My Project planning experiment with Trello

Since my move to Berlin I have applied the Kanban-tool explained here to various fields of my day to day life.

I failed but got something else.

The experiment was:

To implement the project/time management tool Kanban in order to make my everyday life more structured and effective.

The fields would be:

• Reading + Blogging.
• Business.
• Training.
• Other.
• 6 months goals.(Learning)

I started in July by trying out an easy kanban tool which name I have forgotten.
Around the same time I started using Trello after a recommendation on the site of the Sales/CRM system I have been using in my startup.

Trello was the more compelling choice with enough features to make it interesting, a nice and compelling design and which quickly proved to me an easier tool that also was more free in its used, which will be explained a bit more.

To implement this project management style of life proved to be hard. I listened to Brian Tracy and applied his morning list to my day followed by putting that into Trello leading me to add another project: Websites and articles where I would add interesting articles I came over on the internet and wished to read. Things that were low-priorities. This was a good idea which I made use of for a long time. Now I simply write the URL down in a wordfile.

The hardest thing was to keep on with the routine, which in the end made me see my effort as not succesful, but not entirely that that my commitment to the project dwindled because of its thourough implemantion in my entire life. Such a decision should be taken very seriously.

The training-part which in the end was succesful and let me build a new life style was to:

Instead of listing the training as “todo” I simply put in in when its done to keep track of my progress.
This made it easier for me to do without seeing the task at hand as “a thing to tick off” but more like leisure time.
However, that is how I see it now. Not before. It seems like a routine becomes solid ground when it is integrated into one´s Psycology, before one has to pull it up by the rope of motivation litte all the time and never let go.

End result:

I kept at it in all fields the first 3-4 weeks.

My training has developed into a routine which has permeated my life and changed my life style by making me eat better, taken care of myself more and better health.

How does it look in Trello?: I have logged every training session with comments about the training since July. So, the experimentation has so far has had a positive inpact on my life but not as I meant for it to do. The end goal is in fact to get better routines which I to some extent got.

To start a routine one must keep the routine alive, even though changes are made. The routine itself is important and when it is firmly integrated into my psycology as Training now is, it is almost relaxing to fall back on it.

I think I will add one or two things to my Trello tool now that one part is carrying itself.

Furthermore: Some other things have been gained such as the logging of expenses to get a clear picture of my monthly spending.

To implement such a change in life style I need to ask myself: Will I honestly do this in 5 years time? Does it help me on many levels? Should I really do it 100% on all fields in my life, or start small and add?

I am not sure, I will try to add now.