Getting Shit Done (in 20 Minutes)

A shortened version of Getting Shit Done, the productivity and GTD-like system for web professionals. This presentation was given at A Web Afternoon in Atlanta.

Design and development is a lifestyle choice for many of us, but that doesn't mean we don't want to get out and enjoy the other things in life. When most of your day is spent on trivial tasks rather than productive work, it's time to evaluate your process and improve it. In this talk, Patrick shows you how to focus your work day, reduce time spent on the crap you don't enjoy, and help you Get Shit Done. He talks about the tools and resources you can use to speed up your process, how to find the right routine for you, and when to unplug and get away from your computer.

Transcript

1. GETTING THINGS DONE Patrick Haney @notasausage shit in 20 minutes!
5. MY NAME IS PATRICK And I’m a procrastinator.
6. I WORK FOR MYSELF Don’t call me a freelancer.
7. http://marketplace.veer.com/merch/vpr0001351
8. http://youtu.be/_cZC67wXUTs
9. THE INTERNET IS DISTRACTING Hey, stop staring at your iPhone.
10. The problem with constant inspiration is that you're always distracted. - Rogie King, on the Twitters http://twitter.com/rogie/status/162542504636461057
11. A LIST APART • Demos, examples, techniques, writing http://www.alistapart.com/articles/reigniting-your-creative-spark/
12. http://designerscouch.org/view-design/Honest-logos-23220
13. http://designerscouch.org/view-design/Honest-logos-23220
14. http://onehourpersecond.com
15. AN OVERVIEW OF THIS TALK Stay focused Find your (work)flow Stay organized Get some help Call it a day
16. http://amzn.to/vatK9P
17. Create a system of productivity to clear the mind of stress
18. THE GOALS OF GETTING THINGS DONE Capture anything and everything Define actionable things Organize information
19. GTD enables greater performance, capacity and innovation. It alleviates the feeling of overwhelm, instilling focus, clarity and confidence. GTD will attract members of the opposite sex, make you wealthy, and improve your physical appearance.
20. GTD enables greater performance, capacity and innovation. It alleviates the feeling of overwhelm, instilling focus, clarity and confidence. GTD will attract members of the opposite sex, make you wealthy, and improve your physical appearance. I made this up.
21. THE 3 R’S Record Return Resolve
22. STAY FOCUSED Have a plan Start unitasking Capture and return
23. UNITASKING Let’s focus, people.
24. http://trentwalton.com/2011/09/20/unitasking/
25. http://www.pomodorotechnique.com
27. DISABLE DISTRACTIONS Hide windows you don’t need Turn off email notifications Ignore Twitter and Facebook
28. SPIRITED AWAY Shhh. He’s watching us... http://drikin.com/2010/11/spirited-away.html
30. defaults write com.apple.Dock showhidden -bool YES
32. USE FULL SCREEN TOOLS Ommwriter iA Writer Full screen mode in OS X Lion
33. http://www.ommwriter.com
34. CAPTURE & RETURN Quickly capture Stay on task Take care of it later
35. http://instapaper.com
37. SIMPLENOTE • Notes and to-dos http://simplenoteapp.com
38. AVOID “FOMO” Fear of Missing Out
40. FIND YOUR (WORK)FLOW Choose your tools Get into a workflow Create good habits Stick with it
41. USE WHAT WORKS Don’t change tools without a good reason.
42. TEXTMATE • My tool of choice
43. ESPRESSO • And many, many others http://macrabbit.com/espresso/
44. SHIT I GOTTA FUCKING GET DONE • Notepads http://shop.coolmaterial.com/products/to-do-notebooks-2pk
45. AVOID THE LEARNING CURVE You could’ve been getting shit done.
46. We shape our tools and afterwards our tools shape us. - Marshall McLuhan
47. http://inboxzero.com
48. STAY ORGANIZED Find a system that works File shit away Keep your shit tidy
49. DELICIOUS
50. DELICIOUS BOOKMARKLET
51. http://www.realmacsoftware.com/littlesnapper/
53. KEEP IT CLEAN Your workspace should reflect your system.
54. defaults write com.apple.screencapture location ~/Inbox/ killall SystemUIServer
55. sudo rm -rf ~/Downloads/ ln -s ~/Inbox ~/Downloads
56. GET SOME HELP Reduce your own workload Pay someone if necessary Do the work you enjoy
57. FLIGHT SEARCH • We don’t check every airline to compare prices http://kayak.com
58. REDUCE YOUR COGNITIVE LOAD Computers are good at that shit.
59. CALCULATOR • We don’t do math by hand, even though we could http://www.flickr.com/photos/patrickgage/3736249034/
60. DON’T DO SHIT YOU DON’T ENJOY Stay happy, stay focused Hire someone to do the shit work
61. Being rich is having money. Being wealthy is having time. - Margaret Bonnano
64. HIRE THE HELP Get an accountant Keep a lawyer around Pay someone to copyedit And to do other tasks
65. http://taskrabbit.com
66. CALL IT A DAY Keep regular hours Leave work at work Get out of the office
67. KEEP WORK AT WORK Don’t take that shit home with you.
68. Working more doesn’t mean you care more or get more done. It just means you work more. - Jason Fried, Rework
69. GET A LIFE Work to live, not the other way around.
70. THANK YOU Patrick Haney Designer/Developer at Hanerino patrick@hanerino.com @notasausage