End of Year Review

It's our last meeting of 2012! Join the Virtual Study Group as we gab about end of year reviews, recap the best of 2012, and celebrate another year of productivity.
Download the podcast here.




URLs mentioned in this call:

Brad Feld's interview on the Good Life Project: http://www.goodlifeproject.com/brad-feld/

Steven Pressfield: http://www.stevenpressfield.com/

Creating perspectives on OF: http://vimeo.com/38725260

Llamagraphics' Life Balance: http://www.llamagraphics.com/products

Tara Mohr journal prompts (just substitute 2013 for 2012): http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tara-sophia-mohr/new-years-resolutions_b_1172005.html

Jonathan Fields annual report: http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/annual-report/

Productive! magazine with issue 14: our own Augusto Pinaud is on the cover (and Tara is on p 23): http://www.michaelsliwinski.com/productive_magazine/

Mac Power Users podcast: http://macpowerusers.com/

Back to Work 5by5: http://5by5.tv/b2w

Text Expander: http://smilesoftware.com/TextExpander/index.html

Phrase Express: http://www.phraseexpress.com/

Scott Young's post on ultralearning: http://calnewport.com/blog/2012/10/26/mastering-linear-algebra-in-10-days-astounding-experiments-in-ultra-learning/

Ask the VSG

Have you ever wanted to quiz the members about a pressing problem or a difficult situation you're trying to work out? In this episode, we tackle some questions from callers. We didn't get to everything so we'll be doing another of these soon.
Download the podcast here.




URLs mentioned in the call:

The Secret Weapon http://www.thesecretweapon.org/

Egretlist Mini-manual http://tararobinson.com/store-2/minimanual-egretlist

FlyLady http://www.flylady.net/

David Seah: Project Shoebox http://davidseah.com/blog/2012/06/project-shoebox-making-a-physical-filing-system/

Cloud Computing: How Vulnerable Are You?

Back in August, Wired writer Mat Honan got hacked. In this episode, we learn about how access to one account allowed hackers to wipe out all of Mat's accounts and what that means to those of us who keep so much data in the cloud. You'll get tons of info about how to protect yourself from the VSG's own Bill McNeely.
Download the episode here.



To download Bill's handout, visit https://dl.dropbox.com/u/403118/ARecentHack.pdf

A Book Launch Party! Augusto Pinaud's 25 Tips for Productivity

It's a celebration as our own Augusto Pinaud launches his new book, 25 Tips for Productivity. We had lots of fun hearing some of the wisdom that Augusto shares in the book.
Download the episode here.




To order 25 Tips for Productivity on Amazon: http://amzn.com/1479311154=

Summer break

The GTD Virtual Study Group is on summer break. There will be no recordings for Aug 23 or Sept 13. The Group will resume meetings on Sept 27.

Back to Basics: The Next-Action Decision

Back to Basics returns! In this episode, we revisit "The Power of the Next-Action Decision." We talk about getting to the next action, how to instill the habit of next-action thinking, and address what gets in the way. Join us! Download the podcast here.




URL mentioned on the call: http://www.43folders.com/2006/11/14/project-versus-next-action

Cultivating Reliability: Showing Up, Practicing It, Getting It Done

Keeping commitments is at the heart of getting things done. But how many of us renege on our commitments to ourselves? In this episode, you'll learn more about practicing the art of being reliable for yourself. Join the Virtual Study Group as we talk about, making, keeping, and breaking commitments. A great discussion, full of insights!

Download the podcast here.

URLs mentioned on this call:

Margin by Richard Swenson: http://www.amazon.com/Margin-Restoring-Emotional-Financial-Overloaded/dp/1576836827/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342124001&sr=8-1&keywords=margins

SuperBetter: https://www.superbetter.com/

Outside pursuits: using GTD to get creative

There's so much more to do than just work! In this meeting, we share how we use productivity tools and methods to get creative pursuits done. If you're artistic (just want to be), join us for the conversation. Download the podcast here.


URLs mentioned in this podcast:

NoteShelf for iPad: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/noteshelf/id392188745?mt=8

Dragon Dictation: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dragon-dictation/id341446764?mt=8

TED talk by Elizabeth Gilbert http://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html

Simon's blog: http://redlionden.com/

Combining GTD with other systems and approaches

Join the Virtual Study Group as we talk about how other methods and approaches can combine with GTD to get even more productivity goodness.
Download the podcast here.




URLs from this episode:

The Pomodoro Method: http://www.pomodorotechnique.com/

Getting Results the Agile Way: http://gettingresults.com/wiki/Main_Page

Entrepreneurial Time Management: http://www.daniellelaporte.com/business-wealth-articles/entrepreneurial-time-management-how-i-rock-it/

Cal Newport: http://calnewport.com/blog/2007/10/10/the-einstein-principle-accomplish-more-by-doing-less/

Achieve Planner: http://www.effexis.com/achieve/planner.htm

Media Consumption and GTD

We're living-in-the-future where the combination of portable computers (smartphones, tablets, etc.), digitization of media and the Internet as a delivery mechanism means that we have an unprecedented access to a variety of media (books, audiobooks, articles, podcasts, movies, TV shows). The ability to record & store media effectively means that we can time-shift media that was formerly broadcast and consume it in our own schedule. So, amidst the myriad possibilities, how do you decide what to pay attention to? How do you keep track?
Listen to our discussion by downloading the podcast here.


