Sunday 28 September 2014

"Agile is for life, not just for...projects...?"

Okay, it doesn't have quite the same ring to it, but stay with me here - it actually works! I'm using Agile/Kan-ban in my day-to-day life and it definately works. I wanted to write a short post about it so you can see how it is having a positive impact on my life - and perhaps it will for you too.

In March this year I finally got onto the property ladder when I bought my own place. The decorating/moving-in process was fun and exhausting, but the key was...Agile.

I made a huge spreadsheet of everything that I needed to do in the run-up to my move date in mid-May, which I divided into tasks per week, and I used the Clear app to keep track of everything for a specific week. I also found myself adding unrelated tasks into a separate "To Be Assigned" list in Clear, which I then revisited and added to the weekly lists as I saw fit. Once the week was over, I would move any other tasks back into the "To Be Assigned" list, or into the weekly list for the new week.

This, combined with the advice in David Allen's book "Getting Things Done", really helped me to keep on top of everything. It sounds so simple but it really did work.

Now that I have moved in to my new place I am using Clear pretty much every day. But, more to the point, I am using Agile pretty much every day. If I have something on my mind I make the effort to define everything I can think of which needs to be done, so that I can free my mind and get on with my day. Then, I look at my list (scrum board, or whatever) and prioritise the tasks I need to complete. It might sound geeky, or silly, but just try it and you will never look back!