you pull the next task from the top of a backlog.

2. Scrum
The scrum method breaks down a project into fixed-length iterations that allow the team to ship something on a regular basis.

3. Sprints
A subset of scrum, a sprint is a short period (ideally less than four weeks) during which you work on and ship part of a project.

 

 

 

 

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[shutterbug55]

Hi Scattybird!

I looked up Trello and it looks like it is a software package/adaptation for Agile. This is why there are so many agile terms and processes. I have been secretly experimenting on my son, and using agile methodology on him so he can break down tasks into “bite-sized” pieces.

So far so good.

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