Comments on: Review: Premium Planners (Charlie Gilkey)

By: What Is Work? And Why Does It Matter? — Aliventures

What Is Work? And Why Does It Matter? — Aliventures — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 12:18:41 +0000

[...] Not my work, but “work” in the abstract. When I was trying out Charlie Gilkey’s Blog Post Planners on the plane to SXSW, I jotted down “What is work (vs. leisure)”. And during [...]

By: Ali

Ali — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 18:06:23 +0000

Thanks Hilar and Karinne! They’re definitely a good resource for getting some clarity – I’m always skeptical whether someone else’s systems/methods will work for me, but Charlie really seems to “get” it, plus I found myself noticing the pitfalls (and rose-tinted glasses) in my usual approach..!

By: Karinne

Karinne — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 16:03:40 +0000

Thanks for the review Ali. I’d looked at these as I tend to be a productivity systems junkie, but not in depth as I’m not in a long-term planning headspace just now. Definitely useful for when I do get my creative mojo back, good to know they’ve already helped you with a potentially sticky Autumn.

Karinne
Karinne´s last blog ..Year of the Tiger. pt 1

By: Hilary

Hilary — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 19:07:09 +0000

Hi Ali .. sounds like a good system .. I’ll be back to have a look – thanks Hilary
Hilary´s last blog ..Alpha, Treacle, Beta, Dogger, Snow – what do they mean to you?

By: Ali

Ali — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 18:39:34 +0000

Cheers, J.D. — the system will definitely continue to evolve (especially with Charlie’s planners!) and I’ll share progress here on Aliventures…

By: J.D. Meier

J.D. Meier — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 05:43:48 +0000

I like that you’ve shared how your personal planning system has looked at various points.

I’m always amazed at how by simply organizing information new ways, it helps us see our days or see our lives in empowering ways.
J.D. Meier´s last blog ..How To Use a Coach Effectively

By: Ali

Ali — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 09:36:16 +0000

Archan, thanks, I’m not sure I’m exactly “collaborating” here (Charlie made the planners, I just liked them and reviewed them) but I agree feedback is a sort of collaboration-lite…

I’ll give Charlie more feedback privately (not so much in terms of improving these planners, but in terms of other stuff I’d like to see ) but the review wasn’t really the place for that!

And I completely agree with you about Charlie’s writing: Productive Flourishing is one of my favourite blogs because Charlie manages to communicate clearly and kindly, but with an academic rigour of thought.

Julius, cheers, hope you enjoy the planner if you do grab it!

By: Julius

Julius — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 03:27:35 +0000

Thanks for this clear and detailed review. I’m seriously considering taking this planner. Will also recommend it to my friends.
Julius´s last blog ..A Day Through The Eyes of a Blind Woman: Part 3

By: Archan Mehta

Archan Mehta — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 17:43:58 +0000

Thanks for this post, Ali. It’s great to see you and Charlie collaborating on a project. In the future, I want to see more such collaborations and joint-ventures or partnerships as well. And not just with Charlie, but also with Naomi, Johnny Truant, Nick B., and several others.

With due respect, I disagree. I don’t think you are being mean-spirited. Rather, I think you are providing Charlie with “constructive criticism,” and that’s what separates the men from the boys. In general, readers appreciate reviewers who have a balanced, objective point of view.

( BTW: We really need to discourage public forums from degenerating into blame games, finger pointing and obnoxious behavior. Yet, as we all know, this does happen from time to time.Receiving hate mail, games of one-upmanship, dragging others down to get ahead, etc.
are examples of what happens once you are well-established in your niche. How unfortunate.)

Later, as Charlie has rightly pointed out, he can take that feedback to improve his product/service. And that’s how businesses work: by implementing kaizen (or continuous quality improvement). Change is the only constant in the world of business. And you need to stay one step ahead in order to gain competitive advantage in a dog eat dog world too.

And there are no overnight miracles here: it is not at all like winning the lottery or hitting the jackpot at a casino in Atlantic City or Las Vegas. You improve step by step, one day at a time. Customer feedback is important so you can tweak your product/service and design it according to the needs or requirements of your target audience. Just to clarify here, that’s all.

Yeah, Charlie knows his stuff: that’s why, like you, I am a fan of his blog: Productive Flourishing. Charlie may be a philosophy major–and probably will earn his Doctorate soon–but he knows how to lucidly explain complex ideas even to the lay person. Charlie writes in a simple and functional way and knows about the art and craft of communicating effectively.

By: Ali

Ali — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 15:50:08 +0000

Thanks Charlie! I always feel kinda mean pointing out the bits I didn’t like (the ratio on stuff I review is usually 95% good, 5% bad, but if I put in a blow by blow account of all the bits I liked, no-one would ever get to the end!)