Re: [NTLK] New to Newton

From: Jon Glass (jonglass_at_mac.com)
Date: Tue Mar 12 2002 - 03:06:21 EST


on 3/12/02 4:10 AM, James Lopez at jimmlop_at_mac.com wrote:

> I'm wondering if there's any software available thats close to the
> Franklin Planner software for palm. You know, its the palm version of
> Franklin-Covey's planner/organizer--- Not that any newtonians would ever
> need a paper planner but....this software actually made my palm pilot
> kinda useful.

There was a discussion on this, at least once, a long time ago, when this
list was still served by PlanetNewton. For some reason, I saved one of the
emails. I'll post it below. Before I allow the original poster to speak,
however, I'll say that it might be possible that DateMan is the app to look
at. It has probably the most flexible and customizable to-do section of all
that's out there. But, like the following post explains, you can make
Covey's principles work with just the built-in apps, and careful
implementation. :-)

------------------- begin forwarded text --------------------
TEXT Subject: Re: Ntlk Franklin/Covey. Subtle, yet Important clarification

I used to be a 7 Habits instructor in a past life and need to jump in here
to
clarify how Covey implements Habit #3 (Put First Things First) and how I
work it
out on my Newton.

Covey would recommend that you don't use the To Do function at all! Because
Habit 3 is *not* about prioritizing To Do's.

The fundamental thing that makes Habit 3 different from traditional time
"management" is that Covey teaches us to "schedule our priorities" instead
of
keeping a prioritized list of To Do's. I won't take up bandwidth debating
why
this is a good idea, just bear with me for a moment and email me privately
if
this really presses a button.

Once you have a clear idea about what is truly important in your life (i.e.
your
priorities, your mission, etc.), you should then categorize everything you
do as
falling into into one of four quadrants:

Quad 1: Urgent and Important
Quad 2: Not Urgent and Important
Quad 3: Urgent and Not Important
Quad 4: Not Urgent and Not Important

The whole point is to minimize the amount of time you spend in Quads 3 and 4
and
spend more time in Quad2. Quad1 usually takes care of itself.

So how do you use a Newton with this scheme? Easy. You make appointments for
anything that falls into Quad1 or 2! Lots and lots of appointments. And the
Newton's built-in Dates function works very well for this. If taking my son
to
soccer practice today at 5:15 is important to me (and my kids are a very
high
priority) then I will make an appointment on my Newton to do just that. This
is
a Quad 2 activity so I already made an *appointment* for it last week. If I
have
a big project to work on, instead of creating a To Do for "Work on Project
Caribou", I'll make three or four 1 to 2 hour appointments to "Work on
Project
Caribou."

Now, when my boss says we need to have an afternoon staff meeting I will
then
say: "Sorry, I already have something at that time." Now I could ask my wife
to
take my son to soccer practice or ask my boss if we could do it in the
morning
but that's up to me. This is what Covey calls "exercising integrity in the
moment of choice." I know what my prioritites are and I also probably have a
good idea whether or not this meeting is going to be a Quad1 or a Quad3
activity. Like all corporate environments we're notorious for having
unnecessary
(Quad3) meetings.

Likewise, when someone rushes into my office and asks me to do something
I'll
say "well I've got an appointment (i.e. work on Project Caribou) in a few
minutes, but this cool Netwon here indicates that I have some free time
around
3."

*Schedule* the important stuff on your Newton, folks. And keep the Quad 3
stuff
and reminders on the To Do list.

Oh, and by the way, you don't absolutely have to have a Newton to make this
work. But you do get extra points for coolness.

My thoughts, humbly submitted for your consideration (sorry to be so
verbose),

Richard Dominguez
Lotus Notes-person
Thompson & Knight, P.C.
Dallas, TX

dominguezr_at_tklaw.com
runs QDTx Subject: Re: Ntlk Franklin/Covey. Subtle, yet Important
clarification

I used to be a 7 Habits instructor in a past life and need to jump in here
to
clarify how Covey implements Habit #3 (Put First Things First) and how I
work it
out on my Newton.

Covey would recommend that you don't use the To Do function at all! Because
Habit 3 is *not* about prioritizing To Do's.

The fundamental thing that makes Habit 3 different from traditional time
"management" is that Covey teaches us to "schedule our priorities" instead
of
keeping a prioritized list of To Do's. I won't take up bandwidth debating
why
this is a good idea, just bear with me for a moment and email me privately
if
this really presses a button.

Once you have a clear idea about what is truly important in your life (i.e.
your
priorities, your mission, etc.), you should then categorize everything you
do as
falling into into one of four quadrants:

Quad 1: Urgent and Important
Quad 2: Not Urgent and Important
Quad 3: Urgent and Not Important
Quad 4: Not Urgent and Not Important

The whole point is to minimize the amount of time you spend in Quads 3 and 4
and
spend more time in Quad2. Quad1 usually takes care of itself.

So how do you use a Newton with this scheme? Easy. You make appointments for
anything that falls into Quad1 or 2! Lots and lots of appointments. And the
Newton's built-in Dates function works very well for this. If taking my son
to
soccer practice today at 5:15 is important to me (and my kids are a very
high
priority) then I will make an appointment on my Newton to do just that. This
is
a Quad 2 activity so I already made an *appointment* for it last week. If I
have
a big project to work on, instead of creating a To Do for "Work on Project
Caribou", I'll make three or four 1 to 2 hour appointments to "Work on
Project
Caribou."

Now, when my boss says we need to have an afternoon staff meeting I will
then
say: "Sorry, I already have something at that time." Now I could ask my wife
to
take my son to soccer practice or ask my boss if we could do it in the
morning
but that's up to me. This is what Covey calls "exercising integrity in the
moment of choice." I know what my prioritites are and I also probably have a
good idea whether or not this meeting is going to be a Quad1 or a Quad3
activity. Like all corporate environments we're notorious for having
unnecessary
(Quad3) meetings.

Likewise, when someone rushes into my office and asks me to do something
I'll
say "well I've got an appointment (i.e. work on Project Caribou) in a few
minutes, but this cool Netwon here indicates that I have some free time
around
3."

*Schedule* the important stuff on your Newton, folks. And keep the Quad 3
stuff
and reminders on the To Do list.

Oh, and by the way, you don't absolutely have to have a Newton to make this
work. But you do get extra points for coolness.

My thoughts, humbly submitted for your consideration (sorry to be so
verbose),

Richard Dominguez

------------------ end forwarded text -------------------------

-- 
-Jon Glass
Krakow, Poland
<mailto:jonglass_at_usa.net>
<mailto:glasshaus5_at_aol.com>
"[The] law established by the Creator, which has existed from the beginning,
extends over the whole globe, is everywhere and at all times binding upon
mankind. . . . and is paramount to all human control." --Rufus King, signer
of the Constitution

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