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+title = """
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+ Unnumbered habits of a questionably effective person"
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+ """
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+author = ["George M Jones"]
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+publishDate = 2022-10-21T00:00:00-04:00
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+lastmod = 2022-12-25T07:55:38-05:00
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+tags = ["geek", "orgmode", "emacs", "100DaysToOffload", "life"]
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+categories = ["blog"]
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+draft = false
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++++
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+
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+This is two part rant on planning with (and without) Emacs Org Mode,
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+shoved together into one post in much the same way as Lennon-McCartney
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+songs were shoved together from musical scraps they had laying around.
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+My Frankenstein post will probably have less impact and reach than "A
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+Day In The Life", Yeah, Yeah, Yeah.
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+
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+<!--more-->
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+
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+
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+## <span class="section-num">1</span> Rants on org mode, humanity and Bruce {#rants-on-org-mode-humanity-and-bruce}
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+
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+
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+### <span class="section-num">1.1</span> Org mode and planning {#org-mode-and-planning}
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+
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+These are reflections getting things done (not GTD). Or not getting
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+things done. Or yak-shaving with Emacs and org-mode while pretending
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+to get things done and really just enjoying the experience either way.
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+Maybe that's what org mode is all about anyhow.
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+
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+Org mode is the best list making tool I've ever found. Org capture
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+let's you capture thoughts, links, TODO items on the fly in the
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+middle of whatever else you're doing and get back to them. You never
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+miss anything.
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+
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+
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+### <span class="section-num">1.2</span> But we're human {#but-we-re-human}
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+
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+But there are a couple problems. We're human, not AI-driven lisp
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+code knocking off all the TODO items, and we're finite in terms of
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+time, attention, focus, money, friends, skills, etc.
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+
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+The result is that org mode enables me to grow infinite lists of TODOs.
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+The human brain is good at focusing on maybe 3 things at a time.
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+The path to despair (long undone lists) is obvious. Sometimes I just
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+give up on org mode lists and do things.
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+
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+
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+### <span class="section-num">1.3</span> Bruce {#bruce}
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+
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+Long, Long, ago in a tech company far, far away (CompuServe, Columbus,
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+Ohio) there were "how do we migrate off of DEC10 to compete with AOL wars".
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+I knew Bruce McNaughton. Bruce moved on from there to be VP of MSN at Microsoft
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+for a while. Arguably a "Highly Successful Person" (who I'm pretty sure
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+does not use org mode, but does have ligit geek creds). I asked him
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+once how he plans and memories (vague) are that he did not make lists
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+(at the time Franklin Planners and then Franklin Planner software were
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+all the rage). That image stuck with me. Just talk to people and
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+do stuff.
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+
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+
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+### <span class="section-num">1.4</span> Concluding Rant {#concluding-rant}
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+
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+- It's about enjoying what you do
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+ - just the act of planning
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+ - maybe actually getting things done, maybe not
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+ - a sense of accomplishment (TODO -> DONE)
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+- Software can be a tool, a focus, a shiny object or a distraction
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+- Software can be tyrannical
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+ - Computers are good an infinite lists, humans aren't
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+- I will die with a TODO list much larger than it is today.
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+
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+
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+## <span class="section-num">2</span> My work planning regime with org mode {#my-work-planning-regime-with-org-mode}
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+
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+That said, here's more-or-less how I plan my days at work.
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+Home/personal stuff is similar, but a little less structured.
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+
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+
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+### <span class="section-num">2.1</span> Morning Planning {#morning-planning}
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+
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+What's in my head
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+: capture TODOs form the top of my journal (diaty.org)
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+
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+Look at "inputs"
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+: look at calendar, email and slack in that order.
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+
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+Look at existing porjects/plans
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+: Look at weekly plans, tasks, etc
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+
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+Juggle all these and figure out what I'm going to try to do that day
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+
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+
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+### <span class="section-num">2.2</span> During the day {#during-the-day}
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+
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+Capture new stuff and move on
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+: Quickly capture new asks, TODOs
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+ (org-capture) and move.
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+
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+Capture info
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+: capture info (links to HOWTOs, etc in the same file)
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+
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+Keep a calendar open
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+: Keep a calendar window open so I don't
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+ miss thigns
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+
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+Turn off all notificatons
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+: Turn off all email, slack,
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+ etc. notificatons and pop-iups so I can control my focus.
