EPISODE 050 - Organisation: How does SSOS works?

Michael Seidl: Welcome to a new episode of the Get Shit Done in IT podcast. My name is Michael Seidl and this is part two of our series of how does about single source of shit. Topic of this episode is how does this single source of shit works? And as I said in the last episode, this is not a something I invented is just a name because it's a little bit funny. It's about having a single source of all your to-dos. Some of you might know this system. There's nothing I invented. I'm just telling you that it works and that the name is just related to the podcast name. So we have single source of shit. So how does it work? Back to the last episode just to remember. A single source of shit means everything you have to do and you have to plan needs to be in one single source of list, of tool, of whatever. So that's the single source of shit. And the first thing is which tool you should use or you might use. Yes, it is the first point. Yes, it might be important, but it shouldn't be the first thing you think about. It shouldn't be the first thing you have to decide. Because the tool is not doing the work for you. It's like having a Mac, Windows or Linux computer. There are people out there love this one, the other one, whatever. But in the end it is a tool what helps you to finish your work. If you go to the hand crafting, it doesn't matter if you use a Makita or Einhell screwdriver, it's a tool you have to use. Of course there will be people out there who love this one or love the other one and the other one is not good and whatever. But in the end it is a screwdriver, an electric screwdriver.

Michael Seidl: and he screws. That's it. It's a tool. And the same is for your single source of shit. Don't start with the tool. Start with the mindset. Start to learn how the single source of shit works. And then you can enhance and evolve the tool to maybe change it. So in our example, I did a work with Microsoft To Do in the past. Before that, worked with... I don't remember the name, but before that, I worked with Things. It is, I think, only for Apple, Mac world still. And so then after this, worked a long time with Microsoft To Do. Then I combined it with Microsoft OneNote, but it was always two systems. I had OneNote for my notes and I had... to do for my to dos and I had no real project management or just a project because multiple to dos is a project. So don't be afraid. We're not talking about the business project and the project plan and the project manager, but everything that needs more than one to do is a project. You can name it in a different way if you're scared of the name, but everything that is more than one to do is a project. And then to do over in one note, it wasn't working together. Good in my opinion. So I figured out notion for before three years. and you might know that I'm a fan of notion. So it's not the first time I mentioned that, but it's, it is not the one thing for everyone. Yeah. It's, it's good for me and it might be good for other ones, but it's not. the tool who makes the thing source of shit successful. Not only. Okay. First of all, you need to

Michael Seidl: Bring that mindset into your head. You bring that workflow into your daily, weekly routine. So that's the most important thing. And that means your single source of shit needs to be filled with everything you have to do. Private or business related. All your posts, all your notes, all your inboxes, all your teams, all your slacks messages. Everything in your head. Everything needs to be in that single list of shit. And then... start with whatever you're using right now. If you're not using anything, take any tool that is on your operating system. So if you're Microsoft related, use Microsoft To Do, a Microsoft Planner. If you are on a Mac, maybe use Things. I think it costs a little bit, but whatever, or anything else. There are a lot of free stuff out there, I think. If you're on Linux, I have no clue. Use any web service. I don't know. But use... something you like, you may be familiar with and start doing it. So start learning the workflow, start bringing that mindset into your head, start learning the workflow and bring everything in a single list of shit. You can also use paper. That's fine. It's not definitely nothing for me because I have a very bad handwriting and every second sentence I can't read anymore what this means. That's true. So, but, It might work for you. If you're more the handwritten guy and colorful and everything, that's good. Take a sheet of paper or a note taking system and write everything by hand and do colorful and whatever. go for it. Just find that one what suits you best. But the idea is for everyone the same. Put everything in that list. And that's the second point. So finish the first one, learn the workflow, bring the mindset into your head. And then you can decide, maybe you want to choose a different tool because you miss something like this or that. So for my opinion, Notion was, I was missing the project stuff and the note taking stuff to the to do. And that was the reason why I took Notion for this one, or learned Notion for this one. And I laughed.

