Last week, I made a major change to how I work. After 16 years of exclusive Microsoft Windows Outlook use I bought a Mac. I’ve wanted a Mac for a while but always found reasons not to have one, but finally it was time.
Of course, the first set of actions after getting the computer was to install Windows 7 in Bootcamp and in Parallels (VM software) so I could still use my old software. Parallels is a pretty amazing piece of technology in its own right. It allows a user to literally have both operating systems running at the same time, but that’s a discussion for another time.
I’m a really big fan of David Allan’s “Getting Things Done” methodology. It’s how I manage my days and organize my life. I use it to manage (so what’s next?) my projects and my teams.
Years ago, I found the GTD Plugin for Outlook and have happily used it ever since. Moving to a Mac has meant for than just getting a snazzy looking box, it means that my native Outlook (now running in Parallels) isn’t quite as integrated into the OS as it used to be. There’s no comparable GTD Plugin for Outlook – Mac so I’m looking for something new.
I’ve found some decent if not good Mac solutions but none are complete. OmniFocus, Things and Midnight Inbox all seem to do the trick for capturing information. In fact, all of these do a far better job than Outlook but they all absolutely fall apart when it comes to email.
Here’s what I want but can’t seem to find:
- I want the ability to send an email and create a “waiting for” task if I’m asking a question.
- I want to ideally process email in my email Inbox and then move it to the GTD software
My search will go on this morning. If nothing, I’ll just saddle up the old Outlook horse and ride on. I can’t be unproductive looking to be productive for too long.