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+
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+Check email, slack on my schedule
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+: Check in somewhat frequently
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+ with slack, email so people can get ahold of me in a somewhat
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+ timely fashon. If it's urgent, call or text. Voice calls seem
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+ to be a dying breed ("BR 549", "Pensylvania 6-5000")
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+
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+Minimize yak shaving
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+: I tend to yak-shave a lot. Like writing
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+ this post. Watch it.
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+
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+
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+### <span class="section-num">2.3</span> Organizing Time {#organizing-time}
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+
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+Do "thinking work early"
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+: plan do do "thiking work" early in the day
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+
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+Do "collaboration work mid-day"
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+: do 1:1s, collaboration mid-day
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+
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+Do "meetings late-day"
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+: Push meetings, interrupts, etc late day
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+
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+
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+### <span class="section-num">2.4</span> Where to store "TODOs" {#where-to-store-todos}
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+
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+one file
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+: I increasly just store TODOs, info , etc to one file
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+ (diary.org) which is a diary-like file organized under
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+ Year/Month/Day/ENTRY items.
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+
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+project files
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+: I do have planning files for most projects with
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+ TODOs etc
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+
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+agenda
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+: I do use org-agenda to get a roll-up agenda view, but
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+ more and more I'm just going with the inverse-stack, what's at
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+ the bottom of my diary.org and using mental prirotization.
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+
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+
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+## <span class="section-num">3</span> Projects template {#projects-template}
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+
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+And because this post is getting too long already, I'll make it
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+longer.
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+
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+Here is the org project template that I've developed over the last
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+decade or so. I still use it, but I'm moving more and more to
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+capturing everything in diary.org/the journal and maybe linking out
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+to these project files.
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+
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+A couple notes. "OODA" refers to the "[OODA Loop](https://www.oodaloop.com/the-ooda-loop-explained-the-real-story-about-the-ultimate-model-for-decision-making-in-competitive-environments/)". At times, its a
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+useful paradigm for thinking about action, think Snoopy and the Red
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+Barron: Snoopy <span class="underline">Observes</span> the Red Barron, he <span class="underline">Orients</span> himself, he
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+<span class="underline">Decides</span> to let the Red Barron live to fight another day, and the
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+<span class="underline">Acts</span> by disengaging the dogfight.
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+
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+"Cogita", "Fac", and "Dic" are Latin singular imperatives for
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+"Think", "Act", "Speak". Another paradigm for thinking about
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+actions. Figure out what you're doing, gather info, plan, then do
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+stuff, then talk about it (blogs, reports, papers, meetings, sales...)
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+
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+```text
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+# #+options: ':nil *:t -:t ::t <:t H:3 \n:nil ^:nil arch:headline
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+# #+options: author:t broken-links:nil c:nil creator:nil
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+# #+options: d:(not "LOGBOOK") date:t e:t email:nil f:t inline:t num:2
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+# #+options: p:nil pri:nil prop:nil stat:t tags:t tasks:t tex:t
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+# #+options: timestamp:t title:t toc:t todo:t |:t
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+# #+title: PROJECT
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+# #+date: <2022-12-25 Sun 07:50:58>
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+# #+author: George Jones
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+# #+email: ME @ SOMEWHERE
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+# #+language: en
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+# #+select_tags: export
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+# #+exclude_tags: noexport
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+# #+creator: Emacs 28.0.50 (Org mode 9.3.7)
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+
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+# This is a project to...(overview/intro)...
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+
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+# * PROJECT
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+# ** PROJECT - Info :cogita:Ooda:
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+# - Observe :: Gather Raw Information.
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+# - Think (Cogita) :: Thoughts, Brainstorming, etc.
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+# *** Info about the project
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+# *** Links
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+# - project directory :: file://~/home/private/FOO
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+# + change this
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+# + create directory
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+# + keep project files here.
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+# *** HOWTOs
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+# - Links of HOWTO articles relevant to the project
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+# ** PROJECT - Background
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+# - Add any background info here (old files, plans, projects..)
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+# ** PROJECT - Planning :cogita:oODa:
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+# - Think :: Think about observations and info gathered
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+# - Orient :: "Figure out which way is up"
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+# - Decide :: Decide what your doing, which way to go.
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+# *** Goals
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+# *** Plans
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+# ** PROJECT - Action Items :fac:oodA:
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+# - Act/DO (Fac) :: Actions to take on info and plans
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+# ** PROJECT - Meetings and Reports :dic:
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+# - "After action reports"
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+# - Tell people what happened.
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+# - Have meetings, write reports, etc. (as needed)
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+
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+# ** PROJECT - Backlog
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+```
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