Somehow, time management hasn’t kept up with the best practices in training, adult learning or coaching. Not sure why…

Sadly, not only the time management field…

However, nice job!

However, I have also seen poor coaching — “follow what I do and don’t ask questions” mentality.

That’s the worst.

Somehow, time management hasn’t kept up with the best practices in training, adult learning or coaching. Not sure why…

This is one of the issues I address in my upcoming 20 video series. But I only have the time to mention it in passing, and give a quick solution. Hopefully that’s enough for many people.

I’d love to see us all break out of the fixed, all or nothing mentality we have gotten ourselves into. I think I’d retire at that point from time management stuff and do something else!

It’s much better to admit the truth — no-one is implementing ALL of any fixed system, and everyone is doing their own thing to some degree.

IMHO, that’s where they need help the most.

How can we they get help to make their “own thing” more of a Picasso and less of a Frankenstein? LOL

I agree with you. In software industry the best way to help people (teams) make a Picasso IMHO is a coach: someone that has experience and passion in the foudamentals, so that he can correctly assess the situation, propose the most useful practices and effectively train (by example) the team. I think that with time management it is the same.

hmmm… “all or nothing” time management systems. I agree.

I am a bit reluctant to call this thinking “bleeding edge” at time because it’s a obvious in other industries like the open source movement. It’s built on making small improvements at a time. I just checked out the new version of Outlook and was quite disappointed at how little is evolving, by contrast.

Inventors of the “fixed and detailed processes” that you described are in a bind — the only alternative they have is to give more and more detailed prescriptions (which apply to fewer and fewer people.)

It’s much better to admit the truth — no-one is implementing ALL of any fixed system, and everyone is doing their own thing to some degree.

IMHO, that’s where they need help the most.

How can we they get help to make their “own thing” more of a Picasso and less of a Frankenstein? LOL

Thanks for the comment — it’s a great one, and you may be well ahead of the curve here.

In the last years we have realized what you are writing in this blog: it all depends on the context. Now the “bleeding edge” theory is that the winning approach is not a transition to a fixed and detailed process, but more like a design of the process more suitable in the current context by choosing the right *practices* and focusing on the *execution* of the *foudamentals*.

Your mixed weight-management approach is a great example of the kind of hybrid approach that most of us use (and need.)

At the end of the day, it’s hard to put a label on what you have — other than “Bob’s System!”

With regards to the weekly review, I hear this problem a lot among people who have followed the GTD guidelines.

My opinion is that there are other alternatives to keeping extensive lists — see the Orange and Green Belt descriptions in the Articles section — that simply don’t require an extensive review.

When the number of time demands increases, so do the size of the lists, and the need for a long weekly review grows with it. According to 2Time, an Orange or Green Belt doesn’t need to review a list that frequently — most of the items have been placed in a calendar instead and are dealt with when the day/time comes.

Anyone with a weekly review issue might want to consider an upgrade in the fundamentals: Scheduling and Listing.

But I am really guessing here, and going from a quick observation as I haven’t really thought about it much.

As for the golfers, I also think that many casual players isn’t willing to invest in the time and coaching required to acquire a whole new swing. They’ll never turn pro, so…

Thanks for your thoughtful comments! Would love to hear your reaction to anything I’ve said here.

For example, I have been battling weight problems my whole life and have been trying different approaches to fat loss and fitness over many years. No one system seemed to hold all the keys for me. Right now, I have hybridized a system that consists of a nutrition plan from Joel Marion (Cheat Your Way Thin) plus Full Strength meal replacement shakes plus P90X workouts plus a visit to a trainer once each week plus elliptical cardio workouts on some days when my wife can’t do P90X with me. This combination “feels” right, fits my lifestyle, is yielding results and is something that I believe is sustainable.

With regard to the people who only want to “upgrade” rather than replace their systems - this could either be a matter of being resistant to change or of truly having a system that serves them pretty well and only needs to be tweaked a bit. This is akin to golfers who are not very good, but resist the idea of building a whole new swing because, even though they stink, their current swing is comfortable and they don’t like the idea of deviating radically from what they know.

Personally, I am in a similar situation with time management systems. I have tried many over the years and GTD is the one that rings truest for me. I like all of the thought that has been put into it, but even after three years, I still have not been able to really make it work the way it should. I have realized that THE key to the system is a regular weekly review. Without that, the system sputters. I keep a very good and up to date calendar, but for some reason, have not been able to institute the discipline of a weekly review. This is what I am working on right now. I have also come to the conclusion that it is possible for a person to just have too much to do and no time management system can overcome that!

Wish I had one… maybe I would not be scrambling around the place looking for my lost habits. I can’t imagine making a list of ALL my habits though…

Now, thanks to my wife’s reminding me, I have noticed that also lost the habit of taking out the garbage each night — something I used to do religiously.

It’s amazing… almost as if my body became hard-wired to my old digs. It knew what to do at different times of the day, without my telling it.

Talk about a learning experience…

As for the Tungsten, I hear rumors that there are smartphones that are being developed that have external, full-size keyboards.

I have decided that this particular doo-dah is one that I _must_ have, and until I can get one, I’ll be sticking with the Tungsten.

I also really want one that will convert an email into an appointment, a la Outlook, but that may be asking for too much!

Here’s hoping you’re settling in nicely. Congrats on your new home!