Want to Make Your Own Hipster PDA? Here’s How…
August 3rd, 2008Categories | GTDtimesavers | Gadgets | Getting Things Done | Implementation | LifeHacks | Tips - How To's
Frank Tomizuka has just posted a great tutorial on how to make your very own hipster PDA over at Instructables - the world’s largest “How To” website. For those of you that have never heard of a Hipster PDA, Merlin Mann introduced the idea over at 43Folders way back in September of 2004. If you’d like a decidedly lower tech solution instead of a high tech device this may be just what you’re looking for…
I just love how the Hipster PDA idea has exploded so widely. I particularly liked how many 3×5 options appeared at Levenger which I thought was brilliant on their part.
This tool can be a great way to easily and quickly implement GTD.
For my GTD system, I started with a simple notebook, but it took too long to rewrite my lengthy lists. I then experiemented with the Outlook plugin and Remember the Milk (RTM), but I work better with paper.
I reluctantly gave the Hipster PDA a shot and am now sold. I like that the size of the index cards forces me to limit the number of actions/projects per card. If I have too many items on my @office list to fit on one card, then it’s time to prune the list and move some of those onto my “someday maybe” or “pending” lists (pending is my own little category for projects / actions that I want to get too sooner rather than later, but not immediately). I still use RTM for my someday/maybe lists, but everything current goes in the Hipster.
I use a simple Circa PDA translucent plastic notebook which I have supplemented with dividers for projects and next actions. ( http://www.levenger.com/PAGETEMPLATES/PRODUCT/Product.asp?Params=Category=326-339|Level=2-3|pageid=6263 ). I experimented with the book cloth and leather 3×5 PDAs that Levenger offers, but they were too bulky for my shirt pocket. The translucent plastic is firm enough to provide a solid surface for writing, but flexible enough to go in my hip pocket if I’m wearing jeans on the weekend. (It’s also a lot cheaper.)
Need to empty my head? Take out a fresh note card!
Have some extra time for a mini-weekly review in the dentist waiting room? Whip out my PDA and I’m cleaning house: re-writing lists on fresh cards and pulling out the old cards.
Love it!
Levenger is getting props all over the place here. I have their pocket briefcase for 3 x 5 cards (bomber jacket style). It is on the spendy side for this sort of thing, but I really like the three pockets for keeping the cards sorted and the fact that it has a pen with it. They have options with out the pen, and with one less pocket that are still very nice, and a lot more reasonably priced.
I use OmniFocus on my iPhone for most of my stuff, but when I need to get things down quickly and I don’t feel like goofing around with the iPhone keyboard, I nothing beats pen and notecards. It’s nice that Levenger has nice much more reasonably priced options too. Tools not only for serious readers, but increasingly for serious GTDers as well.