Michael Seidl: Notion for this one. But that's also evolved. I'm working with this system since think 15 years and I used six, seven different tools. I think Notion hopefully will be the last one, but who knows? But as I said, it suits me. It might suit others, but it not suits everyone. Okay. So find your stuff. But the most important thing. Learn the workflow and that's it. Maybe one more thing to the tool. If you start learning the workflow and if you, in my case, do a complete cleanup every Friday. So every Friday, every inbox mail, every... every stuff in my head, every note on my desk, every Teams message, every WhatsApp, Slack, whatever, everything that comes in will be, is migrated, copied, written down in my single source of shit. And if everything is in, then I go through that inbox in my single, not my mail inbox, my inbox in my single source of shit and define What is the next step? Is it maybe something already is in my list? And then I need to plan it or maybe put it aside for later day. But the important thing is everything needs to be in there. Everything needs to be planned. So you have a single source of shit list, a single source of shit inbox, and that is empty at the end of the day or end of the Friday or end of the week. And that feeling that your brain can... Relax, you can relax because everything is under control. That's very powerful feeling. Okay. And I mean it, like I said, so it shouldn't be any, any, any spiritual or something. Don't, don't be afraid. But if you do this and you, everything is empty. Your brain is empty. You don't store anything in your head. What you have to do. Everything is in that list. Everything is on plan. Everything is under control. Then this is a really good feeling. Okay.

Michael Seidl: and try it and the tool will follow that process, for example. Then you can decide and migrate and we in IT know what it means to migrate. So if you decide after one, two years, you need a different tool because you miss some functionality, then do it, go for it. So second point is, and we already mentioned that everything needs to be stored in that single source of shit. It will not work if you only put 95 % in it. It will not work. You need to put 100 % in that single source of shit list, system, tool, whatever you want to call it. otherwise, forget it. It will not work because you then have an additional list beside your inbox, beside your notes, beside your Slack teams, whatever messages. Then you have an additional tool. and you have everything in your head or most of the thing. So it will be more stress than now. So if you want to do it, go for it, but go all in. Okay? So don't do just 90%, 95, 98, 100%. Everything needs to be in there. Otherwise, stop it. Try something else, but it will only be more stressful than it will help you. Okay? because it's just an additional list with some shit on it. And then you have the to-dos maybe duplicated or tripled in your inbox, in your head, in your single source of shit. And then it's complete chaos. you're all in or nothing. Okay? And the third one is everything in that list and everything planned out of this list. So... The idea in my opinion, how I did it, if I planned something in my single source of shit, I decide how long does it take, one hour, two hours, a whole day, or bigger. And then I have a button to create an appointment in my calendar. So I configure that to do, it needs to be done until the next two weeks, or during the next two weeks. And then I a button in an Asia Automation Runbook, what finds me a free slot.

Michael Seidl: and it's automatically planning that to do. Create an appointment in my calendar. And the idea is that only things that are listed in my calendar or planned in my calendar will be done. Nothing else. Think about it. Only your calendar is what you have to do. Of course, we have troubles, have kids are sick, whatever. So, but then we have a calendar and we see what I might have to do and then have to reschedule it. But everything is in my calendar from my single source of shit. And that's the ideal process or way to do it for me. So you have a tool. Whatever suits you best. Everything needs to be in there. So everything from your brain, your head, your mind, your notes, your handwritten notes, course, your, I don't know, Slack teams, WhatsApp, Signal, what else, messages, and of course your inboxes needs to be stored into your single source of shit. Then you have to decide what is the next do, how long does it take, how important, whatever. And then... You do it out of your list. I plan it in my calendar, but that's just a visual stuff because I also have appointments for customers. Then I have no time for to-dos. So everything is in my calendar, but based on my single source of shit. Then to my calendar and every day my calendar is my... my list of things I have to do and only what is on my calendar will be done. If it's not in my calendar it will not be done because I have to plan it then in my calendar to do it and that's it. For example I have a Friday the 30th of May next week I'm on the road I'm Tuesday in Amsterdam for Express Live Netherlands and on

Michael Seidl: Thursday at Call of Days Madrid. The session in Call of Days Madrid is nearly ready, but in Amsterdam or Netherlands, I have a workshop. I have to plan it. I have to do everything. And this is in my calendar. Otherwise, it wouldn't be done. And I really decided what I have to do. So I have to go through the to-dos. Does it make sense? I have to create a test. then I will prepare everything. These are actions I planned before. And of course, the time I do things or I check things, of course, you will note that something else needs to be done or additional stuff. But then in your list, plan it. Go ahead. Okay. And the most important thing, go all in or leave it. If you're just 95 % will be more stressful than before. 100 % or nothing. All in or nothing. That's it. if you maybe be next week in Express Live Netherlands or Call Up Days Madrid, say hi. Say what you think about the podcast. Maybe you have a question, but of course, say hi. So we'd like to chat with you. And so for this, wish you a nice Monday, wish you a nice week, stay productive, and bye-bye.