No More Boring To Do Lists – Instead Roll Your Own — Office Supplies, Desks, Office Furniture Office Freaks

I’m a huge productivity nerd. Even when I’m not as productive as I need to be, I can get lost for hours looking at nifty little to-do list apps or expensive Franklin Covey day planners. I can spend hours looking at productivity tools, time I should spend actually doing stuff.

I recently started getting my planner ready for 2006 and I bought some calendar sheets and a few other things I use and put it in a nice 3 ring binder. I probably spent more on putting together my own than I would if I had just bought a pre-packaged one. But, doing it yourself isn’t always about saving money, it’s about creating a tool that works the way you do.

In the many hours I’ve spent looking at useful tools I’ve found some free document templates you can use to create your own system for getting things done, which is more than just a phras. “Getting Things Done” is a crazy popular book by David Allen that geeks have really taken a liking to. It’s very geek friendly but is good for anyone who want’s to do more. GTD, as fans call it, is a way of life. Here are a couple things that you might want to have a look at if you are as into productivity as I am.

The Hipster PDA, which inspired me to sell my expensive Palm powered PDA in favor of 3×5 index cards. I’ve always used index cards in the past and when I found out about the Hipster, I knew my people had called me home. For me, this is the KISS (keep it simple stupid) solution to productivity and spawned an entire subculture of people who share their own “life hacks” for being productive.

The D*I*Y* Planner is simply amazing. If you want to create your own planner then this is the way to go. Also, these guys put together a template for the Hipster PDA that just rocks your socks. I got goosebumps just thinking about it.

David Seah has created a really good series of templates you can print out, including a very useful to-do list. Unlike other to-do lists, David has turned tasks into a game in which you reward yourself with points making it feel good to complete a sheet and “win the game”. It’s a simple reward, but it works! Check out the The Printable CEO Series, I think you’ll like it.

PocketMod is an online tool built in flash that lets you create your own disposable personal organizer. No doubt inspired by the Hipster PDA, this thing is pretty sweet. It lets you pick from a number of templates to let you quickly create a pdf that you can print and fold or cut to your liking. It’s small, flexible and doesn’t get in the way – the hallmark of a great tool.

Another simple, yet elegant way to keep things organized is with the stylish Moleskine, which is a really trendy notebook that comes in several flavors starting at $9.99 for the pocket size and are worth twice that. I often throw my Hipster inside my Moleskine.

So, go do what I do, spend a few hours looking at stuff that will help you be more productive instead of actually being productive. It’ll feel like you’ve done some work and you won’t feel guilty!

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