Websites mentioned in the podcast:

Feederler Pro: http://itunes.apple.com/app/feeddler-rss-reader-for-ipad/id364873582?mt=8

Effects of Media Multitasking on the Brain http://tararobinson.com/blog/2011/06/brains-on-fire-media-multitasking-is-destroying-your-focus.html

Special Guest: Lindsey Holmes

In this episode, we welcomed special guest, Lindsey C. Holmes. Recently named Evernote's new Small Business Ambassador, Lindsey is a passionate GTDer. She'll gave us us the inside scoop on how folks in small biz can use GTD, shared her expertise with Evernote, and much more.
Download the podcast here.



Lindsey's speaking guide with URLs mentioned in the call: http://lch.bz/K2M6mK

Evernote Small Business Forum- http://discussion.evernote.com/forum/112-small-business/

Qloudster.com - To request Beta Test

Getting to Inbox Zero

Love it or hate it, we're pretty much stuck with email. And inbox zero is touted as nirvana. But like unicorns, some doubt that inbox zero exists. Join us for a conversation about how to get your inbox under control and finally befriend that elusive unicorn. :)
Download the podcast here.

Websites mentioned in this episode:


Clear Context http://www.clearcontext.com/
The Secret Weapon http://www.thesecretweapon.org/
Gmail Keyboard Shortcuts http://support.google.com/mail/bin/answer.py?hl=en&ctx=mail&answer=6594
SaneBox http://www.sanebox.com/

Seeking Self-Employment Using GTD with special guest, Tracy Brisson

The Virtual Study Group welcomed guest presenter, Tracy Brisson (http://www.opportunitiesproject.com/). Tracy gave us the inside scoop on how to harness the power of GTD to move toward starting your own business and/or becoming self-employed.
Download the podcast here.

Back to the Basics: Prioritizing and Doing

Our popular series, Back to the Basics, returns! In this session, we talk about that all important and often really tough “Doing.” To prioritize or not to prioritize? Work in contexts? How do you get to the doing that really gets things done?
Download the podcast here.

Special Guest, Cal Newport

In this episode, we welcomed Study Hacks author and blogger, Cal Newport (www.calnewport.com). We talked about motivation, practice, difficulty, and acquiring rare and valuable skills. A must listen!

Download the podcast here.

Fixed Schedule Productivity

Tara shared her mashup of new processes that she's taken from Cal Newport's popular blog, Study Hacks. You'll learn about Fixed Schedule Productivity and how a new set of GTD contexts has changed how she gets things done. Join the conversation and learn some new methods! Download the podcast here.

Blog posts and other links mentioned during the call:
Tara's mind map of the entire "mashup" of methods: http://www.biggerplate.com/mindmaps/LzM3CjVJ/fixed-schedule-productivity
Susan Falcone writes about her experiments in Self Compassion here: http://www.poweringpossible.com/blog/the-surprising-results-of-my-year-long-practice-in-self-compassion/
Fixed Schedule Productivity: http://calnewport.com/blog/2008/02/15/fixed-schedule-productivity-how-i-accomplish-a-large-amount-of-work-in-a-small-number-of-work-hours/
The Productivity Purge: http://calnewport.com/blog/2007/10/10/the-einstein-principle-accomplish-more-by-doing-less/
Completion Centric Planning by Cal Newport: http://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2007/10/18/the-art-of-the-finish-how-to-go-from-busy-to-accomplished/
Tara's blog post about burnout and putting together her new system: http://tararobinson.com/blog/2012/01/getting-off-the-rats-wheel.html

GTD & Kids

Got kids? Know someone who teaches school or interacts with young folks? Listen into our conversation about how to help kids learn GTD for school and life. From the very small to college age, everybody can learn methods to help them get important things, like growing up, done. Download the podcast here

New Year, New Toys

Happy New Year! As 2012 is getting underway, you may be playing with new toys that came your way over the holiday season. How do you make the most of that new iPad? Got a new smart phone? A Kindle? Some other gadget or goodie? In this call, we share the joy and talk about how to integrate new gadgets and tools into your GTD practice.

Download the podcast here.

Here are some of the tools and resources shared on the call
FitBit: http://fitbit.com
Origami Workstation: http://www.amazon.com/Incase-Origami-Workstation-iPad-Black/dp/B004X355Y6
Gretchen's blog http://search4balance.com/wordpress/
Dan Stratton's styluses http://www.dwstratton.com/estore/#ecwid:category=1865005&mode=category&offset=0&sort=normal
Tricking-out Your OmniFocus Perspectives :: http://vimeo.com/19764661
David Sparks video series: http://www.omnigroup.com/products/omnifocus/videos/ (see advanced tab for perspectives)
McSparky on Omnifocus Perspectives: http://www.macsparky.com/blog/2010/7/13/using-omnifocus-perspectives.html
DayOne: http://dayoneapp.com/
WritePad Pro http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/writepad-pro/id318521158?mt=8