G is for Getting Things Done.

It would be impossible to write about personal productivity and not mention Getting Things Done. In geek circles at least, this organization and workflow system seems to have all but conquered the market.

F is for Focus.

Regardless of our occupation, there are always blocks of work that need to be done. The best way to dispatch such tasks is to just immerse yourself in the work and focus solely on that until it's complete.

Unfortunately, the modern world conspires against us. We're constantly encouraged to take on more; exhorted to multi-task; and it seems as though each day there's something new clamouring for our attention.

This is particularly true with computers and the Internet. There's a lot of truth behind the old joke: if a train stops at a train station, and a bus stops at a bus station, what happens at a workstation?

There are some ways that you can alleviate the problem and tackle the attention-vampires on your terms, rather than theirs.

E is for Everything.

Whether you like it or not, everything that you need to do, everything you need to remember to get, everything you have to chase up... everything goes into your system for staying organized and effective.

That's a lot of stuff, so if you're keeping it all in your head then it's no wonder that sometimes you forget things, or you just feel overwhelmed with it all and can't get anything done.

But don't worry, it's actually a good thing that everything goes into your system - because then if we improve the system, we get to improve everything.

To anyone who tried to use tedium at the end of last week, I can only say sorry.

Our hosting provider upgraded some of the software that tedium uses to run, and although normally that sort of thing doesn't cause any problems, this time it managed to break things.

Even when we'd realised there was a problem, it took a while to find exactly what it was and to fix it - Friday night was a pretty late one as a result. By Saturday we had it resolved, and tedium was back and available to users.

Don't worry, I won't be asking questions later.

However, if you are the sort of person who wants to keep extra details along with the tasks in their todo list (and at least one person is, because they asked for this very capability) then the latest feature in tedium will be most welcome.

D is for Dash.

This is a great technique for those times when you're overwhelmed by the tasks that are facing you. It's particularly suited to a big pile of little things, but remember letter B - you can always break a bigger task down into smaller ones.

The important thing to do when we're feeling overwhelmed is just to ignore it and get started. Sounds easy, but that's the problem - it isn't. The dash lets you break the mental block over getting started on your seemingly endless list by changing it into something that's going to be over. And soon.

With a dash, you'll soon be playing computer games (insert your own fun reward here) guilt-free, having achieved something concrete and useful.

C is for Context.

This is an idea that I first came across when reading the excellent Getting Things Done by David Allen. It's a different and very useful way to view the things you need to do.

Rather than listing your tasks by the project they're part of, or the day you need to do them, you group them by the context in which you have to perform them. So you keep a list of everything that needs to be done in a certain location - work, home, at the computer, in the shed, in town... Or when you're using a certain tool - emails to send, phonecalls to make, things to oil when you next have the oil-can handy... They can even be a person - things to discuss next time I have a meeting with the boss, or decisions that need to be made jointly with my boyfriend...

B is for Breakdown.

But hopefully not a nervous one. That's what we're trying to avoid!

However, when applied to your projects or the tasks on your todo list, breakdown is one of the most useful techniques around.

If you're having trouble getting started with a task - because you don't know where to begin, or it seems too big and unmanageable - then try splitting it up into smaller, easier-to-tackle actions.

Then repeat that process until you arrive at a task that you can complete. And do so.

Another list of seven today, it must be a lucky number or something...

Anyway, 7 Habits of Highly Innovative People is well worth checking out if you want some tips on being more creative and innovative.

A is for Action.

That's right. There's no messing about on this list. Let's get straight to the heart of the matter.

All the thinking and planning in the world won't matter a jot if we fail to act.

Acting upon one's ideas sounds such a lofty and grand undertaking, but really it isn't. It's just the work that follows deciding to do something.

That's easy to forget because 'work' sounds like something difficult and so something to avoid. But once we've decided to do something, all that remains is action because action is what makes the decision tangible.

Remember, in a movie nothing happens until the director yells "ACTION!"